Reference Desk: Everything You Need To Know To Write Your Novel, Realistically

Like the main event itself, NaNo Prep is always better with an incredible writing community around you. Luckily, our forums come with such a ready-made community. Today, we asked Lindsay Carlson, forums moderator, to talk to us about the Reference Desk forum, and how to begin your research now:

Coming up with the ideas is the easy part… creating authenticity requires work.

Are you searching for what caliber gun your ex-nun-turned-sniper would use in 1922 in the Australian Outback and what period-appropriate outfit she might don now that she’s no longer restricted to a black & white habit?  Small details like these add color (literally) to your novel, and getting it “right” makes it easier for readers to immerse themselves in the world you create. So how do you get the details right?

Let’s talk research. Planners, you have less than two months to line up your primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary, and so forth sources in an orderly manner according to your OCD tendencies (mine are alphabetically and by cover color). 

People writing by the seat of your pants, don’t panic! If you’ve even got a smidge of an idea (say, an ex-nun turned sniper in 1920s Australia), you can easily grab some sources that may come in handy for a quick reference during November. Start by: 

gathering relevant books, e-books, videos, seeking out helpful websites (Use Wikipedia but remember to double-check your facts later!), putting some people with firsthand experience on speed-dial, going to visit museums or locales you will use in your novel, taking copious notes on food, music, sounds, etc.—use all your senses in your writing!

Now, back to your novel.  I see you’ve got travel guides from 1920′s Australia checked out from the library & fashion plates from the 20′s Vogue webpage bookmarked and/or specific flapper outfits collated on Pinterest. A great start, but…

Let’s delve deeper. You know Ginger (the ex-nun/sniper) needs to hike up a mountain to see an old hermit about a prophecy. Your own mountain-scaling skills are maxed-out when you take the stairs to the third floor at the doctor’s office instead of the elevator, so “writing what you know” is out. Plus, Ginger needs to lug her sniper gun up there with her and you still have no idea what caliber it is. All your usual sources have struck out. Take a deep breath. All is not lost. Ask the Reference Desk! 

Mods have made a spiffy list of Wrimos with expertise on a variety of unusual and interesting subjects whom you can ask for help. If they don’t know the answer, they can point you in the right direction toward other trust-worthy sources.

Once you’ve posted to the forum & collected personal anecdotes on mountain climbing, information on gun makes and models, and details about how to properly wear a flapper dress, things appear to be going quite well… until the plot bunnies escape. Barry, the prophesying hermit, tells Ginger she needs to use her new-found sniper skills to stop a pending intergalactic war over which star system makes the best kolaches…

*Throws up hands in defeat* 

Kidding; don’t give up! If you cannot find the answer after consulting all your sources, it’s okay. Just remember, NaNoWriMo is for first drafts. Make a note in your novel—**Research mountain-dwelling prophesy hermits and best kolache recipes**—and come back to it later. You’ll have all the time in the world to get your details just right beginning in December.

Lindsay Carlson is a pharmacist who lives in Houston, TX. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and a Municipal Liaison for the Houston area under the name CoffeeChick. She spends her free time consuming copious amounts of caffeinated beverages and building her wall of To-Read books while nurturing her growing fortune cookie addiction.

Top photo by Flickr user Manchester Library.