A Question Answered.

How much of a role does research play in your writing?
Here is a copy of a response I made to the question :


I would have to say research is crucial to any writing project, be it fiction or nonfiction.

When I started writing fiction I was told the main difference between ‘Fiction’ and ‘real Life’ was that Fiction had to be believable and I guess that is true if you do not want your readers turning away shaking their heads because your story lacks credibility.

Take my own fictional stories, I chose the banner title ‘INNER SPACE’ because within the stories I planned to explore the hidden recesses of the human mind. I believe that buried deep within the sub conscious of the human mind lies mental powers that we have lost over the eons of our evolution.

I say lost, although I also believe that it is possible that these mental powers have been deliberately suppressed as a means of self preservation from persecution from those who did not understand or more deliberately were determined not to understand those powers.

Prior to writing the Inner Space trilogy of books I did a lot of research into the subject of what is now more generally labelled ‘Paranormal Activity’ and my reading took me back through history to a point in time that preceded the coming of organised religion.

Now without getting into reams and reams of detail let me generalise more than a little by saying that there is more than a passing similarity of beliefs and skills between the ‘Pre History ‘peoples of the of world. Here I speak of the Nomadic tribes of Euro/Asia, the Native North American’s, the Indian tribes of Central and South America, the Aboriginal tribes of Australia, the Maori of New Zealand and many more.

Way back then these people could not have had any direct communications yet many of their cultural traits and customs are remarkably similar. Worship of the Sun, I would say is a given, allowing for the fact that it doesn’t take long to work out that without it we would not exist. However, fear of the unknown and the unknowing such as the power of natural forces like Lightning, Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Floods, leading to the superstitious creation of spirits and Gods.

Were these spirits old ancestors seeking revenge for past grievances leading to important questions to what lies beyond life ? So if you create spirits and Gods you have to have someone who can speak to them, find out why they are angry and what they require to make amends.

Such special people were called Shaman, Witchdoctor, Medicine man and it is believed that such people had the power to commune not only with the Gods but the spirits of the dead. They could spiritually leave they bodies at will and go in search of herds for the hunters or new places for the tribe to settle after disasters.

Such people were revered by the people but feared by the leaders of the new faith and therefore their own fate was doomed.

Now let’s play a game of ‘What If.’ What if one of the main characters in my books is right and these lost powers lie within us all. After all many people have had or have, at least, read about ‘Out of Body Experiences, sometimes referred to as ‘Near Death Experiences,’ What If that were merely the tip of the iceberg ? What if you could do it at will; what would you do, where would you go ?

To some it may sound like fun, a Cool thing to be able to do, just think of the stunts you could pull at parties. Now think that there could also be a darker side to the whole thing, such a power in the wrong hands for instance !

Welcome to the INNER SPACE world of Merlin Fraser and the challenge I set my main character British Police Detective Inspector Nick Burton, like most of us he doesn’t believe in such nonsense I converted him.... Can I convert you ?

After all it’s only Fiction isn’t it ?
Inner Space