K is for Knowledge

This year for the A-Z Challenge, I'm attempting to act like I know what I'm talking about and offering advice about writing.  Let's see how I do!

Also, don't forget to stop by the Parallels blog to see more posts about the upcoming anthology, which will be available on May 3rd!

Writers need to embrace the pursuit of knowledge.  Research is a key part of being a writer.  Sometimes you need to set the scene, but you’ve never visited the place in question.  Sometimes you need to become an expert in nuclear physics or exobiology in a short amount of time.  If you don’t do your research, your story won’t develop the way it needs to, and that would be a disaster.  Sounds intimidating, right?

It’s not as bad as it sounds, though.  Trust me.  You don’t have to know absolutely everything about a given subject to tell a great story about it.  Learn all you can, then tell a story with passion behind it.  If it makes you feel better, most movies and books have scientific or historical inaccuracies, and while some people enjoy picking them apart, most people don’t care as long as you tell a gripping tale.  Use knowledge to strengthen your story, sure, but don’t let that get in the way of good characters and an interesting conflict.  Don’t let a lack of knowledge intimidate you into not writing a story that’s begging to be told.

Research and give that story everything you’ve got!