Thread: Is Research Enough?

Hi everyone

Currently I'm not writing action (and by action I mean the sort of books written by Tom Clancy, Jack Higgins, etc.) books, but I've always been interested in trying maybe sometime in the future.

But the one thing that's always really held me back is one thing: knowledge. In books by Clancy and Higgins, there's all kinds of information about weapons, vehicles, CIA and other organizations, high tech equipment, and exotic locale. But I don't know much about for example how the CIA works, and I don't know what it's like to walk down a street in Ecuador. Thanks to video games I know the names of quite a few weapons, but I don't know how they work and a lot of other stuff.

Now I know that people like Clancy probably go onto a container ship and research it to their heart's content, but assuming that I'm unable to do that, is researching via the internet enough?

As much as I think I'd enjoy and like writing a book like Robert Ludlum or Clancy etc., I'm just not sure if it's a very unrealistic idea.

I'd appreciate any tips or opinions from you all!

Thanks

Let me suggest that you consider doing an action novel that takes place in environments that you are familiar with with or can easily access. Is a container ship intrinsically more "actionable" than a bottling plant or newspaper press floor or parking garage or cathedral?

I once had the idea of doing an action film of the Arnie/Vin type in which the guy isn't some commando or agent, just an ordinary slob caught up in intrique. And fighting for his life with the tools at hand. Any carpenter has a beltful of death handy, actually. I really like the idea of nail guns (I've seen it done since) which can be easily observed and as as "discussable" as an UZI or such. I saw him stitching a baddie to a wall with a burst of sixteen pennies, the smirking--ala Arnie--"Love your nails."

Tom Clancy was an insurance salesman. He conducted all his research through the Internet and word of mouth. Before he became famous, he didn't have the option of walking around submarines and whatnot.

Finding out how the CIA works is easy. There are loads of documents on it. Finding out how to steal a highly contagious biological virus from a high-tech bio-safety level four top-secret laboratory -- that's another thing altogether. To answer your question: Yes, research can get you there, but it helps to know someone with knowledge of these things.

As a side note: Tom Clancy is my favourite all-time author, and as of now I've written seven thrillers. I've been writing in this genre for ten years and have an advanced knowledge of a lot of things. You're welcome to PM me.

Thanks for the tip, Lin, I will definitely attempt as much as possible to keep it in environments that I know. That nail gun thing sounds vicious.

Sam W, you are very kind, and if I ever do decide in the future to write an action/thriller book, I will take your generous offer and PM you if I have any questions.

Thank you both again for the advice; I appreciate it very much.

I just wanted to make a point:

Internet Research is not the same as Wikipedia.

Other than that, go for it. The information is out there, you just have to find it. And there is Wikipedia. It is still a good resource, as long as it's not used exclusively.

Originally Posted by MrSteve

I just wanted to make a point:

Internet Research is not the same as Wikipedia.

Other than that, go for it. The information is out there, you just have to find it. And there is Wikipedia. It is still a good resource, as long as it's not used exclusively.

Thanks MrSteve, I will definitely keep that in mind.

There's a lot of unfounded rumours out there about Wikipedia. Yes, it used to be an unreliable encyclopaedia which could be edited by anyone, but its owner has taken drastic measures to ensure that this doesn't happen anymore. Its articles are written by professors, science teachers, lectures -- you name it. It may not be an academic source, but it is now a very reliable one nonetheless.

I'm not sure where the idea of internet being wiki came frrom here, actually. But Wikipedia is actually about as good a source of information about things as other sources, actually. Including our own memories, which are also fallible.

If nothing else, wikipedia entries generally include a seminal group of links. It's a great tool to research.

But more importantly, it's a factor of a major tool of internet research, Google.

The more research one does, the less one worries about discrepancies in any given source.

Originally Posted by lin

The more research one does, the less one worries about discrepancies in any give source.

The beginning of wisdom.

Originally Posted by lin

Let me suggest that you consider doing an action novel that takes place in environments that you are familiar with with or can easily access. Is a container ship intrinsically more "actionable" than a bottling plant or newspaper press floor or parking garage or cathedral?

I once had the idea of doing an action film of the Arnie/Vin type in which the guy isn't some commando or agent, just an ordinary slob caught up in intrique. And fighting for his life with the tools at hand. Any carpenter has a beltful of death handy, actually. I really like the idea of nail guns (I've seen it done since) which can be easily observed and as as "discussable" as an UZI or such. I saw him stitching a baddie to a wall with a burst of sixteen pennies, the smirking--ala Arnie--"Love your nails."

A certain member of this site has a WIP with one nasty character who uses a common-or-garden office stapler as a weapon.

Originally Posted by The Backward OX

A certain member of this site has a WIP with one nasty character who uses a common-or-garden office stapler as a weapon.

Common-or-garden office stapler - Sheesh!

CNS-1801M Nailer/Stapler with depth adjustment knob. Carries a magazine of 84X14mm staples or 100X32mm nails. Soft grip pearl-handled overmould for improved grip and reduced vibration. Hand crafted tooled leather holster (rumoured to be made from the thy-skin of ex gang-lord Don Roberto Buitrenegra (retired))

Not even his mother loved him Grrrrrr!

Now see... we wouldn't have learned that on Wikipedia.