A
small little note, research is essential, even in a romance book. I started
reading a Military Romance last night. It also deals with the Navy. So, it was a
great choice. I know most people who read it are there for the romantic story
between the two leads. But I also like the whole story.
The
author made a couple of massive, glaring errors within the first two chapters,
which killed my vibe. I’ll still finish it, but my hype level is diminished. And
potentially making me skip other similar books the author has written.
Yeah,
on a more important note, it is essential to do some proper research. For
example, suppose you are writing a Romance series centered around a motorcycle
gang. In that case, you might want to learn about motorcycles. You wouldn’t
want to say something like, “The hero sped away from the police at 300 mph on
his Harley.” That would sour readers and might cause them to skip other books
in your series.
Again,
most readers are there for the romance, but you will still get those who are
there for everything.
The
topic of research has come up in several group discussions. Caution must be
used when doing said research, especially if you look up a way to bring harm
(death) to people and not be noticed. Or if you search how to burn down your
house and make it look like an accident. Just make sure if you are asking a
person, tell them you are a writer. They might still think it strange, but it
will be taken differently by them.
The
internet is a wonderful tool, but also be aware there are pitfalls. Some sites could
be set up with a virus. One rule I use, if a site title in search results is in
Chinese, I avoid it. If you think you need an extra layer of protection while searching,
use a VPN, Virtual Private Network. You can download them for your devices and
your computer. These let you search with a decent layer of anonymity.
One
of the best sources for research are other authors. One of the groups I am in
has a really great group of writers that share a good deal. If you are in a
group, ask. You never know who may have already found the information you are
seeking.
You
do not have to become a subject matter expert in anything you look up. Just get
a good feeling for things before you write. Just adding that little bit of
correct data to your book will go a long way. It could make the difference in
holding readers for your entire series or losing them after just a few
chapters.
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