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274 Part IV: Developing Your Plot and Structure
Novels such as Graham Greene’s The Quiet American (1955) explore the origins
of the war in Vietnam, and John le Carré investigated the psychology of the
Cold War through a series of gripping espionage books.
Science fiction was a popular genre during this period and tackled big themes
connected with how future technological developments will affect human
society and the dangers they may present.
In the later part of the 20th century going into the 21st, much fiction has
explored the voices of members of society who had previously been marginalised:
gay people, people from ethnic minorities, those with disabilities and
so on.
The need for research
When you bring in a big theme, you may well need to research it to produce
the important facts and details to shape how your story develops.
In such cases, do your research at the same time as you’re writing – first,
because you know what information you need and what’s irrelevant, thus
reducing the overall amount of research necessary; second, because if you do
all your research before you start writing, you run the risk of never actually
starting to write! (I discuss doing research in Chapter 2.)
When you’re writing a scene and you need a specific piece of information,
don’t break the flow by stopping and rushing off to do research. Make a note
of what you want to know and carry on with the scene. You may find that you
need two or three additional pieces of information, and then you can do all
the research together.
You can research for a story in two main ways:
✓ First-hand research: If you can, getting first-hand information is the best
way to go. First-hand research includes activities such as going to the
Victoria and Albert Museum to look at the costumes worn by people in a
particular era, or visiting a place where your story is set or where a particular
event occurred – provided it hasn’t changed too much, of course,
and even then it can be helpful.
Many professional people are surprisingly helpful when you tell them
you’re writing a piece of fiction. If you ask around, you’re bound to find
someone who knows someone who has a friend who’s an expert in whatever
field you need information about.