Researching for a Book

So, I have an idea for a book, but what do I do with it? Do I start scribbling down ideas and plot lines and creating characters right from the start? Or do I begin with simple things like names, dates, and setting? The answer to that question falls somewhere in a gray-ish middle area. I write a little and then start researching. I start by writing down the general idea of the book. I notate the major plot and maybe a sub plot or two. I also describe the general setting of the book. This is about as far as I go before I start researching different concepts and analyzing the viability of certain ideas. I don’t want to go too far down the rabbit hole before finding out that there is a limitation I hadn’t foreseen.

Before I fully commit to a book idea, I need to make sure that the general idea, concepts or plot line can physically or theoretically occur. So, for instance, if my book takes place in a world where there’s little to no gravity, and a man points a gun at a victim and pulls the trigger, what happens next? I need to be able to understand, for instance, what type of recoil occurs? How fast does the bullet travel? What happens to the bullet after it leaves the barrel of the gun? While this is only a thin example, it illustrates the need for proper research.

So, that begs the question of how do I do my research? I have a multi-faceted approach. The first and quickest tool I turned to is the Internet. I pull up my web browser and type in various scenarios. I collect the information and then determine the quality of the answers. Because the Internet can provide such a wide range of answers from the unbelievably abstract to the unequivocal truth of fact and science, I must take into account the quality of the source.

What exactly am I researching? Everything that I can. This is true for setting, timeframe, period clothing, objects and artifacts, tools or items used by characters, vehicles, machines, science and physics, and much more. The rule of thumb I go by is if I don’t know the exact answer to something, then I must research to ensure I’m writing truthfully. Let’s take weapons for an example. If I have a character who uses a gun and I want to make him seem really cool, I have to use the right terminology. If our hero picks up a Glock and points it at the villain cocking the hammer back with his thumb, I’ve just irritated if not alienated all the weapons experts reading the story. A Glock does not have a hammer to cock back. They are striker-fired. This means there is a spring-loaded firing pin which is part of the slide. Does that make sense why research is so important?

The second tool I use for research is AI. Over the past several years, the growth of artificial intelligence has provided certain benefits in regards to an author. I am not going to get into the debate of whether an author should use AI to write their work. My stance is firm in this regard. I believe an author should write their own work. I only use artificial intelligence to help me gather research for material that I write.

Why would I use AI when I can simply type my questions into a web browser? If I were to type a variety of questions into my browser of choice, the responses that I would get in return may be pertinent to my question or they may be off in left field. Additionally, I may have to do many different types of searches in order to collect all the data I need. When using a web browser, responses are generated and presented to us in a series of pages ranked by importance by the search engines. It may take me a long time to sort through all of the links in order to find what I’m looking for.

AI engines such as ChatGPT, Grok, Claude, and Gemini offer a rich and often human – relatable response. With the advances in artificial intelligence, these new engines can provide detailed information that might take hours to collect if using a web browser alone. Now keep in mind that just like web browsers on the Internet, you have to consider the source. Artificial intelligence, much like the Internet, has to be taken with a grain of salt. AI isn’t perfect and its responses aren’t always correct, but by and large I have found them to be helpful.

The third tool I use is the good old fashion telephone. I call a real live human. I ask experts in their field. Whether I speak with curators at a museum, weapons experts, university scientists, or other professionals in different fields, it is important to have conversations with real people. It is wholly different than having a one-way conversation with a computer. By speaking with a human, you are able to have back-and-forth discussions that you can’t have with a bot. Working with other humans is an invaluable experience. Take advantage of the opportunity.

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