As Sgt. Joe Friday admonished on Dragnet, “Just the facts, Ma’am…”
But where to stop? 
I’ve researched different stuff for my book and I’m getting bogged down in the details.
Didn’t someone once say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff?” And some of this stuff is small. However, I don’t want a reader slamming me for a glaring mistake just because I didn’t do enough research.
Besides, I love research. I can get lost for hours hopping from website to website reading everything on a subject. And what do I end up with? Files, more files, notebooks and dozens of sticky notes of important information.
“Half a truth is often a great lie.” – Benjamin Franklin
Sometimes I get too technical, too filled with the mundane details forget the magic of writing.
So here’s to remembering the magic and sprinkling my story with enough half-truths 
that my readers are willing to suspend disbelief. Fingers crossed.
What do you think?
Are you a researcher?
Or do you write and let the facts fall where they may?
Do you think different genres call for varying degrees of research?
As usual, I’ve left some interesting reading at the bottom. See? I just love research. LOL
Leave me a comment – I love comments.
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Jean's Writing 
I’m in the middle of research right now. I’m staying with general concepts, which helps. Much of what I’m researching is more for assuring myself that what I’ve read at some time in my past has been the truth, or finding out the correct name for an item or type of person. There may be a time in my future when I’ll be doing the deep research and I hope I have the fortitude for it.
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I do the same thing. However, the research often draws me in to a web. Love fact finding even though I don’t need so much.
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Reblogged this on Don Massenzio's Blog and commented:
Here’s a great post from Jean’s Writing blog on using facts and the truth from research in your writing.
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🙂
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I research only when it’s necessary to build credibility. For instance, when writing about cities I always check google maps to make sure I use real streets, and make sure the restaurants they visit exist. If I discuss science or history, I check to make sure my facts are correct (e.g., I relied on server all sources to write about crime scene technology, on-site labs and equipment).
But there’s a limit. I hope my readers understand that my books should never be taken as sources of information. I want to stimulate their brains with ideas, but fiction, like film and TV, should never be trusted as a source for facts.
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Got that right. That’s where the magic comes in. No one really believes a magician cuts his lady in half but we want to. LOL
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You gave us all something to ponder! We want our readers to get lost in our books and caught up in the story. We don’t want them to play “gotcha” when they find a factual error and then have them stop out of the story and start to look for other “mistakes” we may have made.
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Yeah, its a balancing act. Gotta keep the magic but I know what you mean, if the story is in Paris, don’t describe NYC. 🙂
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My first book has one chapter set at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan. I had no choice but to research the camp. I will never visit that camp or go to Afghanistan for that matter. To make my story work, I have to have enough facts to make this small, but very important section, believable. Fortunately, as you know, you can find just about anything you need on the internet. It helps having a son in the marines as well 🙂
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Love all the stuff we have available through the internet. Even live! Yes, I love picking the brains of my family for details.
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I am not big on research, which is probably why I like to write about my memoirs. If I do write about someone or something else then yes reaearch is necessary. I probably could do a whole post on lieing, I don’t like lies, I don’t trust people that lie to me and telling the truth can make people mad at you. If you ask me; “how do I look”? If I don’t think you look good I am going to tell you; “I don’t think you look good”. You can lose friends that way and family members will distant themselves from you but if you don’t want the truth then don’t ask me.I have been told over the years (I am now 73) that I am too blunt and hurt peoples feelings. My answer to that is; “It’s the truth is it not”? The answer is always the same; “Yes, but”.
To get back to research, my thoughts on that are: Some genres require intensive research and some don’t. I try to stick to the don’t genres but there are times that in order to get it right much research is required, In my opinion and this is only my opinion. In every story there is some truth. Something has to triger a writer to write and somewhere in that story regardless of the genre there is a truth. Each writer/author has his/her own way of going about putting a story together but in the end we wind up the same. We all sit down at the computer and start typing. When all is said and done we wait, success? Hopefully, if not we start over and do it again and again, the result? We never fail because we keep trying. We write because we love it, that’s the truth, the lie, we don’t care about being successful. ☺☺☺
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Good thoughts! I would definitely ask you how my pants fit!
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When asking dangerous questions like that one, I preference it with, “It’s okay to lie to me…” LOL
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In your case I would say; OK if you want a lie the answer or the truth is the answer. For me the best thing is to look in the mirror if you like what you see there’s no need for conformation. ☺☺☺
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Bet you’d make a great Beta Reader.
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You can be sure I will tell you the truth. ☺☺☺
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Really? I don’t have the expertise to be a Bater Reader but thank you…..I think. ☺
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Growing older has given me more freedom to be less of a people pleaser too. But all truth is subjective, colored by our experiences. Thanks for chiming in.
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Reblogged this on O LADO ESCURO DA LUA.
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