Research is a large part of writing, even in the world of
fiction. That’s because readers will
only suspend their disbelief for so long.
Most stories have to be grounded somewhat in reality, even if they’re
set in some fantastical world. And the closer
to our reality the story is, the more grounded in that reality it must be.
With that said, it seems I do an awful lot of research for
things that are barely included in the story.
Take Schism, for example.
There’s a scene in there that revolves around the changes made to parts
of the prison system. Now, I’ve never
been to prison, so most of my “knowledge” comes from what I’ve seen on TV. So I reached out to an old friend of mine who
has actually been to prison. He was
happy to provide me with insight on how the daily routine works, what the
guards are really like, and how one gets privileges. We exchanged a few notes, and we had a pretty
long phone call about it. So when it
came time for me to write up the parts of the book that took place in a prison,
that gave me material for all of…a few paragraphs and one section of the book.
This isn’t the first time this has happened. Whether learning about the Mormon Church for Akeldama or researching the angelic hierarchy for Salvation Day, the amount of
research is rarely reflected in the work.
This isn’t a gripe or lament, but merely a statement of fact.
So the next time you read a book and get a feel of true
authenticity for it, try to appreciate the time it took to research what’s
behind the story. Trust me, it’s more
than you realize.
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