Using Science Research in my Science-Fiction Writing
A Researcher’s Paradise!
Now, in the mid-20-teens, the Internet is alive, well, thriving and chock-full of information. Google, Yahoo, MSN, Wikipedia and other -pedias, specialized news sources and wikis along with nonprofit organizations’, professional associations’ and corporate websites populate the web with more facts than anyone could gather. I can capture and bring them to me via my home computer’s browser with the entry of a few simple search terms.
I am now overflowing with science breakthroughs, breaking news and older sources, with accompanying images, data and video/audio files. I am in a researcher’s paradise!
Word-Processing Software’s References and Resources
We have our own dictionary and thesaurus right within our word processing programs, with grammar and spell-checking functions operating within our own preferences and parameters. We can change these, add words and terms, personalize it all at will.
We can also become completely autonomous as bloggers, authors, producers of content of all sorts. We can independently research, write, edit and format an entire book in electronic or print format from our homes or offices: this is the true revolution of “desk-top publishing.”
My Evolving Research and Writing Process
Best part, for this sci-fi writer: science information on any topic, any time, at my fingertips. I have changed the way I write because of what is available and how I can use it in my books. I used to be an avid outliner (remember the notecards and color-coded tabs?), but usually, now, I mentally sketch out what I want to write about and what characters to include.
Then, throughout the year, I gather tidbits of information that I believe I may want to use. I get links to articles from organization’s or group’s pages’ and friends’ posts on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter and other social media sites.
When something piques my interest, I don’t have to go anywhere to read it. I don’t have to take notes or pay to copy the entire article. I don’t have to carry backpacks filled with heavy books, research journals and articles home.
Oh, no; I do not!
Instead, with a few “clicks,” I travel online to the site to copy and paste part or all of the article and its URL to a word processing document. It is then stored in my research folder with a specific title and date. I review it in its entirety or portions of it later, usually on the day I plan to consider using it.
Screenshot of my research folder’s contents
When I’m ready to write, I begin to mine my research folder for its gold and other ores. When I find something I may want to use (for its facts, explanations, ideas or announcements), I copy and paste parts or all of each article right into my story or book draft. Sometimes, early on in my writing a book for The Spanners Series, I’m not sure what I’ll use, exactly, so I paste them all “at the end.”
When I’m ready to place items by subject somewhere in the chapters set-up, I move the paragraphs or entire articles to that chapter, by topic. As I write, I read more carefully to learn from the parts I’ve captured.
BUT, I am careful NOT to not use these authors’ exact words or do much paraphrasing. Instead, these snippets become my “notes,” acting like outlines, as guides. The sections I’ve pasted show me where I want to take my characters, my plot, or even my series by providing me with the science and facts to back up the next part of the world I’m building and the story I want to tell.
Once I’ve utilized this chapter’s store of ideas and facts (of course, attributing and giving credit in my Appendices when I use any part more literally than conceptually), I put each accessed article into my “USED” folder in my computer. Then, as I write, I delete the “notes” from the copied-pasted nonfiction/research articles’ sections of the draft.
All that is left in each chapter are my own ideas, in my words, with my characters,my plot. I then move on to another source or chapter section.
Summary of All the Changes: Pros and Cons
This process sometimes wreaks havoc with daily word counts, but I’ve learned how to distinguish consistently the “notes” sections separately from the written portions. What I love about this evolving process is how time- and resource-efficient and budget-friendly it is. There are only a few steps, with nothing to photocopy or borrow, no handwritten notes and bits of paper to misplace, fewer or no pieces of paper.
Plus, when I find out I’m missing something crucial or want to go in a new direction, I can open a browser tab and find a new information source in about one minute on my computer, from where I am already sitting. When inspiration strikes, I can “scratch” my creative “itch” immediately. Right away, I can find out if my new idea is feasible by setting the data up right within my draft, look it over, consider it all, then resume writing.
I can easily and quickly re-arrange entire sections, chapters, and themes, distributing ideas and information among my draft volumes as I write each one of my 10-book Spanners Series. For each of the three Volumes I have completed and the one I’m currently midway through, I have re-organized the chapters multiple times. I have changed sections, moved paragraphs and altered the events in timelines (my series includes multiple timelines) so that the chapter sequence changes almost weekly for a while.
I keep track of all these events, data and movement by using header dates for each chapter. I list them in my series’ spreadsheet by chapter and title. I also include some of the chapter’s content, characters and its current Volume number in the cell.
The Spanners Series’ timeline spreadsheet, screenshot
Given the fluid nature of ebooks and self-publishing, it would not surprise me to find out, years from now, that I want to re-arrange the sequence within or of the Volumes I’ve already published significantly! Doing that wouldn’t even be difficult, since self-publishers can withdraw and resubmit Volumes for distribution whenever we want.
Of course, there is one big problem: too much sitting! I have to remind myself to take breaks, get up, walk around, go swimming 5 – 6 times each week, take naps, go outside and walk around. The temptation to stay inside and keep working is so much greater than in the past because everything I need is “right here”!
I also have to be careful not to have another incident of RPI (Repetitive Stress Injury) to my arms, fingers, hands and wrists, which I had severely in my first semester of graduate school. I learned exercises, ways to sleep, the use of ice and NSAIDs to avoid overusing my home computer as I transitioned from relying on an electric typewriter. When there is no paper to load, no carriage level for returns, no ribbon to change and no carbon paper, we don’t move around physically enough.
We have to remember: raise our eyes to look out a window to change our eyes’ focus from near to far, remove our hands from the keyboard to stretch our arms, shoulders, necks, backs, fingers. We need to get up and actually (HORRORS!) leave the keyboard and screen for frequent breaks, or we will ruin our bodies.
Many now use standing desks and ergonomically designed keyboards with vertical access to prevent the worst harm and future injuries. However, exercise and frequent “away” periods are the best ways to avoid physical problems from developing due to computer overuse.
Ergonomic Desk and Keyboard Set-up
image from http://www.instructables.com
However, I would not trade the convenience of this era for all the manual typewriters and liquid paper in the multiverse. Thanks to all the inventors, developers, creators, scientists, researchers and writers who made/make this all possible for the rest of us!
While I am well-organized as well, I take a much more relaxed approach to writing, partly because I no longer have to depend upon writing for a livelihood, but can write whatever I like however I like to write it. I try to only publish the good stuff. I, too, am indebted to the Internet and to word processing for my research and writing. Without these two fabulous tools I would no longer be writing, since I lost my ability to hand write about 1998.
I recall the long hours I spent in a huge library searching for notes for my dissertation, sometimes returning to my lonely efficiency apartment with nothing after a day's futile effort looking at library cards and scanning books taken from shelves with nothing pertaining to my work. And then reading whole volumes only to pull a paragraph or two of cogent information.
But I did learn how not to plagiarize, be as original as possible, and always, always give credit to others whose information shoulders I was standing on. That's the greatest gift that kind of study affords a writer.
Fortunately, I have never suffered the keyboard and eyestrain that so many have spent their lives typing away with all fingers, furiously. Paralyzed at 20, I was fortunate to find out that I could type, on an electric typewriter, with one thumb. I forgoed a personal library, the use of dictionary and thesaurus, and many other conventions, except 3 x 5 cards, for my work and relied heavily on my memory and my growing vocabulary from reading great books. As a result I was both helped and hurt. Helped, because I could be original and freethinking as I wrote, but hurt because I made many mistakes that often got into my published works in spite of white out, correction tape and, cutting and pasting, to my dismay.
Before my paralysis I was keenly interested in the latest technology. After my paralysis, it became a necessity. I was an advocate for word processing before PCs were invented and 100 pages of my dissertation were done on a mainframe computer using word processing with a program called, WYLBUR. I was fortunate enough to use the very first versions of MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint created for the Macintosh SE by Microsoft. They have been my faithful companions for the past 30 years. I found Voice Navigator II in 1995 and have used several voice dictation systems like the one I'm using here to be able to increase my high school typing speed of 35 words per minute, to sometimes over 100 words per minute as I try to collect my thoughts and make sure that I correct my word errors as I dictate.
Just as you have, as a writer, I welcome this brave new world of writing, publishing, and sharing. If only I had enough time to read.
Ron, Ed.D.