Writing Books Begins with Research

For many writers, even the great ones, doing research is the least liked aspect of writing books. Many writers therefore shy away from this part of the process and you can definitely tell when you read their manuscript whether or not they were diligent in discovering aspects of the characters, setting, or history that can only be found by doing labored research. Many writers today cheat by using only the internet to do their research but that is really only a cop out. Real research can only be done by going to the library and through first hand experience. If one of your characters is a police officer but you yourself have never stepped foot in a police station then your sketches will seem weak and thin and influenced mostly by what you see on television.

Using the policeman example there are several things you can do to ensure that your character is rich and complex and even more important, realistic. Go to your local library and look up any books they might have on police work in general. Bring a stack of index cards and make notes when you find something interesting that you may want to use later. If you already know that your cop character works in Los Angeles, then you need to find some history books on L.A. and find out about the history of police in Los Angeles. Who were the previous police chiefs? What events, like the Watts Riots of the 60s helped to shape public perception of the department? Has your character ever participated in any high profile cases like the O.J. Simpson murder case, for example? What is your characters rank and how did he get there?

As you can see, character studies are closely linked to research. Before you get too deep into research you need to establish a few things. Who are your primary characters? You need at least two, but no more than five primary characters. Too many characters will dilute your story and take away from the importance of the primary characters. When writing books a writer needs to know where their story takes place. Once you have established the place, you need to do research and find out as much as you can about that place, even if you have lived there for years and think you know it inside and out. A big part of quality research when writing books is getting other peoples perspective and opinions before formulating your own.

You also need to establish a time period for your novel before diving into research. If the story is based in the 1920s then any research should be limited to that time period and previous to it, though it can help also to know the history of the place after your story is set in order to make the story relevant. Many of the greatest books ever written have powerful foreshadowing and draw parallels to current events.

Dont be frightened of research. On the contrary, you should really enjoy the process and think of it as a way to learn more about a particular subject. Not only will your book be richer and more believable with diligent, studious research, but your mind will be enriched as well.