Jabrosky
Banned
How to Limit Extensive Research for Your Screenplay
Although this article comes from a screenwriting website (as its title implies), most of the language suggests its argument is aimed at fiction-writers in general. Basically what it's saying is that you should start with your story or plot already in mind and do the research later.
Honestly I am not sure I completely concur with this. I agree that research, like world-building, can distract from the actual writing if overdone, and that's when it's not overwhelming. However, while the article implies that research is something that you can put off until after you write your first draft or outline, I have to wonder if there are cases where the story is dependent on a certain level of research in the first place. What if you hatch a story idea that turns out to be impossible in a given setting once you do the research?
For example, a few years back I once tried to write a story about a population of Polynesians who settled Antarctica and got attacked by the Japanese in WWII. Someone asked me, "How would the Japanese find fuel for their ships to get to Antarctica?" (I didn't even know ships in WWII needed any kind of fuel.) That one question ruined my entire premise no matter how awesome I originally thought it was.
Although this article comes from a screenwriting website (as its title implies), most of the language suggests its argument is aimed at fiction-writers in general. Basically what it's saying is that you should start with your story or plot already in mind and do the research later.
Honestly I am not sure I completely concur with this. I agree that research, like world-building, can distract from the actual writing if overdone, and that's when it's not overwhelming. However, while the article implies that research is something that you can put off until after you write your first draft or outline, I have to wonder if there are cases where the story is dependent on a certain level of research in the first place. What if you hatch a story idea that turns out to be impossible in a given setting once you do the research?
For example, a few years back I once tried to write a story about a population of Polynesians who settled Antarctica and got attacked by the Japanese in WWII. Someone asked me, "How would the Japanese find fuel for their ships to get to Antarctica?" (I didn't even know ships in WWII needed any kind of fuel.) That one question ruined my entire premise no matter how awesome I originally thought it was.