How To (NOT) Get Lost in Research
Where Fleur makes maps and tells you how to avoid the Research Black Hole
In case you just got here: thanks for joining! I’m Fleur Bradley, author of over a dozen books, and I’m sharing how I brainstorm and plot a novel, from idea to a finished (and edited) draft.
Here’s what we’ve covered so far:
By now, you should be dying to get to plotting already if you’re anything like me. But sometimes, you feel like you just need to do a little more…
Research. Oh, how I love to get lost in reference books, the library (I bring two sturdy canvas bags to pick up my holds each week), or worse:
The Internet. (*cue horror music)
I love doing research, but I also know it’s a big fat trap. Like going to the grocery store when you’re hungry, or trying to find a movie to stream on Netflix on a Saturday night… You can lose about a bazillion hours not really getting much done at all.
Here’s how you don’t get lost in research, from someone who’s been there.
Ideally, you’ve done a good amount of research on setting and plot (and history—hello, fellow historical writers), so you shouldn’t need to do a whole lot more. At this stage, too much research will stall your progress. We’re here to write the book, not become a museum docent.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself about your novel project:
1. Do I have setting locked down?
I don’t go into setting too much here because my ideas often start with place, back in that fun brainstorming phase. At this point, I have a lot of research done already, at least to plot the novel. I hope you know where your story is happening.
2. Do I have my references clearly listed and handy, or in my idea box (from part 1, if you remember)?
The problem with research is that as writers, we get lost in the story possibilities. If you just get going already, you can do targeted research as you write. Like: what do the roads look like in 1943 Amsterdam? Are there cobblestones? Details matter, but you can get really bogged down by them if you’re not careful. It’s how great novel ideas never get written.
3. Do I have a map?
I know, I bet you weren’t expecting this. Aside from maps being cool, they also keep our plot progression in order. It takes a lot more work to fix a consistency problem when editing, like how long it takes to get from point A to B or how one would even get there, than it does to just have that figured out ahead of time.
Even if your setting isn’t fictional, a map is really helpful. Get one or draw one.
This is the original Raven Island map I drew for Daybreak on Raven Island, my fifth novel for kids.
You can use a timer as you research, or just a list of questions you’re trying to answer before plotting. The key is to have a time and task limit. Once you get what you need, for the love of all that is holy, stop researching. Or you may never get to writing…
Tip from Fleur: if you need to look something up while writing, use a placeholder and come back to it later. That way you don’t lose your writing momentum.
I use a few letter Xs as placeholders, like this: XXX. Easy to find when I’m going back to edit.
As for my 2024 historical novel project for kids, I have all these things in place. Next up, it’s time to get plotting already. I’m excited.
How about you? Do you get lost in research, or are you more disciplined…?