Zeba Ali
- Oct 16, 2020
- 2 min read

How to Research for Your Book? (Step-by-Step Tutorial)

I'm back, guys. I know it's been two months and I'm really sorry for being MIA. There was a wedding at my house, then guests, and much more so it was a lot more difficult for me to focus on writing. But now I'm here with a bunch of helpful topics for you. So...

Research for a book is one of the important topics just like proper grammar. One wrong information and you could lose your reader. But often I get this query from my fellow writers on how to start with researching. First, we will see some important aspects of researching and about what you can research in your novel.

1. Focus on the theme

Say, your book is based on World War II. You have to make sure to remember the theme of your entire novel. What was the condition of that particular place during World War II? What they had opposed to the present world and what not?

If the theme is correctly followed in your novel, congratulations, you have won the half battle.

2. Observe the Pictures

Pictures play an important role in understanding. So if you're researching about someplace, or food they eat, pictures can come really handy for you.

I often use Pinterest for this. It's a very helpful app for me to find images and videos on any topic.

3. What to research about?

That's a vague topic. You can research anything, it can be anything big or too small like names popular in 1700s England. Mostly, when you're researching historical fiction, keep in mind to have proper knowledge about the place, food, and attire. In addition to that, you can also read about the inventions at that time, books or magazines, also the source of entertainment.

Step by Step Tutorial

Here we're going to see how I researched for my ongoing Wattpad novel Uns. That way you will understand what you need to focus on and whatnot.

My novel Uns is based in 1987 Newcastle, Australia, the year when Australia got its biggest earthquake.

My female protagonist, Sairah Hameed is a Muslim from Lebanon, who came to Australia when she was 6 years old mainly as a refugee.

My male protagonist, Uzair Ahmer is an Australian Muslim, a surgeon by profession.

What's the theme of my novel?

The theme is about 1980s Australia. So I have to keep in mind the history before it, also the inventions that have been happened. It revolves around the Newcastle earthquake, so I had to research about that whole incident.

Observe the Pictures

I have to find pictures of Lebanon outfits, architecture, flora, and fauna in 80s Australia.

What to research?

I researched foods Lebanese eat often (Kibbe Meat Pie), slangs used in Australia, attire, magazines, and books available at that time.

I have added the Novel Research Template for your ease. 👇