Where do I start?

It sounds like maybe you have access to an academic library. I'd recommend doing a subject search for medieval France. Find yourself a couple of good nonfiction books about that time period and start there. That's how I acquaint myself to a time I'm not familiar with and want to write about. Then you get get more specific into details. But I'd start with books on the general history of France in that time.

Edited to add: Because I'm procrastinating, I went ahead and searched my university's library and found a book that looks helpful: David Potter, France in the Later Middle Ages.

Hm, it sounds like you might have a general grasp of the time period, though I might be making assumptions. If you plan to write a full novel, you should start by reading widely about the period in question. You'll need to read about the kings, queens, social history, European politics, art, and so on just to get grounded in the period. Then you need to get more specific. You'll want to read about Paris, Notre Dame, the Church, and gypsies (you have a head start on that with your class!). You will also need to get as deep as possible into the day-to-day stuff. What kind of food did they eat? What kind of things did they do with their free time? What kind of clothes did they wear?

I'm afraid I don't have a good reading list for you since I'm not all that familiar with the period (I'm much more knowledgeable about the same time period in England). But my general advice is to start on the outside, work your way in--and take notes! You won't remember it all otherwise.

Yeah, absolutely. Get big picture first. And no one here kill me, but click through some Wikipedia articles. You'll get a very general sense of the politics, economy, and legal system, which is helpful for when you get the big history books. Also, check out the citations for the Wikipedia articles. Usually some good resources there to delve into. (Just please don't limit your research to Wikipedia! )

Wikipedia isn't a bad place to start. It can give you an overview and lead you to other sources. It's also useful as an aide memoire when (for example) you can't remember exactly when in 1858 Lincoln gave his House Divided speech.

An art history book on the Medieval period would give you a lot about the cathedrals, their design, iconography of the carvings (a woman and a wheel = St. Catherine, a dude full of arrows = St. Sebastian, that type of thing).

Though Notre Dame is a specific cathedral, an art history book will provide you with names and design elements of the architecture, making it easier for you to describe the components if you have action happening in and around the place.

HH <-- art history major

Re Notre Dame - there's a lot written about its specific history, architecture, design, social & institutional functions, etc., as well as about Paris.

Be aware, when you look at stuff about Notre Dame, that both the church & its surroundings have been extensively altered over the centuries. The plaza in front of the church, for instance, is now much larger & much emptier than it was in the 15c. And there were no gargoyles on it in the Middle Ages - those were added in the 19c (because it was thought they *should* have been there) as part of a major restoration/reconstruction.

But yeah, get yourself oriented to the big picture before you start focusing on the details.

IMO Joseph and Frances Gies are the most readable authors of medieval history. Their book, "Life in a Medieval City", is about a city in France so may be of interest to you.