WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT. That old saw has a great deal of truth to it . . . but only to a point. If I just wrote about what I know, my books would soon begin to sound like an internal medicine (I have boards in that) textbook. So in truth, at some point we all have to write about something we don’t know about. I do it almost every day, and usually it’s great fun. The benefit we have as writers is that the readers don’t know that what’s in the book might be all we know on a given subject!! It’s like an actor, who is just about the only one in the theater who knows what the line is supposed to be. If he forgets the line, but is smooth about it, no one is the wiser. Now, that’s not to say we should put down misinformation and be happy with it. NEVER KNOWINGLY PUT DOWN INFORMATION THAT IS WRONG! NEVER! Sooner or later you will be exposed.
Some of the resources I use regularly include:
–Periodicals, books, and newspapers - great for getting ideas about what to write about. Collect interesting clippings and save them. You never know when your ideas will dry up.
–Textbooks-I can’t begin to list all the books I have bought and studied-at least a couple for every book I have written. For my current book, THE FIRST PATIENT, I have read all or part of seven books. I often go to Amazon or B&N.com, type in a subject and see what they have.
–Experts-Almost always, people are more than willing to speak with you about their field of expertise. Agencies have public affairs offices. Talk to friends in allied fields and get some names. IMPORTANT: Have your what if? crafted before you contact anyone, and have a list of questions prepared. Also, be ready to take notes on the answers. Never rely on your memory (I don’t even have one anymore). I was researching the Internet in preparation for writing my current book about the president’s doctor, when I found the name of someone who, for 10 years was the doctor to three presidents. I got her current address off the Internet and contacted her. She is now an invaluable reference for me, but also has become a dear friend. For face-to-face meetings, try and bring a tape recorder and camera. When I use an expert to answer a specific concern, the main question I start with is: IS IT POSSIBLE? Even if something is highly unlikely, if it’s possible, I can make it happen. That’s what my imagination is for. Anecdotes and figures of speech add invaluable authenticity.
–Maps-Have boxfuls of these. All types. The more detailed the better. You’ll be amazed at how many times you can add neat detail and color to your writing by knowing specific streets and directions. And when you don’t have the right map, there’s always:
–The Internet-How did we do it before there was one? However, be sure to carefully blend what you read (and print out as much as possible) with your imagination. For my book THE FIFTH VIAL (pub date 2/20/07), I wrote an interesting scene where my hero goes to Amritsar, India. If you have the book, it’s Chapter 27. If you don’t have the book, stop reading here and hie to your nearest bookstore! Anyway, the point is I have never been to Amritsar. I chose the place because it suited my purposes. On line, I got all sorts of details about the streets, buildings, culture, and people, INCLUDING PHOTOS (be sure you know how to use the “image” toggle on Google.)
A few final thoughts. Avoid overwhelming your readers with jargon and technical details just because you can. Have someone in the know check your facts (read the book) when you are done, and someone not in the know read it to see if they are confused, or worse, bored. Acknowledge your sources where possible. Sometimes, I use their name for a character. A blend of things made up and things real often works great. So do commonly known products.
So, that’s it for this tip. Thanks to my friend Tess Gerritsen for sharing her approach to the subject.
