rj_anderson | Research Trips -- When?

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Research Trips -- When?

So let's say that you are writing a book set in some faraway and unfamiliar location, and you are seriously considering taking a trip over to said exotic locale for the purposes of research. You have approximately twelve months before the book is due in to your editor. (You also have three young children and a husband whose work has intensely busy seasons in April-May and September-October, but we'll try not to overcomplicate things.) At what point in the writing process would it be best to plan said trip? I put it to you in the form of a poll:

[Poll #1158658]
I would especially value the input of fellow authors who have recently done this kind of thing -- did you wish you'd gone earlier in the process? Later? Any other words of wisdom to impart about research trips and what to do or not do when embarking on one?

X-posted from fangs_fur_fey.

ETA: dichroic asked where this faraway, exotic location might be -- for my purposes I'd be looking at parts of Kent, London, and the Cardigan Bay area of Wales.

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I think you should also say where in case any of us have been there and can answer questions!

Good point! I've added that info to the post now.

Are you acquainted with

papersky (Jo Walton) or

gallowglassSimon aka Three Silver Threads on piffle)? They'd be where I'd start, for Wales. Not a replacement for going yourself, but an addition.

I suppose it would depend on the nature of the research needed. I personally avoid research like the plague, with little grey area between writing what I know and the utterly batshit crazy bits.

But if you find yourself in London, I'm generally available in the evenings and at weekends with a moderately useful local knowledge of a good chunk of the capital. And, more to the point, I know where the useful archives are located, and where one can find an excellent pint of real ale just round the corner.

Well, for this novel it's really the landscape/climate/flora and fauna I need to get a feel for -- it includes a journey from Kent to London to Cardigan Bay and back again, so I'd be bringing my camera and notebook and just generally paying attention to everything. Once in Wales I'd be doing a bit of research into some of the local legends, but I already have a pretty clear idea of which ones I want to use.

I appreciate the offer of assistance, in any case! We'll see what happens when/if the time comes...

Oh, I just read the ending where you describe the location. I have a few different answers- keeping in mind this is from science-oriented research, but there is some common ground, IMHO.

CHOICES
1. If you feel you need some inspiration and there may be some questions about continuing the project, go in the development stage.

2. If you're able to do the first draft before the trip- I think this is the best choice.

Paying attention to all and sundry, trying to take everything in could be very overwhelming. The ability to narrow your focus to what you NEED to know while still taking in anything else of interest/inspiration would only come after the first draft I believe.

Probably the most important no matter when you go? Try to keep memories that months will enable you to close your eyes and be there- memories that are tactile, aural, EVERYTHING. Good for your writing and I think it'd help to remember why you're continuing the project during tough moments that are sure to come along.

Thanks, that's quite helpful. I've been leaning in the direction of #2 as well -- and now that I think of it, perhaps knowing that an Exciting Trip is in the offing when I'm done would give me some much-needed incentive to finish that first draft as well!

Glad to be of assistance- and there's nothing wrong with a little bribery for getting good work done ;)

If you do, be prepared to ditch large quantities of it; I've known people who hadn't grasped the sheer differentness of the US and the UK, particularly the hours of daylight - we're a long way north here! One of them discovered that the plot simply wouldn't work because things and conditions that he assumed existed didn't, but admittedly that was an extreme case. It would certainly be wise to try actual travel from Kent to Cardiff via London, though mode of transport would be very important - train would be a lot easier because of nasty things like congestion charges, not to mention actual congestion: it used to take me well over an hour to get from south east London to west London, and that was going round the edges.

I need to go to Florence but have no idea how I'm going to swing it. Pray, I guess. ;)

Um. You're going WALES???? I am SO coming with you! I've had this Welsh thing since I was twelve, had a roommate in college who--by some amazing coincidence--shared it, and we petitioned the linguistics department to give us a semester of Welsh. Not that anybody speaks it much these days, and not that I remember any. But it sounds LOVELY.

Ahem. Your research question. I'd say there are things you'll wish you had looked up but you didn't know you'd need if you go too early. On the other hand, you will see things there that you want to put in. If you are a fanatic outliner before you ever write a word, I'm afraid I have no advice. But if you write a bit, think a bit, and write a bit more, then after the first draft would be a good time--you'd still have things fluid enough to change if you found something good, and yet you'd have the basic story down. I do have to admit that a time limit of how long you can be there is good, too. I got so much more done on my first book once I moved away from the town it was set in and focused on the story as opposed to the research (lovely, lovely place and period research! I wish I could have fit everything in that was interesting).

Anyway, it sounds wonderful, whenever you go!!

I'm writing a book set in an unfamiliar and faraway location but unfortunately none of the travel agencies appear to have access to time machines.

I'm not a published author, but I would think the development stage would be the best time for such research. I think that would be better, to give you a genuine feel of the setting as you're actually writing the book. Otherwise, I think it would be far too easy to make huge mistakes regarding real locations, which will waste your time and work if you change it, and throw readers out of the story if they know better.

That's me, though, and you do far more rewriting than I'm capable of doing. Our writing methods differ so much, what makes sense for me might not for you.

Hm. The most exotic, faraway place I've ever gone for research is the local tavern. :) But even from that I can say one thing: it depends. Mostly on whether the locations are just for color, or are going to have an impact on the plot. If there's a chance that you'll learn things that affect the plot, and you don't want to have to ditch large chunks of draft and rewrite, go earlier. If you're just after colorful details, you can go later. Which may mean that the less familiar the place is, the earlier you should go, since you may not know whether the things you'll learn will affect the plot.

Thus I think the answer is that it varies, not only from author to author, but from story to story. Do as much preliminary research as you can, and that will give you a better idea of not only when is the best time to go, but what you need to pay attention to once you get there.

Oooh, research trip! I haven't done this myself (though I'd really like to do some location scouting for THE HALFWAY HERO--probably Egypt would do since I'm not going to Iraq any time soon), but I think I'd prefer to go either during planning stages, or between the first and second draft--before I get too set on anything, when there's still time that something I discover could be worked into the story easily. But it all depends on how you write, of course, and how flexible you are after your first draft.

So, er, that was a ton of help, wasn't it? ;) Hope you get to go--Britain is so lovely!

Whether you go or not, it can't hurt to recruit a native to beta any of the near-final drafts.

The far away lands in which I live! I will be happy to help with any filler material you might wish to gather. I live in Surrey but it is only a walk away to arrive in Kent. Kent the garden of England, Oast houses and tiled barns, hops and apples, rolling fields of wheat and rye, great yellow splurges of rape flowers. Stone churches with towers in neat walled graveyards. Castles with moats and soaring cathedrals, cobbled streets and village greens, the village signs and summer fetes, jam and Jeruselem. Bicycle rides and open topped cars.

London, I travel to everyday, I work in the city, pass through on the train the sea of slate roofs and brick terraces. Crowded dirty streets and too many cars, the green oasis alongside the track of rabbits and foxes and ancient trees. Purple buddlia growing out of the cracks on the railway bridges. Then the Isle of Dogs with its towers of metal and glass soaring skywards. Then as you approach the city, the gold glistens on the tops of the churches and the bridges and the flags fly.

Oops! Forget to mention that we have a spare bed here, if you so require.

I'm writing a historical about Idaho Falls in 1959 and have been mulling over spending a weekend there. My first draft is done. I've been to Boise, but not Idaho Falls.

What I want to know is how the streets look, what the mountains are like, what you can hear, smell, feel when you sit by the waterfalls, buildings, town scandals, the landmarks, etc. to fill in the details I can't find on the Net. I'd also like to spend a day at the museum and take notes.

If I were going, I'd really immerse myself and probably not take anyone with me.

England sounds like more fun.

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Research Trips -- When?

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