Writing About The Real World

[stevenagy]

Today's post touches on one of the reasons I enjoy writing: I get to learn stuff

Comments

[bd_gallagher]

for me, one of the best things about the research (other than, well, research) is how that research can otherwise affect the story. Not just for color, and not just in getting the details right (although obviously both of those things are important). But rather how what you learn in research can steer the story in directions you hadn't expected.

In my own WiP, I've ended up changing the type of military unit that I'm using. So I did some research on the new type and filed it away for future reference. Today, while thinking about the storyline, I realized that the behavior of the characters would be different in a situation because of the traditions of the type of unit they were in -- something that wouldn't have occurred to me before doing the research.

[stevenagy]

Yep. That's what I was thinking about, though for S/IDD that's part of the theme and part of the why-porn behind events.