The Rabbit Hole Notebook

“What niche do you know way too much about?”

This notebook captures deep expertise in an obscure subject—the kind of knowledge that makes readers say “how did the author know this?” It’s raw material for authentic texture that no amount of surface research can fake.

Notebook Name: Raw – Rabbit Hole – [Topic]

Ready to extract? After collecting your sources, use the Deepening Prompts to create structured ingredients for Writers Factory.

Source Checklist

Goal: Enrich the Research Graph with deep dives that can later power Characters, Worlds, and Themes.

Include (3–6 items):

• 2–3 deep dives Long articles, papers, or podcast transcripts on a narrow topic (e.g., memory, trauma, surveillance, cults).
• 1–2 case studies or narrative pieces Profiles, biographies, or longform reporting that show the topic in lived experience.
• 1 Marginalia / Insight document Where you connect this research to possible characters, worlds, or themes (“This PTSD study fits the Protagonist’s memory issues”).

Avoid:

• Dumping every interesting link into one notebook. Keep each Rabbit Hole focused on one core topic.

Why This Notebook Matters

The best fiction has specificity. Not generic “a hospital” but the exact protocol for a code blue. Not “a farm” but the smell of silage in August and why you never turn your back on a ram.

Rabbit holes give you:

• Insider jargon (how experts actually talk)
• Unwritten rules (what everyone in the field knows but no one explains)
• Debates (where experts disagree—conflict!)
• Sensory details (what does the work actually feel like?)
• Character authenticity (your characters can pass for real practitioners)

This isn’t research. This is obsession converted into story fuel.

What to Collect

1. The Bible (Depth)

Quantity: 1 definitive reference

Every field has a canonical text—the book or guide that insiders consider essential.

How to Find It: Ask a practitioner: “What’s the one book/guide every serious person in [field] has read?”

2. The Jargon List (Voice)

Quantity: 1 document with 20+ terms

Create a glossary of insider language:

JARGON LIST: [Field]

TECHNICAL TERMS:
- [Term]: [Definition in plain English]
- [Term]: [Definition]
(Aim for 10–15)

SLANG/INFORMAL:
- [Term]: [What it means / when it's used]
(Aim for 5–10)

PHRASES ONLY INSIDERS USE:
- "[Phrase]" — [Context/meaning]

WHAT OUTSIDERS GET WRONG:
- [Common misconception]: [The truth]

Why This Matters: Characters who know their field speak differently. A surgeon says “bovie” not “electrocautery tool.” A trader says “getting whacked” not “losing money.” Jargon is the sound of expertise.

3. The Debate (Conflict)

Quantity: 1–2 forum threads, articles, or discussions

Every field has internal controversies. Find them.

What to Look For:

• Old guard vs. new school
• Theory vs. practice
• Ethical debates within the field
• “The way we do it” vs. “the way it should be done”

4. Sensory Details (Sparks)

Quantity: 1 document

Collect the physical, visceral reality:

SENSORY INVENTORY: [Field]

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE:
[List specific smells associated with the work]

WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE:
[The ambient noise, the specific sounds of tools/actions]

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE:
[Physical sensations—exhaustion, texture, temperature]

THE WORST PART:
[What do practitioners complain about?]

THE SECRET PLEASURE:
[What do they love that outsiders don't understand?]

WHAT GOES WRONG:
[Common failures, accidents, disasters]

5. Interview / First-Person Account (Depth)

Quantity: 1–2 pieces

Why First-Person? Nothing beats hearing someone describe their own work. The details they emphasize, the stories they tell, the complaints they repeat—this is gold.

Source-Hunting Strategies

Finding Your Bible

1. Goodreads lists — Search “[field] essential reading”
2. Reddit — Post in r/[field]: “What’s the one book everyone should read?”
3. Amazon — Look at “Customers also bought” for textbooks
4. Ask a practitioner — They’ll tell you immediately

Finding Jargon

1. Glossary pages — Most professional sites have one
2. Wikipedia “Jargon” subsections — Often comprehensive
3. Reddit/forums — Lurk and note unfamiliar terms
4. Training videos — YouTube has free instruction for almost everything

Finding Debates

1. Reddit “controversial” filter — Every subreddit has internal disputes
2. “[field] drama” — Search this exact phrase
3. Professional association newsletters — Often address controversies
4. Documentary films — Frequently surface internal conflicts

Finding Sensory Details

1. Day-in-the-life videos — YouTube, TikTok
2. Memoir/personal essays — Best for emotional texture
3. Ask someone — “What does your workspace smell like at the end of a shift?”
4. Do it yourself — Even briefly experiencing the work is invaluable

Organizing Your Sources (Optional)

You can use prefixes to organize your raw sources during collection:

Note: These organize your raw sources. The Deepening Prompts handle extracting structured ingredients—no special naming required for those outputs.

The Context Note (Recommended)

Create a Saved Note titled: WHY I CHOSE THIS RABBIT HOLE

[!IMPORTANT] Don’t Forget: After writing this note, select it and click “Convert to Source”. The AI cannot read your Saved Notes unless they are converted into Sources!

Template:

TOPIC: [Field/Obsession]

WHY THIS FASCINATES ME:
[2–3 sentences on your genuine interest—or how you fell into this]

WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE:
[What does this field have that no other field has?]

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR:
- [ ] Authentic jargon (how insiders speak)
- [ ] Physical/sensory texture (what it feels like)
- [ ] Internal debates (where experts disagree)
- [ ] Character traits (what kind of person does this work?)
- [ ] Story hooks (what can go dramatically wrong?)

HOW THIS CONNECTS TO MY STORY:
[If you have a book idea: does a character work in this field?]
[If you don't: what kind of story could use this setting?]

Example:

TOPIC: Amateur Radio (Ham Radio)

WHY THIS FASCINATES ME:
My grandfather was a ham. I remember the glow of the tubes, the
static, the voices from across the world. It felt like magic before
the internet made communication trivial.

WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE:
It's a community that still exists outside the internet. When
disasters knock out cell towers, ham operators are the backbone.
There's a culture of service, tinkering, and old-fashioned skill.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR:
- [x] Authentic jargon (call signs, Q-codes, "73")
- [x] Physical/sensory texture (what a shack looks like, sounds)
- [x] Internal debates (digital vs analog purists)
- [x] Character traits (the type of person who does this)
- [x] Story hooks (emergency communications, espionage potential)

HOW THIS CONNECTS TO MY STORY:
My post-apocalyptic novel needs a communication system that
works when everything else fails. Ham radio is that system.

Common Mistakes

Example Notebook Structure

Raw – Rabbit Hole – Competitive Barbecue/
├── [BIBLE] - Aaron Franklin - Franklin Barbecue.pdf
├── [BIBLE] - Meathead Goldwyn - The Science of BBQ (excerpt).pdf
├── [JARGON] - BBQ Competition Terms.txt
├── [DEBATE] - Reddit - Wrapping Brisket (Texas Crutch).txt
├── [DEBATE] - YouTube - Brisket Flat vs Whole Packer.mp3
├── [INTERVIEW] - Pitmaster AMA Transcript.txt
├── [SENSORY] - What 14 Hours at a Smoker Feels Like.txt
└── WHY I CHOSE THIS RABBIT HOLE (Saved Note)

What This Feeds Into

When you run the Deepening Prompts, this notebook produces:

← The Speculation Back to Overview