Last week, I came up with a new idea for a manuscript. I’m a bit frustrated with my YA historical magical realism project and decided to work on the first draft of a new WIP (MG realistic fiction) for my 30 day goal. Thanks to the internet, I’ve discovered plenty of interesting facts for my WIP, all within the comfort of my Writing Cave.
I love research. It’s usually the first thing I do when I come up with an idea. Off the top of my head, here are some things I look for when researching information for a manuscript:
- Time Period – What’s unique about this time period?
- Clothing, Style
- Social Customs, Etiquette, Religion, Politics, Education
- Vocabulary, Language
- What kind of house, town, region, geography?
- Names – Keep the names appropriate for the time period or style of manuscript.
It’s easy to get sucked into research and find new ideas or fascinating tidbits of information that take you away from your project. Do not let this happen! Depending on the complexity of your novel, it’s probably best to limit research to a day or so, and then go back to it later, after you start writing.
Tomorrow, I’ll share my plot outlining process. It’s time to get back to work. I need to write at least 1,000 words for my 30 day goal. How are you doing?
What do you like about research?
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