I’ve always been curious, wanting to know more, more, more. When I am working on a project, I research beyond what is necessary because for me, it is necessary. I can spend a whole day going on Wikipedia rabbit trails. I’ll pause a movie or TV show to go and look something up—a term, a historical event, a person. I’ve known how to use the Dewey Decimal System since I was six or seven years old. My four years as a library assistant taught me how to research efficiently, how to find all the books I could possibly need or want for a project., and how to use research databases to my advantage. I love to research.
When I research for a project, my research does not stop at books or scholarly articles. I read personal blogs. I watch videos on Youtube. I collect images. If I am working on a fiction piece, I want to be able to create that world in my mind before I even begin to write. I want to know everything I possibly can. Any questions the reader might have should be answered in my research.
Several years ago, when I wrote my senior project, a screenplay, I spent more time researching than writing. The screenplay was centered around classic rock played on ukuleles, multi-generational families, and a family -run grocery store. I watched so many ukulele videos that I can still remember some of them. The screenplay incorporated several film genres into fantasy sequences. I watched spaghetti western clips, followed by classic science fiction, followed by ballet films. I knew what each character sounded like, looked like. My research insured that I was able to create a full world for my screenplay. I had read other student scripts that felt flat, void of personality. I wanted a vibrant world—I found it in my research.
When I talk to other writers who do not write scripts, they always ask about the descriptions. “How do you explain the background?” “How do you decide what the house looks like” Research! If you need red wine glass, find one online, find the brand, describe it. Use exact, precise language. If you write “ There is a glass on the table—” What kind of glass? A water glass? A juice glass? What is it? If you mean a “stemless wine glass,” write that. As the writer, it is my job to create the atmosphere. In a novel, the reader builds the rest in their imagination. For a film or play, the production designers need that exact language to create the world for the audience to see.
I am currently working on a script for an internet series. I was hesitant to take on this project because the subject is something I am not familiar with and production will occur in Northern Canada. After accepting, I drove to the Big Enchilada—the San Antonio Central Library—and searched all six floors for the books I needed. The books are my starting point, I’ve got a long way to go in my research. I’ve got a path to follow now, though.
They always say to write what you know, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t know more. Research, I find, always makes my work more dynamic. Find a starting point for your research. Go ahead, follow the rabbit trails; they can lead you to some surprising places.