By Izzy Silverman
A common phrase of writing advice is to write what you know, but what happens when you want to write what you don’t know? It’s simple; do research.
There will come a time when you’ll write what you are not familiar with. You have not lived in 13th century modern day Russia or in a city full of flying pigs. You’ve also, probably, not grown up with two taxi driving parents that met at a funeral in Minnesota or grown into being either of those taxi driving parents.
It is almost too easy to find resources in the 21st century with the internet. An overwhelming amount of information is at your fingertips. There are YouTube how-to videos, research papers, books that cover everything from apples to zebras. Come up with a game plan and ask your local, or not so local, research librarian for help.
Sometimes there is a little more legwork involved. Act like you’re a movie star doing research for a role, even if it means learning archery or walking in heels. Experience what you want your audience to experience through your writing. For setting, try to take it a step farther. Visit the places you write about. Follow in your character’s footsteps and time a roadtrip to match their path across the country. It doesn’t matter if you physically join or watch from the sidelines, just do your best to notice the small details and talk with the locals.
Another great option is to interview the people that have experience with or knowledge on your subject. People with first-hand experience of a topic should always be first choice, but a historian or other secondary sources are valid alternatives. Don’t forget to ask about the details of day-to-day life; you’ll never know where those facts might lead you. Sometimes, when interviewing people on their passions, you might want to let them take the wheel. You can prod them, but at the end of the day they know what they’re talking about.
You might be thinking: “None of this matters in science fiction or fantasy. Those are worlds where I am the creator.” Funnily enough, it’s still research even if you are the only source. Interrogate your own brain for the sake of continuity. Make timelines, maps, and lists of the creatures and plants. Other things to consider: To root your world in believability you’ll have to understand the real world. How did currency, language, and power structures evolve and how were people involved? Does it align with the history of your empire of dragon fighters? If not, that’s fine, just explain why.
By the time you finish writing what you don’t know, you should have a story full of what you’ve just learned. That’s when you take a step back for a minute, pretend you are the audience, and read your work like you are once again a person who doesn’t know. Make sure it makes sense and fix the parts that are too complicated or technical or require knowledge you forgot to include. Have confidence in your work. You did the research. You know what in your story is accurate, and if it isn’t accurate you know why.
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