Classic Research in Fiction Writing
Understanding how to research effectively for fiction writing.
How do you know when enough research is enough?
How do you avoid getting trapped in research without writing?
And most importantly, why this workshop is called Depth #3, is how do you use your research with information dumps and other boring lumps of information in your stories.
All writers struggle at one point or another with research.
— When to do it and when a story doesn’t need it.
— For a piece of fiction, how much is enough, how much is too little research?
— How to work in the research and knowledge you do have without making your story dull?
— And most importantly, how do you make a story feel like you know every detail about the place and the details, but you have never been to the location or know many of the details. How do you do you get that verisimilitude without taking days of your time?
Over the years, Kris and I have gotten what we call “The research question…” more times than we could ever count. And there is no really simple or easy answer to it. But there are answers and that is what this workshop is about.
This is a craft workshop. We assume you know how to look up something of interest to you and your story. We will show you when you have enough and how to avoid too much. And how to make readers say, “Wow, felt like I was there.”
Depth Workshop is required before you can take this workshop.
Your Instructor
With over twenty-three million copies of his books in print, USA Today bestselling writer Dean Wesley Smith now brings you original fiction every month for the past three years in his own magazine, Smith’s Monthly.
Dean wrote over twenty-five original Star Trek novels, the only two original Men in Black novels, plus Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man novels, and others. He wrote many gaming novels including Final Fantasy.
He wrote novels and stories under almost fifty pen names and did scripts for Hollywood as well as being an editor for various magazines. He lives in Las Vegas with his wife, writer Kristine Kathryn Rusch. You can follow his writing life at www.deanwesleysmith.com
Course Curriculum
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StartResearch Week #1, Session #1... Why Depth #3? (4:42)
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StartResearch Week #1, Session #2... Thinking issues with research. (5:22)
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StartResearch Week #1, Session #3... Research as an excuse to not write. (5:25)
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StartResearch Week #1, Session #4... Verisimilitude (6:18)
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StartResearch Week #1, Session #5... Passion shows... (7:07)
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StartResearch Assignment #1 (6:25)
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StartResponse to Assignment #1 (3:42)
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StartResearch Week #2, Session #1... Must write first. Research is not writing. (5:15)
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StartResearch Week #2, Session #2... Writing from the creative mind. (4:07)
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StartResearch Week #2, Session #3... How to keep track. (5:33)
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StartResearch Week #2, Session #4... Photos... the best tool there is. (5:47)
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StartResearch Week #2, Session #5... How to get research into a story. (5:52)
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StartResearch Week #2, Session #6... Another way to get research into a story. (5:59)
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StartResearch Assignment #2 (2:35)