Researching Information for Your Novel: Fact vs. Fiction

If you're new to writing altogether or you're new to researching information for fiction, you may be wondering how to research information for a novel. Why is research important? If your novel is full of misinformation, readers won't make it halfway through the story. You want readers to immerse themselves into the story, no matter if it's the setting, a disability belonging to a character, or even events in your story. Whether it takes place in a city you've never visited or you're wondering how court proceedings work, you need the information that's crucial to making your story believable — also known as suspension of disbelief.

tl;dr: Suspension of disbelief is a reader's willingness to let go of logic and buckle up for the ride your story is about to take them on.

So, how does suspension of disbelief relate to researching your novel?

You want the right information that will make your readers believe this can happen in any setting. Fantasy, Sci-Fi, etc., needs to feel realistic, even with magic or spaceship travel, but as I am not an author of those genres, I won't spoke on these specifically. But having real information can help readers with the "believability" of your world building or overall story. If you write anything that's not completely set in the real world with real humans (or real whatever), make sure you read in your chosen genre. Many authors will tell you this is true for any genre you write, whether it's romance, thriller, mystery, etc.

I'm getting off track a bit. Suspension of disbelief, when it comes to stories that have pieces of reality in them, relates to using information.

Why Researching Correct Information for Your Novel Is Important

When I first started writing When Snapdragons Whisper, I had to research a ton of information about Manhattan. I hadn't visited in years, other than in a few weekends here and there to visit with friends. But even if you've been somewhere, it's important to recognize that you probably can't correctly relay a setting without doing some research. It was my first novel (as I'd written some Romance novels before, but that's another story) that involved writing about the police department and realistic injuries.

We commonly hear the phrase write what you know. While this is with good intention, I don't necessarily agree with it. I may have been in in Manhattan, but writing a story that takes place in New York City is a totally different thing. Despite my lack of resident-level familiarity with Manhattan, that doesn't mean I can't write about it. (I am, however, learning a lot since moving here.) If we only wrote what we knew, books would be very boring indeed. This is what research and (especially) the internet is for.

Let me add this disclaimer: Yes, research and having correct, accurate information is important. However, it is fiction, after all, so let your research be the supporting actor to your leading lady: your story itself.

A How-To Guide: Research for People Who Have Never Researched Information

Research can be critical to a lot of genres. Mysteries, including police procedurals. Political thrillers. Anything historical. Sure, some genres may not require as much research, while others may require a load of time dedicated to finding out facts. How certain wounds or diseases are treated. Particular locations or climates and how they can affect the human body.

On that note, let me say this bit of advice I've learned over the years:

Don't assume you won't need to do any research for a fiction novel, and be open-minded to feedback and information.

You are doing yourself a disservice if you make assumptions. If you only need to research a little bit, great! If you're writing a non-fiction book that you know a ton about because you work in that field, awesome! But don't assume you know everything about your fiction novel. Double-check yourself. (Cue the "Check yo'self before you wreck yo'self!" if I'm no dating myself too much.)

But know when to stop your research efforts.

For some, research turns into a form of procrastination from actually getting words onto paper or fingers onto keyboard. Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn has a great little quote:

Keep a balance between consumption and creation, input and output.

So, how exactly do you go about starting research for a novel?

Start with a simple search engine query. Google is your friend, but ignore the "Google AI Overview" because you don't know if its citations come from accurate information. This advice applies to any AI, including ChatGPT. I've seen these programs spit out grossly inaccurate information.

As an SEO specialist, I've seen how Google's algorithm has grown from BERT to MUM, how it crawls and indexes websites and the information you can find on pretty reliable sites. From a simple query, there are several steps you can take.

1. Talk to people who are knowledgeable in the topic you're researching. This can include someone who works in a particular field or someone who has lived experience with the topic you're researching. A medical condition? A historical event? Dinosaurs? You may find yourself lucky by finding someone with niche or nuanced knowledge.
   

2. Think outside of your research box. You may find some valuable information from resources such as podcasts, such as Crime Junkie. Another one leaning toward medical information is Docs Outside the Box. There are plenty of documentaries, TED Talks, free classes at local colleges. There's plenty of information out there. You just have to dig a little deeper.
   

3. Pay a visit to your local library. I understand that not every town has a fabulous library system. But if you are blessed to live near a decent library, make good use of it. (Libraries need us more than ever now!) Browse the nonfiction sections. Enlist the help of a research librarian who will help you find the information you need. You can also find digitized historical records: marriage certificates, old newspapers, and even obituaries. You may be surprised what you find.
   

4. Spring for a "vacation." Okay, this may be a little far-fetched for many, but if you're able to visit a location you're writing about, why not call it a vacation? Turn your research into some fun! I try to write about places I've been, even if I'm not as familiar with that place as someone who's born and bred there, but I like having a sense of the atmosphere. Like the way New York City always seems to perpetually reek of urine and pot while you're passing people on the street who are asking you to Venmo or CashApp them some money. (Just kidding. Sort of.)

Resources for Research

While it's true that you're not exactly crafting prose while doing research, it is true that research is important for your story. Consider it time well spent for your novel, even if you're not pounding away at the keyboard.

Here are some of my favorite resources for research:

1. Google Scholar Google Scholar is a quick way to find scholarly literature on various topics.
   

2. JSTOR JSTOR is another great resources that "provides access to more than 12 million journal articles, books, images, and primary sources in 75 disciplines."
   

3. Quora Quora is a great resource, but one to sometimes take with a grain of salt. It is essentially a Q&A site. Ask a question, and a supposed "expert" user in that particular field will answer. There are real experts such as doctors, and you'll see multiple answers for a question, some of which may not be factually correct. (And this is why I say to use it with an ounce of caution.)
   

4. Interlibrary Loans from the ALA Looking for a scholarly article or book on a subject? You can request materials to be sent to your local library.
   

5. Writing Realistic Injuries This is an old resource I've had saved in my bookmarks for years. It's a no-nonsense, no-frills list of bodily injuries.
   

6. The National Archives The digitized archives you can find at the library? Think bigger. This link is for the U.S. National Archives.

Above are just a few resources to help you with your research. There are so many other amazing websites to ask a question (like Reddit) and to find information; you just have to be willing to take the time to sift through it all.

What are your favorite ways to research information for a novel?