WONDERFUL
FLAVORS OF RESEARCH
Susan Marlene
Research can make your project shine and the
lack thereof can lay waste to a perfectly great idea. Let’s consider the many
flavors of research to strengthen your writing, be it fiction or non-fiction.
Agent WEB sites: Proposals/Writer
Business set-up info * Free *
Here
are some of the delicious nuggets these agents offer.
· Links to their author blogs by name
· Links to writers’ conferences
· Proposal Info
· Business for the writer
· Editorial Services
· Blog posts about writing topics
Resources and Chip’s Blog Info
· Choosing An Agent
· Submission Guidelines
· Recommended Reading
· Blog by Chip McGregor
Research Books:
Writing
Business and Mechanics of Writing:
Book proposals that Sell by W.Terry Whalin; The Christian Writer’s Market Guide Jerry B. Jenkins; The Elements of Style
by Strunk/White/Kalman; Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Brown &
King. The Little Red Writing Book by Brandon Royal; Punctuation Plain
& Simple by Edgar C. Alward & Jean A. Alward. Various dictionaries.
Books on
Plotting and or Technique:
Anything Donald Maass and or James Scott Bell.
Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland; Getting Into Character by
Brandilyn Collins, Wired For Story by Lisa Cron; Story Trumps
Structure by Steven James; From the Inside…Out discover…create…and publish the novel in you! Susan
May Warren and Rachel Hauck; Jeff Gerke “The Art & Craft of Writing Christian
Fiction” and other books he has written.
Relationships & Psychology &
Human Behavior:
The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman; Emotional Vampires by Albert J. Bernstein Ph.
D.; Overcoming Emotions That Destroy by Ingram Johnson; What Every
BODY is Saying by Joe Navarro with Marvin Karlins, Ph. D.; For Women
Only by Shaunti Feldhahn; For
Parents Only by Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice; Psychology book; etc.
Spiritual Influence:
Bibles and Bible studies and reference books. Abingdon’s
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Devotionals, Old history books
with the character of our founding fathers. David Barton’s The Founder’s
Bible
What is your genre?
Books available for the time period in which
you’re writing. The technical or specific information you are writing about.
(Rocket ships, horses pulling wagons, transportation, tools, food and clothing
to match your stories time period.) Travel information and photos etc. J
Writing
for Men or Women? 80% more women read fiction – it is a chemical thing.
Look up brain chemicals that fire during fiction reading.
Inform from Jeff Gerke and Wired
For Story
1)
Catch the reader’s attention.
Must
convince reader your story is more interesting. Use Braine Science.
Ø Danger—Self-preservation – JG. Mirror
neurons pg. 66 Wired For Story. “If you start with the mundane
and ordinary the readers brain will move on to something else.” Quote from Jeff
Gerke. Jane Austin – relationship danger to 007 danger.
Ø Surprise-unexpected/humorous/ intriguing (reader surprise not necessarily the
character.)
Ø Appropriate
TONE --for your story. (It could be the wrong
start no matter how excellent it is written, because it doesn’t match the tone
of the story.)
2)
Connect the reader to the character (s).
Ø The emotional engagement “Your job as a writer is the have the reader
become the character.” Dr. Zach… Wired For Story pg. 67 states: “…readers
mentally simulate each new situation encountered in narrative. Details about
actions and sensations are captured from the text and integrated with personal
knowledge from past experiences.” Called Transportation – character is in
a situation and you are feeling it…rapid heartbeat, sweaty hands/emotional or
physical reaction.
Trick to transportation – character is
vulnerable – releases oxytocin.
3)
Present a Story of Struggle
Internal and external which build as the story progresses.
Present a story of struggle. Let’s Make a “Tasty
Fruit Salad of a Story Beginning” by creating delicious sentences from these
basic boring ones. Use our research tools. Use these notes or the sample
research books and any other information and I believe you will be amazed at
the sparkle and flash you will discover in your writing sample today.
Sentence choices:
A. Joyce ran to the store with her car. She shopped for special
ingredients and checked her list to make sure she purchased everything. Tonight
would be real special
_______________________________________________________________________
B) The unusual circumstances for amount of time he would be away were
puzzling. After all he had special reasons for this trip
________________________________________________________________________
C) Cats and rats and tomatoes? How could these have anything in common?
And what was
____________________
to do with___________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
D) It was a birthday like every other year. _________________________________________
*Add in a love language, goals, motivation,
conflict and detail using strong nouns and verbs.
*Add in punctuation or twists or plot turns
(watch out for our Kathy!) Okay everyone enjoy!
With
great knowledge there is huge responsibility! Use your words wisely to build
and not tear down. To bring truth and displace lies.
Realize that people, editors and agents want
to be engaged in great story or helpful non-fiction. Let’s do our research,
sprinkle it like a perfectly seasoned meal, and serve it out to the masses!
