The Reporter’s Toolkit for Novelists: Bringing Journalistic Skills To Fiction
by Bill Baldwin
Geri Spieler, journalist and author of Housewife Assassin—The Woman Who Tried To Kill President Ford plus two works of historical fiction, shared her insights at our October meeting.
What can novelists learn from journalists? First, learn to ask the right questions. Then, learn how to find the answers to those questions.
To find those answers, learn how to research: find what has already been published in credible sources (at least two), and proceed from there. Collect facts relating to your story and visit the locations connected with it. Then tie all these into the context of your story.
Interview people who might provide insight into the people, locations, and time-period you are writing about.
Set deadlines for completing your project, then stick to the schedule that will meet your goal.
For fiction writing, you need to understand your story, characters, and plot. Some of this will be invented, but keep in mind what you are presenting as “factual” versus the emotions these “facts” awaken in your characters.
Tools you may find useful when doing online research include:
Pipl, ZabaSerch, White Pages, and Yahoo People. Except for Pipl, these are completely free.
With online work, pay attention to how you phrase your searches—keep the wording simple Then compare the results from different online search engines.
Novelists should interview people familiar with the settings of their novels—you want your setting to feel historically accurate.
Determine who the right people are to interview; the ones who can provide useful information: experts and local people. Ask open-ended questions, but restrict your interview to a specified limited time. At the end of your interview, ask whether there are questions your subject thinks you should have asked, and ask for recommendations on who else to interview.
In your fiction you want to use realistic, real-world dialogue. You want to make use of facts, but not just facts: you want to provide the context for those facts. Weave the historical background into your narrative.
Remember your deadlines and discipline yourself to meet them.
Further resources for historical information include ProPublica.org, Sources.com, and the Library of Congress.
Don’t be afraid to use AI—but be sure to check the sources!
In short: Be curious, disciplined, and ethical. And be accurate—even when you invent!
Feel free to contact Geri at gspieler@gmail.com.