How do writers research?

Anyone cleaning up the search history on my laptop would probably be disturbed by the topics they’d see listed.

I’ve got to admit, I was more than a tad uncomfortable myself as I scrolled through the various questions I posed to Google within the past few months.

Among the most interesting were these:

• What time of year are most dead bodies found floating in lakes?

• How much force does it take to snap someone’s neck?

• How to summon a ghost?

• Can you eat a Himalayan salt lamp?

• What does the inside of a meth lab look like?

• Why can a cow walk upstairs but not downstairs?

• Why are yawns contagious?

• What to do if a family member reveals they’ve killed someone?

• What is a skinwalker?

• How would one get away with murder?

• What is the longest, steepest fall someone has survived?

• Most upsetting things about AI?

• Did a woman really die from a toothache?

• What is Capgras Delusion?

Aside from the silly questions about the salt lamp, cow, and yawning, I exhibit a disturbing trend toward investigating the macabre. And if you’ve stumbled upon this newsletter without knowing anything about my background, you would certainly suspect I suffer from Antisocial personality disorder.

Relax, I’m a psychological suspense author, not a psychopath.

It’s my job to unearth facts about topics like dead bodies, serial killers, mysterious disappearances, and odd psychological conditions.

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So, how do writers research?

You might wonder how to do research for a fiction book, so here's what I do...

1. Focus on a subject

Depending on what I’m writing, I’ve been known to hyperfocus on specific subjects—the more grisly, the better.

A group of what I suppose you could call fire-related issues popped up in my search history en masse a few months ago. That list included the following:

• At what temperature does glass burn?

• At what temperature does wood burn?

• At what temperature does metal burn?

• Why is bone the only component of the body that doesn’t burn?

• If a car catches fire during a downpour, will the rain extinguish the flames?

2. Be willing to question everything

I was clearly researching for a scene in which I planned to create a catastrophic event involving fire, but I can completely understand if a hapless Geek Squad employee tasked with troubleshooting and data recovery of my computer files might consider alerting the authorities.

When I recall other topics I’ve obsessed over, I realize that some of my burning questions might appear just plain weird to others. Among my oddball requests of Google:

• What would you do if you discovered your whole life was based on a lie?

• What are the darkest thoughts people experience but have seldom shared?

• What are the most disturbing medical experiments ever conducted?

• How would you react if you were chosen for a reality survival show and didn’t discover until the final episode that you were the only one competing, and that all the other contestants were merely actors?

2. Explore all possibilities

Investigating these topics and so many more—from the mundane to the extraordinary—are, ironically, the result of healthy curiosity.

Pondering possibilities in our wide, wacky world is what sparks the imagination and enables us to create stories that inspire, intrigue, horrify, comfort, etc.

As long as the topics are not illegal or guaranteed to put you on a government watchlist, let your mind run free and travel to all the places it wants to go! Readers will thank you for the research and be more willing to pay for the opportunity to discover what goes on in that twisted mind of yours!

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How to do research for a fiction book

I Know She Was There (2024)

When I was writing my debut suspense, I Know She Was There, the research into my protagonist’s dilemma brought up so much more than I’d initially anticipated.

I had intended to write a twisty, addictive thriller about a witness to a crime, but my research—endless deep dives into the histories of famous misfits who felt unloved—helped me shape the character of protagonist Caroline Case, placing her in the center of a dark tale about weaponizing class resentment. She’s not a completely empathetic character. She’s a stalker who makes bad decisions. Spying on wealthy strangers through unclosed window blinds in the dead of night sets her up as being unreliable about anything, including the atrocity she thinks she sees. The destabilization is what provides something much more compelling. She enters the novel as a troubled woman, not an innocent bystander stumbling upon a crime as she wheels her infant through an upscale neighborhood. She’s there for a reason: to glean whatever secrets she can from the unwitting residents.. 

Maybe You Lied (2026)

For my upcoming suspense novel, Maybe You Lied (to release September 2026), I delved into the dark side of what it means to be in a family.

Most of us believe (often incorrectly) that those blood connections will protect and support us, no matter what happens. Plenty of research into the dark side of family relations has taught me otherwise. I have discovered that not only do family ties bind, but family lies do as well. And why do we lie to each other? The reasons are fascinating! I hope you’ll want to find out by preordering the book when it’s available!

Reach out with your thoughts!

Meanwhile, have you got a twisted tale to share or a crackerjack research technique that could help your fellow writers? Please share in the comments below.

And as always. . .

HAPPY READING AND WRITING!

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