How far are you willing to go for research?
Normally, my answer is: very
But I find myself in a unique situation where I need to research something I am so completely unfamiliar with that it somewhat terrifies me. What is this frightful new area to explore? Fashion.
I know next to nothing about fashion. If you looked at my closet you would agree and possibly recommend remedial fashion classes immediately. What possessed me to write a secondary character that is fascinated by fashion? Heaven knows, but now that she’s the main character in a short story I’m writing for an anthology, suddenly that character needs to have depth. To make matters worse, the fashion scene plays into a story turn, so I need to know something about that too.
Heaven help me.
Or perhaps Google? YouTube? The latest copy of Elle? I think I would be more comfortable exploring an uncharted section of the Amazon rainforest. In fact, I know I would.
What research area sends you scurrying?
That should be a challenge but that is sometimes the most fun. Um, something like that would send me running so I probably wouldn't write a character like that unless I had to. Good luck!
@Laura Yeah, sometimes my risk-taking tendencies get me into trouble! LOL As I'm diving into it, it's not so bad – there's a lot of language about the art of fashion, which I'm finding rather familiar. 🙂
Hilarious! But fashion can be fun, right? I was reading another blog where the author is going to a prison to do research – now that's intense! they're actually looking forward to it, too! Thought they writes thrillers so it kind of makes sense 🙂
I've never been afraid of research. In fact, I probably love it too much. It's great fun, but going too deep can take time away from actually writing, at least for me.
Ha, yeah, fashion would do it for me too. Like Matthew, I love research, but it's gotta be something I'm kinda interested in in the first place, aye?
LOL I like this post. Fashion research would scare me a little too:) I had to research guns and knives for my last WIP and it was initially outside of my comfort zone, but now I even have the smell of gun oil memorized!
@DU Fun? Er, maybe. Give me time … Now, going to prison? That might terrify me too. Prison, fashion, prison, fashion…. 🙂
@Matthew MacNish?? What the…? And I love me some research, too!
@Adam Heh. Maybe there's some deep psychological reason why I wrote that character. Not sure I want to go there.
@Lindsay Guns and knives! Now we're talking! I once posted on FB asking if anyone knew the average range of a sniper rifle. A disturbing number of people knew the answer, and not just my ROTC nephew.
I love to do research, too, but like Matt sometimes I get distracted by it and forget what I'm actually looking for. I would enjoy researching fashion because I used to want to be a designer – before I realized that sewing was not my bag baby!
@mshatch I've been learning about designers as I do my research – they're the creative talent, which I can relate to. So, maybe not so foreign after all! 🙂
I tried to think of a topic I wouldn't want to research and couldn't come up with anything. Maybe I'm just good at avoiding stuff I don't like. 🙂
Sounds like fun! I love researching. It gives me a good excuse to look up topics that have always interested me.
Enjoy!
Most of the time i love research (I get to do it alot for my work) but sometimes it does get intimidating – fashion would intimidate me, too! I am writing a YA historical right now and knew it would be a lot of research but don't think I realized HOW much research!
I love the research process, more than the writing process.
Fashion isn't that bad. Think about it, you make fashion choices everyday with colors, patterns and cut. So unless you are truly clueless and someone else dresses you, you already have an aesthetic to start with.
I'm with you. For me, I'd hit the library periodicals and contact the local colleges that have excellent fashion design classes.
@LG You're smart. Or brave. Probably both. 😉
@Robin I know, that's how I usually feel! This one was more … challenging.
@Margo Historical research REALLY intimidates me!
@charmaine You are probably right, but my aesthetic leans towards does it fit?? 🙂
@Mary Fashion mags from the library – excellent tip!
Anything about sports and I'm in a tizzy! I have no idea where to start!
I love fashion, but in the same way I love art, objectively. I don't blindly love everything that fashion tells me to love, and I dress to make myself feel good. I think that's the key to real fashion, anyway.
But for resources, Vogue, Refinery 29, Style.com, all these sites have a fashion tab or section you can look under, and the Fall shows (I know, it's spring, but that means the fall looks are out) just finished, so there will be a glut of info right now.
Of course, it's the essence of the fashion world you want, not the trends, which will be OUT before you've even finished the book, lol! Good luck, and email me if you have any questions about my suggestions. I'd love to help!
@Tere I am SO taking you up on that offer! Thanks for the tips – I have been looking at some fashion show sites specific to the setting of my story. But you're right, it's the overall feel that's difficult to get a handle on!
Research forms part of my novel bible, to support my reasons for what an object is capable of — e.g., researching spacesuits at NASA, reading news articles on scientific developments — all good info.
I would only shy away from research on abuse to anyone — human or animal. But if your book needs it, you gulp and carry on.
As for the Fashion angle, I hear hippie chic is coming back in this year, and that's what I saw in Paris in September 2010.
@DG Lord have mercy, fashion AND hippie chic. 🙂 Yeah, I should have said there are certainly some topics that I find offensive (like abuse), so I simply wouldn't opt to write stories about those, but I'm just being a wimp when it comes to the fashion research! *puts on brave face*
I've got an ms sitting on a shelf that has a main character working for a fashion industry … and I desperately need those remedial fashion lessons too!
Food research. Usually I scurry straight for the fridge.
@Jemi We have subject matter experts in the comments!
@Bryan Now THAT's my kind of research. 😉
Oh, Susan! Fashion is so not my thing either! I think they have some shows on Bravo or something that deal with fashion. Project Runway? Queer Eye? Have fun with that one 😛
I love research! I'm all over it! But, er, yea, I'm only researching stuff I find interesting, like medieval travel and renaissance art and so on. If ever I had to research, say, vampires or fashion (I hear you!) or forensic practices, I'd run for the hills…
I'm researching the possibility of music as a language. Not lyrics mind you, but music. Ug. Did I mention I'm not a musician. Yup, I share you trepidation.
hi miss susan! wow for me i love doing that research stuff. the only problem is i get at one thing and it gets me wanting to know about something else and i could be going from one thing to the next thing for the whole night. ack! for that fashion for sure i couldnt be a help cept maybe you could see that movie my sister likes the devil wears something or other.
…hugs from lenny
Ha 😀 I'm finding myself doing a TON of bizarre research for my WIP. It takes place in 1901, so of course I'm researching all kinds of history and such. Even more than that, though, I find myself researching random things like the biology of electric eels and little-known Aesop's fables. That's part of the fun, I think, haha.
My boyfriend will ask me what I'm doing, and I'll say, "Reading about police superintendents in Chicago in the late 1800's" and he'll go, "… You always keep me guessing."
@Sherrie That's a great idea! I actually did watch one of those shows a long time ago. Not sure what possessed me. 🙂
@Deniz Forensic practices! Ack! I would have a hard time with that too. 🙂
@Leisha That is SUCH a cool idea, music as language. Notes with meaning? Serious coolness.
@Lenny The Devil Wore Prada! Yes, I need to order that on my netflix. 🙂
@Steph Oh, biology of electric eels. More coolness! And it's definitely a plus to keep the boyfriend guessing! 🙂
I love research, even though I'm often distracted by brightly colored objects and tend to follow tangents. If I had to research fashion I'd peruse the fashion mag's websites, follow designers or fashion houses on Twitter, and check out FIDM, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising's website. Happy hunting.
@Leslie I love me some tangents, too. 🙂 Great tip on the FIDM site – thanks!