Do you write first or research first?

djunamod · Dec 28, 2011

I know this sounds like a silly question, but I'm just starting to get into writing historical fiction and I was wondering about this. Do you first do all of your research and then write the book or do you first write the first draft to get the story down and then fill in the gaps with research in rewrites?

I'm currently writing a novel set in 19th century San Francisco. I'm anxious to get the first draft down and I do have some background with 19th century history, as I specialized in Victorian literature for my MA degree. So I had a chance to read a lot of 19th century novels and also do a lot of research (especially regarding women's position in Victorian Britain and America) for papers that I wrote. So I feel as if I have enough background to write the story itself and later go in and fill in the details with accurate research.

How do you approach it?

Djuna

donroc · Dec 28, 2011

Welcome, Djuna.

For HF, I have a story idea I first write and outline. Then I research heavily, always searching books on the life, times and mores of the era and location. Then I do a first draft followed by more research as necessary. Then come the next drafts in which I cut as much "telling" as possible without losing the flavor of the times.

Puma · Dec 28, 2011

Welcome to Historical, Djuna. I usually have an idea, which I may sketch out / outline and then do research to fill in before I start writing or I may actually do the needed research as I go through the writing. It sort of depends on what I'm writing and how familiar I am with the subject. But it also depends on what type of research I need to do - if it's something I consider inconsequential like type of clothes - that can wait until an edit read after the first draft is done; if it's whether there was a road that went from point a to point b in the time period - that gets done as I write. Puma

Snowstorm · Dec 28, 2011

For my historical novel, I had most of the research already. It's because of that research that my novel ended up at that locale and the people were in that circumstance. Essentially, I did the macro research first. As I outlined the novel, and later as I wrote it, questions came up, but the tidbits needing an answer became smaller and smaller.

Jamesaritchie · Dec 28, 2011

I research first. It's tough to come up with a good story before doing some research because facts can drastically change whatever you thought you wanted to do.

But I do limit research time. This is a must. It's too easy to let research turn into a six month project, and no writing gets done.

I read two authoritative books on the subject/era/pace. I read them straight through, inserting books marks wherever I find something I want to remember, or will likely use.

Then I start writing, and any gaps in research are easy to fill as I go, or, if not terribly important, easy to skip and fill in later.

Sargentodiaz · Dec 28, 2011

I first got a general idea of what I wanted to write about.
Then using something posted here on AWWC about Creating Characters, I came up with the two protagonists in the story. That was followed by a lot of research on the period, area, and everything else I could think of.
In my case, I had THREE main areas to research:
18th Century England, especially the area around Plymouth. Along with that was extensive research into sailing ships as the MC for this area would be a cabin boy on a ship.
Indian tribes of Sonora/Sinaloa and what their life was like.
Spanish presence in the above area as well as in the Californias. That followed with extensive research on the characters such as Father Serra and Governor Portola' and all the others with them.

At that point, I was ready to start the story - the outline was already there - the real activities recorded in history.

And, as I wrote [and still write] I conducted research, more research and yet even more research after that!!!

Tom from UK · Dec 29, 2011

I research first. What happens is that I get interested in a real historical person or event, I read a lot around it, I get a plot outline, I research details around the plot and then I write.

That's just how I roll. Doesn't make it right.

san_remo_ave · Dec 29, 2011

I do spend some time reading about the era & location I'm going to write about, to get a feel and plot ideas. Then I write the story, using the general info I have (social rules, location constraints, political/social pressures) as a guide but not fleshing out too much of the detail. Then I research during rewrites to layer in the historical details and verify/validate words in use, etc.

Eddyz Aquila · Dec 30, 2011

When it comes to HF, I research first the main idea, then start writing and add the details of the research as I go on.

I never know how my work will end up so I'd rather let the imagination carry me on and the research accordingly.

Flicka · Dec 30, 2011

I do a lot of research before starting, but then I do a lot of research during to... I don't think I ever stop researching, actually.

Belle_91 · Dec 30, 2011

Before, during, and after.

I outline a little before and get a good solid idea in my head. Then I research as I write the story. I also do researching after I've finished the first, second, third, and fourth draft lol. Like Flicka said, I'll never stop researching.

I think it's best, though, to get your feet wet in your era before you start writing. Learn what kind of phrases/words were used back then, and how people conducted themselves.

That's just my personal opinion.

ULTRAGOTHA · Dec 30, 2011

I got my idea and wrote down a few thousand words of it based on knowledge I already had. I then started researching. Research gave me some good ideas but also, uncannily, confirmed things I'd already done.

I'd named my 15 year old main female character Ana and made her be the sister of whoever was the Tsar that year. When I looked up the Romanovs, lo! There was Grand Duchess Ana Pavlovna, sister of Tsar Alexander I, who was 15 years old the year I set my story. Things like that kept cropping up, it was spooky.

But I also adjusted things based on research, and came up with some useful scenes and plot lines.

For a while, I researched the bits surrounding what I was writing, then wrote it. But now I'm taking a break to do a LOT of research to cut down on re-writing. I downloaded a book on Anglo-Saxon law last night to read on my tablet (yes, 9th century Anglo-Saxon law is relevant to my story set during the Peninsular War in the early 19th century!

)

Hip-Hop-a-potamus · Dec 30, 2011

Before during and after here too.

Creative nonfiction means I'm constantly having to meld my content seamlessly into the environment. First I research enough to get something started.

Then I discover I need more info, so I look that up. I discover I have errors through even more reading, then I have experts find problems with content or timeline, and have to rewrite that, so have to read and research even more.

Yeah...this particular darling is killing me with the research (2 years worth and still counting...). But it's starting to look really fantastic. My writing group loved my first chapter. :hooray:

Hip-Hop-a-potamus · Dec 30, 2011

djunamod said:
I know this sounds like a silly question, but I'm just starting to get into writing historical fiction and I was wondering about this. Do you first do all of your research and then write the book or do you first write the first draft to get the story down and then fill in the gaps with research in rewrites?

I'm currently writing a novel set in 19th century San Francisco. I'm anxious to get the first draft down and I do have some background with 19th century history, as I specialized in Victorian literature for my MA degree. So I had a chance to read a lot of 19th century novels and also do a lot of research (especially regarding women's position in Victorian Britain and America) for papers that I wrote. So I feel as if I have enough background to write the story itself and later go in and fill in the details with accurate research.

How do you approach it?

Djuna

If you haven't read "McTeague" yet, i would highly recommend it. It takes place in SF in the very late 19th/very early 20th century. It became the silent movie "Greed" by Erich Von Stroheim. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McTeague)

Lots of good detail.

kelliewallace · Dec 30, 2011

I write and research at the same time. I like to read what i write and write what i read- if that makes sense. Research can only give you more cannon fodder to use

ishtar'sgate · Dec 30, 2011

djunamod said:
Do you first do all of your research and then write the book or do you first write the first draft to get the story down and then fill in the gaps with research in rewrites?

Definitely research first. For me there's no such thing as filling in gaps with research. For a period to come alive it has to be woven through the entire fabric of the story.

firedrake · Dec 31, 2011

I research enough, especially if my story is centred around an historical event. I start with a time-line listing major incidents and that pretty much dictates the plot.

With the historical I've just finished - I researched the Sepoy Uprising and knew that I wanted my main characters caught up in one of the sieges. Lucknow has been written about a lot, so I looked into the Siege of Agra which wasn't quite so tough on the besieged as Lucknow. Then I did further research into Agra and struck lucky because I found a contemporary account which filled in a lot of blanks.

I started writing and if I needed details on a specific thing then I did further research as I went along..

Elenitsa · Dec 31, 2011

kelliewallace said:
I write and research at the same time. I like to read what i write and write what i read- if that makes sense. Research can only give you more cannon fodder to use

So do I. I research at first, then I start writing and I research while writing. It gives me more ideas and more inspiration...

Lil · Dec 31, 2011

You need to do at least enough research to know if your story idea is possible in the time period you've chosen. And then, no matter how much research you've done, questions will arise and you're off to the library again. (The Internet will not always suffice.)

Evangeline · Dec 31, 2011

Like everyone else, I research before, during, and after. It also helps to read up extensively on your chosen time period/setting, so that when you develop ideas, you don't have to keep returning to the basics every time you want to write a new book.

donroc · Dec 31, 2011

I also place post-its on the books I purchase for research so I can locate the subjects -- food, clothing, info on historical characters.

And, I write to people in foreign countries through contacts for sources, help with municipal archives, and such.

Not finding info for gaps or if the info is 180 degrees debatable frees the creative muse from the shackles of so-called historical facts.

JWNelson · Jan 1, 2012

Evangeline said:
Like everyone else, I research before, during, and after. It also helps to read up extensively on your chosen time period/setting, so that when you develop ideas, you don't have to keep returning to the basics every time you want to write a new book.

I agree and find that continually educating myself produces new ideas for the story

Raula · Jan 3, 2012

I usually write first. My latest project is based upon real life people so I needed to do preliminery research. I already had a thorough background knowledge from my undergrad and writing a previous 17thC novel, however I still needed to remind myself of details and look up this and that whilst writing the first draft. Once I completed my first draft, I booked a session at the Sheffield Archives to look at the Strafford Papers, a set of papers written by and to the hero of my novel. This helped to tie him down to places at certain dates and get a more thorough insight into his domestic affairs. The biggest shocker was discovering that his second wife had a cancer scare in 1629 - something I could hardly ignore and so I am now finding a way of fitting it into the current plot!

There's no right or wrong answer. One thing I will say is you'll do more drafts than you ever thought possible and you will be slotting in research throughout. However, none of those drafts will happen before the first one is written down!

Danielz · Jan 3, 2012

First I research to help me get ideas for the general plot. Then as I write each scene I research whatever is necessary.

triceretops · Jan 3, 2012

I'll research up front to see if I have enough info to give my story the slant it needs, then I'll research along the way for minor details and facts. I'll bookmark everything I can find so I can find easily.

Tri

Do you write first or research first?

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