Researching Your Novel
© Kim Kay
Nothing will cause readers to put down your novel more quickly than inconsistent details. Can you imagine Scarlett O'Hara E-mailing Rhett Butler? How about a description of the view of The Eiffel Tower from a hotel window...in China? Or an Orthodox Jew feasting on pork chops? What about Queen Elizabeth wearing a miniskirt? Of course not, which is why researching your novel is very important. Even one unbelievable detail can cause your readers to lose faith in your novel and in you.
What to Research
Whether your novel is set in the 1890s or 1990s, it is important to know everything you can about the time period and the location. If you use a real place for your setting, or base a fictional town on a real one, you need to know the layout of the area, and detailed information about the people and places found there. If time and money permits, it is best to visit the location. If not, travel guides, street maps and tourist bureaus can be invaluable resources. The Weather Channel can give you information on the climate. Daily newspapers are excellent for getting a feel for the people and their interests, as well as speech patterns, popular names and local events.
With historical novels, you will need to approach your research a little differently. Current information and maps of a particular location will be of no use. You need to know how the area was during that time period. Much of your information can be found in encylopedias, history books and other novels set in the same period. When writing about another era, not only must you research the setting, but also lifestyles and customs of the time. How did the people dress? What did they eat? Where did they live? What sort of jobs were available? How did they speak? Make sure you know when things were invented. Your Victorian era heroine shouldn't be using her cellular phone to order pizza. These small details add credibility and help bring your novel to life.
Research Tools
Up until several years ago, the best place to research your novels was the library. Now, technology has advanced to the point where virtually all of the research can be done without leaving your home. All you have to do is turn on your computer and log into the Internet. Using one of the many search engines available, you need only type in key words related to your location and time period and thousands of resources will be listed on your screen. Some of the major search engines are Alta Vista, Excite, InfoSeek, Lycos, WebCrawler and Yahoo!. Each one is set up a little differently. It may be necessary to experiment until you find one or two you like. If you are researching a little known fact, try using several to get as much information as possible.
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