Now what does this have to do with my writing? Well actually
a lot, when working out in the yard, cutting grass or dig in garden gives me
time to think. And besides talking with my wife, playing with the dogs or
writing, thinking is a wonderful pastime.
Looking at how our meager fence is laid out I started
thinking about the effort required to build a massive wall that might encompass
a fortress or city. Seeing how we used a plumb bob and string as well as a
ruler to get our measurements, it occurred to me that the ancient engineers
used the same tools to build some pretty neat things.
I cannot even imagine, truly imagine the physical labor
required to build such a structures. I imagine if we had to dig our hole by
hand and not use a mechanical auger, it would be much more time consuming.
This brings me to the meat of this post; organization and
your writing. When we write we need to have our materials at hand, the same way
we need our materials to build a fence. I am a big, huge believer in research.
With the ease of access to the internet readers can question something you
write if it strikes them oddly.
As a writer we have to show some sort of modicum of knowledge
in our subject material. When I write science fiction I want to make sure that
I have a good grasp on the science I intend to write about. I’ll email people in
the field and explain that I am writing a story, and see if they might help me
understand or clear up the science in layman’s terms. I have not been
disappointed yet. Experts if they have the time, will gladly share their knowledge
with you, and clear up any misconceptions that you and probably your readers
have.
When I write about sword fights in my Dreamer stories, I did
my research so I would understand how an actual sword fight takes place. I even
purchased a copy of Talhoffer’s sword fighting manual. I did research on the
weights and lengths of swords, and I found a great community of fighters who
practice medieval swordsmanship today, The Association of Renaissance Martial
Arts.
While I have yet to purchase an arming sword and join them to learn the
arts I write about, I plan on doing so, if nothing else but to garner a better perspective
on being involved in a clash of arms so I can better understand the flow of
battle.
You have to go to the extremes I do, research on the
internet or buying books that explain things so you can understand them are
ways to go. But by gathering material and understanding what you write helps
the whole process go faster and allows you to get into the zone and simply
write, with confidence I may add. So go
build your fences and become a better, more constructive writer.
