Guest post by Avi Perry, author of “72 Virgins”

By admin, on October 9th, 2009

How to Research Your Story Before and During the Writing of Your Book

Those who had never attempted their hand at fiction writing might not realize that a good quality novel requires a great deal of research, sustaining many of the fine points that shape the characters, the atmosphere, the scenes, the scenery, and the plot as a whole – keeping it real.
In today’s world, where Google is King, research has become a much less time and labor intensive compared to what it was only ten years ago. Historical events, biographies, description of places, and almost anything an author could do with, as far as background information required for decorating a scene, can be accessed, brought into play and integrated into a plot by letting your fingers do the walking on your internet-connected notebook. Still, an author should not rely solely on his/her online expertise, and if he/she does, than the picture would not become an original da Vinci masterpiece, but rather—a cheaper imitation.

There are many fine points that a good fiction draws on via an original observation, unsullied imagination, new thinking and accurate depiction, which makes the story stand above the tall grass and be noticed.

In my recent writing project, much of the information imparted through 72 Virgins required profound knowledge, some aspects of which had not been within my grasp before moving the plot to the fore. In particular, story elements, pertaining to law enforcement and intelligence agencies, types and attributes of chemical weapons, particular locations, places and modes of worship, as well as aspects of science and technology that inspire modern spying techniques—were building blocks I brought into play, with the help of added insight from qualified mavens. And I was lucky to have generous people, connoisseurs in their particular field, who were enthusiastic about parting with their expert advice and more than willing to share some of their knowledge and information with me.

As part of my research for 72 Virgins, I interviewed FBI personnel, a Mossad member, and a chemical weapons expert. I applied my own expertise in telecommunications technology, and knowledge of middle-eastern cultures and geography— building blocks I could not do without.
Another important element crucial to an authentic and accurate depiction of locations, work protocols, moods and atmosphere, are experiences—personal and not public. Impressions that one would not find on the Internet, the unique and original nature of which could elevate your writing to levels worth spending money for. You must emerge out of your author’s cave and explore, scrutinize, analyze and absorb. These personal experiences, integrated into your story are critical to the quality you strive to deliver.

I have done so before and throughout the writing of 72 Virgins. My depiction of the various places—in Israel, Germany, New York, Dearborn, Bali, and the particular places of worship mentioned in the book were based on personal impressions—some of which I lived through in the past, while others I visited throughout the writing when realizing a need for more inside information that I did not possess at the time.

When you begin working on your novel you may not possess sufficient information required for delivering an authentic and believable experience. You may not have realized what you were missing before you were closing in on chapter 5. Still, it’s never too late. You may acquire additional knowledge by getting up and leaving your warm chair, visit with experts, take a trip and enjoy the outdoors of the real world you tell your audience about.

Don’t be lazy. Your book will benefit from a little breeze and some additional sunshine brought in from the outside of your den. It’s important. It’s the difference between authenticity and superficiality.

Avi Perry grew up in Israel. As a teenager and throughout his college years, he was a professional musician. He financed his student life with numerous gigs, playing with his Israeli band, writing songs, playing the various keyboard instruments, and enjoying listening to his performances on the Israeli radio (there was no MTV in late 60s Israel). He still plays and writes music, but as a hobby (at home), rather than as a line of work. During the Six-Day-War in 1967, he served in the Israeli military, in the field intelligence unit, and gained valuable and relevant experience in covert communications technology and a variety of spy craft and methods.

He has spent the past four decades in the US, first as a Ph.D. student, then as a professor at Northwestern University, a Bell Laboratories – distinguished staff member, and finally as Vice President at NMS Communications. He signed for early retirement in 2004 with the intention of writing a technical book. The title Fundamentals of Voice Quality Engineering was published by Cambridge University Press in 2007 and became very popular. Readers praised the book for its thoroughness and for my refreshing, unique and entertaining writing style, atypical among technical writers. Throughout Avi’s tenure at NMS, he wrote many short (humor-packed, peppered with company culture) satires, technical reports, white papers (published on company website), press releases, and more.

One may find more information on his websites (www.aviperry.org and www.aviperry.com ).

Avi’s latest book 72 Virgins is built on life experiences that combine technology know-how, familiarity with spy craft and human intelligence (HUMINT), understanding of Middle Eastern cultures and history, a great sense of humor, and a talent for writing—all breathe authenticity into the setting.

72 Virgins is a novel about Jihad terrorism and the security agencies’ struggle to thwart its stratagem and trounce the perpetrators. Abu Musa is an Islamic Terrorist with an agenda, a ticking bomb inside the US. Arik Golan is an Israeli who tries to bring him down and pull the plug on his terror organization. Stanley Cramer is an FBI agent on a hunting mission, seeking to place both Abu Musa and Arik within his crosshair. The FBI, the Israeli Mossad, the US-based Iranian clandestine terror network, and the Islamic Jihad fraternity are engaged in a timeless conflict, playing out to a crescendo that comes to a head before the dramatic conclusion.

The story offers an ample dose of realism, a cast of intense characters who engage in love, lust, and violence. It portrays the Jihad culture with its rationale and the volcano that breeds an irrational obsession with death. Moreover, it builds on the Jihadists’ motivation for targeting so many innocents and exploiting the victims’ massacre as a stepping-stone to their dream of eternal paradise next to Allah’s throne.

The real question is not whether Jihad terrorists’ plots will ever cease to emerge – there is no chance of that. The question the book seeks to answer is—will the next one be stopped before it’s too late?

72 Virgins is built on life experiences that combine technology know-how, familiarity with spy craft and human intelligence (HUMINT), understanding of Middle Eastern cultures and history, a great sense of humor, and a talent for writing—all breathe authenticity into the setting.

Although 72 Virgins is a suspense-thriller, focusing on a countdown to a terror attack on US soil, it is, nevertheless, highly instructive. The story and its associated subplots are fiction, but the setting is real, the places where conspiracy is instigated are fictional, even though they’re based on genuine events; the characters are deep and distinctive, while at the same time, they embody their unmistakable cultural heritage. Ronald L. Donaghe, winner of the 2008 Jim Duggins out-standing Mid-Career Novelist Award., characterized it best—”Perry was able to combine reality with fiction in a way that has made the book—one to remember. Perry’s style and approach, makes for a great, entertaining read, in addition to being suspenseful and intriguing, from start to finish”.

WIN PRIZES!!!

72 VIRGINS BLOG TOUR ’09 will officially begin on October 5 and ends on November 27. You can visit Avi’s blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in October and November to find out more about this great book and talented author!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors’ blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.