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| www.psychology.unl.edu |
I'm all about research.
It makes any story more real and believable. It adds that verisimilitude quality that writers crave.
Ah, verisimilitude, my all time favourite word.
ver·i·si·mil·i·tude
[ver-uh-si-mil-i-tood, -tyood] noun
- the appearance or semblance of truth; likelihood; probability: eg. The play lacked verisimilitude.
- the appearance or semblance of truth; likelihood; probability: eg. The play lacked verisimilitude.
Thus research leads to a feeling of truth to what you are writing. This makes readers connect with your characters and your story, believing that "this could actually happen to me or someone I know." This is especially important when you write for children and young adults, as I do.
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| www.marchofdimes.com |
Like an archaeologist digging for ancient treasures or a geneticist studying DNA, I study the under 18 crowd.
And where can you find prime specimens to study? The mall is like a teen aquarium, perfect for the professional eavesdropper and covert note taker, such as myself.
(Important to remember - this is far different than stalking kids. That will get you jail time. Think of this as a handy tip from me to you.)
What if you haven't the time or inclination to spend hours sitting on a hard metal bench recording the world go by?
Might I suggest a 60 second survey of your own kids and their friends. This morning, prior to 8:30, and still in my comfy jammies, I gleaned these 4 important truths:
Fact: Big sisters are annoying, especially if they are 13.
Fact: You don't want to turn 13, if you can help it.
Fact: 11 and 12 year old girls HATE being called tweens.
Fact: Think hard about getting bangs. Growing hair back takes, like, forever.
Another handy tip:
you'll know if you've gone over your allotted 60 seconds when your child's eye rolling begins.
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| www.pegasusnews.com |
