Research for Writing a Book Masterclass
Expert book research methods, tools and rules to build credibility and bring your book to life
Whether you’re a fiction or nonfiction writer, researching your book is crucial to its success – and to your credibility as a writer.
Research for fiction writers means gathering information to paint a vivid and authentic picture of the time period, location and characters of your story. For non-fiction writers, it means testing the basis of your argument and gathering evidence to convince readers of it.
Done well, book research enhances your story, increases your credibility and enthralls your audience. Done badly, it can see all your hard work go to waste as your book gathers dust on the shelf.
When the stakes are high and the methods are endless, researching your novel or nonfiction book can seem a daunting prospect. But it doesn’t have to be. Successful published authors use tried-and-true methods, tools and rules for conducting book research effectively and efficiently. In this course, we’re sharing them.
If you want to learn how to research for writing a book like a professional, this course is for you.
Set Yourself up for Success
Learn how to do research for a book and lay the foundations for a compelling and realistic story.
What you’ll learn in How to Research for Writing a Book Masterclass
This course is designed to help you master book research so you can write more realistic, authentic, and accurate books and build trust as an author. It explores expert methods and innovative techniques for conducting research for books of different genres, as well as some guiding principles for efficient, ethical and productive research.
Sessions in this FREE Course
The importance of Research in Creative Writing
Understand the role of research in creative writing and why it’s crucial regardless of genre.
How to structure your research
Learn how to scope, plan and structure research for writing a book, and get time-saving tips on how to organise and manage your research.
Where to conduct research for writing a book
Explore trustworthy and useful places to research your book, from Edu-tainment media like podcasts and books to interviews, websites and locations.
How to use electronic organisers in your research
Find tools for efficient book research that help you easily store, organise and access the information you need.
Adding surveys to your research for a book
Learn how to use surveys to gain reliable and usable data and enhance your research, and get expert recommendations on specific survey tools to use.
How to improve your non-fiction book research
We discuss formulas for success in researching non-fiction books, such as answering questions for a hypothetical reader, and provide websites and a checklist to help you master it.
How to do military research for a book
Get the lay of the land in conducting military research with a checklist and trusted sources of information on military tactics, techniques and procedures.
How to do historical research for a book
Learn to gather the information you need to transport readers back in time to where your story is set convincingly with a checklist and recommended resources.
How to do crime and mystery research for a book
Get tips for finding a fresh take on a classic crime mystery story and inspiration for developing unique and unpredictable motives with a checklist and recommended credible sources.
How to do fantasy and science fiction research for a book
Learn to create a plausible world and weave complex elements into a compelling and original story with a sci-fi research checklist and trusted sources of information.
Creative Writing Research Course FAQs
How important is research in writing a book?
Research is absolutely crucial in writing a book, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. Fiction writers must research to gain a deep knowledge and understanding of the era, location, industry or culture in which their story is set. Non-fiction writers must research to gather evidence that proves the argument they make in their book, such as statistics, first-person accounts, or peer-reviewed literature.
What is research in creative writing?
What are some creative writing topics?
Sometimes, writers use creative writing prompts or ‘writing topics’ to get into a creative mindset and practice their writing with a specific task. These topics or prompts provide the setting or subject for a practice writing task, allowing writers to skip the sometimes difficult task of picking something to write about.
Some good examples of creative writing prompts include:
- A story about a holiday
- The history of a thrift store item
- Someone receives a one-star review
About Insider Expert online writing courses
Our user-friendly online creative writing courses are designed to be your go-to resource for all things writing and publishing. They can be watched from anywhere at any time, so you can learn and write whenever and wherever it suits.
Each package contains a collection of stand-alone lessons honing in on a specific skill, concept or technique, and you can take them in any order you like. Keep track of what you’ve learned or skip to the lessons you want the most in your personalised dashboard, and easily find any lessons you’ve missed.
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Testimonials
What other people say about us
“Great content. I’m loving the quality of information and finding myself much more inspired. The range of tools are fantastic and the handouts alone would be of great value at the price. After going through the planning phase I have at least 10 more ideas, plus I now have an understanding of effective outlining. Highly recommend this to anyone.”
“These courses offer a comprehensive and engaging path for the journey of a writer from the conception of an idea to the publishing of a book. It is very useful to have all aspects tied together. Both fiction and non-fiction are examined, which is effective as there can be an emphasis on fiction alone. The explanations and examples would engender confidence in those who might feel strongly about writing but hesitate to start.”
Set Yourself up for Success
Learn how to do research for a book and lay the foundations for a compelling and realistic story.