How Research Destroys Writer’s Block

Hope’s Hacks
(some ways to break up that writer’s block)

This month’s cure: Research, research, research

What the cure is: Research as much as possible about the subject you’re writing

Why the cure will help: Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a week ago, I decided to write the third book of my trilogy. This book frightened me because of the enormous amount of research it required. Opposed to the other two titles, this one landed the main character in a very different setting, and I wanted to get all the details right, even though I’d never actually been to that place.

I spent hours scouring interviews of people who’d been there, reading up on all the perspectives of different parties at this location, and reading nonfiction and fiction books placed in that setting.

Armed with the hundreds of pages of notes I took, I decided to dive right into writing.

I’ve never written a book so fast on my own (co-wrote one in nine days with Alyssa Roat, but that’s a whole other story).

In the span of a week, I’ve completed one-third of its contents. I don’t know if I can keep up that momentum, but I imagine I’ll finish it within a month.

Research helps you to have material going into a work. Instead of having to do guesswork or researching while writing, going into the process with a lot of background knowledge helps. Sure, you’ll still Google and hit up your local library, but you’ll have fewer roadblocks to slow you down.

When in doubt, do a lot of preliminary research. I promise the extra time is worth it.

Hope Bolinger is a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. and a graduate of Taylor University’s professional writing program. More than 400 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer’s Digest to Crosswalk.com to HOOKED. She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. Her column “Hope’s Hacks,” tips and tricks to avoid writer’s block, reaches 6,000+ readers weekly and is featured monthly on Cyle Young’s blog, which receives 63,000+ monthly hits. She is excited that her modern-day Daniel “Blaze” released in June with IlluminateYA (an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas) and they contracted the sequel “Den” (July 2020). She enjoys all things theater, cats, and fire. You can find more about her at www.hopebolinger.com