I’m talking about research. For one of my future projects I’ll need to research DNA, fertility treatments, shuttle re-entry, earthquakes, the Big Bang, extinction. And that’s just for a start. When shows, movies and books have incorrect information in them and I KNOW it’s wrong, it annoys me. I laughed at the scenes they had in NCIS when they went to Timothy’s publisher/agent. Can’t remember which. But I do remember they got a lot wrong. Ditto for Bones. Of course I’m still unpublished so maybe when I make millions of dollars from my books my publisher will buy me a Rolex or a car. And don’t even get me started on the police investigation/forensic stuff they get wrong in TV shows. Check out The Graveyard Shift for Castle reviews.
My pet peeve is the stripper thing. I’ve read ONE book that got it right. There are a surprising number of books out there that include strippers at some point. I knew the stereotypes for strippers and strip clubs. Before I worked in one (as a bartender) I believed them all. But you might be surprised at how they actually work. And the strip clubs where men take off their clothes are WAY worse than the ones where women take off their clothes.
You have to do research even if you write short stories. Who knew? Certainly not me. But then I got an idea for a short story and I can’t write it without researching – of all things – spiders. Shudder. On my short mystery loop someone was asking research questions about guns. Yay for wanting to get the facts right!
I love it when authors at least try to get it right. I know of many writers who have taken citizen police academy classes (me included) so they can get the crime stuff right. Yes, they’ll tweak things for the sake of the story. They might change something because they need to for a plot point or to help with the pacing. When they do that though I like to know at the beginning. A little note from the author saying they changed certain things for the sake of the story is all that’s needed.
So the next time you put something in your book where someone could go – Wait a minute, that’s not how it is – please, please, please research it first. And for anyone thinking of putting a stripper in their book, please do me and my walls a favour and don’t just talk to people who have been to strip joints. Actually go to one and see how it works. You might be surprised.
Off to work.
Until next time…
Cindy
September 1, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Way back, far back, I mean a really long time ago, John W. Campbell Jr., the editor of Analog, wrote in an editorial, “Everything is somebody’s specialty, and if you get it wrong, you WILL hear from them.” True in SF and maybe just as true elsewhere.
I recently read a novel by a best selling author who will remain nameless. In one scene the heroine, supposedly familiar with guns, sees someone holding a gun, but ‘…couldn’t tell if it was a .38 or a .45.’
There is so much wrong with that line I don’t know where to begin. In short, it’s sheer idiocy. In this era of instant internet access there is no reason for it, it’s just plain lazyness.
I almost made a similar mistake regarding horses, when I came to my senses, did some research and found I had gotten it all wrong.
Don’t believe what you see on TV or in the movies, in fact assume it is exacly opposite of what you think you know.
September 6, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Great points. There is nothing worse than reading something that isn’t even close to the truth. I’ll do major research over little things. Especially fight scenes.
September 7, 2010 at 9:35 pm
Bart, it’s so true. You just never know who will read your book. And you never know what knowledge they’ll have.
Ciara, I do major research over little things too. I just don’t want someone throwing my book against the wall.