When writing a story, how do you prefer to go about your research?

Like, do you go to the library and read a book on horse care, or do you get lessons at a stable and learn first hand? Or do you go out and ask experts?

Personally, I prefer first hand. Of course, a lot of times it's pretty impossible seeing as I have no money for horse or dance lessons or the like, but when I can, I do first hand experience. Like, my character is going to go on a walk through the forest? Time to head out to the local park and take a walk through the forest with my note book. Character owns ducks? I ask my Aunt to show me how to take care of her ducks.

Of course, sometimes first hand experiences aren't the best(Character gets her hand cut off in freak wood cutting accident? Time to grab an a-um, no), but they're definitely the most fun!

Though I don't typically like competitive sports-for stuff like fencing or martial arts, I'm content to just ask an expert or read a book. xD

How do you like to research? What kind of things do you like having first hand experience with, and what kind of things do you rather research about?

Google is my best friend when it comes to research.

*Laughs*

I usually use Google when researching things (I'm with Artrea, Google is my best friend) since it's quick. Normally I'm looking for an answer to a small thing like how late does a certain restaurant stay open, or how cold is it in a certain state this time of the year, etc, so I don't need to know too much detail or really feel .

There are times however when I'd rather experience something before I try to write it.

My fantasy book is set in the North Carolina mountains so whenever we visit my grandparents there I try to pay as much attention to the landscape as possible. It's a place I'm familiar with, which makes it easier to write. Like you said, it's good to walk out in the forest when your character is going to be doing that too.

Once I had a few scenes in a book that took place at a public school. Since I've only ever been home schooled, I wasn't sure if I could write it accurately. I emailed several people who worked at the local high school and asked if I could tag along for a week, being a student and just. . . watching. Hmph, apparently that's not allowed (I don't think they understood that I didn't want to write about the students, but see how high school looked, how they acted, things said, etc.) so that idea was shot down fast. I'm still surprised I actually got up the nerve to ask, . *Grins* I was 16 then, I think, and I'm not sure how I would've felt if they had said yes. . . Kinda an intimidating thought to hang out with that many unfamiliar peers (and I hoped to ask them questions.) . I was either being brave or crazy, take your pick, haha.

~ZA

*nods* ZA, you could have read other books with a public school setting. That might have helped.

I like Google, too. Experience is nice, but some things you just can't experience - like writing a mom who has four kids when you're a teenager. That would be a good time to ask moms questions. Getting that kind of experience might have to wait.

Google. But if there are some things I can experience first hand, then I try it.

I prefer second hand experience using a friend when it comes to that scenario, but after that I usually end up with a third hand experience...

I know, and I have read good books in that setting, but at the time my idea sounded like it would be interesting to try out. *Grins* Now, I no longer need it anyway. *Shrugs*

I don't go out of my way to personally experience what I'm writing for research purposes. If I've already done it in the past, that's great; but otherwise I either ask a friend, or research on the internet.

I tend to go backwards with it. If I have experience with something, I'm more likely to put it in (since I live in the middle of nowhere and can't get places to get much experience). For more traditional things, I search the web or read.

I can't personally experience everything, but I value personal experience much more than research. So I generally try and research people's personal experiences if I have to research. * grins * And if I can't do that...I do a lot of research. It's easy to get a skewed idea on the internet, no matter how handy it is...

Okay - since all of my stories so far is sci-fi or fantasy, that generally does not apply to me (At least, actually DOING what my character will), but I do find myself drawing on my own experiences often while I write.

Here's an example: I googled spontaneous human combustion today...

*Face-palms* Oh, yeah, I research for the sci-fi stories - black holes, spaceships, laser weapons, etc.