Take Your Novel Up a Notch: Research

Think historical fiction writers are the only ones who need to do research? Think again.

All writers need to research - though it may be in different ways. For writers in the sci-fi, fantasy, YA, Middle Grade, literary, romance, or commercial fields, research will take a different avenue than those who write historical fiction or westerns.

How? Well, instead of hours spent in the back of the library bent over a thick tome on boiler combustion until your sciatica aches - like the historical junkie - other writers are sitting on the floor in the YA section or dodging Dr Who cardboard cutouts in the fantasy/sci-fi room. Their research is less about knowing facts about a certain historical item, and more about knowing the conventions of the genre. What's been done? What's been overdone? Is this a good plot? A good voice? Good prose? If it's a popular title - why? Is it the character development, tension, or the romance that really ensnares the reader?

I once heard a good rule of thumb is to read 1,000 books in your genre for every 1,000 words you write. Does this seem impossible? Maybe - at the very least it's a daunting prospect. Most of us don't have the time to write a few sentences per day let alone read so many novels.

But you know what? It really does help you. You'll not only stay up to date on genre trends, publishers, and agents, but you'll also have a better feel for what you're writing. If you know nothing of boiler combustion and try to write a story where this is the main antagonist or a major part of the protagonist's life, it's going to be wrong for readers - especially those who know about boiler combustion.  But if you do your research, every detail you add will be like a little piece of candy for your reader to find rather than a gaping hole in your story.

And who doesn't love candy?

Happy Reading (and subsequently, Writing)!