How Do You Research Your Fiction Writing?

Posted by Suzanne Pitner Aug 4, 2009

As soon as I finish one novel, I start another. I don’t give lethargy a chance to set in to my writing brain. I finished a middle grade novel in July, and spent about two weeks tossing new story ideas around. Most of them I tossed out the window. I finally settled on a new idea the last week of July, started working through the plot points, and then began my research.

Everyone’s writing process is different. I am a planner. I plan everything, from meals to novels. When I don’t have a plan in place, I’m stalled. I need to have everything researched early in the writing process, because I can’t stand having to go back and rewrite things, or stop writing to do research. So I do it before I begin writing. But that’s just me.

As I worked on researching my book, I found some information online, two documentaries to watch, and I’m heading to the library today. It was all going so swimmingly, that I thought it would be a good idea to write a short article about it. Research for Fiction Writers went online yesterday, with my views on research.

Shortly after the article appeared, a writer left a comment in complete disagreement. I’m so glad this person responded. As I stated at the beginning of the article, everyone’s writing process is different. This person does research as needed, at any point in the process. And is perfectly happy with it. I would venture to guess that this person is more of a pantster, than a plotter.

I think the moral of this story is:

Find what works for you.

It’s like trying on clothes. You pick the garments that appeal to you, try them on, and if you’re lucky, you find one that fits perfectly. Sometimes you find a garment that you love, but it needs a bit of altering to be the perfect fit.

It’s the same with writing. You have to try as many different processes as you need until you find one that fits you. You may need to adjust it just a bit to make it the perfect match for your writing style. You’ll know you’ve found it when your writing begins to flow.