A fail-proof research method for nonfiction and beyond

A video tutorial about a fun (yes, fun!) way to research and integrate your research without succumbing to procrastination. Works for all genres and project lengths—not just memoir and nonfiction.

Here I am with a budget replacement for the paper I usually use for this research exercise because Michaels was out of my preferred watercolor pad- THE HORROR.

Hello and OMG, this world, this week? This century??!

As I keep on telling my literary agent who has had to suffer me being done with my revisions by galloping ahead to write the back jacket description copy for the book that doesn’t exist yet as well as a pitch letter: I cope with work. So! Without further ado, today I’ve put together a video tutorial on one of my absolute favorite research methods for writers of nonfiction and beyond. This is a three-step research process that will help you:

1. Stay in creative flow.

2. Remain accountable and avoid procrastination.

3. Allow you to seamlessly incorporate your research into your writing without any friction or mess.

While I’ve used this method ecstatically with nonfiction and memoir, it’s also super helpful for fiction and short essays, which I’ll explain in the video. Basically, if you think this research video isn’t for you, let’s make sure you don’t identify with any of the following:

• Memoirists dealing with tangled memories and/or difficult subject matter(s).

• Nonfiction writers and memoirists working on projects with braided narratives or a good amount of research.

• Messy, unorganized people who want to become more organized.

• Writers who use research as procrastination.

• Academics looking to bring a more commercial/accessible tone to their work.

• People who can’t tell when they should stop researching and write.

If you fall into any of the above categories (or know someone who does) read on or share this post with others.

For reference, I use 18 x 24 inch sheets of watercolor paper for the exercise I’m going to share. This is the exact pad I use— which I always pick up in person at Michaels Arts + Crafts because if I tried to ship it and it got damaged or wrinkled my world would be undone. The chunky diamond yellow crayon in the video was a 2013 Target purchase but my sources on the ground tell me you can get a similar tool at Etsy.

Ready? Let’s learn how to research….and write using our research, and stop using research as procrastination!