I pose this question because I ask it of myself a lot. I'm a nobody in the writing world. I'm a wife and mother with a challenging day job who really, really enjoys writing. Thus, I don't have a lot of contacts to help me with research. I have Google and that's about it;-)
Unlike the commercial that says they can't lie on the internet, I know what I read is only as good as the source. I try to use reputable sites and have to take them at face value. I don't have a good friend who's a detective, or FBI agent, or Navy SEAL, or etc. You get my point.
In saying all this, how realistic should fiction be? I researched this very question and came across a blog entry tackling the topic. This person, a published author, had a good point. You don't want the person reading your book to stop and go, "Hey, wait a second. It doesn't snow in Texas in July." This is a gross exaggeration but you can see what I mean. If I'm writing about Louisville and I make something up any Louisvillian would know is not true, then they won't be able to enjoy my work. They'll be distracted by the inconsistencies.
Still, that doesn't really answer my question completely. Let's say I want my protagonist to fall in love with a Navy SEAL. How accurate do I need to be with what challenges a Navy SEAL might face? I'm sure the more accurate the better, but Google can only tell me so much, especially regarding these secretive warriors. Nobody without a certain security clearance or a direct relationship with a SEAL knows exactly what they do on a daily basis.
I ponder this as I start my next work. I want to be accurate yet I want it to be escapism romantic fiction. What's important to me is the story. The dynamic between the two characters. The passion and conflict. This is what I get lost in, not what weapon he carries or where his next mission might be. Maybe I'm wrong but it's only my opinion;-)
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