Research…technically, it’s not a dirty word. However, to many writers, it might as well be. Though it can be fun, it can also be headache-inducing at times. All in all, well-researched books feel more authentic, and readers do appreciate attention to detail. Any inaccuracies in your setting, real-life events, or historical references will be noticed and could pull readers out of your story altogether.
Before the internet, performing research for a book was a lot more labor-intensive. Though not necessarily intimidating, it did require, at the very least, a trip to your local library to find books and articles about your subject. At most, you might have traveled to another state or country to be sure you got your details just right. Thankfully, we don’t have to go to those extremes anymore – unless we just want to.
With the ability to quickly sort through tons of information, provide summaries, and even help brainstorm ideas, AI tools can make the research phase of writing more efficient and manageable. AI can’t, and shouldn’t, be used to do all your work for you; it can never replace the creativity you bring to even your book promotion. However, AI can be an immensely helpful tool to aid you in those efforts.
Here, we'll explore how AI can help you streamline your research, enhance the quality of your work, and ultimately save you valuable time on your self-publishing journey.
As an example, let’s say you want to write a novel set in 1920s Chicago about a young woman attending university to become a lawyer. You love this idea, you already know your major plot points, and you have your main character's overall journey mapped out in your mind. Now, you need to fill in everything else. How can AI help?
1. Research the Setting of Your Book
About 45% of all students enrolled in college in the U.S. in the 1920s were women. However, only a small number of those women were attending law school, let alone in Chicago. So, you'll want to find out which schools allowed women to attend law school in that time period, and learn more about each of those schools. How to begin?
- Ask your AI tool of choice to generate information for you with regard to which universities in Chicago had women attending for law studies in the 1920s. You can use prompts such as:
- Present the information to me in a chart or table…
- Create a list…
- Give me more information on…
In this case, I asked for a chart, and it gave me some great information in answer to my prompt, providing details about each of the universities that might be helpful.
This will give you a starting point for further research into those universities that included law programs for women at that time.
2. Develop Plot Points
You should already have in mind the character arc of your protagonist, along with key plot points that you want to fully develop. You may already know that you want your main character to be determined, focused, and goal-oriented. But if you're looking to add realism to your narrative, to enhance its authenticity, you'll want to research deeper into what your character might actually be studying or working on while at university.
In this case, I asked the AI tool to give me a chart listing the key cases a female university law student might be studying in 1920s Chicago. As you can see below, a number of the cases involve labor laws, women's rights, and the First Amendment.
This information gives you some great options to further develop your character's interests and focus, while also opening up a whole new set of ideas for further plot points.
3. Familiarize Yourself with the Political and Historical Context of the Era
We've touched on researching the setting of your book, but it's also important to understand the context of society and politics at a given time and how these elements play into your tale. For instance, in this example, I want to know exactly how Prohibition might have affected the lives of my characters, and university life at this time. You may want to ask AI a question that's something like this:
The results will give you more ideas as to what specifics you'll want to lace into your story in some way, such as:
- Prohibition: specifically in Chicago in the 1920s
- Speakeasies and Student Culture: what was needed to gain access to speakeasies, and did Greek organizations on campus have special access to alcohol?
- Common Drinks and Smuggling Methods: what will be your main character's drink of choice, if any, and how did students smuggle their contraband onto campus?
- Law Enforcement & Student Crackdowns: what was a police raid like at the time, and were there consequences for students caught drinking?
- Its Impact on Other Social Movements: did it affect the women's suffrage movement, and if so, in what way?
4. Flesh Out Your Main Character
As much as you may already have your main character mapped out as far as character traits, family background, interests, etc., there are still many historical bits of information you'll want to learn more about that will contribute to the authenticity of your protagonist. Think about your favorite character from a book that you love, and all of the little things that contribute to letting you know exactly who they are.
Perhaps you'll want to research more about what fashions women were wearing at the time in which your novel is set.
Additionally, you'll want to sprinkle some personality into your main character (and the other characters too). Here are some other prompts you might try in an effort to keep them relatable and believable.
Using AI tools to assist in your book research can streamline the process, helping you craft engaging plots, develop authentic character traits, and craft realistic settings. Whether you're uncovering period-specific slang or ensuring historical accuracy in your storytelling, AI can be a powerful tool for writers, ensuring your book is both engaging and accurate.
