Conducting Research - The Importance of Accuracy in Storytelling
Let’s be real, writing something that feels authentic means digging deeper than just imagination. Whether you’re crafting fiction or nonfiction, getting your facts right matters. Not only for your readers, but for yourself. Conducting research helps you build confidence in your writing, push past creative blocks, and shape stories that connect on a deeper level.
For most of us, the research process starts with a Google search and that’s okay. These days, ChatGPT has taken the spotlight for research as long as it’s used responsibly. But there’s so much more we can explore to make our work sharper, more informed, and layered with nuance.
Here are 5 research strategies I personally lean on when I’m writing.
Contents
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1. Start with Personal Experiences
Before you open a hundred browser tabs, start with what you already know. Real life is packed with inspiration and it’s often the most relatable source material you have.
Think about your background, your job history, your struggles, your wins. What are the stories only you can tell? What have you lived through that shaped the way you see the world?
Your personal experiences are emotional gold. They help you tap into truth, vulnerability, and perspective that no textbook or article can match. When you write from lived experience, your words hit harder because they come from a real place.
When I wrote Deadly Sins, a lot of what the characters go through comes from my own life. In Wrath – Unfinished Lessons, Tony works as a doorman—something I used to do myself. In Greed – Jack of Diamonds, Jack plays poker in the backroom of a bar, which mirrors an experience I once had. And in Pride – Natty or Not, Tyler struggles with body image, feeling unsatisfied with his physique no matter how hard he trains—that’s something I’ve personally dealt with every time I hit the gym.
These are just a few small examples of how pieces of my real life made their way into the stories. And honestly, there’s still so much more I could write before even opening a web browser. That said, I still made sure to do thorough research for Deadly Sins especially when it came to the mental health issues the characters face. But everything has to start somewhere and for me, that starting point is always personal.
2. Embrace the Power of Reading
Want to grow as a writer? Read more. There’s no shortcut around this.
Reading expands your knowledge and exposes you to different voices, styles, and ideas. It’s not just about absorbing facts. It’s about understanding how others build their narratives. Whether it’s fiction, memoir, history, or cultural essays, books help you get closer to your subject matter and push your writing to the next level.
You’ll start picking up patterns, learning how to balance facts with emotion, and finding new angles you hadn’t considered. It’s one of the easiest and most powerful ways to research without it ever feeling like work.
Whenever I come up with an idea for a story, I make it a point to read books—both fiction and nonfiction—that connect to the subject in some way. Take my upcoming techno-thriller, 8-Bit, for example. It revolves around a Game Boy being used in a way that threatens the main character’s reality. It carries the eerie, methodical vibes of David Fincher’s Se7en with a twist of Michael Crichton’s tech-driven suspense. You can actually check out the list of books and movies that inspired 8-Bit on its page [click here].
As I dove into those stories and films, I found myself constantly jotting down notes. The more I read, the more ideas I got. These were things that helped shape key plot points, character motivations, even entire chapters. Sometimes I’d finish a scene and be so excited, just from what I’d taken in earlier that day. It made the writing process feel alive.
3. Seek Wisdom from Experts
Sometimes, Google just doesn’t cut it. If you’re writing about something that needs precision, like mental health, medicine, law, or science, reach out to someone who actually knows.
You don’t need to land a formal interview. A short Q&A with a professional, a podcast episode featuring an expert, or even a quick DM to someone in the field can go a long way.
Real experts can give you context and details you’d never find on your own. And when you get those specifics right, your writing gains weight and credibility.
When I first started developing Deadly Sins, back when it was a TV show idea before I ever thought about turning it into a book, I reached out to some professors at John Jay College. I had tons of questions about specific mental disorders, and I wanted to make sure certain character behaviors made sense. It wasn’t a formal interview setup, it was more of a conversation. I was genuinely curious. At one point, I even considered becoming a psychologist myself, so I was really engaged in the dialogue.
Talking to people who live and breathe this subject added a level of depth and authenticity to the stories that I wouldn’t have achieved on my own. If you’re writing about something you’re not familiar with, don’t be afraid to reach out to experts. Start with people you already know, friends, professors, former colleagues, and see if they can connect you to someone in the field. That’s often more effective than cold emailing strangers out of the blue.
4. Harness the Power of Online Resources
We live in a digital era. Use it. From academic journals to TED Talks, forums, YouTube breakdowns, and personal blogs, there’s an overwhelming amount of info at your fingertips.
But here’s the thing: not all information is created equal. Vet your sources. Cross-check facts. Look for content created or reviewed by professionals in the field. The goal isn’t to stuff your story with data, it’s to build a foundation that supports what you’re trying to say.
The more confident you are in your research, the freer you’ll feel to take creative risks.
Once again, using Deadly Sins as an example, specifically the story Envy – Paranoia in Translation. This was hands down the hardest one for me to write. The main character, John Gills, spirals into paranoid thoughts about his model girlfriend, Venera Novak, after immersing himself in red-pilled ideological videos online. My biggest challenge? Writing paranoid personality disorder in a way that felt accurate and respectful.
It was tough because I’ve never experienced that level of jealousy or paranoia personally. I had to pull inspiration from a few people I’ve known over the years and merge them into one character. Still, it didn’t feel like enough. So I hit the web. I watched TED Talks, read academic journals and psychological articles, and dove into anything that could give me insight into the mindset I was trying to capture. I even asked friends about moments when they doubted their partners and what that felt like emotionally.
This story pushed me out of my comfort zone more than any other in the book. But even though it was difficult, the online research gave me a foundation to work with and it made the final product feel grounded and real. Sometimes, those digital deep dives are exactly what you need.
Go through TED and watch some of the most informative videos. [click here]
5. Explore the World of Documentaries
Sometimes, you need to see and hear things to fully grasp them. That’s where documentaries shine.
A good documentary drops you into a world you might never experience firsthand. It shows how people move, speak, and react. Things you can’t always pick up from reading alone. Whether it’s a true crime doc, a social justice series, or an obscure indie piece, these films offer tone, energy, and raw emotion.
Take notes as you watch. Pay attention to the little things like the way someone hesitates before speaking, or how music shapes the atmosphere. Those subtle cues can help you bring your writing to life.
If you want ideas on where to watch, PC Magazine has a solid list of streaming services that host great documentaries. [click here]
While researching for my upcoming novella, The Devil’s Disciple, I watched a handful of true crime documentaries that aligned with the story’s core theme—cold cases and missing persons. That element is central to the plot, so I knew I needed to really understand how those investigations unfold. Even though I have a degree in forensic psychology, it had been a while since I studied active case procedures, so I wanted to refresh my memory and approach the story with accuracy.
The Devil’s Disciple does have subtle supernatural undertones, but I still wanted the crime aspect to feel grounded and realistic. Watching documentaries helped me reconnect with the logic and emotion behind real-life investigations. And honestly? It’s one of the most relaxing forms of research. The information is presented visually, often in story form, so you’re absorbing facts while also getting inspired by real-world pacing, character behavior, and atmosphere. As long as you’re paying attention, the research almost does itself.
Recommended Media on Conducting Research
Books
The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup, and : This book provides a comprehensive guide to conducting research, from formulating a research question to writing a research report. It emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and clear communication throughout the research process.
Research Design by John W. Creswell and J. David Creswell: This book covers the three primary research methodologies—qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. It provides detailed explanations of how to design and conduct studies using each approach, along with real-world examples and practical tips.
YouTube
How to Do Research - Overly Sarcastic Productions
How to get better at doing research [7 crazy simple tips] - Andy Stapleton
Final Thoughts
Research isn’t just about getting the facts right, it’s about honoring the story you’re telling. Whether it’s drawing from your own experiences, diving into books, talking with experts, watching documentaries, or falling down a YouTube rabbit hole, every piece of research adds depth to your work. It brings authenticity to your characters and weight to your themes.
Some of the most powerful writing comes from stories based on real life. Ones that tap into raw emotion, lived experience, and the kind of truth that can’t be Googled.
I’ve experienced this firsthand.
When writing Deadly Sins, I leaned on expert advice and deep research to explore mental health with care. With 8-Bit, I pulled inspiration from books and films to craft a techno-thriller grounded in retro gaming and psychological suspense. And for The Devil’s Disciple, I turned to true crime documentaries to shape a story rooted in cold cases, while blending it with subtle supernatural undertones of the Faustian bargain. Each story required a different approach, but all of them were strengthened by the same thing: research.
So don’t treat research like a chore. Let it be part of the creative journey. Ask questions. Follow your curiosity. Let what you learn inspire new twists, deeper character arcs, and unexpected truths. The more effort you put into understanding the world, the more powerful your storytelling becomes.
Good luck and enjoy the process.
