When Research Steals Your Writing Time: How to Research Efficiently

1:45 PM Gemma Fitz 2 Comments

It's such a huge let down when I've spent hours or even days looking up how it feels to be in a car accident, and I then end up cutting the car accident out of my story or brushing over it, since the character who goes through it is only a tertiary character and it's not really important how they feel about it. (And yes, I have done this type of thing many times.) If you're spending a lot of time looking something up, just pause for a moment and ask yourself "do I really need to know this?" If you don't absolutely have to research something, your time could be much better spent on something else.

If you're writing for NaNo or some other hefty word count goal, slowing down just so you can make sure that a semi automatic is the most practical type of gun for your character to be using just isn't worth it. Usually, when I'm drafting, I either write whatever comes into my head, accurate or not, or I simply press the enter bar a couple times and pick up the story after the problematic scene is over. When I come back to edit, I can then make sure my information is correct and my plot problems are believable.

I cannot tell you how many times I've done some research for a story, closed the tab, and then suddenly realized that I didn't collect all the information I need for the story. I do it multiple times for practically everything I look up. It's a real time waster. If you're researching, make sure you get everything you need before you close the tab. It's so much more efficient.

Contrary to popular belief, you cannot find the answer to every question on google, or even the internet at large. The novel I'm working on right now has a very small protagonist who is supposed to be able to fit places where the other characters can't. Googling "would a nine year old fit through a basement hatch window" hasn't been very helpful. What has been invaluable has been a ruler, cardboard boxes, and my little sister. If you can't find it online, experiment with the stuff around your house (or your friend's houses). You can find the answer to every question in real life, if you use your imagination.

Research is important. Really important. No one appreciates a book crammed full of inaccuracies and anachronisms. You need to research. But more importantly, you need to write. You are a writer, not a researcher. So don't let research steal your writing time.

Do you enjoy research? What are some ways you research efficiently? Does your first draft have to be perfect and have all the details already included, or do you skip the research and wait til later?