31 Day Writing Tips - Day 5

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Your novel is finished, now what? It's time for edit and revision, with an emphasis on revision. It's time to flesh out your novel, add in the details and descriptions and take out the fluff that doesn't move the story forward. It's also time for research if you didn't do that while you wrote the novel. Research is important no matter what genre you write. There is always something to learn, especially with historical fiction. You need to know the highlights and important events of the era you're writing about. You can't just write a novel and expect it to be accurate without research. When working on my historical fiction series, I needed to know who the English monarchs were during that time. I have pirates, how active were they. I have ships, what did they look like? I also needed to know the basics of colonial life in Colonial America. It was also necessary to do a little research into the proper etiquette of English aristocracy. With my last novel, there was even more research needed when it came to the interaction between a Christian and a Moslem. Historical novels aren't the only place research is required. You need it in every genre, even science fiction, and fantasy. So, if you're thinking about writing a novel, don't forget the research. Your audience will appreciate the work you did, even though they aren't aware of it. They would know if you didn't, especially if you get facts they know incorrect. I hope this helped. If you're an author, how much research do you typically do for your novel? Thanks for reading.