Comments on: Just Say No to Research

By: Brenda G. Wooley

Brenda G. Wooley — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 04:14:38 +0000

I know exactly what you mean. I’ve spent hours searching for a particular quote or bit of information, when I could have left it out altogether.

Just discovered your blog tonight, and I’m glad I did…there’s a lot of valuable information here.

Thanks!

By: Bernita

Bernita — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 13:13:48 +0000

“If you’re working on the first draft, if your bit of needed info isn’t absolutely, positively crucial to the entire basis of your story, then skip it and move on” – that’s the crucial point.
Really good advice.
Unless the lift capacity of a Jet Ranger is imperative to the plot, just make a [ ] to search later.
I still feel I’m standing on a wobbly stool though.

By: Scott at Slushpile.net

Scott at Slushpile.net — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:34:21 +0000

That’s a great way to think about it, DJ. When I was in college, I would brag about studying for 12 hours straight. But the reality was that I spent four hours straightening my desk, four hours getting my study music lined up, a couple of hours at the grocery store collecting drinks and snacks for my studying marathon, a couple of hours talking to my roommates about how they were going to study, and only a few hours actually studying myself. It was definitely the “counting paper clips and cleaning your desk” syndrome.

These days, I’m not that bad. But I do periodically get sucked into research black holes, like the other night. It bugs me when I can’t find something out. Someone asked me about a cartoon character earlier this morning and it’s been driving me batty ever since.

By: d j lufkin

d j lufkin — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 12:14:45 +0000

In sales they talk about the four boxes. The first box is doing the primary task, the second box is researching the primary task, the third box is thinking about the primary task and the fourth box is counting paper clips and cleaning your desk. The idea is that any time spent outside of the first box is time wasted and a road map for failure. If we enjoy research more than writing, that’s a problem.

By: Scott Marlowe

Scott Marlowe — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:59:59 +0000

Good advice. I also can get sidetracked sometimes when I really should be pushing forward with the writing itself. “Keep moving forward” is a chant I sometimes hear, and it makes me plod onward regardless of what I might be leaving behind for later revision.

By: Jason Boog

Jason Boog — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:33:52 +0000

I was just blogging about the “Don’t research the first draft” rule this morning. It’s the hardest thing to learn, and I think it bogs down too many amateur writers–especially the unpolished thrillers, spy, and fantasy novels that fill up writing websites all over the Internet.

When your book begins with research, anything from gadgets or elves, you end up with stilted, boring technical prose that takes all the joy out of a first draft. It’s much more organic when you weave that material into the manuscript a couple drafts down the line.

Thanks for this post…