“Everything an author writes needs to be researched”

It never fails to surprise me just how casual writers are in gathering information that’s so essential for their characterisation, plot and location. These are vital ingredients in the success of any story, yet are left unchecked – meaning that the book is destined to fail.

This is a great pity because no matter what the genre, the spine to any book is always in the research but it is sadly neglected. Once again, it’s best encapsulated in my favourite literary soundbite, “They’ll know what I mean.”

Authors make assumptions as an excuse for laziness. This should not be; it’s your book and every care should be taken. Attention to detail is paramount because as the writer, it’s your responsibility.

Although both my best-selling Yoof-Speak books were about putting a modern slant on the works of William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, it was important I remained true to the original texts and knew my facts. I had to research them by reading all the original works so I couldn’t be pulled up for neglect.

Research has to be meticulous because to assume the reader will overlook or forgive something that is inadequate or inaccurate is unforgivable and sloppy, especially if the writer is after credibility.

Next time I’ll be looking at Amazon