Lesson Ten

April 2008 ACFW On-line Class Lesson Ten
Research Your Way to a Book Readers Can’t Put Down
Suspense Research – The Science

The last lesson in this class will focus on the science. The facts can either add delightful details to a book or bog it down. Striking that balance can be a real skill. I know in Deadly Exposure, my editor kept asking me to cut back details that I loved in the journalism scenes. To me, they added authenticity; to her, they bogged down the scenes.

So what’s a writer to do? Keep reading. Keep learning. Keep trying to strike a balance. And here are some tips from the pros.

While we are not writing textbooks, our books can’t be authentic without capturing some of the emotion, news, and energy of these fields. So I asked the experts these questions. How do you decide what to include and what to skip? How do you make those judgment calls?

If it’s a detail that I find fascinating, I assume others will as well. Or if it’s a detail that the plot hinges around, then of course it has to go in the book as well. But I try not to overwhelm the reader with facts. I put in enough to get the right flavor.
-- Colleen Coble

Information has to come naturally from the character. After we’ve done a lot of research, we tend to want to use it all. Avoid what I call a SHIR—See How I Researched. These passages of explanation stick out in text as unnecessary.

The important thing is to keep up the tension as the character is doing some scientific. I faced this challenge again and again in my Hidden Faces series as Annie, the forensic artist, had to do her work. I put those scenes in the midst of a lot of tension for her, so as she’s, say, reconstructing a face from a skull, she’s thinking about lots of things, is fearful for her own safety, etc. I also kept up the tension in these scenes by using tone, which has to do with word choice.

One more thing here—in a scientific process such as reconstructing a face, the real-life process is much more time-consuming and detailed than we can represent in our fiction. I research the process so I know it well. (In this case, I used the textbook of nationally known forensic artist Karen Taylor, and also was in contact with her via email as questions arose.) Then in writing I have to cut the process down time-wise. In the readers’ letter at the beginning of that particular book (Dead of Night), I explained that I had put forth the process as it is in real life, but that it’s far more detailed and long than fiction will allow. I pointed the reader to Karen’s textbook to find out more info about the process. In this way I covered my bases. Without that explanation a forensic artist reading Dead of Night might have gotten ticked at my squeezing the process into such little time. An expert would think, “That author doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” But with an explanation, they can’t think that. Readers will forgive what an author must do to create a good story. What they won’t forgive is shoddy research.
-- Brandilyn Collins

If I, as a lay person, can understand it fairly quickly, and it makes a difference to the plot for the reader to understand it, I boil it down to an easy definition and use it. However, I make sure my character understands and acts as if they grasp the entire concept. – Susan May Warren

Tom Clancy undoubtedly wrestled with this question and lost, in my view. He’s far to excited about the technology. You have to remember that the reader wants to live, vicariously, through your writing. I will do whatever is necessary for me to give them that pleasure. If I am writing a medical-suspense novel and I must include detailed information on a surgical procedure to draw the reader into the story, then I will do that. But if by doing that I lull them to sleep, then I won’t.
It becomes a matter of “feel” for your story and the reader. Having a good core of “first readers’ can help. If they’re put off by something, chances are your other readers will be too. – Brandt Dodson

Include only those details that pertain to the story at hand. For instance, I happen to know that the FBI’s Art Crime Team did not exist prior to 2004. However, the subject never came up during the course of the story, so that little fact never got mentioned. It simply wasn’t important to the story one way or another. The research doesn’t go to waste, though. I have a speaking topic called Art Snatchers and Thief Catchers where I’m able to tell all those nifty details that didn’t make it into print. Overloading a story with facts and figures that don’t advance the plot is a mark of amateur writing. -- Jill Elizabeth Nelson

What about a legal trial? These pop into books, and trust me, the details can often be wrong. So what’s a writer to do?

Yes, you MUST sit through trials. (Note Eyes of Elisha research, above.) Don’t rely on what you see on TV—those courtroom scenes are usually flawed. There are so many things to know about what evidence can be allowed in and what can’t, how an attorney makes a decision as to what to build his/her argument on, etc., etc. This is a huge learning curve for anyone who’s not an attorney.

And—you never know where it will lead. In research murder trials for Eyes of Elisha, I visited the trial of the so-called Diary Girl murder case in the California Bay Area back in the early 90’s. The first day I sat in that courtroom, my antennae started waving. Something about this case—which was being nationally watched—didn’t jive. I went back the next day and the next. Long story short, I ended up connecting with the parents of the teenage defendant and got their exclusive story rights to write a book about the case. That book was my first, A Question of Innocence. Yup, it was some time before I got back to writing Eyes of Elisha. But the timing was all in God’s plan. – Brandilyn Collins

I’ve spent most of my working life with attorney’s and I am largely familiar with court proceedings, particularly criminal courts, so I don’t tend to do heavy research in this area. The crime novels I write often take place before the actual trial, so I am more concerned with investigatory techniques. – Brandt Dodson

And y’all have the benefit of my post on legal research to help you find the starting point. Then call attorneys LOL.

So when these authors interview people, how much time do they spend picking up quirks, educational backgrounds, etc.?

Brandilyn says it’s important, because:
People in any particular field have their own lingo, their own way of thinking and processing the world. This kind of knowledge deepens the character. The only way to get this is to talk to such folks and really pay attention to their word choice. Here’s a technique I used that was very helpful. With the homicide detective for Eyes of Elisha, I told him my fictional situation scene by scene. First, the scene he would see as he’s called to the site of the body. I explained the condition of the corpse, then said, “Go. What do you do? What are you thinking?” This allowed him to approach the scene as he would in reality, without knowing twists about the body or crime that would appear later in the book. Then I’d lead him to the next scene.

Don’t forget the “What are you thinking?” question. What a professional does and what he’s thinking can be two very different things. For example, with a homicide detective, this question may lead you to the professional’s emotions, even as he hides them on the surface and goes about his business. This is great stuff for a character.

Susan focuses “Almost ALL [her] attention on this. I can learn technical stuff in a second – it’s how their career affects them that I find intriguing.”

Brandt listens to the dialogue. “If you want to learn the subtle differences in culture (whether it’s geographical or occupational) or someone’s educational level, or their ego or their biases, just listen to them talk. And I don’t mean on the TV. I’ve spent four years in the Bureau and nearly 20 years practicing medicine. I’ve never heard a cop say, “On the ground … maggot, weasel, creep, worm, etc.” nor have I EVER heard a doctor say “stat”.”

And Brandt has some great advice on ride alongs and getting inside exposure to law enforcements:
I spent four years with the FBI and grew up in a family where nearly everyone was a cop. But if you don’t have this advantage, I would HIGHLY recommend a ride-along, or a citizen’s academy. The FBI in Indianapolis has an excellent program along those lines, but be prepared. It is tough.

And here are Brandt’s tips on weapons.
I use guns that I’m familiar with. I’ve handled weapons nearly all of my life – and still do – so research for me isn’t that necessary.
However, if you haven’t fired a gun, go to a local gun shop and ask to do so. A lot of them have indoor gun ranges and they’d be more than happy to help you out.
Again, though, have a list of questions ready and do some research before you ask for someone’s time.
The myths of guns still abound in books, film and the popular culture at large.
q Silencers do NOT work on revolvers. It is also illegal to possess a silencer. (Not that that would stop anyone, but just so everyone knows.)
q No one – NO ONE – can “shoot to wound”. Once the bullet leaves the barrel, it is an estimated guess as to where the thing will actually end up or what it will do when it gets there.
q A wet gun will still fire. Wet gun powder will not ignite.
q Not every rifle is an “Assault rifle” nor is it an “AK 47”.
q The Lone Ranger, as good as he probably was, could NOT shoot a gun out of a man’s hand from 200 yards away while riding a galloping horse.
q The vast majority of “gun battles” occur within a distance of seven yards.
q A sawed-off shotgun will have increase power over a shotgun that has not been “sawed off” but the buckshot will not travel as far.
q A shotgun is recognized as the best home defense weapons, bar none.
q A .22 caliber pistol – though not as dramatic – will kill you just as dead as Dirty Harry’s .44 magnum.
q There are more of these, but that ought to help. J

These details are important because: Anything that is inaccurate will shake them out of the state of reality to which you’ve drawn them. If that happens, they’ll close the book.

Jill Nelson finds that the Weapons_Info group on line has been incredibly helpful for her.
I have not yet shot a weapon in the course of research. The Weapons_Info group members fall all over themselves to give me way more details than I could ever use. They’re fanatics on the subject! -- Jill Elizabeth Nelson

I hope this course has been helpful. We’ve covered a lot of ground, and I truly appreciate the way so many authors willingly shared their tips and research secrets. Feel free to shoot them an email thanking them!