Research, the Internet, and Writers
By Susan Gable
© 2001
I shudder to think of losing my Internet connection. It's my lifeline to the world, and my favorite research tool. Not only can you find facts, but the Internet can also help you hook up with real, "live" experts.
Research is critical, even for fiction. Nothing will yank a reader out of the story faster than a glaring factual error.
My WIP involves children who've had organ transplants. By using the Internet (via a standard search-engine. www.snap.com is one of my favorites.), I discovered that there is a solitary summer camp like the one I'd envisioned for my novel. I also managed to hook up to some homepages of transplant parents, and via this miracle of technology, I now have several parent "experts" to help me make sure my ms is on-track and factually accurate. They've answered questions for me that range from, "What is your child's drug regimen?" to "Would you allow your heart transplant child to get her ears pierced?"
Another of my favorite sites is www.refdesk.com. This site has links to tons of information, and includes an on-line dictionary and thesaurus. Want to know postage rates in Canada? How about access the latest census data? Or maybe you need to check a date on a perpetual calendar? You can find all that and much more at refdesk.com.
I've also made great use of www.askme.com. At this site, you can browse through a list of experts, and ask them anything. Now, a few caveats of warning here - read the "expert's" profile, think carefully about which experts to ask, and verify the answers with more research - but overall, I've gotten great information from this website. I've learned what to do with a toddler who eats crayons, how long it takes to become a Ph.D. in physiology, and the name of a particular type of ceiling I wanted to describe in my ms.
Need to find a character name that has a certain meaning? Go to www.babycenter.com/babyname/meanings.jhtml . Say you need a female name meaning "light." Type in light, and presto, you have several name choices at your fingertips. No need to fumble through endless pages of a baby-name book.
Want to know if the fictional town you just made up actually exists? Try www.placesnamed.com. It also gives some interesting stats about some of the places. Did you know that there's a town called Denver not just in Colorado, but also in PA, NY, OH, NC, SC, and WV, among others? I didn't.
I use www.mapquest.com to plot out trips my characters take, and to get an idea of how long it's going to take them.
I get floor-plans for their houses, look for their clothes, and even look for THEM on the net. One of my favorite places to hero-shop is www.undergear.com. (Not for the fainthearted ladies, please. <G>) On-line clothing catalogs yield heroes, heroines, kids, and clothing. I search the net for their cars, as well.
Need setting help, but you're on a typical writer's budget (namely next-to-nothing) and can't afford to travel to the place in question? No problem, just pull your computer chair a little closer to the screen. I not only chose a Las Vegas hotel for one of my heroes based on the hotel's website, but I was able to take a virtual tour of his gorgeous suite. Can't ask for much more than that. (Except the money to actually go there in person.)
Has your novel title already been used, maybe many times? Call up www.barnesandnoble.com and check. If the list is long, you might want to consider naming it something else.
I've followed an autopsy step by step, learned how to harness a sled dog, and wept over sites that honor and remember children organ donors. I've learned about plastic surgery, charities, and organ procurement organizations. I've examined the tools used by clock-makers and pathologists.
Don't forget to double-check the information you uncover. One of the drawbacks of the Internet is that any Looney-tune can put up a web page with information. Use multiple sources to make sure you get the job done right.
Do I still use books? Of course I do. For those of you writing mystery or suspense, I highly recommend the Writer's Digest HowDunIt Series. In-person interviews with experts? Yes. And another of my new favorites for research and idea stimulating are the non-fiction programs offered by channels such as Discovery and TLC. But my first line of research is the Internet. And if my DSL shuts down, you'll hear my crying all the way from here.