Science

Serddar

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How do you perform your research when writing about (for example) chemist, historian, archaeologist... I played with this idea of a biology experiment going wrong in a way, but I am not sure how much actual knowledge of the science would need to go in it, something similar in its core to Herbert West - The Re-Animator of H.P. Lovecraft.
 

ForeverYoursCaffiene

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Others would recommend to write what you know. However, part of being a writer is being a researcher. I would generally interview an expert in the area, finish the book best you can, and then have that same expert (or another) review the written material. You can get good input from an university professor or someone in the field.
 

Debbie V

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I write first, so I learn what the story will need. Then I look for facts. There are great websites, some for kids, on the basics of most science. It helps to know basics before you interview someone. This may lead to more revision, but I'm pretty sure it saves me from looking up stuff I don't actually end up needing for the work.
 

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Others would recommend to write what you know. However, part of being a writer is being a researcher. I would generally interview an expert in the area, finish the book best you can, and then have that same expert (or another) review the written material. You can get good input from an university professor or someone in the field.

Do your own research first. And do it as thoroughly as possible.

If you approach a specialist, send an email to ask whether they would mind helping you. In that email, tell them what sort of help you need. If they ignore your email or say no, move on.

If you find someone who is happy to make time for you, make sure you have very specific questions that can't be answered by your own work.
 

lonestarlibrarian

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Sometimes, I'll hang out with a particular group of people-- either in person or online-- when they're talking shop amongst themselves, and then I'll write down little snippets of conversation that ring true. Just like golfers talk about golf differently than non-golfers, and horsemen talk about horses differently than non-horsemen, scientists-- of whatever branch-- talk about their brand of science differently than outsiders. So while the actual science part of the plot can be whatever-- I've got my suspension-of-disbelief plugged in, as long as a reasonable effort is made to have it make sense-- it's a bit thrilling to see the archaeologist speaking like a real-life archaeologist, or the chemist telling an anecdote in the way only a chemist can, or a computer guy talking about the AI project they're working on and what the guys from IBM and Google said when they ran into the same stuff happening to them...
 

Serddar

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Thanks for the suggestions guys, much appreciated.

There is one more thing one could to, Lovecraft did it himself, do not putt your doctor, chemist or someone else, as the main character, instead use him as someone your MC get's in contact with but is not as knowledgeable as he is.
 

DrDoc

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There are three sorts of scientists: the journeyman, the lover, and the egoist. Journeymen scientists do not let their imagination run wild with possibilities. They are content with the small steps that will lead to the end of the next block. They are competent, but boring. The scientific lover are those who, like Sherlock Holmes, best enjoy scientific research when the game's afoot and realize that scientific discovery is merely puzzle-solving at its best. They are often brilliant, and may or may not be reliable. The scientific egoists find little joy in their search for truth, but rather merely use research as a means to an end, an end filled with money, power or prestige, or perhaps, some or all of these together. They are not nice people: they often spy on research competitors while simultaneously feeding their competitors false information. They are also very cliquish.

FWIW
DrDoc a former biology professor
 

Serddar

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Most enjoyable for me to write, out of these categories you mentioned would be the journeymen, with a bit larger imagination.
 

DrDoc

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All the groups have a wide variety of imaginations. The journeymen simply are better at focusing on the Very Next Question to test. They really are plodders, which is great because nature doesn't like to give up her secrets easily, and plodding is relentless. The lovers tend to focus on the 'story' and are apt to skip a few logical steps while focusing on the Next Important Question to test. The egoists simply focus on the Next Question That Will Continue My funding.
 

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I'd argue that you can't shoehorn scientists into three types, unless you do the same to all people. And even the western zodiac allows twelve types.
 

DrDoc

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Of course you're right. The first thing you learn in biology is that 'categories' are a lot less discreet and much more ambiguous than the language of normal conversation allows. An idea may begin on a napkin but ends up as 93 separate blueprints. I'm just at the napkin stage here.