Why Include Research?
You’re
about to write the scintillating tale of your charity run around Australia to save
the Blue-faced Stripey Tree Worm. You’ve
kept a meticulous diary of your daily travels and have a plethora of anecdotes
to enthral your readers. It’s your
journey, your experience, your story. So
why would you include extra research?
Of
course, it depends on the type of piece you’re writing. If you’re penning a news story, academic paper
or technical report; readers expect facts and figures. However, what if you’re writing creative
nonfiction? By that I mean true stories
that are told in an engaging way through the use of literary techniques such as
action, dialogue, and metaphor. Isn’t the story more important in such
writing? Story certainly is crucial to
creative nonfiction, as detailed in my series of posts earlier this year (Post 1, Post 2, Post 3). However, good research
can enhance the tale you want to tell. Here
are some reasons why.
Credibility
Have
you ever read an article where something was stated as true, but no evidence
was given to back it up? If you’re like
me, this can lead to scepticism. Why
should I give money to save the Blue-faced Stripey Tree Worm just because
so-and-so says I should? Including research
from credible sources verifies what you’re saying and carries more weight with
readers. Conversely, if your information
is obviously faulty (e.g. stating that the journey around Australia is only
5000 km), readers may question whether you’ve also taken liberties with the
rest of the story.
Depth
Dave Hood notes that we can increase our own understanding of a topic by conducting
research. While running around
Australia, you may have passed a cemetery on Port Drive in the Western Australian
town of Broome. Without doing research, would
you know that it’s the resting place for hundreds of Japanese divers who died
while working in the pearling industry? Maybe
you could draw a link between your endangered Blue-faced Stripey Tree Worm and
the divers whose lives were put at risk by the working conditions of the time. Understanding
more about the people, places and topics you’re writing about can add context and
depth to your writing.
Universal Truth
Lee
Gutkind notes that you can increase your readership if you ‘strike a universal
chord’. Did you take up the running
challenge after a health scare? If so,
giving a few facts about the health condition could put readers in the picture
and make them think, ‘Hey this could happen to me. Maybe I should do something to get fitter and
healthier’. The Blue-faced Stripey Tree
Worm might only live in the Daintree Rainforest, thus making it difficult for
non-locals to feel for its predicament.
If research shows that each state has dozens of endangered species, it might
help readers see that they can help the wildlife of their
region. By looking for the universal
truth, you’re going beyond one person’s story and showing how everyone has a
stake.
Over
the next two weeks, I’ll look at how to gather research material for a non-fiction
story and how to embed it in your narrative so that it captivates, rather than
bores, your readers.
In
the meantime, can you think of articles or books that have included research in
an interesting way? I’d love to hear
your examples.
Sources
Gutkind, L. (2012).
You can’t make this stuff up: The
complete guide to writing creative nonfiction from memoir to literary
journalism and everything in between.
Boston, MA: Da Capo Press.
Hood, D. (2012).
Creative nonfiction: Doing
research to increase understanding. Retrieved from https://davehood59.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/creative-nonfiction-doing-research-to-increase-understanding/
Nola Passmore is a freelance writer who has had more than 140 short
pieces published, including devotionals, true stories, magazine articles,
academic papers, poetry and short fiction. She loves sharing what
God has done in her life and encouraging others to do the same. She and
her husband Tim have their own freelance writing and editing business called
The Write Flourish. You can find her weekly writing tips blog at their
website: http://www.thewriteflourish.com.au
