Sarah
My research is probably pretty tame compared to other writers. Of course I’ve done the whole “how much blood can a person lose before they die” thing, but otherwise it’s mostly historical
clothing and food. I would say the strangest thing I’ve researched is the drinks with the highest alcohol content in existence. I had a scene where one of my characters had to get someone really drunk, really fast. And this guy was a pro drinker, so it had to be strong stuff. I’ve since changed that entire scene, so now Stawski Spirytus is just something I know about for no reason.
Kan
I’m confident in saying that writing became much more fun for me when I started incorporating elements of research. My favorite way to build narratives includes the subtle weaving of threads connecting several ideas and characters. It’s rare I make a decision for a story without hitting google first, from character names to color wheels to etymology (there’s only one character I’ve written in recent years whose name didn’t have a particular meaning when I chose it, but this same character technically has another, real, first name, so it doesn’t quite count).
That being said, factual accuracy, in regards to history and science, isn’t as important to me as contextual reasoning. I lean heavily into the fiction aspect of storytelling, and rarely base my writing wholly on historical events or scientific discoveries. It’s more important to me that a reader feels the plot is reasonable, but not necessarily realistic.
To do this, I rely on extensive research and decide which boundaries I can get away with pushing.
I’ve gathered so much information over the years, it’s hard to remember what I’ve even
learned. I will say that the research for Iron Bullet Legacy has been extremely tedious, but rewarding, because there’s a fine line between creating your own laws in magic, and completely destroying everything anyone thinks, knows, or loves about it. . It’s been a journey of repeatedly consulting the same information in order to maintain logic and continuity. Some of the resources I frequently refer to include this guide on the magic of fabrics and this infographic on green witchery from my Pinterest board for Iron Bullet Legacy.
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Feel free to comment below how you approach research for your writing!
You can find more of Sarah on Instagram, where she runs an account dedicated to her favorite literary quotes, as well as on Twitter, where she talks about all things writing. She also has a brand new story series called Party at Thatchwood Manor. You can read it over on her website or on Wattpad! A big thanks to her for contributing to the discussion this week.
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