In a guest post on Chuck Wendig’s blog, writer Rob Hart talks about his research process and what he learned from his years in journalism.
“Journalism placed some great tools into my fiction-writing toolbox,” Hart says. “I’ve got good observational skills. I type real damn fast. I don’t miss deadlines. I understand the need to kill darlings, because often you’re dealing with a word count (or in my case, column inches), and a sweet-ass detail or quote might not fit—and that’s okay.”
But his real superpower is research. Hart’s toolbox includes:
- A place for ideas. “Every time I get an idea I think has legs, I create a Google Doc,” Hart says. “As I come across relevant books or articles, or have stray ideas I think might fit the concept, I toss it in there.” It’s also a good place to keep track of acknowledgements.
- Sources. “Direct sources are explicitly about the subject matter you’re writing about. They can come from books, but also documentaries and news articles,” Hart writes. “Indirect research is more about tone. Sometimes you need to live in an adjacent fictional world for a little bit.”
- The News. “If you’re writing speculative fiction, or anything with an eye toward current events, it’s good to read the news,” Hart recommends.
- Friends and contacts. “People like to talk about themselves and their jobs,” Hart says. “Use this.”
- Places. Visit places that will inform your setting and take pictures where you can.
- Google. “Seriously, the Googs is your best friend—sometimes you just have to spend a day shotgun-searching relevant phrases and picking through endless links to find what you need,” Hart writes. Don’t forget image search and street view for setting.
- The library. “Your library is chock-full of resources,” Hart notes. “Reference books. Old newspapers. Some of which haven’t been digitized so you wouldn’t be able to access them otherwise.” Be sure to ask the librarian for help and advice.
