Can you get by without interviewing experts?

WannabeWriter · Apr 30, 2008

If there's one thing I notice in many novels I've read, it's how the author has contacted at least one person for expert knowledge to be used in the story. You can see the people in the novel's acknowledgements page.

For my WIP, my story incorporates my own knowledge and experience in my own subject area with about two other areas of knowledge, which I feel I know enough about to incorporate into my story.

Are there risks in writing a novel without interviewing experts first if you think you know enough about the subject? What do you think?

rainboy · Apr 30, 2008

Read books on a specific topic written by experts and you won't have to interview experts on said topic.

Novelhistorian · Apr 30, 2008

You don't need permission to write, do you? Then you don't need an expert, real or so called, to sign off on your work.

That said, if you think your work has holes in it that only expert knowledge could fill, seek it where you can find it.

Judg · Apr 30, 2008

That depends on what your novel is about and how much you know about that area to begin with.

I haven't consulted any experts, but I have looked up a multitude of details on things ranging from the history of military technology to Elizabethan politics to dray wagons, to the effects of belladonna poisoning to... well, you get the idea. And it's not even a historical novel.

ishtar'sgate · Apr 30, 2008

WannabeWriter said:
Are there risks in writing a novel without interviewing experts first if you think you know enough about the subject? What do you think?

If you think you have enough information on the subject without consulting an expert then don't worry about it.
Linnea

kct webber · Apr 30, 2008

Interview are just another form of research. They are, in many cases, completely replacable by other sources. I have questioned experts, but that's only because they happened to be there and accessable. I could've easily found the info somewhere else.

JeanneTGC · Apr 30, 2008

As others have said, it depends on your novel. If you're like Kathy Reichs, you don't necessarily need to talk to someone else about anthropology or CSI type work or working with the FBI. If you're not, then you might need to, in order to sound authentic.

You'd probably be the best judge of what you're an expert in than anyone else. You should also be the best judge of what you're NOT an expert in, and interview or research accordingly.

kullervo · Apr 30, 2008

I wrote a script about Michelangelo once. I went to Italy to make sure I had my facts straight. If there are facts in play in your work, make sure you have everything right.

ErylRavenwell · May 1, 2008

I only research the basics. For instance, for the novel I'm editing right now I've deeply researched anything on the LAPD, LA (the city) and Freud's Theory of Instincts. Otherwise, as an anti-intellectual, I never research abstract concepts, controversial hypotheses etc and rely primarily on instinct, hyperboles and innate logic on such matter. My suspicion of academics is often well reflected in the works.

I really can't stand writers that regurgitate their knowledge of such-and-such at the expense of the character development.

HeronW · May 1, 2008

I write mostly fantasy but my horses and their care require knowing what to do so I look stuff up. The best fiction is rooted with real details, then drop in the oddity and it feels right. :}

Bruzilla · May 1, 2008

I used to write work process flows for a living, and I learned a long time ago that there are few experts on anything. I would interview SME after SME, and for everyone I interviewed, I would get a different opinion as to what was being done or needed to be done. When working for one large company I found that no one in a division of over 100 people really knew what the division was supposed to be doing! I had to go higher up in the corporation to find out what was supposed to be accomplished by the group, break those accomplishments into tasks, then assemble six-person teams to come up with the best way to do each task.

I would also point to the Virginia Sniper slayings a few years back as a danger or relying on "experts". The media folks went beating the bushes for experts, and shook out a lot of folks who claimed to be experts... former FBI guys, retired cops, supposed criminal profilers, etc., and they all ended up being 100% wrong. I would suggest doing your own research and going from there.

Namatu · May 1, 2008

kullervo said:
I wrote a script about Michelangelo once. I went to Italy to make sure I had my facts straight.

That's the kind of research I'm always ready for.

I agree with what others have said. If book research can tell you what you need to know, there may be no need for an interview. If you're uncertain, however, it can't hurt to ask a few questions.

dawinsor · May 1, 2008

Mostly I agree with the other posters. You can find out a lot by other means of research. Still, I hesitate. I used to do ethnographic research on engineering worksites and inevitably I found interesting things I never would have asked about because I just didn't know enough. Also, I've seen TV shows and read novels about academics that made me insane with their ignorance about how things like how tenure work. I can only assume the writers thought they know something they didn't.

On the other hand, it's possible to get too bogged down in details that aren't vital to your story. Rather than an interview, it might be useful to have someone in a field read your book when you're done. They'll pick up on details you have wrong but they'll be details you've decided matter enough to include.

JimmyB27 · May 1, 2008

I only ever read books by people who mention that they interviewed experts.

See how silly that sounds? There's your answer.

Shadow_Ferret · May 1, 2008

I figure if I do enough research on the subject, then I'm the expert.

RJK · May 1, 2008

I thought that was what the big blue E on your desktop was for. If you need to know some details about something, google it. Of course you need to be careful of the source, but that is true no matter where you get your information.

Susan Gable · May 1, 2008

I had two lawyers help me out with the book I just finished and turned in to my editor. One was an assistant district attorney, and one specialized in family law.

They helped me get some of the little details right. Things I didn't know for sure since everything I know about law I learned from watching Law & Order. LOL!

So, they will get a mention in the acknowledgements of my book.

Susan G.

Danger Jane · May 1, 2008

Not if you know or can otherwise find what you need to know for your story. Besides, I wouldn't want to waste Mr. Expert's time with questions that turned out to be on page 5 of Google.

WannabeWriter · May 1, 2008

The stuff not related to my field of expertise comes from my personal experience with the subject, which is not as detailed as a true expert's but still more than someone who knows little to nothing about it. That and Googling on the topic for pages that explain the concepts I want to put into the story.

I only started this thread because of the possibility that I think I got it right but it turns out that one or two things are not. Then again, I feel the story I have so far is realistic enough that it accuracy seems less of an issue. At least to me.

JimmyB27 · May 2, 2008

WannabeWriter said:
The stuff not related to my field of expertise comes from my personal experience with the subject, which is not as detailed as a true expert's but still more than someone who knows little to nothing about it. That and Googling on the topic for pages that explain the concepts I want to put into the story.

I only started this thread because of the possibility that I think I got it right but it turns out that one or two things are not. Then again, I feel the story I have so far is realistic enough that it accuracy seems less of an issue. At least to me.

I think believability is always more important than accuracy. Depending on the subject matter, you may upset one or two people if you get something wrong, but if you've written a compelling enough story, it shouldn't matter too much.

Melenka · May 2, 2008

I did enough research to be able to describe some surveillance techniques and equipment the MC is using. I spent a little too long looking at all the other cool and nifty things one can get/do to invade the privacy of the average citizen. I am now thankful that I feel a bit too long in the tooth to begin a career as a criminal - those toys are far too cool. I don't think I'd want to interview anyone who actually uses them, though.

Penguin Queen · May 2, 2008

JimmyB27 said:
I think believability is always more important than accuracy. Depending on the subject matter, you may upset one or two people if you get something wrong, but if you've written a compelling enough story, it shouldn't matter too much.

Surely it should be possible to combine the two. Theyre not mutually exclusive. I find avoidable mistakes in novels annoying. I find they make me take the author less seriously, and enjoy the work less.

Danger Jane · May 2, 2008

Penguin Queen said:
Surely it should be possible to combine the two. Theyre not mutually exclusive. I find avoidable mistakes in novels annoying. I find they make me take the author less seriously, and enjoy the work less.

Yes, and once a few people write Amazon reviews embittered that you got some detail wrong, you lose a lot of street cred.

Basically, if you feel like you're filling in gaps with speculation that could be filled with research, you need to do more research. It'll only mess you up when you're editing and realize that your brilliant plot twist is totally impossible because of XYZ reality. And one of your research tools is to find an expert. But like I said, an expert's gonna be annoyed if you call them about something that's on Wikipedia.

Chasing the Horizon · May 2, 2008

I would never interview an expert, because I prefer learning by reading (my comprehension is much better than with spoken conversation). Besides, I usually do my research right before I write the relevant scene, and I doubt an expert would appreciate me calling them at 11PM.

I always research until I feel comfortable with what I'm writing about, then stop. I don't want to know too many details, because then it can become tempting to put in mundane details just because you know them. Some details can reveal interesting possibilities you'd never have considered otherwise, though, so it's kind of a balance.

I mostly write fantasy, so when facts interfere with the story, I just ignore or change them. It's my world, so it works however I say it works.

Can you get by without interviewing experts?

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