So! Research!

[randomling]

So I'm starting to work seriously on a couple of original fic ideas. One more seriously than the other, simply because it's better developed. This is all a bit tentative and scary for me, and I'm worried about all kinds of things. One of them is how much research to do before I start writing. Everyone, but everyone has different advice on this, and the only thing I can find that might be correct is "whatever works best for me". So I'm in the process of working out what that is. I'm not really desperate for advice on how to work that out, I'll get there.

One of the other things I'm worried about though, is where to get started with the things I do know that I need to research. Like finding out what kind of stuff a history nerd would do while on vacation in New York City. Or like finding out what a corporate solictor's day-to-day work is like. I have no idea.

I did go to university, and I love to read, and I love to find new ideas, but I never have any idea where to start with research topics.

Any generic writerly research tips would be greatly appreciated!

Comments

[patupaiarehe]

For the really random little things, there´s an LJ group called Little Details and I swear, they are smarter than GOD.

Oter than that, I can´t really help you. I tend to make shit up for my first draft and THEN correct the factsy stuff, but I also tend to avoid writing anything too factsy (for this reason).

[randomling]

Thanks! I have heard of Little Details before, really must check them out. I too try to write stuff that's not too "factsy", but the problem is that when you're writing original fic set in a part of the real world that's really quite different from yours, the research gets a bit daunting!