Use research to improve your novel

Writing a good novel requires doing research--and the Library is here to help. We have access to lots of databases that can help you come up with an idea for your novel; develop a better understanding of your setting, your characters, and your plot; and make your novel more true to life.

Plot

Say you're writing a scientific thriller. Science in Context searches like a website. You can search for breaking scientific news or look through popular science subjects to make your plot more accessible. Once you have your scientific idea (like genetics) you can search for images, experiments, or videos to give your plot believability.

General Reference Center Gold has an advanced option that lets you limit your search to a specific timeframe, which lets you consider only the most up-to-date information. If you're searching for human genetics, you'll find information about the Gruber Prize in Genetics, an annual award of $500,000--now there's motivation for your character!

Maybe a modern romance is more your style. Say you're having a secretary go on holiday to the big island of Hawaii. You'll need to know a bit about the history of Hawaii or what modern Hawaii looks like. DISCovering Collection is a good place to start for both video and audio media. Type in "Hawaii" and limit to multimedia and limit to video--now you can see a volcano erupting, which will help you describe it more accurately in your novel. Or perhaps you want to see landscape of Hawaii: just limit your multimedia to images to see a crater or what a volcano looks like after it erupts.

It would also be great to know a little about the history of Hawaii so that your two characters may explore the island as they develop their romance. You can use US History in Context to learn who the queens of Hawaii were, to read first-person accounts of historic events, or to find Hawaiian poems the secretary's lover can recite to her. All of these accurate description of Hawaii will help your story come alive.

Character

Now that you've developed an idea for the plot, you'll need to create authentic characters your readers will remember.

Maybe your character is an investment banker. You can use Morningstar to learn which stocks your character should know about. You can find hot picks that are relevant for today's successful investor, and even watch videos so you can develop a sense for how people talk about finances.

D&B Million Dollar Directory lists information on approximately 1,600,000 U.S. and Canadian public and private businesses. Type in "Microsoft," click on "View Global Ultimate Profile" and bingo! you have all the names your character needs to drop and a little information about some of theme. These details make your character feel real.

Or maybe your character suffers from a disease. MedlinePlus gives you the symptoms, difficulties, risk, and even treatments that your character may go through. What if your character wants to go the alternative route to healing? Health and Wellness Resource Center includes both drug and herbal remedies. These databases will allow you to make sure that your characters feel real to a reader who may be experiencing the same issue as your character.

Maybe you want to write about a character that lived in America in the early 1800s. Say your character is a slave owner. The African American Experience will help you find posters from that time period advertising bounties for fugitive slaves. Seeing these posters can give you a better feel for how people spoke and wrote at the time, and you can pick up real names and places.

Once you have those historical figures in mind, you can use Ancestry Family Library to learn more about those people. You can find death certificates, family members, marriage records, and all sorts of other historical connections and artifacts. You can use these real historical facts to build your character or your character's network of friends and family members.

Setting

You'll want to use our databases to learn about the setting in which your novel takes place to make it feel real.

Say you're writing about revolutionary America. HeritageQuest can help you see what churches looked like, how people dressed, or what money looked like at the time. You can also see maps that show you what the topography for a certain area was like. Using all of these images, you can place your character in surroundings that feel authentic.

Anything else?

Our librarians are always happy to help you do the research you need to write a great novel. Come in to the library to ask questions, email us to schedule a more in-depth reference appointment, or call or IM us if you have a question now.