We conclude our two-part look at historical research by offering some advice on how to make the most of relevant historical resources.

Take effective notes

The point of note-taking is to capture the main points of the text or resource. When researching a fiction project, we’re serving the screen story from a macro and micro perspective. What you learn during the research process might even propel your story in a different direction, so reading widely can be useful.

Therefore, the notes you take should be succinct and organised, containing the name of the source and page references, in case you want to locate something specific later in the planning or drafting process.

How much information you capture in the notes is really a personal choice.

On a basic level, a page reference and a quick comment, such as ‘pg 9: useful background info on protagonist’s hometown’ might be sufficient. Or you might prefer to copy down or paraphrase a portion of the material, so you can later reference your notes rather than the source material. This is a preferable option if the material is from a library and you only have limited access. If you own the reference material as a hard copy, you might consider highlighting the text directly and adding a Post-it note to mark a passage of interest.

For complicated technical details, writing key facts down in your own words can help clarify the information and reinforce your own understanding, which will be important when fictionalising that information.

Think about the level of specialised detail in films such as The Big Short (2015) and The Social Network (2010). The writers had to get to grips with complicated financial and computer jargon, which they were then able to incorporate into their scripts in an entertaining (and effortless) way.

Note-taking methods

Nowadays, there are lots of computer and app-based options for electronically recording notes. A few of the more popular (free and paid) options you might like to explore are:

• Notion
• Evernote
• Microsoft OneNote
• Apple Notes
• Google Keep

The main advantages of choosing a note-taking app are that it keeps everything arranged in one place and allows for easy reorganisation. You also get the flexibility of being able to work across different devices (and to collaborate, if you’re working with others on the project).

However, not everyone is comfortable with tech. You may prefer a basic word processing package, such as Word, or even good old-fashioned handwritten notes, which allow you to work offline.

Whichever you choose, be sure that you select a method that is quick, easy, and allows you to keep track of the information you need.

Keep track of everything

If you opt for one of the specialist apps or software packages, an organisational function will be built in. However, with word processing software or handwritten notes, you will need to set up folders and files that are named in such a way to allow you to quickly find the information you need.

Make notes of your notes!

If you have undertaken extensive research, your notes may be quite dense and not sufficiently succinct to be helpful. One way to overcome this is to create a master document on which you can record the main details in bullet-point form.

This can be particularly useful when it comes to keeping track of a complex timeline of events. Simply listing the dates and the event that occurred on each date will save time when it comes to structuring and drafting your story.

For example:

Going back to The Social Network. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin employs a sophisticated narrative that centres on two depositions involving the protagonist, Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg.

These depositions serve as jumping off points for Zuckerberg and the supporting characters to tell their versions of events that took place over several years. Having a solid timeline of the events is crucial in this instance to allow for this complicated structure to work.

Learn the facts… and then change them

As we keep underlining, putting episodes from history on the screen requires decisions to be made about what to leave out, what to add, and what to amalgamate. To make these decisions effectively, it is important to understand what really happened in order to retain the spirit of the original.

For example:

In The Post (2017), Washington Post publisher Kay Graham faces resistance from the male executives as a woman in charge, who took over running the newspaper after her husband died.

Rather than fictionalising each of these executives and giving them all screen time, their views are represented in an amalgamated fictional character, Arthur Parsons. The writers (Josh Singer and Liz Hannah) harnessed the conflict without the story getting bogged down with lots of similar secondary characters.

Research provides understanding the overall context of the story, which allows for history to be adapted to serve a stronger dramatic narrative.

Final words of caution

Not everything you uncover during your research will make it into the script. Along the way, you’ll uncover general background research that may be interesting and useful for your own understanding but has no place on the page.

If you spend a considerable amount of time conducting research, you might be tempted to try and ‘shoe-horn’ it all in to the script, inventing scenes that don’t serve the story just to demonstrate your extensive knowledge.

Developing the skill of creative discipline is important when it comes to any type of writing, but particularly screenwriting, where there is no room for showboating.

Don’t forget, you’re not being graded on your knowledge; you’re being judged on your ability to tell a compelling story!

Overall, always keep in mind that you’re not putting together an essay or thesis. You aren’t required to cite sources. All of your research is for your own use. No one else will ever see it or ask you about it – unless an issue crops up, such as breach of copyright – or you choose to use your research for a secondary purpose. So, find what works best for you and how you can best serve your story.

In the next part of our ongoing series, we leave the library behind and look at journalistic research (including research trips and interviews).