Historical novelists depend on many types of research to create believable characters, appropriate to their time and place, and to effectively immerse the reader in a specific era and setting. To make people of the past come alive and present them more fully, the author can move far, far beyond Google and Wikipedia and delve into their attitudes, habits, restrictions, and concerns. Explore the various techniques for gathering necessary information and accurate details without getting lost in a bottomless research rabbit hole. How much is too much—or not enough? To what extent can we tweak the facts to serve our fictional plot? Discover how you can conduct research with maximum efficiency, leaving more time for actually writing your book!

Margaret Porter is a recipient of the 2019 New Hampshire Literary Award for Outstanding Work of Fiction for Beautiful Invention: A Novel of Hedy Lamarr. She is the author of twelve other historical novels for various publishers. Her works include bestsellers, award-winners, and many foreign language editions. According to Publishers Weekly, she is notable for presenting “vivid historical figures and events . . . rigorously researched and faithfully portrayed.” Margaret regularly presents workshops on historical research and writing techniques at national and regional writers’ conferences, and is included in Who’s Who in Authors, Editors and Poets and Who’s Who in Entertainment. More information is available at her website, www.margaretporter.com.