I write historical fiction and seem to be forever reading up on the period. Perhaps that's because I came to it rather late - I hated history at school and dropped the subject as soon as I could - so I have little background knowledge.
But how about other genres? Do horror and crime writers read medical textbooks and romance authors trawl dating sites? How easy is it to find the information you need to make your stories realistic? Are you a dogged researcher or fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer? Or do you just write what you know about?
I agree with Katie wholeheartedly. 'Write about what you know' is a safe approach. :-)
Museums as well, don't you think?
Yeah, I'm also keeping safe for now, sticking to what I know. I just decided to take up writing as more than a hobby which will take years since I do it in between work, home and all that. I guess you do need to research a lot if you want to make it, especially historical fiction. Libraries should be helpful as well.