In a previous Writing Tips blog entry, Xlibris shared 6 Tips for Writing Dinosaurs. The first of those tips was “Do the Research,” the bread and butter for any writer. And there is a great deal of research needed if you want to write about dinosaurs in any capacity, whether fiction or nonfiction. Like any other scientific field or subject of scientific inquiry, our understanding of dinosaurs has shifted greatly over time, as new discoveries and new technologies force us to reevaluate or even discard what we think we know about creatures that lived over 65 million years ago.
Much of what is known today about dinosaurs is based on what fossil remains we have found, as well as how and where we found them. Beyond their actual physical structures (for those we have enough remains to do more than theorize), how specific dinosaur species lived is based on extrapolation from their remains and comparison to modern lifeforms.
Then there are the myths and misconceptions perpetuated by modern media. Many times how dinosaurs look or act are only loosely based at best on real science. One of the most infamous cases is how large the velociraptors are depicted in the Jurassic Park films. Real velociraptors were no larger than medium-sized dogs, and even then their much larger, more human-sized and bigger cousins utahraptor and austroraptor were not discovered till after the first film.
Here Xlibris Writing Tips offers 6 Resources for Writing Dinosuars.
Resource #1- Walking with Dinosaurs
A joint project between Discovery Channel and the BBC, Walking with Dinosaurs make use of CGI to bring to life and share the stories of creatures that lived long ago. Each episode of the series would focus on a specific time period, place, or even individual prehistoric reptiles (dinosaurs, as well as marine and flying reptiles). The series constructs narratives based on fossil evidence, prevalent theories, and comparison to modern-day animals, with all the presentation of a modern nature documentary.
Resource #2- Walking with Beasts
A sequel to Walking with Dinosaurs, Walking with Beasts places an emphasis on prehistoric creatures that roamed the Earth after the time of the dinosaurs, in some cases even sharing the planet with early humanity. Like its prequel series, Walking with Beasts takes advantage of CGI technology to present narratives about long dead animals in the format of a nature documentary. The series covers prehistoric whales, mammoths, and even early humans to name a few.
Resource #3- Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker
While a work of narrative fiction, Raptor Red nonetheless embodies the idea of dinosaur based fiction. Written by acclaimed and proliferate paleontologist Robert T. Bakker, Raptor Red follows the story of titular dinosaur, a utahraptor, as she and her family struggle to survive in ancient North America during the Early Cretaceous period.
Much of the story, the setting, the creatures and how they act, is based on fossil evidence and modern animal behavior.
Resource #4 The Dinosaur Heresies by Rober T. Bakker
Robert T. Bakker combines understanding of modern animal physiology and behavior with fossil evidence to make, at the time, the drastic claim that dinosaurs were more warm-blooded than science at the time perceived them. Many of Bakker’s theories and observations are now widely accepted within the paleontologist community.
Resource #5- National Geographic Dinosaurs by Paul Barrett
Originally published in 2001 by National Geographic, this tome combines concise yet informative entries with excellent layout and beautiful artwork. Covering vast array of over 50 dinosaurs both familiar and unfamiliar, as well as a few non-dinosaurs.
Resource #6- Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia by Dr. Thomas R. Holtz Jr.
This absolutely massive tome is perhaps one of the most comprehensive texts regarding dinosaurs and their study. Using accessible language, the encyclopedia talks about the methods used to study dinosaur remains, and how dinosaurs developed and evolved into the legendary beings of the past and into the birds of today. In addition, there over 800 entries for all “named” dinosaur species as well as over a score of sidebar entries by various renowned paleontologists.
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