Do you research your writings of any kind? Whether it’s a short story, novella to a full size novel, do you research the piece? I am entering a short story in one of Writer’s Digest many contests. The only condition is that it has to be under 4k. Still there were a couple of sections that I did a bit of research to make it accurate.

For my children series I have notes coming out of my yang for each animal in the book to make sure they are in the region I am writing in. I have checked to make sure the scenery is how it’s suppose to be. I have pages of links that I have used to prove my research. Even though some people have told me that this genre does not need to be researched. This is such a huge part of the book. You get one big thing wrong and get the person who knows about it to read your book, brace yourself for that review.

I was reading a book for review and in it the author mentioned how his cockatiel could sing songs with 40 different lyrics. I knew that was inaccurate. I let it go. But every time he went to his office in the book this bird would sing.

I knew again this was wrong. How? I had at that point, and still to this day, been rescuing and adopting birds for over 15 years and of the ones with me were four cockatiels. While they can sing a multiple of songs and sounds I have never heard them sing the words to the song. I even contacted a breeder I knew who had been doing this for over 40 years and she laughed at me. It did ruin what was a great book.

You never know who reads your book. If your novel is one that would benefit from research,do it.