msmcknittington: a blue butterfly (butterfly)
[personal profile] msmcknittington posting in [community profile] ficdaily
A picture of a mountain lake in Idaho with clear blue water, green pines and a background of snow-covered mountains.I love research, to the point where I wonder if the hobbies I have aren't just excuses to do some. Sometimes this research takes the form of doing nothing but looking at pictures -- hence the ridiculous number of pictures of Idaho and Montana I have looked at for one of my projects, as illustrated by exhibit A to the left. It really makes me want to pick up and visit those states, just so I can experience what living in an area like that is and can describe it all the more vividly.

Which leads me to the question for today: What lengths have you gone to for research? Have you ever traveled to do research? Done hands-on activities to get a feel for them, like taking martial arts classes to help develop your characters' kickassery? Eaten something unusual for the experience? Interviewed someone for their expertise on a subject? Do you think this is a valuable and useful method of doing research, or is it the equivalent of a overly dedicated method actor who never breaks character, even in the shower?

Do you ever look in non-intuitive sources for useful information? For example, I am reading Julia Child's My Life in France for information about the experience of being part of a foreign embassy. I don't think Julia Child is a source that most people turn to when writing sci-fi!

Or do your characters' skills and knowledge grow from what you already know and are familiar with? Do you never go out of your way for research?



Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 5


Today's original fiction work included:

View Answers

adding to my word count
4 (80.0%)

research, world building, character development
2 (40.0%)

plotting, outlining, rough notes
1 (20.0%)

discussing or writing about my WIP
0 (0.0%)

daydreaming or working in my head
0 (0.0%)

editing my original fiction
1 (20.0%)

meta: reading about, writing about, or discussing writing
0 (0.0%)

meta: queries, submissions, contracts, taxes, etc.
0 (0.0%)

things external to but necessary for writing (sorting, filing, cleaning)
1 (20.0%)

something I will share in comments
1 (20.0%)

none of the above and that's okay
1 (20.0%)

none of the above and I need help/advice/hugs in comments
0 (0.0%)

How did you do in terms of meeting your goals today?

View Answers
Mean: 6.75 Median: 6.5 Std. Dev 2.38
Don't ask! 1
0 (0.0%)
2
0 (0.0%)
3
0 (0.0%)
4
1 (25.0%)
5
1 (25.0%)
6
0 (0.0%)
7
0 (0.0%)
8
1 (25.0%)
9
0 (0.0%)
I would like a trophy! 10
1 (25.0%)



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Photo source: Ben Earwicker, http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1086686

Date: 2012-06-25 03:27 am (UTC)
clare_dragonfly: woman with green feathery wings, text: stories last longer: but only by becoming only stories (Wales in the summer)
From: [personal profile] clare_dragonfly
I went to Wales for research once! (I live in the US.) Okay, it was more vacation than research, but it was really awesome. And I did learn a lot--mostly about the hostel network, but also about castles and folklore and the Welsh language and all the sort of thing I love. I have something of an obsession with Wales and Welsh (you can blame Lloyd Alexander), so it was fantastic to get to go.

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