The Writer's Connection, ^SM
a publication of The Virtual Writing Coach ^SM

 

 

"The Creative Process of Writing is a
Liberating and Therapeutic Experience"
 

 

October 2004
 
In This Issue:
 
1. Preview

4. Getting into Action
 

 

1. Preview
 
The Writer's Connection ^SM  explores the creative process of writing and the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and actions. We are an interactive community of authors and readers who share ideas to enhance our knowledge, skills, and experiences in writing fiction in any genre, but our emphasis remains mystery and suspense thrillers.
Published monthly, the Newsletter offers writing tips for authors, coaching suggestions, editing, and marketing information.
 
Topics are presented from the perspective of Keith Barton and represent only his ideas on producing your first manuscript, and are provided to the general public. Because we are an interactive community of writers, other viewpoints are welcomed and may be printed in future monthly newsletters with permission from Keith Barton.
2. Publisher's Note
 
October, 2004
 
Dear Writer's Connection ^SM Subscriber,
 
This month features advice for researching your next book.
 
3. Researching Your Next Book
 
I've spent the last two years describing the mechanics of writing, but for this month I would like to talk about the importance of research in fabricating your next storyyes, you heard me correctly, research is very much a part of fiction writing. For those of you who aspire to write mysteries and thrillers, details are very important. Look at the TV landscape and you notice all those "CSI" shows on the tube. The "forensic expert" has replaced the old PI (private investigator) or gumshoe who sat in his car eating cheeseburgers waiting to snap a picture of the intended killer or philanderer. Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta mysteries use details as another subplot in her books. Any historical fiction piece certainly relies on research to recapture that defining time period against which the story is cast. Romance novelists are beginning to research their books because the average reader wants to be entertained, not amused. I guarantee that you will receive emails if you leave out an important detail or fail to deliver on the authenticity of your characters, scenes, and plots.
 
My first book, High Rise, was an old-fashion "who dun nit" set in Austin, Texas. One scene had the two central characters (protagonist and villain) meeting at a famous Austin nightspot on top of a bank building in Austin in the early 90s. To research the book, I spent three weeks in Austin, taking copious notes on locations, paying special attention to the five senses. I use location as "another character" in my novels and prefer to write about places I've lived. Taking the elevator to the 22nd floor was done for one purposeto identify this particular club in Austin where the "deal makers" did their magic. I could have easily guessed at a floor, but I wanted to be right about how tall the building was because I wanted folks who lived in Austin to feel like the book was speaking to them. Other scenes took place in the senate and house chambers at the state capital. In describing the décor and seating arrangements I walked the chambers and offices during an off-legislative year (this was before 9-11) to recreate an authentic description of the backdrop involving legislative reform and the governor's office on a deceptive land scheme involving the villain and a governmental official.
 
Much of my research is made easier by the Internet, but do not be tempted to base your entire fact finding on your computer. To do this misses the essence of recreating for your readers "having been there." I advise you to write about places you've livedall my books do this, having had the advantage of being the son of a naval officer. Camouflage and The Kauai Connection were my most exciting and descriptive books, with the beautiful islands of Bermuda and Kauai, respectively, providing a lush setting for deceit and espionage. Your readers want to be transported to exotic places and good research can bring reality to your fictional writing.
 
Another tool is to take a small digital camera (that can fit in a pocket) with you and be ready to snap at a moment's notice. You can recreate your story by aligning your pictures sequentially to follow a car chase, track the villain, leave important clues, and various other action sequences. In each picture is the detail that might provide the one important clue to solving your mystery. Pictures also set you scenes for you. The dialogue is more believable if you cast your characters in actual places where sights, sounds, texture, and smells pervade one's senses.
 
Once you have collected your research, begin to plot your story using your details to set the hook to draw the readers' attention into your story. Tom Clancy is the master of detail having used the FOI act to gather important governmental data for nuclear powered submarines for his book, The Hunt for Red October. Another masterful writer is the now deceased James A. Michener who used locations (Texas, Hawaii) as powerful backdrops for surrounding his characters and making them bigger than life. 
 
4. Getting into Action
 
"Getting in to Action" is a monthly feature of The Writer's Connection ^SM . In this section of our Newsletter, we will discuss action steps the writer can take to improved his/her knowledge base in writing novels.
 
This month's recommendations:
 

1. Take your camera and shoot pictures around your city or town. Pay attention to small details that might seem superfluous at first and think of ways to weave a story around one or two pictures.
2. On your next vacation, take your laptop (or notepad) and jot some notes about interesting people and places.
3. Pick one of your favorite authors and re-read a portion of his/her book. Notice how real the scenery is and check it out on-line to see if the author's description is authentic.
 

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