Nonfiction Ink

An essential element of narrative nonfiction is creating a sense of place. The story must evoke the essence of the subject’s life and immerse the reader in his or her world. Your goal is to weave a sense of place into the narrative, not simply present a list of descriptive details. Here are seven research techniques to help you achieve this:

1. Review research material prior to visiting a location. Prepare for onsite location research by checking records, maps, historical documents and material related to your subject and place.

2. Quietly Observe the People and Surroundings. It’s not always necessary to ask questions and interview people. Often you can obtain important information by simply remaining quiet and observing the natural flow of events without interruption.

3. Live In Your Subject’s World. Dress as the locals dress, stay where they might stay, shop where they shop, and eat the foods they eat. It is easier to “locate” a story when you have experienced it. You can even take this “world” back home with you to help with your writing process by purchasing local items, for example buy a CD of a local musician’s music to listen to while you’re writing or a regional food item to enjoy.

4. Talk to the Locals. Wherever you are – a café for lunch, a hotel for the night, the filling station for gas, the coffee shop, or dime store – talk to the owners and other customers to gain insight into local perspectives, beliefs, and behavior.

5. Capture The Language. Record the language of the locals and your subject to effectively capture the syntax, slang, speech patterns, expressions and jargon of the area.

6. Read the Local Newspapers. Pick up the local and regional newspapers as well as the free zines provided at the mini-mart. You never know what intriguing and unique information you might glean from these papers.

7. Hang Out at the Community Hub. If you want to learn about the community, go where community members and leaders congregate. This may be the local church, the community center, or the downtown pub.

LuAnn Schindler has a great post over at the WOW Women on Writing blog about using the National Archives to conduct research.  Check it out here: Searching the National Archives.

Research is an essential component of creating a nonfiction manuscript.  Some writers embrace the process, while others would rather dine on broken glass than wade through the overwhelming resources needed to complete the task. But research doesn’t need to be that bleak of a scenario if you design an effective, organized system.  The first step in conducting research is to review your project and create a plan of approach:

1. Write a mission statement
A mission statement or thesis statement about your book helps focus your project and keep your research on track.  Write a single sentence that asserts the main idea and expresses your point of view.  In other words, write a statement that declares what you and your research have to say about the subject.  For instance, for his book Billy The Kid: The Endless Ride, author Michael Wallis’ statement might read, “A revisionist approach to untangling the myth and legend of Billy the Kid to reveal the real man behind the outlaw.”

2. Determine what research is needed
Review your book outline and note the research required for each topic.  For instance, for his chapter on the Lincoln County War, Michael Wallis might need to research: what lead up to the war, what was the inciting incident that launched the war, who were the parties involved and what side were they on, what was Billy’s involvement in the war, why was he part of the war, how did the war affect Billy, what was the outcome of the war – and much more.  It’s a good idea to estimate how much material you will need (hint: it’s always more than you think.)

3. Decide what type of research you will conduct
Most writers use more than one method.  The basic types of research are:

• Reviewing source material: such as books, private documents, photos
• Interviewing: this may include in-person or email interviews, questionnaires and surveys conducted on Twitter or Facebook.
• Observation: first hand experiences such as surviving the Sago Mine Disaster or going undercover as a Playboy hostess.
• Deductive reasoning: consists of using the above methods of research and ‘connecting the dots’ to formulate a conclusion.  An example of this is Sebastian Junger’s research for his book The Perfect Storm – to create the sinking of the Andrea Gail and the death of her crew, Junger researched the experiences of people who had nearly drowned and the technical elements of a sinking ship.

4. List the resources you will use for your research
Published books, unpublished manuscripts, letters, photographs, artwork, diaries, private documents, corporate memos, public records, court transcripts, surveys, questionnaires, interviews, films, documentaries, statistics, press releases, business leaders, association newsletters, magazines, newspapers, maps, charts, investigators, experts, scholars, associates, stories from ‘ordinary’ people, personal experience, etc…..

5. Create a research timeline
I like to use my iCal program to plan my research, schedule interviews, note deadlines, etc. (May 12th review chapters in published book, May 14th read private letters, May 16th interview subject’s widow). When you set deadlines you’re more likely to finish a project.  Use whatever calendar system works for you to stay on track and complete your research.

6. Create your bibliography as you go
Why wait until completing your manuscript to type up your bibliography when you can create it during the research process?  Save yourself time and future headaches by noting each citation now.  You’ll never have to go back and search for a source, a copyright date or publisher’s name for any of your research.

YOUR TURN: What research planning system works for you?

In the last post I provided resources for locating an expert for your nonfiction book.  Here are a few tips for successfully approaching them.

THE INITIAL CONTACT:

Don’t Feel Intimidated
Most experts  – professors, historians, scientists – are often eager to share their expertise and many are used to granting interviews and fielding questions from the media.  Remember, you have something to offer as well, your publication will help boost their cause, organization, university or business.

Be Professional
If approached professionally, most people will be happy to grant an interview.  It’s appropriate to address a source by his/her formal title (Mr., Professor, Dr.) until you are given permission to be more casual.  Give a brief overview of your project: provide your name and your background (if pertinent), describe your book topic, why you wish to speak to the expert, and the expected length of the interview.  Be transparent – provide the name of your publisher or self-publishing company, if you are emailing your interview request include links to your website or blog for the expert to see you are legitimate.  Let the expert know you will work around their schedule and preferred interview method (email, telephone, or in-person, if feasible) and suggest a few dates and times for the interview (keeping your research deadline in mind.)

Be Prepared
Do your homework: know the expert’s background and area of expertise, as well as the topic you will be discussing.  Be prepared for the interview to take place right then-and-there.  Many times I’ve contacted an expert to set up an interview and received the response, “Let’s do it now”.  Don’t take the chance of losing the interview.  Prior to the initial call, know what you want to ask and prepare a list of questions.

Squash Their Fears
Many experts fear being misquoted.  Assuage their fears by explaining that you record telephone interviews to ensure accuracy.  Give them the option of emailing their answers to your questions, which allows them more time to consider and formulate their words.  NEVER EVER NEVER promise to allow an expert to approve your written copy.  Never ever – did you get that?  Good.

Now get out there and contact those experts!

Experts can lend credibility to your project, supply notable quotes and anecdotes for your manuscript, provide insight into your subject and help you round out your research.  Here is a list of resources for finding experts in any field:

Book authors. Anyone who has authored a book in the same field as your topic is an expert.  Check out complimentary books at Amazon.  Most authors have a website with their contact information or may be contacted via their literary agent (often listed in the book’s acknowledgements page.)

Experts quoted in magazine articles.  Google the experts name or company to locate contact information.  Some experts also author magazine and journal articles and include a byline with contact details.

The Encyclopedia of Associations.  Available at most public libraries, this book is the source for thousands of associations on almost any topic.  Contact the association director for an interview or referrals to other members.

ProfNet.  An extensive resource for contacting leading experts and public relations professionals.  If you can’t find exactly what you are looking for, send a query and the staff will help connect you with an expert.

Who Represents.  For a fee, you can find agents and managers who can connect you with celebrities.

Findlaw.  This site provides connections to legal experts.  You can also ask a question in their FindLaw Answers section and a lawyer will provide the information you request.

Experts Click and All Experts.  Two more helpful sites for finding experts.

Help a Reporter.  This site allows you to submit a query (with your contact information and details about your project) that is emailed to experts who can then choose to connect with you directly.

Switchboard.  Provides telephone numbers and website addresses for millions of businesses and organizations.  Just type in your keyword (such as ‘solar energy’) and you’ll get a list of resource links.