Fun with Research by Syndi Powell



FUN WITH RESEARCH by Syndi Powell

The picture above is similar to the bike that I imagined April bought in "Healing Hearts". Which brings me to my topic. Some writers hear the word "research" and groan. I'll admit that there are times I'm in that group. Other times, I rub my hands together before diving into learning about a world different from mine to bring truth and authenticity into my stories.

The book that I had the most fun researching was "Healing Hearts". April had a second chance list that included things that I've never done or experienced, so I learned how to salsa dance, make my own pasta and skydive. That last item I'm grateful that I only learned by looking up and reading other people's experiences rather than doing it myself.

Another fun book to research was "The Sweetheart Deal" because the heroine was a baker. I visited many bakeries to find out things like what a baker's day is like (hint: starts REALLY early), what items are made and sold, floor layouts, pricing, etc. My favorite part of this research was buying and tasting pastries in order to decide what my baker would make.

Currently I'm researching the work required for renovating a house in order to later flip it. I've been studying pictures and diagrams on how to install wood floors, tile floors, how to re-glaze a bathtub, installing drywall and cupboards and windows and sinks.... It's amazing how much work is required to fix up a house. Those shows on television make it look a lot easier!

The point of research is like I said, to give truth and authenticity to our fictional worlds. While one of the axioms of writing is to write what you know, there's no way that we can know everything we write about. I might know what it's like to have breast cancer, but I don't know all the treatments and side effects. I have experience with being a buyer at a bakery, but not what it is to be an owner. My sister and her husband have gone through an adoption, but I don't know all the nuances of both the legal and emotional process. That is what research is for.


What are your favorite types of research? What would you like to research one day? What interesting tidbit have you discovered during periods of research?

Comment below and you can win a copy of my book "Finding Her Family".


Comments

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  2. I wrote a historical book once--one!--and the research was so much fun I nearly didn't get the story written. I had a good time cruising apple orchards for my August book, "Nice to Come Home To."

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    1. I think I'd enjoy writing a historical romance especially during World War 2, but I too would get caught up in the research. Enjoy those apples!

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  3. Loved to read your research adventures Syndi, especially the bakery tour! An interesting fact I learned while researching Lima Ohio, the setting for my Heartwarming “For Love of a Dog” was that in the late 1800s Lima was a hub for the train industry and at the turn of the century, 143 trains ran through the small city every day. I like researching real places and often wish I could visit them, to see what they look like in ‘real life’. :)

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    1. Janice, I love learning little known facts like that. I've also wanted to take a road trip for research but haven't yet done that.

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  4. I enjoyed talking to people about portrait drawing/sketching for "Amber Light," which falls into the category of women's fiction. I knew it was an important element for my traumatized main character-narrator, and the people I talked with explained the range of expressions we have but can't see in ourselves. It was so satisfying to include what I'd learned and that sub-element ended up becoming part of the character's healing and enabled her to to accept love. Thanks for bringing this up--I'd almost forgotten about it and about how important it was. Sounds like you've had a grand time with all kinds of fun research!

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    1. Virginia, that is great insight that you gained!

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  5. The research I enjoy most is when I get to travel to the place I want to write about, but that doesn't happen as much as I'd like, especially when it's very far away. But any subject I get deeply into tends to become more and more interesting. For example, I loved researching the early history of Vancouver, though it hasn't appeared in a book yet. Lots of research isn't used, but it's great when a fact bubbles up in the right moment to lend authenticity.

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    1. Callie, it's true that a lot of our research doesn't show up in our books but it definitely flavors the writing we do.

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  6. I love research! Especially traveling to places I want to set my books in. Now to figure out a way to make Hawaii my next setting! Reading about your research was fun!

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    1. Patricia, I love the idea of going to Hawaii to use for research. Think we can write off the expenses because it is writing related?

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  7. Your research sounds like a blast. I've been reading about mechanical carousel organs, which I've found are rather fascinating.

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    1. Beth, that is an interesting topic. Can't wait to see what you do with it!

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  8. Hi Syndi Powell! I research EVERYTHING!! I love it that I can learn about things so easily through online research. I’ve learned about so many things. One thing I found very interesting is the Sand Cat. A cute little cat that looks very much like a house cat but that is nocturnal and can withstand very hot temperatures without drinking water for long periods. I saw one at a zoo and researched it and found it so interesting.
    Google is a dangerous tool in my hands. 😉

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    1. Laurie, Google is a blessing and a curse for me. I love being able to quickly look up things I need to verify or delve further into. But I can then get on a tangent and realize hours later that I've gotten WAY off topic.

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