Kristen Crook asked Constance Sayers:

How do you conduct your research for books?

Constance Sayers This is the number one question that readers ask me. When it comes to research, I'm a bit like a method actor. I'll start by doing an exhaustive read of everything related to the time period I'm writing about, including any current non-fiction books as well as fiction books actually written in the time frame so I get a sense of the culture and language. I also try go to any locations that I'm writing about because I always pick up details that you just don't get without being at a place. This process takes six months easily. While historical details are great, I do think as a writer this process can overwhelm you. The more research you do, it becomes a little like detective work with each detail can becoming a "find," At some point, I do stop researching and then focus on the writing. For example, in one of the Nora chapters of A WITCH IN TIME, I discovered a 1934 menu from The Brown Derby restaurant. While it was an accurate, historic detail that helped plant the characters in that time and space, it didn’t make the reader really care about them more. So, balancing those lovely historical details with a good narrative is key.

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