So I wrote a book about how I wrote my books. In it, I covered things like lore, character development, dialog, and planning. I thought, what if I showed some of my chapters here.
What you'll find below is one of the chapters from my book "How I wrote my books, And you can too." I hope it helps someone, but I'll understand if no one bothers to read it. Still, if you do read it and get anything from it, I'd ask that you let me know. Also, feel free to check out some of my books and see how I used some of my advice to put together my work.
https://tapas.io/11keys/series
Chapter 3- Research
Research is essential to every great story. We all want to create unique and original worlds, but utilizing information from the real world can give levity and believability to even the most outlandish stories.
Character Names
One of the best reasons to do research is to name characters. Everyone doesn't need an elaborately thought-out name. Sometimes keeping it simple is best. But if you want to set up layers, a name is an excellent place to start.
If your character is a hero, you can look up names that sound heroic or have heroic meanings. If your character is a villain, you can look up names derived from dark moments of history. Perhaps your character is a high priestess of a religion that celebrates water; a name derived from a water god might be what you need. Maybe you're writing a murder mystery; if you give the murderer an evil name, you can signal to your readers that this character is important or give him an innocent name to potentially throw readers off.
Researching names can also help you fit your characters into the setting of your story. If your story takes place in medieval times, you'll likely want older names. If your story is taking place in the future, you'll probably want more unique names.
When naming your characters, you should always keep in mind how their name sounds in general. Think realistically. Just because you manage to find the perfect heroic name doesn't mean it fits. There are some names that parents would never give their children. Some names sound ridiculous, regardless of their meaning.
Don't be afraid to pull names from mythology, history, astronomy, or even people you know in your life. You can find names anywhere; just make sure they make sense, they aren't too on the nose, and they don't sound ridiculous.
Skills and Mechanics
An easy way to make your story believable is to research information your characters should know.
If your character is a soldier, they probably know the difference between different kinds of guns. If your character is a chef, they should know a variety of cooking techniques.
But this goes beyond the skills of your characters.
Perhaps your story is set in space; it would significantly build up the structure and credibility of your book if you understood rockets and astronomy. If your story is set in America during the winter, research what the weather would be like in the location. What kind of animals are present during that time of year.
Pull from the real world, and your fantasy will have something to stand on.
Seven times out of ten, you'll need research when you want to write something into your story that you don't know enough about. If you find yourself being vague because you don't know how to go further into detail, even though you want to, then you could probably benefit from research. And it's ok not to know everything. You'll make up physics, fake technology, and odd patterns. As long as you sprinkle in your research here and there, you can get away with a lot.
Think of your story as a meal, and anything such as lore, backstory, research, or poetic language are the spices you'll add. Too little spice, and your meal will be underwhelming, flat, and lack enough depth to keep the reader invested. Too much spice, and your meal becomes over-saturated and hard to swallow.