Otherways- Fiction Fanatics

Research. It isn’t a four letter word, but it might as well be in certain circles. Some authors take fiction to an entirely new, and not entirely desirable, level by omitting the research step entirely. At best, they appear to have done a quick skim of the Wikipedia article relating to their topic and called it good enough.

I’m honestly not sure why, though.

Not only does decent research generate a host of new ideas and give your work depth and authenticity, it is also just plain fun. Last week I was immersed in reading a text on scalp acupuncture, and the traditional oriental version of medicine. It was fascinating, although I couldn’t find a willing partner to allow me to experiment with my new-found knowledge. Apparently most people don’t really want to be poked in the head with needles, but I digress.

This week, among other things, I’m working on a character sketch for a fairly minor player in an upcoming book, but I really wasn’t happy with what I had. Frankly, the guy felt like a caricature rather than a real person, so I dug out one of my favorite references for creating the social deviant, a textbook called Deviant Behavior by Alex Thio. I know, reading textbooks can get a bit dry, but this and The DSM-III-R Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders are a virtual gold mine for creating those twisted or naughty individuals.

Let’s face it, we’re all a bit bent, but we aren’t all bent in the same direction, so having a compendium of the hundreds of different forms that bend can take is mighty useful. Take for instance, robbers. Personally, I’ve never been one. In my retail management incarnation, I did have to deal with a few of them, but fortunately only briefly. Creating a believable one, then, requires doing a little digging.

So, I know the role my guy has to play. I know his rough age, and something of how I want him to look so the scene will play in my head the way I need it to. Digging up my trusty textbook, I found that there are actually four recognized types of robbers: the professional, the opportunist, the addict, and the alcoholic. By itself, this wouldn’t be much good to me, but since the characteristics and motivations of each type are listed, it both widens my view of why my character might be behaving as he is (other than to further the plot), and lets me paint a far more detailed picture of the man than I could before.

Rather than seeming like a less bungling version of Jasper from 101 Dalmations, my criminal now has a background story, an m.o., and some believable details. Opportunists, such as my character, are the most common of the criminals, they generally limit themselves to petty crimes, like shoplifting or larceny from a vehicle, but they are always looking for what is known as a “set up man”, the guy that can plan the big score, like a bank robbery. Statistics from interviews with arrested felons generate average levels of education, average amounts stolen, and even the things that these criminals expected to get from committing their crimes, all invaluable if you find the character you are trying to breathe life into remaining stubbornly dead.

I do still love Wikipedia. It is the most awesome jumping off point, and a great place to verify a few facts. It isn’t the end of the hunt, though, and most of the really fun stuff is just a little off the beaten path.

Cheers,

Michelle