Google and Writing
Over the many months that I spent creating my book, a decent amount of time was spent conducting research on the many subject matters I wasn't entirely knowledgeable of, from orbital mechanics and reusable launch systems to the history of various countries and organizations. I'd be lying if the twelve months spent writing was JUST writing - at least a third of that time was me burying my head into research papers, Wikipedia articles, and connecting with experts in various fields.
How one goes about their research depends on their writing style. If you are a plotter you will likely front-load all of your research as part of your book outline, before writing anything. If you are like me, a pantser, you may conduct a period of research as you reach a scene or chapter that requires more detailed information before you continue writing. Alternatively, whether or not you're a plotter or pantser, you may just conduct your research after your first draft is completed just to confirm that the information you've included in your book is accurate or at least sounds accurate enough. As a writer of science fiction, conducting research on a myriad of subjects so I know what I want to present to my readers is as important as the story itself.
Enter Google, the not-so-little search engine that could.
Thanks to the wonders of online search engines and the near-instantaneous results that they deliver, finding answers to whatever questions one may have is only as fast as you can type your thoughts into the search bar. Being an avid user of search functions, I tend to input multiple combinations of the same search until, like a digital detective, I've narrowed the results to exactly what I may need.
As I reached the end of my first draft, I've started to think more about those search parameters that helped me understand all I needed to know in order to craft my book. This led me to my Google search history, the complete, unabridged list of every search entry I've ever entered - period. After scanning the list that was hundreds of thousands of lines long, the small block of time that represented the start and finish of my book proved to be... interesting. Definitely something that could put me on some government watchlists.
It's something that I'm sure most writers think about from time to time: how their search histories reflect not only their interests but also a reflection of their book. Depending on the genre of your novel, your search history may be drastically different from writer to writer.
As for the genre of science fiction, here is a tiny snapshot of my Google search history from the last year, randomized in Excel and presented to you in all its raw glory!
- eye contact lenses computer
- male hairstyles
- spinning space station
- international holidays list
- extrasolar planets
- revelation fifth trumpet
- homo sapiens
- strong ai
- pounds to kilograms
- measuring weight on the ISS
- sonic shower
- house blueprints
- vaseline
- how a flat object could balance on a sphere
- gyroscopic stability engine
- what happens if you're shot in the pelvis
- heat dissipation
- jobs at IVF clinics
- dna storage facility
- Nuclear weapon yield of russian bombs
- us highest civilian honour
- inside a nuclear bomb
- bonsai tree
- someone with Acute radiation syndrome
- pregnant inverted belly button
- migrants
- red wine from 1989
- us national debt clock
- cult suicides
- could the us become bankrupt
- deep sounds from large animals
- speed of light in km/s
- parts of a laser diode
- Leukemia
- parts of an ambulance
- female midsection anatomy
- what disease can kill you in a month
- parts of a crucifix
- biggest server farms in the world
- what does blood taste like
- how do you fit a nuclear bomb in a van
- cargo van interior blueprint
- describing how it feels to be shot
- white house situation room
- faraday cage
- prosthetic leg advancements
- psychology of cult members
- stemless champagne flutes
- parts of the face
- delta v
Hi, NSA agents! :)
“If I cease searching, then, woe is me, I am lost. That is how I look at it - keep going, keep going come what may.”
Thanks to the Internet, writers have the greatest resource for information at their disposal to help flesh out their creations. To that end, I have a question for both writers and non-writers alike: What does your search history look like? Share your most outlandish searches below.
