Research for Fiction Writing

Do You Need to Know the Weather in Chicago on March 7, 1930? (Maybe)

Research for fiction writing can be both inspiring and overwhelming. It’s easy to fall into the trap of endless Googling in the name of “getting it right,” only to find yourself hours deep in historical trivia with nothing on the page.

You sit down to write a scene.

It starts with a simple question: what did Chicago look like in 1930?

You hop on Google, planning to get just enough to color the background—and an hour later, you’re an expert on wind patterns, municipal building codes, and (for some reason) the 1930 weather report for March 7. It feels like progress—like you’re doing important groundwork—but then you glance at the clock and realize:

You haven’t written one word of your scene. 

As  a writer, you want to get the details right—but how do you know when it’s enough? How do you avoid spending hours on research that may never even make it into the final draft?

The truth is, research for fiction writing can be both a gift and a trap. Yes, it’s necessary for creating a believable world. But it can also be a sneaky way to procrastinate—especially when the writing gets hard.

I’ve been there. I once spent half a day researching the prevalence of glass-paned windows in 1850 California only to realize that it didn’t matter to my story AT ALL. 

So how do we find the balance? How do we do enough research without disappearing down the rabbit hole?

The trick? A clear structure for when and how to research.

The 3-Round Research Method

Not all research deserves the same amount of time or energy. To keep myself (and my students) from over-researching, I use a simple system I call the 3-Round Research Method.

Round One: Broad-Strokes Plausibility

Start by gathering the big-picture facts: what’s the time period, major technologies, political climate, and social norms? You don’t need deep expertise—just enough to make sure your story doesn’t feel wildly inaccurate.

Think of this as laying the foundation of your world. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s plausibility.

Round Two: Scene-Level Accuracy

Once you’re writing, you’ll need to add some texture. What would your character see, smell, hear? What kinds of shoes would they wear? How might they light their home at night?

This round is about immersing the reader in a lived-in world. But keep it light. Use specific detail sparingly, and always in service of the story. No info dumps.

Here’s a helpful gut check: would a reader stop and question this detail? If yes, verify it. If not, trust yourself and keep going.

Round Three: Deep-Dive Details

This is the level where it’s okay to find out what the weather was on a Tuesday in 1930—but only if your plot hinges on that storm.

These are the rare, story-critical details that deserve a full deep dive. But be cautious. You usually only need one or two pieces of specific information to make the world feel real.

As I often remind my students: the goal isn’t to prove you did your homework—it’s to make the reader feel like your world is real.

How Much Research for Fiction Writing Is Enough?

Here’s a quick test: will a typical reader pause and question this moment? If so, check your facts. If not, let it go.

We’re aiming for verisimilitude—the appearance of truth—more than literal, academic accuracy. That’s especially important to remember if you’re writing fiction.

You’re not writing a textbook. You’re telling a story. Research supports the story—not the other way around.

One trap I see writers (myself included) fall into is researching tangents that never make it into the book. It feels useful in the moment, but if it doesn’t serve your plot or your characters, it’s likely just another distraction in disguise.

A Few Questions to Reflect On

Let’s have some fun with this. Here are a few questions I often ask myself and my writers in our community—and they always lead to lively conversations:

• What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever researched for your book?
• Do you tend to over-research or under-research?
• How do you know when it’s time to stop researching and start writing?

Want to Write More Without Getting Lost in Research?

Join the Mindful Writing Community and tune in for our mastermind sessions every Wednesday. We dig into topics just like this: how to stay focused, find balance, and actually finish what we start.

Because at the end of the day, no amount of research can replace the writing itself.