So we all know about doing research for a non-fiction book, or for any sort of accurate historical fiction tale, right? But what about other types of storytelling? Basically, anything besides memoir/autobiography or fiction-loosely-based-on-your-personal-experiences requires research. Yes, even the highly fictional genres like science fiction and fantasy. 

Why Research? 

Details matter when it comes to worldbuilding for a story. The more little details that are woven throughout a tale (spread throughout the story, not info-dumped all at once), the more real the world of the story will feel to your readers. 

Details like food, clothing, buildings, climate, entertainment—all of these things exist in our lives and we use and are affected by them everyday. In a believable story (yes, even sci-fi/fantasy), the same should be true of your characters. 

For example, in my dieselpunk/historical fantasy series, I did research to make sure that my Roaring Twenties high society women were dressed properly, driving the right models of cars, and to make sure that the high-tech retro-futuristic gadgetry that never existed was actually semi-plausible within the scientific worldview of the 1920s.  

How to Research? 

I will confess that my first go-to for research is Wikipedia. Notice I said my first, however, not my only source of research. Wikipedia (or general Googling) is a great place to find dates or general knowledge. But if you really want to delve deep into world-building, you need to get closer to the source. 

If your book is set in a real place (or inspired by a real place, like a fictional tropical island or a fictional ruined castle), then correct details are important. Traveling for book research isn’t always feasible, but with the internet you have access to maps, photos, and even first-person accounts of people who live there. 

My portal fantasy series The Light-Whisperers of Kalevala is set in Finland, and a fantasy world inspired by Finnish folktales. I’ve probably gotten some details incorrect (unintentionally, of course), but my goal was to create a consistent, believable, and reasonably accurate story world. 

I used Wikipedia and Google maps a lot, but I also read a lot of books (both fiction and non-fiction) about Finnish mythology, reindeer herding, and general Scandinavian life. I listened to Finnish and Sami music, and watched interviews and even movies. Wikipedia is a great place to start, but try to get closer to the source to add nuance to your worldbuilding details. 

Have you done research for a story?