Get a Change of Scenery:
Switch from Writing to Research
by Cindy Barrilleaux
If you have stalled out on your writing project--fiction,
nonfiction, book, or article--consider the possibility that more
research will get you going again. Experts in their field gather
backup material from other experts and outside sources for their
nonfiction writing. Or, if you're writing about something from your
own life, supporting material will add credence to your story.
One client, writing a novel based on her family, spent weeks interviewing near
and distant relatives, visiting the towns where they had lived, digging
through memorabilia and junk in attics, until she had what she needed
to make her story come to life. Her story is rich with vivid
images and unexpected details. Another author was making lots of progress
writing his book, a cultural critique. He gradually lost
momentum, however, and couldn't think of anything more to write. When I
suggested research, he decided to read everything he could by other experts
on his subject, an idea he had resisted earlier. Within a couple of
months, he not only fleshed out his thoughts and gained confidence in his
ideas, but he began a correspondence with a couple of the experts.
It's not surprising that research is helpful. Think about how uncertain
you feel when asked to talk intelligently about something you
actually know little about. It's the same with writing. It's
hard to write your ideas when you don't have enough background
information to support them. Or to make them colorful and interesting.
Caution: Your need for more research may not jump
out at you. It often masquerades as losing inspiration, being stuck,
having writer's block. Before you leap to solving those problems, ask
yourself if you simply need more foundational material and interesting
details for your book. If so, get thee to the internet, the library,
the historical society. Interview experts, pour over journals, go to museums. Research
is not only practical, it's fun.
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