Research Query

Doglover

My hero is a village vet, and I suppose he would talk shop to the heroine at some point. Does anybody know a village vet that I could get in touch with? I have bought books on being a vet and the trials and tribulations they go through. However, I really want to speak to someone who is a vet now and works in a village practice.

Betsie

We have real life retired vet on Talkback. He writes amusing books about animals and a vet's life. Might be worth you looking at one of his books. I can't remember his full name but someone will pop in here and tell you. His first name is Malcolm.

Baggy Books

I suggested Malcolm to Doglover before, Betsie. Did you contact him, Doglover?

Doglover

I've contacted him, Baggy. I wondered whether there was anyone else you knew of that was still a vet.

Bill

you have to do the research, but dont use too much - it is difficult to get '...abdominal effusion...' into a conversation. Stick to what the pet owners complain about and characters to speak on the same level.
It is often the case that characters who have specialist occupations seldom talk shop - at least in technical terms.

Doglover

Thanks, Bill. My issue is the village stuff. Like what do they deal with in a village and are they constantly on call?

Liz

Most practices are run by groups of vets and our small village practice is an offshoot of a bigger city vets' and every time I go we're seen by someone different. So no, not always on call, and if we want Sunday vets we have to go into the branch in the city.

Why on earth would what they deal with be any different to in a city? Same types of dogs (although probably more labradors and spaniels than poodle crosses).

Some village practises will have big animal vets too - for cows, TB testing, horses, sheep etc, which are visited in situ.

Doglover

Thanks for this info, Liz. I've used what you have said and some info from some books written by vets, which is helping add more depth to my hero.

Liz

If this is a novel I think you need a bit more in-depth info than this..

Doglover

That's why I've contacted Malcolm. Although I am waiting for him to get back in touch with me. I've also got books and novels about vets that I'm going to read.

Carol

Channel 5 from 12th April, the Yorkshire Vet- seems to be a reality series about an actual vet.

Doglover

Thanks, Carol. I'll definitely be watching that.

Carol

Just from the clips they showed in the advert about it, it looks like it will be helpful.

Baggy Books

I haven't read this book myself, but friends have. It's co-written by a local vet (she had a co-writer/ghostwriter).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00HFAL3XG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

dora

Have you approached a vet near to you? They may know of someone who works in a village vetting, I mean, setting.

Doglover

No, I haven't. One of my dad's friends used to be a vet and now works in an abattoir. He may know someone or be able to help me himself.

Doglover

I felt a bit embarrassed asking my dad to ask him questions as my writing is not something everyone in my life knows about. Need to get questions written up so my dad can ask him.

Baggy Books

TBH, I think you need to form a relationship with a vet (not like that!). Get to know a vet and their practice. It might give you even more to work with.

Phots Moll

I agree with baggy - ask yourself. Getting your dad to ask a friend of a friend will just be playing Chinese whispers and won't allow you to ask follow up questions. Perhaps you could shadow one for a day, or even get a part time job with a vetinerary practice.

Presumably you're registered with a vet for your dog and go in for injections and stuff, so you could ask some questions then.

Tiny Nell

When my daughter was thinking about becoming a vet, she spent a week at our local practice. They were perfectly happy to have her. It's worth asking if you can do that. Not only will you see what's going on, you'll be able to ask all sorts of questions.

If your book is about a vet, you really need to know the job quite well.

Good luck!

Doglover

Thanks for that. I've just been to the vets today as well, and I contemplated asking then, but I didn't know what to say or how to do it. I couldn't do it part time, but I suppose I could do it during the next half term. Unless they can fit me in at the end of this week, as when I'm off I tend to book hair appointments, doctors appointments, optician appointments all in the one week. Any advice on what I could say if I ring up the practice I usually go to with my dog?

Phots Moll

Say, "Hi, I'm Doglover. I'm writing a book in which the main character is a vet and am hoping you can help me with some research."

I've used this approach lots of times for novels and short stories (without pretending to be you!) and in every single instance I've been offered help of some kind.

Tiny Nell

You could also promise to mention them in your acknowledgements.

Baggy Books

Slightly different, but I'm about to begin work on a book associated with an internationally known museum. The client's already got a deal to sell it in their shop etc.

As well as that, he's got a couple of nice quotes for the back cover.

You need to plan ahead with these things. Getting involved with a vet now will pay dividends.

Doglover

Thanks. I'll try contacting them tomorrow.

Phots Moll

You could also promise to mention them in your acknowledgements.

I've never done that. It could be years before the book is published, if it ever is. If using a publisher they might not want lots of acknowledgements. Also it puts pressure on us to use the research. Unlikely in this case, but we might end up cutting the scenes, or character we wanted the research for.

Liz

Unlikely in this case though, as the book is about a vet's.

I worked for a vet when I was a young teenager for about 4 years, just volunteering, stayed at the vet's during Saturday mornings for the surgeries, wiped the table in between clients and listened (during which I acquired a whole lot of medical knowledge) and in the afternoons went out with the big animal vets to the farms. It was during the brucellosis outbreak one year and we had to wash ourselves in between each visit.

I don't think you have a hope of writing about a vet's without an in-depth knowledge of the specialist terminology and work they do.

Baggy Books

It would work if the main character met a vet - they would learn about what vets actually do as the relationship developed (which I think is the plot). So, Doglover's experiences of learning about vets will mirror that of her character.

Doglover

Thanks for all your comments. Ringing the vets and going in this week, as well as continuing to write, has been put on hold as I have mild concussion. I'm relaxing as my head really hurts.

My main character has started up her own dog walking business and moved to a village. I've researched the dog walking side. She will eventually fall in love with the village vet. So I suppose Baggy is right that the main character will learn things about vets in the same way I will. It is written in first person from my heroine's point of view. So my idea was that he might talk shop and she might go in for help with the dogs she is walking. It could also open up avenues for other sub-plots where she can support him.

Carol

Perhaps he could get her involved in a charity dog walk?

Doglover

Good idea, Carol. I've succumbed to the writing, which isn't really working as my head feels like it has been used as a bowling ball and someone hasn't really rolled me down the alley. Instead they've bounced me numerous times on the hard floor. This just shows that I'm a terrible patient, or maybe the writing has become something I have to do.