What You Need to Know About Research

Ever wondered about how research fits into your writing process?

How much is too much - and where do you even start?

Join us for an informative ONLINE Q & A with award-winning writer Duncan Sarkies and do a deep dive into his research process.

Duncan's third novel Star Gazers was published earlier this year and is an allegory about the collapse of democracy in a society of alpaca breeders.

Duncan is not an alpaca breeder and needless to say research was required!

We'll be discussing...

• How did Duncan begin his research? And where did he start?
• How to decide what needs to be researched in depth versus what can be imagined?
• Guiding principles for what “must be accurate” .

• Tracking and organising the material.
• How to know when you've done enough research - and should start writing.
• Weaving factual details into narrative without it feeling like an info dump.

• Do they consciously fictionalize certain elements for dramatic effect?

NB: This session is ONLINE and the Zoom link will be accessible on Monday 6th October 30 mins before the event - AND emailed to the email address you supplied when registering.

An audio recording of this discussion will be available to registered participants.

Don’t miss this invaluable Q&A.

Guest Speaker: Duncan Sarkies

Duncan Sarkies is a writer of novels, theatre, and screen stories for film and television. His third novel Star Gazers is an allegory about the collapse of democracy in a society of alpaca breeders. Published earlier this year, it was described on 95bFM as 'a great quality NZ satire on politics.'

Duncan has been recognised with the Best First Book of Fiction Award at the New Zealand Book Awards for Stray Thoughts and Nosebleeds, and the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award. Duncan has received the Louis Johnson New Writers’ Bursary, the Grimshaw Sargeson Fellowship, and a residency at the Michael King Writers Centre. Duncan’s screenplays include Scarfies, and the adaptation of his first novel Two Little Boys, both collaborations with his brother Robert. Duncan has written for TV including Flight of the Conchords and What We Do in the Shadows, and wrote, directed, and co-created the acclaimed audio series The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie’s Botanarium.

Facilitator: Kathryn Burnett

Kathryn is an award-winning professional screenwriter, playwright, public speaker and writing coach who runs super inspiring writing workshops.

She is the author of "The Productive Writer Guidebook" and has facilitated panels for the Auckland Writers Festival, the Screenwriting Research Network Conference 2017, the SPADA conference and the Fourth World Conference of Screenwriters in Berlin (2019).