Researching Tips?

marie2 · Aug 14, 2008

First off, I want to thank everyone who answered my previous question. It was extremely helpful

Now I have another question. More like question(s). I don't know if this is the right place to put it but here goes.

How do you do research when you don't live in the country your story is set? Get brochures? Watch videos?

Do you travel there? If so, what do you look for? Do you take pictures, get literature, talk to the locals?

Thanks!

Shar-Jan · Aug 14, 2008

Wikipedia is great for an overview.

Try to read some literature from the country (most national classics will be translated into English), after you read enough from one place its customs and themese will begin to become clear.

If you do travel to the place, I imagine that what the locals say will be worth a lot more than what you read in travel guides, as they often put a lot of gloss on it. For example they never say in the guides that in Italy, Pisa appears to be treated with the same level of hatred that everyone else has for child molestors. Everywhere you see there is 'PIF' scrawled on the walls, it stands for Pisa In Fiamme. Pisa in flames.

marie2 · Aug 14, 2008

For example they never say in the guides that in Italy, Pisa appears to be treated with the same level of hatred that everyone else has for child molestors. Everywhere you see there is 'PIF' scrawled on the walls, it stands for Pisa In Fiamme. Pisa in flames.

O_O I did not know what. How come?

I find it really ironic that you say Italy when the story I have running away from me in my head takes place in Italy.

Shar-Jan · Aug 14, 2008

Italy has only been a unified country since the 1870's, before that it was more of a collection of rival city states, that had been beating the hell out of each other for over a millenia. Its still not the most cohesive of countries.

regdog · Aug 14, 2008

I wrote a children's book set in Africa and another set in South America. I Googled both of the countries my stories were set in and got thousands of 'hits' I sorted through the first five to ten hits and got loads of info. As Shar-Jan said Wikipedia is another good reference start.

DeeCaudill · Aug 14, 2008

Another low-energy research method is to watch films made in the country you're writing about (not American films made in Italy). You might be able to pick up on some minor touches.

For Italy, you might find Fellini instructive--Nights of Cabiria and 8 1/2 come to mind.

marie2 · Aug 14, 2008

DeeCaudill said:
For Italy, you might find Fellini instructive--Nights of Cabiria and 8 1/2 come to mind.

Thanks!

I'll definitely keep them in mind.

Kitty Pryde · Aug 14, 2008

I think the DK travel guides and the National Geographic travel guides give a really good overview of stuff about the country, history, culture, places, etc. Based on reading them and then traveling, they are pretty true to life. They have loads of pictures as well. The Lonely Planet Guides suck as far as pictures go, but they have lots of nitty gritty how stuff really works info, for instance whether or not local law enforcement can be bribed in various situations, or whether gays/black people/white people/single women are safe traveling through certain areas. and little boxed-in blurbs every few pages give you lots of random cultural info that you wouldn't find anywhere else.

if you travel there, couch surf! it's the best ever way to discover how the locals live because you are living with them (and so so cheap!). find out which of your friends have friends living abroad. i am certain that i could visit every major city in europe just staying with friends of friends, and most people are happy to take you in for the night. you can talk to them about what they think about their president, how well they know the neighbors, what they do for fun, where they go to get sloshed, how they treat their children etc.

marie2 · Aug 14, 2008

Kitty Pryde said:
The Lonely Planet Guides suck as far as pictures go, but they have lots of nitty gritty how stuff really works info, for instance whether or not local law enforcement can be bribed in various situations, or whether gays/black people/white people/single women are safe traveling through certain areas. and little boxed-in blurbs every few pages give you lots of random cultural info that you wouldn't find anywhere else.

I did not know about The Lonely Planet Guides! I have added that to my reference list

I am actually traveling to Italy this Saturday. It's more of a turist-y trip but I want to soak up on the culture as much as I can. I remember reading once that an author saved everything from their trip (train stubs, restaurant menus, etc) just in case.

CynicalRyan · Aug 14, 2008

marie2 said:
I did not know about The Lonely Planet Guides! I have added that to my reference list I am actually traveling to Italy this Saturday. It's more of a turist-y trip but I want to soak up on the culture as much as I can. I remember reading once that an author saved everything from their trip (train stubs, restaurant menus, etc) just in case.

If you go to Rome (and you should!), visit Vatican City and the Vatican museum(s). For one, it is the historical center of the Church and Christianity, and still is the center for Catholics, and Italy still reflects that. And second, it is a veritable treasure trove of cultural artifacts, especially the Renaissance era. And that, in turn, can give a deep insight into a people's culture and thinking, especially if you happen to write something with a historical backdrop.

Random fact: Fig leaves were, generally, added long after the creation of the art.

marie2 · Aug 14, 2008

CynicalRyan said:
If you go to Rome (and you should!), visit Vatican City and the Vatican museum(s). For one, it is the historical center of the Church and Christianity, and still is the center for Catholics, and Italy still reflects that.

I went in 2004 to Rome and I fell madly in love with the Vatican. The opulence of the city and the richness of the history (it's almost like you're transported back to those ancient times!) left me mesmerized.

Random fact: Fig leaves were, generally, added long after the creation of the art.

I love random facts

Siddow · Aug 14, 2008

Here's a little trick I play with my blog (on blogspot): change the location in your profile to whatever area you want to learn about, then click on the link made by your new location and it will pop up the blogs of all the people who blog from that location. You can find some interesting stuff there, especially when you come across a photoblog or a local political ranter.

You may have to use a translation tool, of course.

Another thing you might try is developing your google-fu. Lots of places have local forums (city-data.com is a good one for the US), so try things like "Italy local city forums" or narrow it down to a specific town, check out any links to local government, don't be scared to send emails requesting information (but be sure you know what kinds of information you want--don't email, "Tell me about your town." Say, "I'd like to know the name and location of the largest hospital in the region, and also where the cemetery is located." Or, whatever, you know? Be sure to tell them you're a writer.)

And, of course, there's maps.google.com, where you can see the layout by street name and also a satellite view of the area. Oh, and street view in some places!

CynicalRyan · Aug 14, 2008

marie2 said:
I went in 2004 to Rome and I fell madly in love with the Vatican. The opulence of the city and the richness of the history (it's almost like you're transported back to those ancient times!) left me mesmerized.

On many levels. On the one hand, the fund raising for St. Peter's was, in a good part, what led to the Reformation, and on the other hand it is one of the few places where you can find real, actual Faith in this world.

I love random facts

Another random fact: I tend to accumulate those.

Matera the Mad · Aug 14, 2008

My approach is completely Web-oriented, since I can't read hard copy very speedily any more. I find accounts of travel in various places, look at online photo galleries (tourist and native). Maps -- oy. Finding one thing leads to others in widening or narrowing branches. I save a lot for offline reference. Tourism information is the worst possible source, it never reaches true ground level.

Unique · Aug 14, 2008

I use picture books - those 'coffee table' books that are mostly pictures and a few captions. They put me in the moooood.

Also - I check the bib. references in other books I've used for research.

I use Amazon and NCLive. (which is the librarian's reference for all kinds of books from all kinds of places)(Ask at your library's reference desk for your state's version)

I'm heavy into interlibrary loans right now because I've used up most of the 'local' literature in my field of study.

I also read a lot of other people's fiction to get a feel for the place.

And music - don't forget music to get the 'vibe'.

gypsyscarlett · Aug 14, 2008

My WIP takes place in 19th century New England so I read lots of history books. Also, lots of 19th c. Lit to get "into the mood".

marie2 · Aug 14, 2008

Siddow said:
Here's a little trick I play with my blog (on blogspot): change the location in your profile to whatever area you want to learn about, then click on the link made by your new location and it will pop up the blogs of all the people who blog from that location. You can find some interesting stuff there, especially when you come across a photoblog or a local political ranter.

That is incredibly smart! I had never thought of that before.

Another thing you might try is developing your google-fu.

Will do

I have to learn from the masters like yourself. My google-fu is still subpar but it WILL develop! >D

Quiet Melody · Aug 18, 2008

It seems like you've got some great responses. I pretty much just stick to google or the library, although if you have the opportunity to travel to the place you're writing about, you should definitely do it! It much easier for me to write about places that I've actually seen rather than to read info from the internet.

Usually when I write about people going to different counties, I go to travel websites or google the country to get an idea of what activities people do there. I also search for pictures on google so I can see what it looks like. Someone mentioned movies...those are also good for giving you ideas.

SLThomas · Aug 18, 2008

People have given a wealth of infos...

It makes me wonder how Shakespeare did it, him having never left England...

Shar-Jan · Aug 19, 2008

He tended to just make it up to be honest.

Sophia · Aug 19, 2008

marie2 said:
How do you do research when you don't live in the country your story is set? Get brochures? Watch videos?

Do you travel there? If so, what do you look for? Do you take pictures, get literature, talk to the locals?

As well as general library books on the country and Wikipedia, I search for blogs from the country's residents to try to get a feel for things like their style of speech and if there are any topics that particularly interest them. The more blogs from different social groups and ages, the better! I also find that Flickr is an excellent source of up-to-date pictures. Type in the name of the location you are interested in and you should get a lot of images returned - holiday snaps as well as very subject-specific shots.

Ashleigh-Bridie · Aug 20, 2008

Googling the countries newspapers or magazines can give you great insight as to what the political landscape, important issues, celebrities, fashion, music (the list goes on) is like at the moment.

Depending on the publication they may also allow you acess to the archives, although some sites do charge a small fee for this.

Deepspirit · Aug 22, 2008

I use the following methods -

1. Internet - wikipedia, blogs, various articles.
2. Library - I go to a library that has a nice collection of books on travel, culture, language, history, geography etc.
3. DVDs by BBC, Discovery, National Geo. They sometimes contain a wealth of information.
4. One very unconventional method- I play World of Warcraft where I meet people from different places, culture and background. They provide info on their towns/ villages/ cities, their culture, way of life, political views and the everyday problems that they face.

marie2 · Aug 23, 2008

ElaraSophia said:
I also find that Flickr is an excellent source of up-to-date pictures. Type in the name of the location you are interested in and you should get a lot of images returned - holiday snaps as well as very subject-specific shots.

What a great idea!

Thanks!

Beach Bunny · Aug 23, 2008

Google Earth is a great web resource for satellite views of areas, roads, pictures, information, etc. The software for it is a free download.

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