Writing Tips - Research

Research is a vital part of any book unless you have created a completely new world where you can put anything you want into it. Sue and I have created a new world but because our characters go into regular time on Earth then we have to do research. If the information you put into your book is wrong you will hear about it at some point in time and it could hinder getting your book published also. So lets look into where you should get your research information.

There are several different places that you can find research information. But before you start determining where you are going to go for research you need to figure out what you need to research. It is great to go read about the different eras that you need to research, but if you don't know exactly what information you need, while entertaining will be wasted time. Here are a few questions that I use when I research for a book.

1. What style of clothing did they wear and did it depend on your level in society?
2. What kinds of food did they eat?
3. Where there specific mannerisms that they used?
4. What type of housing did they live in?
5. What manner of speech did they have?
6. What type of music did they have?

These are a few of the questions you need to ask yourself before you ever start your research. Once you have determined the questions you want to ask yourself then you need to decide on where you would like to look. Listed below are a few options:

The library
Bookstores
Online reference sites (make sure they are reputable)
Historical societies
People who lived during that time

This is just a little bit of the information you need to start your research. Next time I will bring you a more in depth looking at the art of researching.
Until then, happy writing
Patti