Despite the literary license we fiction writers supposedly hold, readers expect a certain amount of realism and accuracy in stories that are based on the real world in either current or historical times, and so a bit—or even a lot—of research is often in order. Sometimes we writers spend more time doing necessary or desired research than we do actually writing the story. And when that is the case, we feel compelled to let the reader in on just how much research we have put into our writing project and how knowledgeable we have become as a result.
“Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!”
Consider the following example derived from a climactic scene:
Juanita stood at his side with her heart pounding and her ankles in chains as she glanced at the gun in his holster. Arnoldo didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy observing the terrain.
“Let’s see what Sir Lancelot is up to now,” he said.
Holding the binoculars in his right hand, he raised them to his eyes and looked out the window. Juanita grabbed the gun from his holster and, gripping the pistol in both hands, stepped back as Arnoldo spun to face her.
“Don’t move, or I’ll shoot,” she warned, still keeping both hands, now dripping with sweat, on the gun.
It was a Glock 17, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, the result of Gaston Glock’s 17th patent for the gun—hence the name. Glock started developing the pistol, now a favorite among policemen and civilians alike, in 1980 to compete in the Austrian Armed Forces pistol weapons trials. Made of steel and a high strength, black polymer plastic, this revolutionary new design won the Austrian weapons trials. In 1982 Glock was awarded a contract to supply the Austrian Armed Forces with his Glock 17, which the Austrian military dubbed the P80.
Call it what you will, it felt good and solid in Juanita’s hands, and she could only hope that if it was good enough for the Austrian army it would be good enough for her. Assuming, of course, that it was still loaded.
Does the reader really care about the history of this type of gun at this point in the story? I should certainly hope not. If zee does, then the author hasn’t done a very good job of pulling zerm into the story. If, on the other hand, the reader is emotionally involved in the story, then zee will be frantically trying to find where all this irrelevant background description ends so that zee can get back into the story and find out what happens to Juanita.
Do all the research you need to do to feel comfortable with your subject matter so that you can write with accuracy and confidence, but don’t litter your copy with irrelevant facts or bore your reader with long-winded descriptions that bog down the story. Think of your research as an iceberg, ninety per cent of which remains submerged, unseen and unnoticed, while still carrying on the important work of supporting that ten per cent that can be seen above the water. Keep ninety per cent of your research hidden while using the other ten per cent to dazzle the reader with your story’s accuracy and authenticity.
Remember: Like a sports fan who wants to enjoy the game without thinking about all the practice that went into making it seem so effortless, your reader wants to be entertained, not burdened with the obligation to take note of all the research you had to do to make your story seem real.
© 2016 Ann Henry, all rights reserved.
Photo: Robert Louis Stevenson’s Study © 2016 Ann Henry, all rights reserved.