Picture this: you have set up a daily writing time and place. You sit down to work and get about five or six sentences in, only to run across an image or situation in which some type of research would make it pop. Maybe a picture to help visualize an object for description or what kind of hard metal is best for the weapon a character is forging. Whatever it is, it needs to be researched now. These are research pitfalls.
“If we knew what we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?”
— Albert Einstein
And luckily, there is one place that has an answer to almost anything—the internet. The place where all productive time goes to die. Once online, Threads beckons or emails pop up, and before long, your entire writing block is gone with only those six original sentences.
Sound familiar? It only took a couple of these research pitfalls to prove that writing and research are entirely different. Why? Because research, while necessary, does not move the plot forward. Don’t get me wrong. For most authors, research is vital to the creative process as it can structure the plot and help prevent issues. But research pitfalls don’t get actual words on the page. Here are a couple ideas to prevent this going forward.
Time Blocking
The practice of weekly time blocking allowed me to separate research periods from writing blocks (you can also use this to dictate when and for how long you will use social media and other distractions). When a section arrives where my mind is screaming for research, instead of disrupting the writing flow, I insert a description in my prose of what research needs to be done or highlight the word (say SWORD) in a bright color so it’s easy to come back and replace it. I also jot down the research item in my physical writing journal in lists like: “Look up types of metal by hardness” and “Research types of sailing knots,” etc. Later that day, all items were on a workable list in a research block.
Organization
Collect images and notes for research in Scrivener. This is not a paid post; I bought it and use it for most writing projects. Scrivener projects have an entire research section where you can save pictures, take notes, or load entire websites if your needs suit you. Then, split the screen while working on a section of the story where the information is required. This feature helps describe landscapes or objects I’ve found inspirational pictures for.
Or use Obsidian. This program allows you to create many lists, and there are many plug-ins to customize it to your needs. For the same issues as research pitfalls, make sure to do this at a different time than your writing time.
Regardless of how you choose to organize your research, the key word is “organize.” The last thing you want to do is put time and energy into collecting information only to not be able to find it when the time comes to write. Wasting time looking for previously sourced information isn’t writing, either.
Pull the research pitfall plug
With all of the research in one place, you can shut off the internet and get back to writing. The portion to update is already flagged in yellow, easy-to-find text, and then it’s a matter of filling in the holes in the scene or conversation. And at least part of the time when I go back, I find the exact details weren’t pertinent in the first place. Using writing time to research only to find out later it wasn’t required is a waste.
Making time for research outside of writing reinforces that the hours I spend at lunch are only for writing. It is not for checking email, surfing Twitter, or looking for the correct gun that a KGB agent would use. Information can be gathered and added in later, so I am free to keep the plot moving forward.
Hand in hand with this is the concept of using deep diving to enhance your writing. This means creating a space where writing is the only task to focus on, leaving other distractions for later. I came across this term in a podcast and plan to go more into its uses in the next blog.