Know your stuff! There are hidden gems inside knowing what you are writing about, snippets of information that bring the whole thing to life. As boring at it might sound, research will lift your work to new heights for professionalism alone.

When I started writing, the very thought of research was depressing. It seemed tedious and boring and a lot of effort, and I just wanted to write exciting bits and adventure.

Then I discovered that reading a soldier’s biography was exciting. Learning the modern process of fixing a broken jaw was deeply interesting. Finding out about police procedures or how an autopsy is done is riveting.

But it is the personal things that brings a story to life.

A policewoman friend told me of her experience while attending an autopsy. As the body had not been recovered until some days had gone by, she soaked a hanky in her favorite perfume and held that over her mouth and nose throughout the procedure. It didn’t help. In fact, it backfired. She was never able to wear that perfume again.

That’s the sort of snippet that puts the reader there. The unexpected consequences bring it to life. But you can’t write it if you don’t know it!

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