Author’s Research – before or after the first draft of your manuscript? -

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George Hamilton

26 Jul 2012, 07:27 AM | Post: #1

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Author’s Research – before or after the first draft of your manuscript?

I recently finished the first draft of my next novel, provisionally titled The Disease. For my previous two published novels, I did a great deal of the research before I started to write. In the case of Secrets From The Dust, I travelled to and lived in Australia for 6 months. For both those first two novels, I have folders thick with research material, megabytes of computer files and links to many websites, collected over years. More at my blog

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TechnoHippy Reading Pompomberry House by Rosen Trevithick

27 Jul 2012, 12:31 PM | Post: #2

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RE: Author’s Research – before or after the first draft of your manuscript?

For me I research before putting pen to paper as part of the planning phase. I find the research itself can take the story and characters into new and unusual places :-)

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George Hamilton

27 Jul 2012, 12:46 PM | Post: #3

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RE: Author’s Research – before or after the first draft of your manuscript?

(27 Jul 2012 12:31 PM)TechnoHippy Wrote: For me I research before putting pen to paper as part of the planning phase. I find the research itself can take the story and characters into new and unusual places :-)

I agree TechnoHippy. I did do a small amount of research at the start, but the bulk of it was done after the 1st draft. I'm not sure that it's a method that would work for all novels though.

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Nick Wastnage Reading Pausing, again, between books

15 Aug 2012, 10:29 AM | Post: #4

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RE: Author’s Research – before or after the first draft of your manuscript?

I do most of the major research before I start, as a part of the planning process. I find once I'm ready to start writing, I want to be able to just write with the flow, and with no distractions. I sometimes check my research on the Internet as I go along. Then check it again as I read through the first draft.

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cecilia_writer Reading Bang

15 Aug 2012, 11:05 AM | Post: #5

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RE: Author’s Research – before or after the first draft of your manuscript?

I think it depends on the amount and nature of research you think may be needed.
For the historical novel I've almost finished (after about 4 years of drafting and re-drafting) it really sprung from some of my family history research in the first place, so in a sense I had done most of the research already before I even thought of it. However as it was set partly in 14 century rural Scotland, I decided I'd better do some sort of generic medieval research beforehand. There isn't a lot to find out about this particular setting once you get past the battle of Bannockburn! This gave me the confidence to write the first draft without having to stop and think too much, but I did use a lot of asterisks to mark places where I needed to go back and have another look at the research. Most of them turned out to be geographical issues and not historical ones, and this experience made me feel glad I had invented a place for my mystery novels and not used a real one!

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George Hamilton

15 Aug 2012, 04:53 PM | Post: #6

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RE: Author’s Research – before or after the first draft of your manuscript?

(15 Aug 2012 11:05 AM)cecilia_writer Wrote: this experience made me feel glad I had invented a place for my mystery novels and not used a real one!

I have done a similar thing with the novel I'm working on, Cecilia. By not being specific about the country that it is set in, I don't have to be so accurate with some of the details, although most are drawn from the region.

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Grace Elliot Reading Demelza.

15 Aug 2012, 07:18 PM | Post: #7

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RE: Author’s Research – before or after the first draft of your manuscript?

My genre is historical romance because I am obsessed by history and need some way of justifying a growing library of books to my hubs. The writing process is about steeping myself in the historical period I'm writing about, if I introduce characters in a new situation (eg Vauxhall Gardens or the Egyptian Rooms) then I do some specific research for that topic. However, the detailed stuff is saved until the second draught because to find out what acts were on show, or what colour the walls were, would slow up the flow too much on the first time around.

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LindaGruchy Reading The Chandelier Ballroom by Elizabeth Lord

15 Aug 2012, 08:50 PM | Post: #8

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RE: Author’s Research – before or after the first draft of your manuscript?

This post was last modified: 15 Aug 2012 08:50 PM by LindaGruchy.

I tend to start with a basic idea then do the research after the story has germinated. This can then help the story grow from a basic idea into a novel.

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alexroddie Reading "Pompomberry House" by Rosen Trevithick

16 Aug 2012, 10:19 AM | Post: #9

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RE: Author’s Research – before or after the first draft of your manuscript?

I think most of it simply has to happen before the book is written. For me it isn't a dry process or one that disrupts flow--it actively generates characters and story ideas, and therefore is absolutely vital. I also find it really useful to personally visit settings and wander around ... there's just no comparison in the quality of the writing between a scene set somewhere you've never been, and one you have.

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