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Novel research comes in many forms. You can read books, surf the web, interview people and of course, you can go on field trips if the budget allows.
I'm writing a thriller so yes, there are guns and high body count!
Action/adventure thrillers are what I like to read, watch at the movies and write myself so I am embracing the popular novel and writing my religious themed thriller, Pentecost. You can read all about my first novel journey so far here.
In order to write about shooting a gun, I decided it would be a good idea to go and actually shoot one, so a few weeks ago my husband and I headed down to the pistol club to have a shooting experience. Yes, I was wife of the week for suggesting such a thing!
(Please note: This is not a comment on whether guns should be used or the morality of guns in general but they are a reality in my genre.)
I have only shot a rifle once before a long time ago so this was a chance to try a handgun in particular. My protagonist Morgan Stone is ex-Israeli military so she knows how to shoot. I have been primarily researching on the web and also from reading other genre novels but I wanted to write from more personal experience. The police use Glocks here in Australia so you do see them around, but as I am British and also lived in New Zealand I am not really used to guns at all. This may be very unusual for the Americans reading this!
The session was well organised and very safe with two people supervising the two of us novices. We shot a number of guns in order to experience the differences. For those who are technically minded, we tried the following: 22 bolt action Bruno, lever action marlin 38 rifle, Browning 22 pistol, 357 Ruger revolver, Glock 9 mm, 12 gauge double barreled shotgun.
I actually enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, and I was pretty good with the revolver in particular, hitting all the targets. The smell of the gunpowder was distinctive and addictive, as was the satisfaction of hitting the target. It is also clear that hitting anyone with a bullet is difficult (for which we should be grateful). Most films and novels make it sound very easy but it's definitely not!
View Comments (10)
Hey,
I've never been on an excursion to do research, but I did go on a trip with my history class to a mock archaeological dig a few weeks before I started writing a scene at a dig site, so it was handy. I've never been to a range, but it looks like lots of fun!
It was a LOT of fun - especially the revolver :)
What a fun experience to add depth to your writing! I just wrote up a blog post myself about research (HERE). What a coincidence that you post a day later with the great advice of taking field trips. ^_^
I'd love to have that sort of experience someday. I took a hunter's safety course ages ago when I learned archery (even though I told my parents archery is very different from bowhunting XD), but it didn't have any practical shooting exercises, since each person in the group of 5o or so was there for a different reason.
I hope you really had a great time and can use the experience to enhance your thriller novel!
~K. Piet
Archery is cool! I've tried it once but would be keen to have another go. I think doing field trips especially physical activity is a great change to writing. We do spend a lot of time in front of computers!
I got to spend a day at the FBI academy in Quantico and they took us out on the range. Loved it! Best field trip ever. I actually work with a guy who is ex israeli military (sniper). Now he's a geek, go figure.
I also spent a day at cape caneveral inflorida doing their astronaut training experience program. It was fascinating even if the mission simulators were down that day. The best part of that trip was the tour at the assembly facility for the space station modules. We were able to go through some that aren't going to be used to get a sense of scale.
Big fun.
ok Gretchen, you win! That's pretty amazing - now I want to do FBI academy - maybe fighter pilot school. I'm thinking of trying motorbiking at a school, I don't want to go on the road, but at a pro place would be safer. My protagonist is ex Israeli military as well - but now a civilian! Thanks so much,
hahha that looked like a lot of fun. The photos say 'don't mess with this writer!'
Hi Joanna - great story about field trips. I've been writing novels centered around WWI and just had the amazing experience of going to northern France where many major battles took place as part of what was called the Western Front. Many war memorials, cemeteries, museums and small villages later, I came away with a profound sadness at the loss of life, horrible conditions and ineptitude that lead to more than a million deaths. I hope the experience will enrich my writing. It has certainly had an impact on my soul.
Hi Mary. I have also spent some time there - it was very depressing but important to see the graves and the battlefields. It definitely will help your writing as the emotions stirred will come through.
I, unfortunately, have never been anywhere on a research trip, mostly because all of my writing is set in completely different parts oft he world and I'm only 14. I really want to go to Rome and Ostia Antica though (where the novel I'm working on is set).
Haha, lucky us for living in Australia. At least you may be able to travel the world. :P
But I do plan on going overseas when I'm old enough (and rich enough haha).
Good luck with your novel. And the pictures are defitinitely as someone else said: don't mess with this author.