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By Sara Karnish
The old saying “write what you know” is solid advice, but it only takes you so far. As Michael Ventrella stressed in his Write Stuff 2023 breakout session, it’s far better to “write what you want to know about.” To do this, writers need to call on the experts.
Research and interviewing expert sources add important elements of authenticity and believability to your novel or short story. If your historical fiction novel is set in an ancient Egyptian household, for instance, you would probably need to know quite a bit of detail about daily customs from the period. Where did families live? How did they dress? How did they earn a living? These are important questions that must be answered—correctly—to be true to the time period and make sense for your story.
Expert sources are the heart and soul of my primary niche of feature writing, as well. I regularly contact professionals about a wide variety of subjects. If you like learning, I can’t think of a better gig than mine!
So how do you find experts? Everywhere! That answer might not be helpful, but it’s true. People love to talk about what they do for a living, their interests, and their hobbies. Here are a few ideas to get started.
- Your network. You likely know what your closest family and friends do for a living, or hobbies they enjoy. If your manuscript is about an RN and your niece has been a nurse for several years, ask her to review your manuscript, or interview her about her job before you get started. She can immediately identify any “gaps” or incorrect information in your story. Not sure who does what in your network? Ask for a referral. I recently asked a friend who works in the nonprofit world if she knows any meeting planners. She immediately connected me with two co-workers who fit the bill and provided me with some great information for the article I was working on.
- Social media. I’ve put out a call for X professionals on Facebook to use as sources several times. Likewise, if you think your manuscript would benefit from expert content from a neurosurgeon but you don’t know one personally, put a call out on social media. You never know who in your network might know someone.
- Colleges and universities. Higher education institutions are wonderful outlets for expert sources. Many colleges and universities have speakers’ bureaus filled with school faculty or staff who can speak on a wide variety of topics. Likewise, if you’re looking for a certain expert in a super-niche subject, a college professor is a great source. Most interviews are arranged through a college’s Marketing and Communications or University Relations office, so find the right person on the school’s website, tell them what kind of expert you’re looking for, and they’ll take it from there. Sometimes they’ll sit in on the interview to ensure accuracy and compliance; sometimes not.
- Historical societies. Historical societies and organizations are a treasure trove of information about life “in the old days.” Their artifacts, documents, and other items of historical significance—not to mention the knowledge members have acquired through their own interests—can be invaluable.
- Special interest/hobby groups. Civil War reenactors, Renaissance Faire participants, cosplayers, old car enthusiasts, and others with a burning passion for their hobby are great expert sources. The Internet is your best bet for finding these organizations. Try a broad Google search, or Meetup and the type of group you’re looking for to find hobbyists in your area.
- HERO (Help Every Reporter Out). For feature writers and journalists, you’ve been missing out if you haven’t used HERO. I recently rediscovered the site (which started life as Help A Reporter Out, or HARO) after many years, and boy, has it been a tremendous time-saver. HERO connects journalists with sources. Period. Simply describe what kind of source you’re looking for, a one-sentence summary of the story you’re writing, and the name of the publication, and Peter Shankman (the site’s founder) will take care of the rest. I recently submitted a query looking for job and career coaches and easily received 20 to 25 responses in one day. Of course, the more specific the topic, the fewer responses you may get. Another query I submitted brought me fewer responses, but since I only needed two expert sources, it was still worth posting the query. HERO is a huge time saver, and as a bonus, it’s connected me with some very nice people!
Do you use expert sources to add authenticity to your writing? Where do you find them?