How to write a novel: the documentation process

Typewriter keyboard

There are not a few who believe that as a novel is a work of fiction, everything in them must come from the imagination.

However the reality is very far from such a statement.

The main task of the imagination in the narrative creation process is none other than that of transfigure and assemble the known in order to obtain something new. One cannot imagine something that does not exist. Deep down, everything has its germ in one's own experience, in known people, in places visited and in moments lived, which are obviously transfigured but have their basis in the real world.

That is why the documentation seems crucial for the result of the work to be credible. Nobody invents the concept of the city, nor the concept of the countryside. You can invent a specific city or a specific field, yes, but you will do it based on the ones you already know. For this reason, our inventions depend on our knowledge, and the greater these are, the richer will be what we invent, that is the main advantage of being documented.

There are many factors that require documentation in a novel, for example, the environment in which it takes place (natural / urban), the different historical periods in which it can be set, the technical aspects of the characters' work, the characters themselves if they are historical figures, the cities themselves in the case of being specific cities, as well as multiple objects, processes or buildings that could appear at some point in our story.

Man writing at a table

Luckily for us, today technologies have made available to us numerous tools that allow us to carry out this work and here are some suggestions:

  • Encyclopedias.
  • Documentaries.
  • Other novels on the same theme.
  • Essays.
  • Press: newspapers and specialized magazines.
  • Manuals on various topics.
  • History books.
  • Consult with professionals or experts (which is usually very reliable since it allows you to establish a direct dialogue and clarify various doubts).

Whichever method we choose to document ourselves it is always advisable to contrast our notes going to more than one source.

As a last point about the documentation work, we must warn, as indicated by most manuals on literary creation, that it is a long process, enriching because we learn but tedious at times and emasculating in many others because sometimes it happens that we are wanting to start writing and documentation takes longer and consumes hours postponing what is truly fun, which is writing. Nevertheless it is worth going through this to safeguard precisely the moment of writing and not have to interrupt it more than necessary with constant searches, being able to focus on it and dedicate all our energy to it. Regardless, there will always be new points that require documentation as you progress through your novel, but the fewer the less you will have to interrupt.


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