Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/41180
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

## Ask an expert.

Obviously, research is an important first step. But there's only a finite amount of research you can do, and without intimate knowledge of the subject, you have no way of knowing whether the research you're doing is the _right_ research.

So find an expert, and convince them to be a beta reader. They'll be able to spot the things that stand out as unrealistic, and give you insights into what would actually happen in those spots. As a bonus, experts are good primary research sources as well, but it's as beta readers where they shine, because the rough spots that are obvious to them won't be obvious to you.

## Find a single detail, and explain it in depth.

If your readers see your character demonstrate a deep and accurate understanding of a small portion of their field, then they will assume that your character has a similar understanding of all the other aspects of their job.

As long as you don't make any egregious errors, the trust you earned from the initial proof will allow you claim that your character has expertise on similar subjects with very few details that you need to learn.

* * *

I heartily recommend the Writing Excuses episodes ["Characters who are smarter than you are"](https://writingexcuses.com/2018/10/28/13-43-characters-who-are-smarter-than-you-are/) and ["Learning to listen as a writer"](https://writingexcuses.com/2018/08/05/13-31-learning-to-listen-as-a-writer/), especially when Mary Robinette talks about how she wrote the Calculating Stars and dealing with the things she didn't know about. Each episode is 15-20 minutes long, and very educational.

Original score: 19