Research is one of the most important things that can be done to improve an idea. From making an idea more realistic in wanting to understand characters within the story. It can take a lot of time to research but the result of that research can show within the quality of the story. Research is especially important for historical shows because representing that period in a realistic manner can be one of the most important things to do.
So how can this research be properly done? The way I usually do my research is by asking myself questions within my story that I need to research. An example of this would be if I want to research about the 1920s. I would first research and read up on the time. This can help me understand how my characters would interact with the world around them and how this could affect the story. This helps with understanding the atmosphere within the story and how it may be portrayed. From this, I may find something within those articles that I may want to incorporate into my story. An example of this is if I really wanted to incorporate the idea of a flapper dancer. I would then find another source that talked more in-depth about that topic. Research can be very important when writers get to the second draft of their story. This is when it’s time to go in and make the story better so that includes a lot of extensive research. Regarding this, it would be good to question what the plot holes within the script are and how can those be fixed. By doing that writers can pick out areas where they may need to do more research to improve the idea.
Researching can make ideas feel so much more realistic which in plus helps the audience get immersed in the story. The extent to this is if there is a film that is set in World War II and there was something inconsistent within the story relating to that time period. Maybe a character wears modern clothes this can pull the audience out of the story and makes them enjoy the story less. Research can help with characters and understanding their personalities. Doing things like the 16-personality quiz or researching how people deal with those situations in real life can help make those characters realistic within the story. Writers can suffer a lot with writer's block and researching can really help pull a writer out of that. It can give insight into how to develop the story if the writer is experiencing writer's block and does not know where to take the story. An example of this is if the writer is stuck on writing a fight scene then they would search up on how to write a fight scene so that they can betray that more accurately within their story. Research can be a very important way to expand that story.
What if the idea is sci-fi or fantasy? When it comes to these genres even though a lot of it is based on the writer’s head research can help with inspiration and making these worlds feel expansive and realistic. The audience can connect themselves with these characters and have a suspension of disbelief when it comes to being within these worlds. An example of research when it comes to fantasy is researching greek mythology or other mythical stories. This can bring some inspiration to the writer. Research can help the world that the story is set to feel a lot more expansive and diverse. If the writer is planning on writing an elf or another fantasy species that the writer is not sure about, but somebody may have documented information about that species of character then they can look up this information. There is a wealth of information to use even with fantasy stories.
How do I research? Regarding myself, I tend to start with a broad topic. So maybe where the story is set or maybe a job that a character is doing. This can help me refine my research more. So if I find something that would work well within my idea, I will try to find an article that talks more about that topic. An important thing I do as well is to note down quotes, ideas, and interesting facts that I get from these websites so that even if I do not use them within my idea, I can always come back to them and maybe use them for a different idea. With some stories, research is the most important part of writing them. Examples of this are period dramas, real-life stories, and stories using elements of history. When an idea is being done within the settings, I set out an idea of what I’m wanting to research so that I am not staring off into other sections when I research.
I found myself keeping a document full of quotes and references I have used while researching. This helps me have a document that I can come back to for future projects especially if I plan on setting my story in a similar atmosphere to the one, I had researched. If I wanted to be more organized with my research, I would name the project that I was researching. This helps if I wanted to go back and find a certain website that I wanted to use again. It is a bad feeling when I find a website that I really liked researching from but then I’ve forgotten what the website is. That’s why I keep links to these websites backed up.
In conclusion, coming up with an idea can help with inspiration as well as making the idea feel more realistic. Having the idea be realistic makes the audience more immersed in the story. Once the writer has more understanding of the atmosphere the story is based in it can then help more ideas within that story. Refining the topic while researching can help make the idea more immersive and detailed.
Comments