Comments on: A Whole New World

By: Bonnie Calhoun

Bonnie Calhoun — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 02:48:31 +0000

I can identify with these sentiments! I’ve spent the weekend doing research for my fouth novel…I got so caught up in it, the day was gone before I noticed….and I’m not even an eighth of the way there!

By: Carla Nayland

Carla Nayland — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 15:20:08 +0000

I love the research. I was originally thinking of doing a research degree in my spare time and then decided it would be more fun to write a story than another thesis. I agree with Bernita; really thorough research/worldbuilding is what makes the difference between a story that feels convincing and one that feels thin. I don’t think research is ever wasted, even though only about 5% of it makes it into the text, the other 95% is there in a sort of subliminal way. Did you see the ‘How We Made The Film’ features on the extended DVDs of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings? Things like the costume and armour designers inventing motifs and styles for all the different cultures, even though they know they’ll never be visible on the film. One of them said something like “Nobody will notice it’s there, but it wouldn’t look right if it wasn’t there.” That’s exactly what research does for a book, I’d say.

By: Bernita

Bernita — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 11:51:31 +0000

My big worry is stuffing too much of the research in the story and not in a subtle way. But what you describe is so very necessary if the tale is not going to have holes big enough for several galaxies. I like to see imaginary cultures that ARE: with the myths and legends and all the other history a society absorbs. Once you have all that foundation down, you’ll zip, I’m sure.