by
Sue Bentley
author of
WE OTHER
Luckily I love research –
sometimes, a little too much. It can be so fascinating that I can happily get
absorbed in it for hours and get no work done on my WIP. I’ve learned to
discipline myself.
I do extensive research while
building my characters and their backgrounds. I like to plot quite a lot of the
book before I begin writing. In that respect I’m a plotter more than a panster,
but if a book goes off in a more interesting direction when I get stuck into
it, I’ll go with it. In the same way, if a character starts doing unexpected
things as I get to know them better and the result is more drama and tension
than I’d planned, I’ll allow them to lead me down a different path to the one I
was expecting.
For me, writing’s like going
on a journey and then getting side-tracked. It can turn into a bit of a muddle.
But I’ve discovered roads and by-ways, I never expected to find. And somehow,
or other, the book turns out all right in the end.
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This is because writing is an
art. For me there’s no absolute right or definite way to approach it. We all
find our way through the tangled woods of a long book. It’s not a straight
concrete road from start to finish. Every book throws up new challenges. The
only thing one can be certain of, is that writing doesn’t get any easier. I’ve
learned to accept there will be good and bad days. A bad writing day, can turn
into a great opportunity to do some research.
I might need to know something
in particular, perhaps about a poison, which has a specific effect. (As I
needed for my WIP, entitled Second Skin, just completed.) I’ll research it by looking
on-line and/ or checking one of my hundreds of books; one day the house will
sink under the weight of all the books I own. I’m after ideas, not accuracy as
I don’t write non-fiction. I particularly enjoy researching history, especially
the fine detail of how people in the past lived. What they ate, what they wore,
how they earned their living. Politics of the day, dry lists of dates, and
which monarch was on the throne, interests me only in so as far as they
affected people living at the time.
I write fantasy, sometimes side-by-side with a
contemporary setting – as in We Other. So I’ll choose what to discard and what
is useful. For the poison for example, I took an element from a number of
different herbs, blended them into something to suit my requirements, and named
it sleep-weed - which is self-explanatory.
I know of writers who travel
widely while doing research. They need to see and experience the areas they
visit, perhaps smell the spices of some exotic market or describe the velvet
star-studded night over a dessert. I make such journeys in my imagination,
although I might draw on my love of folklore and interest in different
cultures. It might suit a story to take elements of life in medieval Europe and
blend it with aspects of early Native American culture. The most interesting
things often happen at the interface when cultures collide.
Most things I write contain an element of
fantasy, even if it’s a contemporary novel. I make things up, sometimes entire
worlds and cultures. So the sky’s the limit for my imagination, but everyone
needs a starting point. That’s where research comes in.
You can find out anything. If
you truly need expert advice, find an expert to speak to. Or look at the books
the experts use. Need to find out how to deal with a maggot-ridden wound or
safely amputate a limb? Consult a nursing manual or ask a friendly surgeon.
Want to know about Police procedures? Buy the Police Training Manual. You often
hear people advising writers to, ‘write about what they know.’ To that, I’d add
– write about what you can find out. Research for me, doesn’t mute a good
plotline, it provides the details that enhance it. And it can lead to
completely new strands of the story, or become the focus of a dramatic scene.
During research, I often find
golden nuggets of detail, which add a whiff of authenticity to my writing. For
example it was once fashionable to wear heavily powdered wigs, have a heavily
powdered white face and dust little circles of rouge on one’s cheeks. Rouge was
expensive, so to display one’s wealth, a liberal covering would be used.
Apparently the Empress Josephine’s face resembled a ripe tomato.
Thank you for hosting me for
the We Other blog tour. I enjoyed looking more closely into the subject of
research.
Introducing…
We
Other
Family
secrets, changelings, and fairies you never want to meet on a dark night.
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Jess Morgan’s life has always been
chaotic.
When a startling new reality
cannot be denied, it’s clear that everything she believed about herself is a
lie. She is linked to a world where humans – ‘hot-bloods’ – are disposable
entertainment.
Life on a run-down estate –
her single mum’s alcoholism and violent boyfriend – become the least of Jess’s
worries.
Sue Bentley discovered a love of books at an
early age. She worked for Northamptonshire Libraries for many years, while
teaching herself the craft of writing. She is the author of the worldwide
bestselling Magic Kitten, Magic Puppy, Magic Ponies, Magic Bunny series for age
5-9 years. She also writes for children and adults under various pen names. A
lover of English Folklore, her books often contain elements of the otherworld and
the darkness within the everyday. Her books have been translated into around 20
languages. We Other is her first book for Young Adults.
Giveaway - Win a signed copy of We Other and a
personal letter (open internationally)
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is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with
the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway
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delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of
the prize.
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