Research is an important aspect in many novels. The Research Tracker is on page 252 in this PDF.

The Research Tracker keeps track of what topic you’re going to research, what you’re looking for, and what you learn about the topic. This seemingly simple worksheet may be one of the most important in Book in a Month.

Here are just a few examples of what you can use your research tracker for:

• the setting of a novel that is a real place, but one you’ve never been to before

• a type of weapon your characters use

• types of gang violence in your setting

• information on Nazi Germany

• the effects heroin has on someone who has been using for 20 years

The uses of the research tracker are seemingly endless, and the way the worksheet is formatted will keep all your research organized.

Schmidt, Victoria L. Book in a Month: the Foolproof System for Writing a Novel in 30 Days. Cincinnati, OH: Writer’s Digest, 2008.