Research: How Much is Too Much?

Recently, I picked up a book by a well-known author whose books I like. The book was one of a series and I was so excited to begin reading, but after a couple pages I realized I wasn’t enjoying the story. The author included so much information about the different agencies her characters were working for that it read like a textbook, not a novel, and I found myself getting bored and having trouble reading on in the book. And that wasn’t the first time I’d run into that. Another author whose books I love is doing the same thing. There are probably more, but these two stood out for me.

I know that a lot of people watch cop shows and true crime shows on TV. It has become very popular in the last few years. Is this the audience these authors are thinking of when they put everything they know about certain bullets, or forensic information in their novels?

 I can’t help but wonder, are we writing nonfiction or are we writing stories? I know it’s important to do the research and get things right, but what if our readers find the facts we throw in are too much?

For me, in the case of the authors I mentioned, I wanted them to get on with the story. I wanted to delve into the story and live with the characters, and the decisions they make, not be lost in the technical jargon.

I struggle with how much research to include in my own stories.  Where is the line between too much and not enough? It’s tempting when you are fascinated by what you discover in your research to add it all to the novel, but I was taught that you need to know a lot about the subject, but you don’t necessarily need to include all your knowledge in the book.

In my current mystery/thriller, Her Last Breath, which is coming out soon, I had to research old bones and what can be learned from them. I read a lot of information on forensic anthropology that was fascinating, but only one or two lines of my research was included in my book.

Could I have gone on and on about it and told the history of forensic anthropology? Sure, but would it have added anything to my story? I didn’t feel it was needed, and I didn’t want to get bogged down in the research so I didn’t, but it was fascinating, and I could understand why an author would enjoy the research so much they felt like they needed to share it with their readers.

Are there readers who would’ve been happy to read all my research? Maybe. But I’m sure there were those like me who would’ve wanted me to get on with the story. Therein lies my dilemma. I feel it’s important to put enough information in to make your book sound authentic, but not so much that your reader feels tired or bored while reading it.

How much of your research ends up in your books? Do you feel like some authors add too much? Or do you feel like the more the merrier as the old saying goes? Send me a message and let me know.