Tips for how to effectively research both fiction and nonfiction book:

 

Tips for how to effectively research both fiction and nonfiction book:

 

First, let’s distinguish the difference between fiction and nonfiction writing because I’m always asked this question and figured I’d answer it now so you will understand the rationale between the two. There are two different types of writing fiction and nonfiction. Fiction is a storyline that is created from your imagination with fictitious people, situations, and events. Whereas nonfiction is created based on real-life events and people.  

As an author, I can tell you straight away that research is essential to any good book. Whether it be fiction or nonfiction storylines, a writer needs to do some research first. Now I might write nonfiction stories, but I like to include real historical information to help entice my readers to explore the history books to see if I am right on the money with my historical facts. They are shocked to discover that when I write is actually accurate based on historical facts. Having accurate research materials helps make your storyline more believable and more fun both for your reader and for you as the writer. To be able to design a story surrounded by real historical facts or even facts pertaining to a murder or other crime is so much fun because you can truly delve into the story with more energy and enthusiasm. 

You don’t have to have so much detail in your book that your story is lost, and your fiction book has turned into pure nonfiction, making you liable for a possible lawsuit (if you used a real murder situation and you used the victim’s name without the permission from their next of kin). You want to use the facts as a guideline, change the names accordingly, and divert your story away from the actual real facts and make up your own results or red herrings to guide your readers to the truth without using the facts of the case. I hope that makes sense. Always be objective and never skew the facts or results to be politically biased or throw in your own opinion without keeping in line with the story facts.

As a writer, it is your job to entertain and communicate your story with a compelling and captivating motivation to keep your reader interested and wanting to turn those pages to find out how things end. Doing research is just as important to writing as it is to writing a self-help or how-to manual book. It’s part of the meat and potatoes of your story.

Here’s how I begin writing a book:

I come up with an idea for a storyline then I create what I call my road map to the story itself. Other writers call it an outline, but to me, it’s my road map to how I want the story to have its three-part story concept. The first part is the opening of the setup, the second part is the meat and potatoes of the story, while the third part is the conclusion and how I finalize the story giving the result of the overall story itself, or what the meaning of it means. If it’s a mystery novel then the last part is where it solves the mystery and the meat and potatoes of the story is where I throw in the facts of the case and some real-life information or history. The first part would be where I introduce the characters of the story, the important ones like the investigator, the victim, the plot of the story, or what the battle within a person is all about and the why. Hope that helps you understand a little better.  

Oh, and my outline/road map can change from week to week depending on where my characters take me in the story.  This is why I also design a story structure for both my fiction and nonfiction books, they can be modified either way, but the essence is still the same. In other words, create a sequence of events that any story would take, giving specific points of interest and backing those points up with facts or evidence with the promise of delivering the blow in the end. Get my drift? Hope so. Specific points could be conflicts or tensions that give the reader a sense of hunger or failures a person or character endures throughout your storyline.

Once you review your structure, you can determine whether certain parts need more work or more tension, provide more credibility, etc. This is also when you can restructure your outline accordingly to help you write quicker and more effectively.

Choose your genre appropriately:

You must know the genre you plan to write about and read as many books as you can within the genre to ensure you have a grasp on what to produce. Don’t copy their work but get the structure down so you can develop your own work accordingly.  Then begin your development of what research you might need to do. Now remember your research will be ongoing until you hit the END button on your story. There is always improvement that can be made in any story.

When I conduct research, I use multiple sources such as libraries (yes I’m old-fashioned that way), government archives, personal interviews with cops, detectives, morgue assistants, investigators, criminologists, other authors, doctors, nurses, EMTs, firefighters, etc. You get the idea. I also use maps, military and civilian resources, thesauruses, the library of Congress, and librarians. If you can find a good librarian, you will be golden. Just be sure to be respectful of people’s time, effort and remember to thank them both in person and in the acknowledgments in your book once you’re finished. It’s always nice to give back when you can. It doesn’t hurt to say thank you to the people who helped you find the information you needed or found you better information than you ever thought to look for.

Don’t waste your own time procrastinating. Set a timeline for yourself and get to writing that book. There’s no time like the present. Set aside a few hours a day or a week and concentrate on your story idea. Then when you’re published be sure to send me a message and let me know about your book. Happy Writing!

Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, and journalist. business professional, creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a master’s in criminology and a BS in Business Management she stepped out of the loop for a while but is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel and photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.