by Sherry Ellis, @513sherrye
Our job as writers is to create believable and entertaining stories for our readers. This is true whether you’re writing for children or adults. Details about the setting — location, time period, and everything that goes with it — are what make the story realistic. Research is part of the process. Writers need a clear picture in their minds to build their imaginary worlds.
The trick is knowing how much information to include without making it seem like an info dump. You might be interested in who the architect of a famous monument is, but more than likely, your reader won’t care. When including facts from your research, ask yourself if it moves the story forward. Does it establish the setting? Does it advance the plot? Does it help explain the actions of your characters? If you’re not sure, put the information into a separate folder and see if there may be a place for it somewhere else in the story. In the case of writing juvenile fiction, topics about the supernatural, or mythical characters may be of interest to the reader. Including them, even if they don’t directly move the plot forward, may be a good idea as long as they somehow relate to the story.
Readers care about characters. Your research should make them as realistic as possible. It’s fine to occasionally include facts and trivia, especially if you’d like young readers to learn something, but they should never take the reader out of the story. When including those things, consider how your characters will react to whatever information you provide.
Research is more for the author. It helps you know the facts so that you can be more of an authority when writing fiction. If it feels real, and it’s entertaining for your intended audience, you’ve done your job.
Author @513sherrye With Tips For Incorporating Research Into a Story: Share on X
Join me today for authorSherry Ellis’ MC Book Tour for her latest release, BUBBA AND SQUIRT’S
MAYAN ADVENTURE.
fiction story that readers of all ages will enjoy.
◊ Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press (Sept. 7, 2020)
◊ Print & eBooks
◊ Paperback: 96 pages
◊ ISBN-10: 1939844703
◊ ISBN-13: 978-1939844705
civilization!
Squirt find when they travel through the mysterious vortex for another wild
adventure. There they meet archeologists who are unearthing priceless
artifacts.
them. And an encounter with the Tate Duende awakens magic within Bubba. Throw
in the mysterious Alux and a new discovery and things get sticky.
solve the mystery, or will they be stuck forever in the jungles of Belize?
the Author
Sherry Ellis is anaward-winning author and professional musician who plays and teaches the
violin, viola, and piano. When she is not writing or engaged in musical
activities, she can be found doing household chores, hiking, or exploring the
world. Ellis and her family live in Atlanta, Georgia.
* Goodreads * Blog * Website * Amazon Author Page
GIVEAWAY
tour-wide giveaway. She is giving away ten (10) autographed print copies of the
book open to all. Be sure to enter below on the Rafflecopter widget. If the
widget doesn’t appear, click HERE to enter
the giveaway. The giveaway ends at midnight on Oct. 17th.
today. Do you enjoy all different types of genres and age-related stories?
Photo on VisualHunt.com
I enjoy books were authors include just enough research to make me want to learn more. Great tips, Sherry.
Elizabeth, thanks for being a part of Sherry’s tour.
All of that is just as important for any genre.
Well done, Sherry!
Thanks, Alex!
Great tips on getting the balance right when sharing research in your books. Sherry is right that the characters are more important than tidbits about research we’ve done.
Sherry, thanks so much for posting today! All the best for your latest book.
Thank you for hosting Sherry today.
Research really does make a book so much more believable and interesting, too. For me, research has to serve the story. If it doesn’t, it becomes, as you say, ‘information dump.’ I think that’s one question I ask myself about nearly everything as I’m writing, including research: does this serve the story? Thanks for your suggestions on this.
Congratulations, Sherry. Best of success to you. Enjoy your release.
Thank you, Joylene!
Great points! I like doing enough research that I feel immersed in the subject or setting. It’s easy for me to get trapped in rabbit holes when I’m researching because it’s so much fun :)
Sherry’s book is a whole lot of fun and a great read for everyone!
Thanks, Jemi! I appreciate that you’ve been part of my tour and that you’ve been following along at all these stops!
Thanks, Jemi! I hear you when it comes to getting involved with research. It just keeps going and going…
Thank you so much for being part of my blog tour today! I really appreciate it!
Hi Elizabeth – and Sherry you’ve obviously got a grip of your characters … especially the aim for children – Bubba and Squirt are special with delightful names … I wonder where they’re going next? Congratulations … Hilary