Guide to Writing

Writing Tip 7: Do your research

Fiction is just that: fiction. For the most part, it isn't real. As readers, we know this - genres such as sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal fiction wouldn't be so popular otherwise.

But as much as the fantastical elements of these stories amaze us, what also draws us in are the parts of the story that feel real, the parts of the story where we could imagine ourselves right there... and that's where research comes in.

Mark Twain may have said "write what you know," but if we only limited ourselves to this, it would lead to a pretty boring story. People have all different sorts of backgrounds, and if you want to truly reflect this in your characters and story, you need to study just enough that you understand how to at least portray it correctly.

For example, if your character isn't from the country you're from, a good idea would be to look up that country's education system to get a clear background on the character, especially if your story is set in a high school. If your character travels to a different country, a good idea might be to research that country. All these things are important, no matter what the genre of your story, because they give it a degree of realism. The more realistic you can make the story, even if it's a fantasy, then the more readers can feel like they're part of that world, and that makes for a much better story.

Stories that are badly researched/ not researched at all can actually have the opposite effect - you might actually turn off the readers because they'll likely get annoyed at the incorrect details, and it will actually distract them from the main storyline. For a sensitive issue, you may even anger them. You can never please all potential readers, but it is a good idea to at least try and get the details right where you can.

So to summarise: do your research, and try to be realistic where possible. You won't always get everything right, but you can at least try!

What others have had to say

Stephen King "If you do need to do research because parts of your story deal with things about which you know little or nothing, remember that word back. That's where research belongs: as far in the background and the back story as you can get it. You may be entranced with what you're learning about the flesh-eating bacteria, the sewer system of New York, or the I.Q. potential of collie pups, but your readers are probably going to care a lot more about your characters and your story."

KatherineArlene "The last thing you want is for a reader to say, 'you got that part wrong'. You will most likely lose that reader too because you've pulled them out of the story and now all they can think about is how X is not Y, X is X. You may spend hours researching something you only mention in one sentence, but it will all be worth it because it will draw your reader more into your world."

Philip Gerard "You must inspire the reader with the confidence that you know the fascinating inside story, that you're not just faking it. Even in a novel, your world has to be so convincingly grounded in the facts and feelings of the real world that the reader doesn't doubt it for an instant."

ViktoriaRay "The more you know about what you're writing, the easier it'll be to write. 90% of the time it is important to be exact. One time you can "wing it" a little is if you're dipping into lore and mythology, then take what you find and put your own spin on it." 

Samuel Johnson "The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write : a man will turn over half a library to make one book."

awesome_peeps "Research enables you to get in depth with the emotions you want to share with your readers without it being to vague and too bam-I-just-told-you-the-whole-plot."

AliciaM21 "I know it's boring to look up certain things for your book. Believe me, it can give me a headache sometimes and there are many times where I just stop writing the book because of how much information I need to write it realistically. But research is great, generally. It helps you know more about something that you didn't know before, it helps benefit your writing... It may be boring, but it can help you make a great book. And research doesn't need to come from the internet or history books or whatever textbook you need; you could watch movies, shows, or other published novels in the genre you're writing in. So depending on where you're researching, it can also be quite fun!" 

We hope you enjoyed this tip! How much research do you do for a story, and what's the weirdest thing you've had to look up?