Purple Prose:
research

Well, friends. I made it home from my adventure in one piece. It was touch and go for a while. It's really NOT fun being lost in Nashville. I was caught alternating between cursing like a sailor and praying like a saint.. SO I decided that wasn't doing any good, and cut out the cursing. And a miracle happened! I was supposed to be looking for 'Frankin Pike'. I got turned around somehow and ended up back on the interstate (nice!). Anyway, I was freaking out, turned on the first road I saw because I was going to turn back at the redlight at the top of the ramp... ONLY the ramp didn't stop at the redlight. It just kept on going. SO (freaking more and praying like the dickens), I went on and decided to turn around again at the next road to take me back to the road I missed, to take me back to the interstate, to take me back to the road I made the wrong turn on (I know, makes a LOT of sense lOL). Anyway, as I started to turn I looked up and saw the road sign 'Franklin Pike'. I almost cried from happiness. And turns out it was the right road and the right direction!! I found the place easily after that. I could have kissed the ground when I got there though LOL.

Now, the meeting was an autism training for SPED teachers. It was interesting... after the first hour when I couldn't stop looking at other people's hair color and wondering how ugly mine really was. Finally I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, decided I didn't look half bad, and went back. I focused the rest of the time.

The end of the day was very interesting... since I had absolutely no idea how to get home. But I love trying to get home from Nashville without directions. This is going to sound corny probably, but it makes me think of my Daddy and smile. My Daddy didn't talk a lot, but he did give good advise. One of those was that when getting home from anywhere, always go toward Knoxville. I kept thinking that over and over, which would have been wonderful, if the first crossroads I came too weren't "Nashville" and "Huntsville". I prayed, chose Nashville (deciding I'd rather stay in Nashville that go all the way to Huntsville. It turned out to be the right way and after getting off of several interstates (I-65, 24, 440, and 40), I ended up home... finally. It was actually really fun coming home. Going, not so much.

**I think I've mentioned this before, but I don't feel nearly as confident or attractive with this new hair. I feel awkward and self conscious... very self conscious. I"m going to try to dull it. I can't take it much longer.

Ok, off to relax with the family. Watch some Dancing with the Stars (I'm rooting for the Olympic man to go this week). It's not wrong to have a SMALL crush on an 18 year old is it... Cody Linley is adorable! He's definitely my favorite to watch this season. Makes me feel like a dirty old woman LOL

Let’s see a show of hands. Who here enjoys writing the first draft?

I’m more of a revision-loving girl, but I do love the surprises that happen while I write the first draft, even though I spend time outlining my novels first.

One problem I have while working on my first draft is that I’m easily distracted. The other problem is I love to do research. This means when I stop to do “quick” research (e.g. look for a tattoo that would be symbolic to the story and scene), I end up wasting more time than I should and my writing flow is lost.

So, now I don’t do that anymore. When I need to stop to research something, I make note of it in the manuscript and keep typing. The only exception is if it’s something vital to the plot, and it could result in extensive revisions if I don’t do the research now. Once I’m finished with the draft, I’ll go through it and do the necessary research and edits.

Because I use Scrivener, it’s easy for me to make the notes in my manuscript. They show up in a separate window next to my manuscript. That means I just have to click on a chapter to see what research I need to do. It’s really easy, and it’s one of my favorite features in Scrivener.

When you write your first draft, do you power through it and research details later once you’re finished, or do you research them as you write?

Note: Scrivener is 20% off until June 14^th. So, if you’ve been thinking about getting the program, this is a great time to do so.

Psst. I have a secret.

As most of you know, I write, read, and breathe all thing YA (young adult). And I pretty much only crit or beta read YA novels plus the occasional MG (middle grade) book—with one exception. One of my closest friends writes women’s fiction.

Before I got hooked on YA novels, I read historical romances (I was planning to write them one day), medical thrillers, and a few Patricia Cornwell novels thrown in for luck.

I’ve never read, in my entire life, any women’s fiction (or at least I think don’t I have), unless Harlequin romances count. Hmmm. Do they?

Anyway, my friend recently decided to take a break from her WIP. But not only did she decide to start working on a new novel, she decided to explore a new genre (for her): erotica.

Now, other than the steamy parts in the historical romances—and I mean seriously steamy—I’ve never read the genre before. But being the diligent critter that I am, I thought I should read a few for RESEARCH. Yes, that’s right, it’s strictly for research.

And of course, my husband, being your typical male, was more than delighted to hear about my selfless sacrifice to benefit my friend. *grins*

So my question is: how far will you go to help your writer friends?

And in case you’re wondering, since I’ve just finished reading my first romantic erotica novel (and it was hot!!!), I have no plans to write the genre (though I’m definitely doing some more research to help my friend out. *winks*). I’m YA all the way.

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Believability is extremely important when writing fiction. Characters, plot, actions, concepts, fantasy elements all have to be believable if you want your reader to read the book instead of hurling it across the room in disgust.

But how can you make sure everything is believable? Research.

Why do it?

I’m going to use my novel, Lost in a Heartbeat, as an example why it’s important to do the research. The story deals with a seventeen year old who was raped by a guy she met at a party. She never tells anyone what happened (for numerous reasons).

I was sexually assaulted as a teen. I never told anyone. It was late at night and I was coming home from work. I knew if I told my parents, my mom would force me to quit my job. I didn’t want that to happen because I was saving to go to Finland the following summer. That was my motivation to keep silent. That, plus I was humiliated enough as it was without telling them.

In addition to my own experience, I know several females who were raped or sexually assaulted as teenagers. Each had a different story. Each dealt with it differently. I also did tons of research on rape and post traumatic stress disorder.

A few things I discovered:

• The majority of rapes don’t happen in a dark alley with a strange. Most of the time the female knows the individual (e.g. date rape, abusive relationship)

• Depending on which stats you’re looking at, between 50-80% of survivors of rape and sexual assault don’t report it.

• Some females develop trust issues when it comes to guys. They don’t want to date or be intimate with anyone (including their boyfriend or spouse).

• Some females figure sex must be all they’re good for, and start to seek it out just to prove themselves right.

When you create your character, it’s important that you know the facts to make sure she’s believable. Remember, you’re not writing for the reader who’s never been in the situation. You’re writing for the reader who has. She knows what’s believable. You don’t want to alienate her because you wrote your story and characters based on your assumptions.

Beta Readers

This leads me to my next point: beta readers. I had a beta reader who told me it was unrealistic that my main character never told her parents. The individual assumed because she would have told her parents everyone else would, too. This same issue occurred with an instructor through a writing course I was taking at the time. And let's not forget the critique of my query, during a contest, that resulted in this post. The benefit of researching the topic first was that I was able to prove that it was realistic for my main character not to tell her parents.

If you’re beta reading a project and you question the believability of the character’s actions, definitely mention it. Unless you know for certain the writer’s done the research, you might point out something she was fudging, hoping it was right. This will force them to do the research. And maybe they have done it, but they need to strengthen this element in the novel.

Credibility

It doesn’t matter what your story is about, make sure you’ve done your homework. You never want to assume anything. If you do and you’re wrong, you’ll lose credibility. And in the publishing industry, it’s something you don’t want to lose.

I recently entered my query for Lost in a Heartbeat (YA thriller or romantic suspense—still trying to figure which one it is) in the Adventures of Children’s Publishing query contest. Our queries (which could be only 175 words max) would be assigned a mentor, and we would crit five other entries. We would then have a chance to fix them up for the final round—the judging.

During WriteOnCon, I received some great feedback on my query. I entered this contest to see if there were some things that needed further tweaking. Okay, the prize was pretty cool, too.

To my surprise, it was attacked. Some critters told me that my main character’s behavior wasn’t logical, and that I wasn’t setting a good example for other teenage girls in who are in a similar situation.

Three problems with their comments:

1. Not every survivor of rape reports it. Not every teen age girl who is raped tells her parents and/or the police.

2. If I did what the critters wanted me to do, then there would be no story, no consequence. And there’re definitely consequences. I just can’t tell what they are in the query because it’s a query not a one page synopsis.

3. These critters were using ADULT logic not TEEN logic.

During WriteOnCon, nineteen-year-old author, Kody Keplinger (her book THE DUFF was released yesterday—I can’t wait to read it!!!), talked about writing authentic teen novels. Check out the link for the full article, but here’s the main point:

What

Would

Teens

Do?

Scary question for some, I know. But that’s what you have to ask yourself when writing YA fiction. You have to think like a teenager when you write.

Not like a parent – even if you are one.

Not like a teacher – even if you are one.

Not like a big sister or brother or aunt or uncle worrying about the lessons you are teaching today’s youth and what not.

No, you have to think like a teenager. Plain and simple.

According to Inside The Teenage Brain by Sheryl Feinstein (I’ll be discussing this book in a future post), teenagers and adults rely on different parts of the brain. "Teen brains are ruled by emotion and adult brains by logic".

So for you YA writers out there, my question to you is (and you don’t have to answer here): are your teenage characters using adult logic or teen logic?

And my question to everyone, what are your query woes? Do you have any?

(note: since my query is now 217 words--thanks to all the suggested changes--I am no longer eligible for the contest. But that's okay. Hopefully I now have a kick-ass query. *grins*)

I hadn’t planned to blog today, but after the great comments on yesterday’s post, I wanted to add an important point.

Now, obviously yesterday's post was part humor and part truth. A number of the tips came from the social psychology, developmental psychology, and research methodology courses I took during my undergrad and graduate studies.

But as many of you pointed out, OBSERVATION of teenagers (or whatever group you’re researching) ISN'T ENOUGH. You want to spend time with them, too.

If you don’t have teenagers living with you, or nephews and nieces (Hey, at least my brother was good for something), then try VOLUNTEERING through a community program (e.g. church, library, community center, YMCA). You won’t be sorry, and maybe you can help ENRICH a teen’s life. And seriously, isn’t that what we YA writers are striving for in the first place? To REACH OUT and make a difference in a teen’s life, even if it's just a small difference.

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Now that summer is upon us, it’s time to study that oft times misunderstood species: THE TEENAGER.

(Please note: I don’t consider teens to be a separate species. I just wanted to clarify that so no one (teens) take offense.)

Obviously this post is geared towards YA writers, but don’t worry, my research tactics (as used by Jane Goodall (chimpanzees) and Dian Fossey (gorillas)) are applicable to any type of character.

1. Make sure you’ve done your PRE-STUDY homework first. You can’t observe your subject without some prior understanding of their behaviour, mating rituals, group dynamics. Recommended readings include: Teen Stages--The Breakthrough, Year-by-Year Approach to Understanding Your Ever-Changing Teen by Elizabeth & Ken Mellor (and yes, somehow they fit that on the cover--barely) and Dr. Karyn's Guide To The Teen Years by Dr. Karyn Gordon. I strongly recommend the first book for the purpose of writing a YA novel. The added bonus is it's a quick read. The second one has some great example of parents to use if you want to create a dysfunctional family in your novel.

2. All good researchers TAKE NOTES. The trick is not to look obvious about it. And DO NOT take photos or videos without permission. That’s just too creepy, and will likely get you arrested, especially if you’re a guy photographing teenage girls. Seriously, don’t do it.

3. Determine the age group you want to study. A thirteen-year-old girl is at a different developmental stage than a seventeen-year-old female. This is where doing your pre-studying, first, helps.

4. Go to their natural environment where they HANG OUT. This isn’t too hard to figure out. At this time of the year, they’re everywhere.

5. Keep your distance at first. You don’t want to freak them out, right? Observe how they interact with their friends. Fortunately, the more friends they’re with, the louder they get. This is extremely helpful when you are spying observing from a distance.

6. Once you’ve GAINED THEIR TRUST (and they don’t look like they’re going to charge at you in an aggressive manner), approach with caution. Dian Fossey had a brilliant technique for this: don’t make eye contact. By keeping your head cocked to the side, and examining that uber-cool top you just discovered, you can approach without setting off any alarms. If the teen makes an indication SHE’s going to bolt, then STAY STILL, and continue to observe on the sly. If HE looks like he’s going to charge, then BACK AWAY slowly while still avoiding eye contact.

7. Listen to what the teens say and how they say it. STUDY their non-verbal gestures. Especially study their non-verbal gestures within their species (BFF, boyfriend, etc) and with individuals of other species (parents). They are especially skilled at looking bored while spending quality time with their family being dragged around by their parents.

8. Go to the places where your main character would hang out. For example, if your character is into Goth, then chances are good she doesn’t hang out in a ballet studio. THOUGH it would be super cool if she did.

9. All good researchers know you have to be careful about GENERALIZATIONS. Teens are individuals. What one teen does is not necessarily applicable to all teens. The more teens you study, the better off you’ll be.

I hope that helps you in your quest to write authentic teens and their dialogue in your YA novel. And don’t forget to study—in addition to studying teens in their natural habitats—their books, TV shows, movies, etc. You’ll gain a wealth of info that way.

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I love research. I have a Master’s of Science in exercise biological sciences ’cause I love it so much. But doing research for my novels is by far my favorite type so far. There’s a whole world out there begging for you to dive in and explore it.

For my current project, Lost in a Heartbeat (YA contemporary), I investigated the world of dream analysis and animal symbolism. I also poured through books on jewellery design (not that I’m planning to take up the hobby). Oh, and then there was the research on sprained wrists, drowning, and competitive swimming. And don’t forget those YA books I’ve read with similar themes to what I’m writing.

And yes, I loved every minute of it.

The downside? The librarian now thinks I’ve been raped, my husband abuses me, my teenage daughter is struggling with depression, and one of my children has leukemia. Betcha she’s missed all the books I’ve borrowed on writing fiction. I’m thinking of having a T-shirt made saying, “Research is the Fiction Writer’s Best Friend.” What do you think?

But say you’ve come up with a great idea for a story, what comes next? For me, I start off with the basic research. For Lost in a Heartbeat, a story about a teenage girl who has to find the courage to return to competitive swimming after she was raped, I began by searching for associations that deal with rape. RAINN.org (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is a great resource for both the rape survivor and her loved ones. I also borrowed books on the topic from the library. Not all rape survivors deal with rape in exactly the same way, which was important to know when I worked on the characterization for my protagonist.

What’s next? For me, I prefer to outline my novels instead of writing as I go. Everyone, though, is different. As I started to plan the book, I came up with the idea of using dream analysis and animal symbolism to further the plot. Google is a great search engine for that. Just be careful of the information you decide to go with. Depending on what you’re writing about, you want to make sure the source is credible. Wikipedia is a great resource but it isn’t without errors. Maybe you know someone who’s an expert in the subject and you can interview them. If you have a medical or psychological question pertaining to your novel, you can contact H.L. Dyer (paediatrician) and Carolyn Kaufman (charter psychologist) at the Query Tracker Blog. They're a tremendous resource.

And for those of you interesting in writing fantasy and paranormal novels, do you really have to do research? Isn’t it all make believe, anyway? Maybe. But even Stephenie Meyer did extensive research on vampire myths when writing the Twilight Saga. And Melissa Marr is knowledgeable about fairy lore.

Want some great tips on researching for your current or next project? Be sure to check out this link and this link from the Query Tracker Blog.

Remember, even though you’re writing fiction—as in made up—the details are important, as are the credible facts. And you never know, your research may spark an idea for another book.

Have a great week!