How to research real people

So you want to write about real people? Brilliant! It could be a feisty historical figure who's caught your fancy or an everyday hero whose story deserves to be told. Whatever the case, researching real people for your fiction can feel like putting together a captivating, multi-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. So, let's roll up our sleeves and dive into the world of character research.

The 5 steps of (real) character research

Step 1: Understanding the bigger picture – the broad strokes

Start by sketching the broad strokes of the person's life – their birth, childhood, key relationships, career highlights, and notable incidents. Books, documentaries, and online biographies can be great starting points. As you go through these sources, try to get a feel for the person's life trajectory, their place in history, and the societal context they lived in.

Step 2: Digging deeper – the little details

Once you understand the person's life on a macro scale, it's time to zoom in. Here, you're looking for anecdotes, quirks and personal habits – the small details that make a character come alive. Diaries, letters, interviews, and even social media profiles can be goldmines of personal information. But remember, respect privacy boundaries – there's a fine line between research and invasion of privacy.

Step 3: Understanding relationships – the heart of the character

To truly understand a person, you need to examine their relationships. Who were the people they loved, admired, or despised? How did they interact with their friends, family, or colleagues? Understanding these dynamics can give you profound insights into the person's character and motivations. Personal letters, biographies, and memoirs can be particularly revealing here.

Step 4: Reading their work – the mind at play

If the person you're researching has produced any work – be it books, speeches, art, or inventions – immerse yourself in it. This is where you'll see their mind at play, their passion, their intellect. You'll get a glimpse into what they cared about, their worldview, their unique voice.

Step 5: Consulting experts – filling in the gaps

Finally, don't hesitate to consult experts. Biographers, historians, or people who knew the person well can offer valuable insights and fill in any gaps in your research. Be respectful, be open to differing perspectives, and always acknowledge their contributions.

The character tapestry – a novelist's labour of love

Researching real people for your novel is a delicate, rewarding task. It involves understanding the bigger picture, digging into the details, exploring relationships, diving into their work, and consulting experts. As you weave together these threads of information, you'll see your character coming to life, as vibrant and complex as the real person.

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