By Darlene L. Turner @darlenelturner

Research—a chore or fun? Doesn’t matter the genre. Every writer has to do some sort of investigation in order to get facts straight and make their stories authentic. Some writers love research while others get the blahs when it comes to this aspect of the process.

Why?

The number one reason is probably because it takes time. Time is precious to all of us and we just want to get to the story. But don’t we want it to be realistic? Research can be exciting. It’s more than visiting a library or scouring the internet for information. Here are some tips and ideas to shed those research blues.

Field trips

Maybe visit a place to get a feel for where the story will take place. Is it in a sleepy small town? A grandeur city like Paris or London? Maybe a romantic train ride? Of course, this isn’t easy right now in our pandemic world and depends on the pocket book. However, in the past I stayed at a quaint B&B in a small town near the Detroit/Windsor border to research the area I wanted to use as the setting in one of my romantic suspense manuscripts. I visited a coffee shop and talked to the locals. Got a great idea from an older resident who told me about the history of the town. Walking the streets of these places gives the author the layout of the land and can be valuable in bringing our fiction to life.

Enroll in a local Citizen’s Police/FBI Academy

Many cities allow the public to partake in this program. If you write suspense, first-hand information on how law enforcement works is invaluable. I had the privilege to take my city’s police academy course and I gained amazing insight into the life of a police officer. Normally, ride-a-longs are only available to the public in a course like this. I encourage all writers who write suspense to take one. You won’t regret it! Also, there’s the Writer’s Police Academy (MurderCon) held every year. It’s a must for all suspense writers.

Interview when possible

Getting information first-hand from our subjects is the best way to go. Relying on the internet doesn’t always cut it. For my suspense novel involving a Canadian police constable, I was able to interview a real live Mountie! Most of the time they will let you email them when other questions arise.

Stay away from cop clichés we see on TV. Not every officer eats donuts. Need more information on dead bodies? Contact a local coroner’s office. What about legal issues? Visit a courtroom session to gather facts.

Take pictures

As they say…pictures are worth a thousand words. When visiting destinations for research, bring it home with you through pictures. Lots of them. Try and take shots in different weather conditions too. This can affect the setting and how people react in sunny and stormy days. Consider an alley at night in a fierce rainstorm. I shudder thinking about it!

Watch the news

This helps writers not only get story ideas, but allows us to see how the culture, law enforcement, and the criminal justice system works in different countries.

These are just a few tips to get rid of those blues. Have a blast diving into research. It’s not only fun but makes our stories authentic.

Darlene L. Turner’s love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message.

Darlene won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense twice and an ACFW Genesis award. Her debut book, Border Breach, won the Canadian 2021 Word Award and placed third in the 2021 Selahs in the Romantic Suspense and First Novel categories. Lethal Cover-Up placed third in the 2022 Selahs in the Romantic Suspense category and second place in the 2022 Director’s Choice. Abducted in Alaska received an Honorable Mention in the 2022 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense Awards. She’s represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Darlene met her husband Jeff at the turtle races in Ontario, Canada. She loves flavored coffee and plaid shirts. You can connect with Darlene at www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders.