This past week, much of my writing time has been devoted to research — researching soccer positions, defensive and offensive formations, drills, terms, and the important skill sets for each position. I've taken notes and watched youtube videos. I've made lists and diagrams of a soccer field. I've even asked a few soccer players I know for advice. It's been interesting, but doesn't fully fit into my typical idea of writing productivity. If the page numbers aren't increasing, it just doesn't feel as fruitful, right? But knowing your subject goes well beyond the importance of page numbers. It creates a sense of authenticity that ultimately affects both the voice of the novel and the reading experience of your future reader.
Going into my novel, I didn't anticipate that the game of soccer would be such a big part of my plot. I'd done plenty of research for other important topics in my novel, but didn't realize just how heavily soccer would play into the life of my character. Thus, I needed to understand it better — to really delve into the subject matter in order to write (or seem to write) with authority.
Providing an authenticity to whatever topic you are exploring is like creating a backbone to your work. It is something to lean on. Something that makes your work seem to stand a little straighter, and will make your work stronger. Authenticity is one of those tricky things that takes a whole lot of effort but doesn't always get a whole lot of recognition. Often, when you, the writer, seem to know what your talking about, then readers will simply accept your presentation and move forward, never questioning or really admiring your knowledge, unless it's something really rare. But, even if no one knows just how hard you worked or how many hours of research you had to put in, they will definitely know if you didn't put enough time into given subject matter.
Authenticity is literary quality that often doesn't get highlighted, but is always noticed when it isn't there. Whether it's details about a specific geographic region, the intricacies of a hobby like fishing, the rules for baking a delicacy, or a sport such as soccer, the reader needs to feel convinced that you know what your talking about. You never know when that fishing expert is going to pick up your book and read about a process they know by heart. You don't want to alienate them by getting it wrong. And similarly, for the reader who knows nothing about fishing or baking, you want to provide them with valid information so they can learn and expand their knowledge of the topic.
Of course, soccer is not the primary focus of my novel, just as your subject may not be yours. But the value of authenticity can't be underestimated. As writers we need to know what we are talking about. Yes, our stories are fiction, and perhaps even set in another world, but you want to build a trust with your reader through the presentation of real facts — a trust that allows them to not have to question your details; a trust that allows them to fall deeper into the story because you have done all the leg work for them.
Authenticity goes along way in strengthening a story, and a long way in creating a relationship with your reader. So even if you might not like doing all the research, keep going. In the end, when a reader can benefit from all your behind-the-scenes work, the research will pay off, your story will be stronger, and it will all be worth it.
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