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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/5635-Researching-for-your-novel-or-story.html
Fantasy: April 24, 2013 Issue [#5635]

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Fantasy


 This week: Researching for your novel or story
  Edited by: Prosperous Snow Valentine
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

"Time spent researching varies from book to book. Some novels require months, even years of research, others very little. I try to do most of my research before I begin but inevitably questions emerge during the writing." - Jonathan Kellerman

"Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose." - Zora Neale Hurston


Word from our sponsor

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Letter from the editor

I can remember when researching for a novel or a story required going to a library, checking out the card catalog to see what books were available on the research subject, checking the books out, and then taking them home. Once you got the books home, you began reading it while taking notes in longhand, shorthand, or on a typewriter. Today the Internet makes it much easier to research an idea, a story background, character traits, or the way animals react in the wild. If you need to read a book about the subject most libraries have websites that you can access, find the book you need, and then request the book.

I have found that one problem with online research is the validity of the information. Sometimes it is easy to check the validity of the information and sometimes it is difficult. I deal with this problem by checking more then one source, this method does not always guarantee that the sources are valid, but it helps. This works best if one of the sources is an expert in the subject I am researching.

A good way to begin research is to write a thesis statement about the novel or story. The next step is to write who, when, where, why, how, and what questions. The questions can be simple or complex, I prefer simple questions because the research will reveal the complexity of the subject. Fortunately, we can find almost anything we need to research online. The last thing to remember is always keep the URL of the website where the research information is found because it may be necessary to go back for more information or someone may want to know the source.


Editor's Picks

Stories and Poems


 Smile  (E)
Smiling -A simple gesture to grace one's scowling heart.
#1925623 by ToffeeandTeal

Excerpt: Smiling - A simple gesture to grace one's scowling heart.But, I sometimes wonder if this act of awarding (it is some sort of award, isn't it considering how nice and happy it makes us feel) is authentic or fabricated, does it interpret what is truly felt in one's heart? The pride, bliss and love?.

 Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
#1925544 by Not Available.

Excerpt:
Cloak trailing,
dust
billowing up,
calm
as walking on clouds.


 Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
#1925519 by Not Available.

Excerpt: He sat there beside the bed staring at the plump pink man snoring contentedly before him. The room resembled more a monks cell then a master bedroom....

 Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
#1924974 by Not Available.

Excerpt: Jedd stood in the firelight with a clenched jaw, his fingernails digging into his palms. All around him, the villagers celebrated, filling the night with songs. "Fear is a beast, and any beast can be tamed," he told himself. A hand clasped his shoulder and Jedd instantly recognized his father's grip, the grip of a blacksmith.

 Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
#1926169 by Not Available.

Excerpt: THUMP! My eyes shot open in a flash. “Damn it,” I groaned. I got off my bed and grabbed the crowbar and miniature flashlight off the nightstand. My room was pitch black. I switched on the portable light and shined it outside....

 Fairy  (13+)
From mere mortal to invincibility- becoming fairy
#1859223 by Ebony White

Excerpt: Dance, dance, dance, until our feet are sore....

 Welcome to Silent Hill  (18+)
You are trapped in a nightmare, will you escape?
#1098552 by Grandma Penguin needs help

Excerpt: You wake to find yourself in a strange town covered in a dense fog. Odd, scary sounds fill the air. You catch a glimpse of some kind of bizarre creature shuffling by, but you're not exactly sure what it is.

 A Day in the Life  (13+)
Jada must meet her quota before she can leave the city. [clouds, teeth, milk] 295 words.
#1929046 by EmilyRobersonWallace

Excerpt: A plethora of dark clouds invaded the sky at sunset, the air chilled after the sun's descent. Jada reached beneath her leather jacket, counting the blades hidden within....

 Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
#1928130 by Not Available.

Excerpt: I am writing to you to voice our concern at the things you do. We, the Universe, have been analysing the Human Race and we find your society quite the disgrace. I, personally, have been watching down at your complex species scuttling around; when I first saw the way you live I recoiled – Earth was once beautiful but now it is spoiled.

Submitted to the Newsletter


 StarCraft Scene Spoof  (13+)
A spoof of the "Wasteland Patrol" scene from StarCraft, mixed with Scare Tactics.
#1849349 by BIG BAD WOLF is hopping

Excerpt: Out in the Wastelands of the planet Mar Sara, two Confederate soldiers are out patrolling for suspicious activity in a reconnaissance vehicle. A radio is playing an old song, based on one from Old Earth.

 
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Word from Writing.Com

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Don't forget to support our sponsor!

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Ask & Answer

BIG BAD WOLF is hopping writes: One must have fun.
Thank your for submitting "StarCraft Scene Spoof. Prosperous Snow Valentine

Does anyone have any special suggestions on researching information? Is there any subject that you would like covered in this newsletter?
Prosperous Snow Valentine


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