I reached the 25,000-word milestone last night on Day 13. Actually I finished last night at 26,168 words. I’m half way to my goal. I just have to keep on going. November is not an easy month to be doing this challenge with all the distractions so when I sit at my computer desk, I have to focus my attention to the task at hand. Otherwise, it will never get done.

Here is the tip for Day 13:

13. Do your research. If you are doing a novel that happened at a particular time period, do a thorough research on the events during that time. It is a good idea to incorporate some of those events into your story. It makes for a better story. Some writers do their research before they start writing. To me, it is an ongoing job. I do research early on before I start writing and more research as I rewrite. There are plenty of resources out there besides Google. I found out an old Compton Encyclopedia is the best source for thing before 1940. I am lucky to have a set that my husband inherited from his family. It’s much better than the Britannica. You can also find other sources by reading books that were written about the same period you are writing. So do your research thoroughly and make your books shine.

The book I recommend today is Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd. It traces the history of England from prehistoric times. It’s a monumental piece of work at 1033 pages. One does not sit and read it casually. The names of the character are very hard to remember but it has a fascinating story. It took me a while to finish it but I learned a lot about England history. It is obvious Edward Rutherfurd did a tremendous amount of research to write the book. If you love historical novel, this is one of the best books I have read so far.