| Research Ideas for Fiction and Nonfiction Writers |
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| Written by A. Louise Staman | |||||
| Thursday, 15 November 2007 | |||||
Although admittedly some research can lead to the GREAT DEAD END, most research will result in the TOTALLY UNEXPECTED, which is why archival and primary research is so important. For example, in every book I consulted, an extremely important French woman, Jeanne Loviton, was said to be the daughter of the wealthy F. Loviton. When I examined her birth certificate, however, I discovered that she was illegitimate and that F. Loviton had adopted her when she was twelve, after he had married her mother. Don’t always trust books, Wikipedia, certain web sources (many are wishful thinking or advertisements), or, unfortunately, some government papers. Be skeptical. For example, was Kennedy’s brain really “lost” during his autopsy? And the man accused of his murder, Lee Harvey Oswald, was grilled for many hours before he was murdered, but we still have no information about that questioning. It is also important to realize that people often have reasons of their own to lie during interviews. Once you have picked a topic for your book, it is wise to look at Amazon or library titles to see if many other authors have already chosen the same theme. For example, there are probably now too many topics dealing with Baby Boomers (aging gracefully, second or third careers, the thrill of volunteering, staying healthy into old age). Unless you have a special angle, it might be better to choose another subject. After you have chosen your topic, read all you can about the period (World War II, 15th Century, 1950, etc.) and find out about the music, books, styles, mores, fads, and clothes. The more you discover, the more authentic your book will be (or seem). The same is true for your backdrop. If you have chosen
Now that you have your topic, time period, and backdrop, your most important step is to use your resources: 2. Getting the Material. Borrow from a library; order on interlibrary loan (this can usually be done online); check to see if E-bay has the book (if it does, you can probably buy it very cheaply); see if you can purchase a university or college library card; frequently consult a good reference librarian (who can be invaluable). Check via computer or phone the State Archives, National Archives, and court houses. Call or e-mail them before you visit. Often they can send you copies of some of the materials you need. Don’t forget about microfilm, which can often be borrowed on interlibrary loan, or if you just need one article, can be printed out and sent to your lending library. Recordings and tapes may require a special visit to the library that owns them, but can sometimes be sent via interlibrary loan. Newspapers on microfilm can also sometimes be borrowed via interlibrary loan and sent to your lending library. You may not remove the film from the library, but may make copies of what you want. Dissertations and other unpublished materials can also sometimes be sent via interlibrary loan. Large libraries (such as the 3. The Library of Congress. Such a huge and useful part of the Library of Congress is now online and so wonderful to the researcher, it deserves a separate listing in this article. It is possible to download many pictures directly from this massive library at no charge and place them in your book as long as you list the Library of Congress as the source. This online library is well organized and, considering the enormous amount of information, fairly easy to use. If you visit the Library of Congress, be sure to read or ask what is expected of you before you can obtain any information. This library is a closed stack, and you cannot browse. But if you follow their directions, and know beforehand what you want, a friendly librarian will bring your items to your table. 4. Interviews. Interviews can be tricky, particularly if you don’t know whether the interviewee is friendly or hostile to the subject. Always call or write first to ask permission for an interview. Always write a thank-you note and thank the interviewee in your book acknowledgement. You may want to send this person or these people a free book. Pick a place for the interview that is comfortable and quiet, or let the person being interviewed choose the location. Offer to take this person to lunch or dinner if that seems useful. Always get permissions for interviews. It is possible to record either by phone or in person, but the person being interviewed must know and agree to have the interview and to have it taped. Without these permissions, you could be sued.5. The Author’s Bible: 7. Storing and Back up. Be sure to categorize your research and store it in the best way for you. Savvy computer people store all of their research on computer. If you do this, be certain to back up everything you have. Also put your research on a disc and send it to someone else not in your home … just in case. Do the same with your manuscripts and drafts. Or you can devise your own filing system. I use large manila envelopes and milk crates. I place everything I own on anti-suffrage, for example, in one or two large envelopes and file them alphabetically in the appropriate milk crate. Then, when I am finished with my book, I can remove those particular milk crates to a storage area. Since I consult a great many books, this system is easier for me than listing every book in a separate file. Just make sure your method of storing is easy and works for you. Be certain you have the title, author, and page number on your research.  AAuthor and poet A. Louise Staman has published five books (one children’s book) and written several articles. Her most significant prizes include:
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