Do you research the Aspects of the Novel, or rely on your education, life experiences, and what you have read?
There seem to be an increasing number of self-help books on the market, and some older ones by respected professors and literary critics.
I found, Aspects of the Novel by E M Forster, Materials and Methods of Fiction by Clayton Meeker Hamilton, useful. George Orwell's essay, Politics and the English Language was also interesting.
Are there any books that you would recommend?
It wasn't until I bought a book that took me step-by-step through every type of POV (there really are loads of them!) and taught me how to avoid mistakes that I finally started to produce work that didn't confuse the reader. However, I don't think there is any one book I would recommend as each writer has different flaws and generally needs to take advice on structure, dialogue and POV from a number of sources before they perfect it. I suppose it's about reading the right mix of 'how to' books for you.
With that in mind, I would like to recommend to Adrian any writing 'how to' containing humour. I feel sure he's skipped them all as he seems to me to be a very serious fellow with respect to writing, but balance is key, Adrian, and as you reach the end of your marathon editing I would hope you take the time to look back, laugh at the mistakes, hard times and doubting moments and bask in the knowledge you've done something many don't - finished a book to submission standard. Then you should pick up something like How NOT To Write a Novel and laugh a bit more. After such an achievement, this is deserved.
Mark, If I had planned from the beginning I would have saved myself much effort.
I will outline and thoroughly plan for book two.
Adrian,
If I was writing a historical or even contemporary piece of fiction, I would of course research details to make the writing grounded. I almost invariably write fantasy, which takes less research, but perhaps more effort to anchor it in real life.
If you're asking more about things like structure, plot, characterisation, and tone, then I would have to say I don't research those things. Maybe I should. But aside from general pointers, I believe that if a writer is to be succcessful then they should know for themselves.
I will, no doubt, be proven wrong when my book flops miserably due to lack of research...