Writing about things you have no idea about!?

[jillianburks]

I want to write an thriller/mystery/romance story concerning the mafia. The problem is that I know next to nothing about the mafia. I've googled the structure of the mafia and the lingo they use- but that's all I have.

So my questions for y'all is: have you ever written about a lifestyle you nothing about? If so, how did you do it?

[Albannach]

No. And I wouldn't consider it.

[Maxinquaye]

Depends on what you mean by Mafia. If you mean a criminal organisation, then invent one yourself. If you mean the mafia, then you're in for a lot of trouble since it's as much of a culture as an organisation.

[IdiotsRUs]

Yes

However google is not the be all and end all of research. It's a good starting point.

Read everything you can about the matter, books, bios, newspaper articles. I would say talk to some people who know about it, but you might want to be careful there.:D Maybe contact some police who have dealings?

[Lady Ice]

I want to write an thriller/mystery/romance story concerning the mafia. The problem is that I know next to nothing about the mafia. I've googled the structure of the mafia and the lingo they use- but that's all I have.

So my questions for y'all is: have you ever written about a lifestyle you nothing about? If so, how did you do it?

You'll need to clue yourself up on it somehow. There has to be a parallel in your own life for you to pull it off successfully. I'm assuming you haven't been involved with the mafia but have you been threatened and put in a tough situation by someone who may be dangerous? What about school bullying? You transfer that emotion and experience so you can convincingly portray it.

[Maxinquaye]

Heh, yeah. I know next to nothing about murder and violence. Hasn't prevented me from writing about it. :)

[Toothpaste]

Yes. But do way more research. Libraries can be awesome for that. Also, and this might sound like a cop out, but watch some movies - the Godfather's pretty helpful, as is the show The Sopranos.

And remember, above all things, when you start work on your story make sure your characters are three dimensional. It is so easy to fall into stereotypes with a subject like that.

[kuwisdelu]

You'll need to clue yourself up on it somehow. There has to be a parallel in your own life for you to pull it off successfully. I'm assuming you haven't been involved with the mafia but have you been threatened and put in a tough situation by someone who may be dangerous? What about school bullying? You transfer that emotion and experience so you can convincingly portray it.

Easier to quote than repeating.

And as far as portraying other things accurately, the mafia is extremely well-documented. Google isn't enough; you should read as much as you can until you feel comfortable enough to write.

ETA: If you're not set on the Italian mafia yet (unless there's a special reason you want to use it), do some quick research on other mafias as well. From the Russian mob to the Chinese mob to organized crime in general; you might just find something that fits your story better, if you haven't considered it.

[kuwisdelu]

Oh, and uh, try not to write something you could get capped for. ;)

[Maxinquaye]

And furthermore, you have to realize there is more than one mafia: you have the Camorra in Naples, the Mafia in Sicily, Sacra Corona Unita in Apulia and so on. They'll be different.

[BrooklynLee]

I wrote a book where many of the characters are engaged in the same business, not one I have a lot of experience with. Even though the main character is a teenager, I did a *lot* of research about that business -- a ton really. The most helpful sources I found were books, a couple of first person accounts written by people who had worked in the business that was in my book, as well as a well-known expose of that particular industry. Those books allowed me to bring a lot of detail to my story that I wouldn't have otherwise.

With the mafia, as others said, you are lucky because there are a lot of sources but you also need to be aware that many readers feel familiar with the mafia because of so many TV shows and movies and so they will notice missteps more quickly. It's sort of like if you're from New York (like I am) and you watch a movie or TV show that claims to be based there but get something really basic wrong -- like the color of a subway line. It can ruin the experience. So you need to tread carefully. It doesn't mean it can't be done, but try to do your research so you don't disappoint your readers.

[AlishaS]

Read the Godfather?! Lol

I would say Librarys will be your friend, there will be a lot of stuff there to help. I agree the Google is really a good place to start but won't have everything. I have also seen documenterys on A&E about Mafia's and such.
Good luck though.

[Wayne K]

I want to write an thriller/mystery/romance story concerning the mafia. The problem is that I know next to nothing about the mafia. I've googled the structure of the mafia and the lingo they use- but that's all I have.

So my questions for y'all is: have you ever written about a lifestyle you nothing about? If so, how did you do it?
PM me. I grew up with these people. I forget who said it's a culture, but they nailed it. I do know a lot about it.

ETA: Maxinquaye said it.

He's the only one in this thread who gets to live :D

[The Lonely One]

Just to repeat the word, for I adore the intonation:

Library.

[kuwisdelu]

Just to repeat the word, for I adore the intonation:

Library.

The intonation of "libary"?

(I have trouble with two "r" sounds so close together ;))

[K.L. Townsend]

Yup, I write on subjects that I know nothing about. It takes a ton of research though, and then you have to take that research and make it relevant.

But for me that is one of the fun parts about being a writer :)

[James D. Macdonald]

Stay the heck away from Google and Wikipedia.

Research the heck out of it. That will include actually talking to people. Including cops. Including Mafiosi. If this means you have to learn Sicilian ... do so.

[Libbie]

I don't start writing until I know about it.

To know about it, I research it.

[katiemac]

Stay the heck away from Google and Wikipedia.

Actually, I like Wikipedia. But I know better than to trust Wikipedia.

Before I start my research, though, I'll log on. I'll read up on what Wikipedia has to say, noting all the topics covered in one article and the areas I might not have even thought (or known) about to research. Then I'll read some of the articles linked to the bottom of the Wiki article.

Before I know it, I'm on my way to the library with 20 more subjects on my list than I would have even considered looking into. I see what relevant books they have. I check them out. I read them. If I need more, I go back.

Meanwhile, I'm writing.

[The Lonely One]

Stay the heck away from Google and Wikipedia.



On a side note, do spend countless hours using wookiepedia... (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page)

[kuwisdelu]

Just don't mess with the spice trade.

[James D. Macdonald]

Being a writer means that you have homework every day for the rest of your life.

I didn't know a lot about Prohibition-era gangland Chicago before writing Timecrime, Inc.

Before I was done, I had a ton of research, including visiting Al Capone's cell at Alcatraz and Johnny Torrio's grave in Brooklyn. I had a calendar with the important (and not so important) dates, including what day of the week Bugs Moran got out of jail on the loft-and-safe beef that put him in Joliet when Prohibition started ( and what brand of cigarettes he smoked, which led to his eventual death from lung cancer), and I'd talked with Frank Nitti's niece about family stories and what she remembered from the old days. And I'd gone to a range and fired a Thompson on full-auto.

You can do it too.

Then leave all the research in your notebooks and write the best story that you can.

[LuckyH]

I agree about the research and all the rest of it, but why write about something you have no personal knowledge of? Why not write what you know?

Mafia stories have been truly flogged to death, I doubt if there is still a market for them. We’ve moved on, the current trends are not about some daft crime organisation that hardly exists nowadays. Law enforcement has come a long way since police commanders could be bribed by some greasy Italian gangster; telephone intercepts and satellite observation have robbed those ancients of any credibility.

It was a romantic dream of years ago, Palermo and Omerta, nowadays they start singing as soon a some rookie cop slaps a hand on their shoulder. The informants don’t need protection any more, it’s the other way round, the few remaining gangsters need protection from the army of informants.

If you want to write about modern criminals, the libraries are just starting to fill up with Wall Street and oil wars. And terrorists, of course.

Sorry, I’ve just realised, if you’re writing historical fiction from hundreds of years ago, then you should research the Mafia.

[kuwisdelu]

I'm sure lots of people thought pirates didn't exist anymore, either.

[Katrina S. Forest]

So my questions for y'all is: have you ever written about a lifestyle you nothing about? If so, how did you do it?

Yes. In my current NaNoWriMo novel, my main character is Deaf. I'm not connected to the culture at all, so I spent two months before NaNo reading books and watching documentaries, just to get a feel for the character. When I go to edit, I plan to start taking some sign language classes and hopefully make some connections to people in the community who'll be able to help me make this story authentic.

Maybe it'll go somewhere and maybe it won't, but it's something I want to do.

I don't think there's anything wrong with writing about a character who's different from you, as long as you're prepared to do the research and willing to accept that what you think sounds authentic could be totally off. In a worst-case scenario, it's an excellent writing exercise.

[James D. Macdonald]

Get a beta-reader who is truly expert in the community.

[K.L. Townsend]

I agree about the research and all the rest of it, but why write about something you have no personal knowledge of? Why not write what you know?


I tend to think we're always writing what we know. Our characters, the situations, even elements of the plot tend to reflect something about who we are or what interests us. And we turn to life experience to guide those ideas.

But sometimes we get ideas that aren't what we know and that's where the research comes in. Maybe my story is about a an old school photographer who has taken a photo that reveals something important, and she is later betrayed by someone while developing the pictures. So maybe I've experienced betrayal firsthand, but I have no clue what it's like to develop film. That's where my research would come in to compliment my life experience.

[jillianburks]

Depends on what you mean by Mafia. If you mean a criminal organisation, then invent one yourself. If you mean the mafia, then you're in for a lot of trouble since it's as much of a culture as an organisation.

I'm going to use your advice about creating an organization. I'm drawing up the plans tonight!


PM me. I grew up with these people. I forget who said it's a culture, but they nailed it. I do know a lot about it.


Thanks Wayne K (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/member.php?u=26571) - I'll PM you when I get some questions ready... I don't want to ramble on!


kuwisdelu (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/member.php?u=17616)- thanks for all the advice, it was helpful... especially the part about being carefull not to get "capped!"

[Wayne K]

Mafia stories have been truly flogged to death, I doubt if there is still a market for them.
Believe me, there is. Gangsters are an infatuation for millions of people. Movies and books about them, fiction and nonfiction alike sell.

[Cyia]

It's just fiction, so who cares if it makes sense. Right? :D

*runs before she gets pelted with rotten cannoli*

(This is not actual advice, mind you.)

[Maxinquaye]

Vi darò un 'offerta non si può rifiutare presto

[Use Her Name]

That's the same type of question as "can you write about something that you are not, or have not done?" Extra: Writer becomes werewolf/serial killer to better understand how the creatures think. If you eliminated all the books written by people who had no experience in the subject, you would probably eliminate most of the literature in the world, surely all the science fiction and fantasy.

[James D. Macdonald]

With werewolves, you aren't going to find a whole community that'll pop up to say, "Bullshit! I'm a werewolf and that's not what it's like. And you got this and that and those other things wrong. And who the hell are you to appropriate our culture, anyway?"

Oh, and if you're going to write about serial killers you'd better research the heck out of serial killing, or you'll just wind up sounding silly.

[Alpha Echo]

Being a writer means that you have homework every day for the rest of your life.



I like that. And I was crazy and used to enjoy homework, especially research. So I LOVE researching for my stories! Sometimes, it's overwhelming b/c you have to know so much more than you'll ever write about, but I think it's almost as fun as the writing itself.

[Katrina S. Forest]

That's true. I got really into my research this year. I keep forgetting that not everyone is as interested in my research as I am, though. ^_^;;

[Aidan Watson-Morris]

It's interesting. But a bad idea.

Maybe, since you have no clue, you could make it fantasy or science fiction or some other genre that is obviously false - then you could fill in the gaps with whatever you come up with.

With realistic fiction, you could do it - but it would be very, very hard. If you're willing to put in the amount of effort required, then you could do it. You'd just have to work like crazy.

[Jamesaritchie]

I want to write an thriller/mystery/romance story concerning the mafia. The problem is that I know next to nothing about the mafia. I've googled the structure of the mafia and the lingo they use- but that's all I have.

So my questions for y'all is: have you ever written about a lifestyle you nothing about? If so, how did you do it?

All the time. No one knows anything about any subject until after they learn about it. Google is a great research tool, but extremely limited. Books and still the way to go, and actually talking to experts is even more important. No matter what teh subject is, there are experts everywhere, and most are more than willing to talk about what they know.

[DannySherbet]

So my questions for y'all is: have you ever written about a lifestyle you nothing about? If so, how did you do it?

I watched an interview on You Tube with Scottish author Irvine Welsh. He said that writing novels gets increasingly difficult, because you start using up all your thoughts and experiences in your early novels and eventually you have to do that thing they call 'research'.

[Lady Ice]

It's interesting. But a bad idea.

Maybe, since you have no clue, you could make it fantasy or science fiction or some other genre that is obviously false - then you could fill in the gaps with whatever you come up with.

With realistic fiction, you could do it - but it would be very, very hard. If you're willing to put in the amount of effort required, then you could do it. You'd just have to work like crazy.

There are two kinds of truth you have to have as a writer: factual truth (getting your facts right and making the novel logical) and emotional truth. If you just have the second, people won't be willing to suspend their disbelief at all the poor logic and the emotion will come across as melodramatic. If you have only factual truth, you're probably writing a non-fiction lecture.

[Shadow_Bee]

This is a novice speaking, but I think it's okay to write about something you don't know.
Provided you do the research. And a thorough research, actually. Especially if you're dealing with something as serious as the mafia.
The whole point about writing fiction is getting to know someone you are NOT, being in someone's head you're trying to unravel. I mean, if you're writing about yourself, well, that's what autobiographies are for. Write something you're interested in, not necessarily something you know.
But make sure it sounds credible. That's it.


Check out my blog http://talkmusebanter.blogspot.com

[DustyBooks]

I've heard the old advice edited to say "write what you want to know."

[Namatu]

Research. Library. Is all good for you. "Write what you know" doesn't mean to can't seek out more to know, and "know" doesn't specify experiential or academic knowledge. Go for it.

[Phaeal]

With werewolves, you aren't going to find a whole community that'll pop up to say, "Bullshit! I'm a werewolf and that's not what it's like. And you got this and that and those other things wrong. And who the hell are you to appropriate our culture, anyway?"


Oh yes, you will. That community lives right next door to the community that rants nonstop about vampires that don't go out in the daylight and sparkle. ;)

Well, maybe they won't claim they're werewolves. But they will claim to have read all the GENUINE werewolf lore there is, and your book doesn't qualify.

[Lady Ice]

I've heard the old advice edited to say "write what you want to know."

Exactly. As a writer, you're always exploring new ideas and searching for more knowledge. There's not a point where you can say: 'Yes, I understand completely and I know everything.' To claim omniscience as a writer is arrogant.

[JeanneTGC]

Research is your friend. Write the book you want to write and don't ask anyone's permission to do so (unless you're doing a biography, of course).

[James D. Macdonald]

To claim omniscience as a writer is arrogant.

To claim omniscience as a writer is just one more POV.

[jillianburks]

I completely agree with most of you- that I should write whatever I want to write. I do understand that research is important, but that's true with any topic- even if you THINK you unerstand it... research is just part of writing.
Thanks for all the responses, y'all helped me decide what road would be best for me to walk.