Author Kat Heckenbach writes fantasy. Like much of science fiction, it involves making up worlds, along with the environment and the creatures that inhabit it. Some might think there is no research involved in writing fantasy. Kat relates her experience. -- Sandy
Kat: I will be the first to admit I’m not crazy about research. I joke that one reason I write fantasy is so I don’t have to research—I can just make everything up! But of course it’s not quite that simple. Getting to make things up doesn’t mean I don’t have to know how things work.
Kat: I will be the first to admit I’m not crazy about research. I joke that one reason I write fantasy is so I don’t have to research—I can just make everything up! But of course it’s not quite that simple. Getting to make things up doesn’t mean I don’t have to know how things work.
The story world in my YA fantasy series Toch Island Chronicles is full of mythical flora and fauna. I
wanted those species of plants and animals to be realistic, if not real. That
meant researching plants that do exist to learn what types live in what
climates. I didn’t want my unique oak trees in an environment where no oaks of
any kind would grow. I wanted fictional plants to have qualities that make
sense when it comes to their real-world counterpoints, too. What plants are
used for healing? What kind of defense mechanisms do they have?
I also researched animals that I could alter in order to
make a mysterious species. Again, that meant learning about habits and habitats
of real animals. The environments
they live in, their diet, the predators they face. What ability does a
particular animal have that could be enhanced and made into a supernatural power?
I also spent a lot of time reading other fantasy novels.
When it comes to mythological creatures, this can be invaluable. It’s not just
about the actual historical lore—it’s also about other authors’ takes on that
lore. You need to know what readers expect when reading fantasy, and get an
idea of what you ought to make your own and what you ought to keep more
traditional. (Yes, reading novels can count as research!)
I have a background in science, so I chose to follow a more
scientific system. Sure, with that
background I had to research a little less, but I still wanted to make certain
I understood things like “lift” (the way air flows to hold up an airplane) to
create a realistic way an object could be levitated. And I found myself
learning about combustion and light waves, and double-checking those laws of
thermodynamics.
Ironically, the most surprising part of my research had
nothing to do with creating fictional creatures. I never would have thought
that writing fantasy would lead to me researching ancient Arabian architecture
and, well, sheep shearing.
So no matter how much I’d have liked to avoid it, research became part of the creation of my totally made-up story world anyway. Fantasy writing without research is…a fantasy.
So no matter how much I’d have liked to avoid it, research became part of the creation of my totally made-up story world anyway. Fantasy writing without research is…a fantasy.
What is the most unusual thing you've researched for your novel?
~~~
Kat Heckenbach spent her childhood with pencil
and sketchbook in hand, knowing she wanted to be an artist when she grew up—so
naturally she graduated college with a degree in biology, went on to teach
math, and now homeschools her two children while writing. Her fiction ranges
from light-hearted fantasy to dark and disturbing, with multiple stories
published online and in print. Her YA fantasy series includes Finding Angel and Seeing Unseen and is available in print and ebook. Enter her world at www.katheckenbach.com.
