Just Because It’s Fiction Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t True: Research Interviews for Fiction Writers

Samuel Taylor Coleridge may not have been talking about novels when he coined the expression “willing suspension of disbelief,” but the concept is nonetheless crucial to what we authors do. Readers will follow a writer anywhere as long as that writer evokes that “semblance of truth” that resonates within the reader and keeps them in the story. Even though I trade in fiction, I try to base my stories in fact, thus research is a vital part of what I do.

(Catching Continuity Errors in 3 Easy Steps.)

Beyond the internet, books, and videos, we writers can mine the richness of human experience. Interviewing others for their lived experience is often a very rewarding part of what I do, and these interviews also get me out of my office and into the real world. Here are some strategies I’ve developed over time to make the most of those interviews.

You don’t want to go into an interview blindly, so the first step is to read and watch anything and everything you can get your hands on. From that information, think about what you’ll need to know in order to effectively write your story. Then create a list of questions. Caveat: Don’t be so wed to your questions that you don’t allow the conversation to flow naturally.

Some folks think you’re a bit of a crackpot if you send an email message saying something like, “Could you possibly tell me more about raising dairy goats and how you make cheese?” Ask me how I know. (Shout out to the fine folks at Decimal Place Farm for not thinking I was a crackpot—or at least not saying it aloud. Mary Rigdon gave me the grand tour, let me taste goat cheese, and even gave me a hands-on demonstration about udder placement.) You’ll be in a better position if someone vouches for you, preferably a writer friend because the person you’re interviewing will then already be familiar with the idiosyncrasies of writers.

Technically this should go without saying, but, if you’re like me, you can have such a laser focus on the story that you might forget greetings, common niceties, and sending your thanks afterward. Remember these things. Not only has someone graciously shared their time and experience with you, but chances are you’re going to need to circle back with another question or four. It’s always wise to ask during the interview if the interviewee would mind if you contacted them again. Some say no, but most say yes. Sometimes, a brave soul will even read a rough draft of your manuscript so you can hopefully fix what you got wrong as did the private investigator I interviewed for Little Miss Petty. Thanks to her input I made some substantial changes to the story.

Often it’s the tiniest details that lend an air of authenticity to your characters. Whenever I write about a character in an unfamiliar profession, I’ll ask the person what a normal day looks like. So far, I’ve interviewed the following: a funeral director, a goat farmer, a social worker, a private investigator, a barbecue pitmaster, a minister, a tarot card reader, a choral director, a forensic accountant, a wildlife rescuer, a mechanic, and so many attorneys. Whether it’s a funeral director telling me he was once thanked for “putting the fun in funeral” or getting a virtual high five from a forensic accountant for figuring out complicated accountant-speak, research is fun as well as informative. I like to believe that the human connections I make then come out in the stories I later write.

Once I painted myself in a particularly deep corner. I’d already submitted a pitch for a Christmas story in which a baby would be found in a manger. In a contemporary story, that means social workers get involved. In order to figure out how to make sure the baby ended up with my heroine, I had to find a way that it could happen while knowing it was highly unlikely that it ever would happen in that way. With the help of a social worker, we determined that a combination of a busy holiday along with an inexperienced newbie could lead to the result I wanted. Addressing how procedure would normally work, however, lent an air of authenticity to the more unlikely outcome in my story.

Similarly, sometimes I’ll tell the expert what I would like to happen and then ask them what events might need to take place in order to get the result I want. It always pays not to be so wed to your story elements that you can’t change course. Focus on only what absolutely has to happen and then listen carefully to possibilities. Often, phrasing questions in this way elicits surprise and even excitement from the person you’re interviewing. Those are happy moments all around, ones that have your interviewee thinking about what they do in a new way and that also lead to more creative thinking on your part.

Most interview subjects notice when someone else gets it wrong. (Here I am reminded of the episode of Murder She Wrote where Jessica Fletcher says her sales were so good that her publisher is sending her on a cruise. If only.)  Make a note not to do the same. I often also ask what movies and books get a subject or profession right, so I can add to my research. Most experts have their faves there, too.

You’ve no doubt been warned about the dangers of falling down multiple rabbit holes and doing so much research that your book doesn’t get written. In my experience, good research keeps your writing energized, so I blithely ignore those warnings. But…I highly recommend that you talk to people who are experts in the field you’re studying. In an age where what we see and hear online can deceive us, talking to a real person is even more satisfying and, I think, lends a kind of authenticity to our work that will become even more valuable as time wears on.

Bonus? When you get that 1- or 2-star review that says XYZ could never happen, but you know very well that it not only could, but it did? That’s its own reward.

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