4 Steps for Avoiding the Writing Research Rabbit Hole by Kirsten McNeill
Let’s welcome back Kirsten McNeill as she shares with us “4 Steps for Avoiding the Writing Research Rabbit Hole.” Enjoy!
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How many writers out there love to learn?
Love to research?
You love to spend hours immersing yourself in a topic whether to include the information in a new book or for your own enjoyment.
Maybe you’re looking to learn a new writing technique and want to know as much as possible to succeed in this new skill.
The pitfall we face when researching and learning is knowing how much is enough.
It can be easy to fall down the rabbit hole and get overwhelmed by all this information.
You question how much of an expert you need to be so that the elements of your story are believable and that you feel confident in your knowledge.
When these overwhelmed feelings are dragging you down, here are four steps to set yourself up for success:
Step 1: Ask One Question
As a writer, it may feel like you have to be an expert in every career your character has or every marketing strategy out there to promote your book.
The truth is that you just have to know what specific details are going to work for you and your story.
Ask yourself: what type of information am I looking for?
What’s ONE specific question that I want answered?
When you narrow it down to one specific area, you limit how many resources you need to get the answers you’re looking for.
Plus, it gives you a deadline, so you can avoid a research rabbit hole.
Once you have the answer to your question, you can move on to something new.
Some questions you may want answered include:
What does a typical day look like for my character in their career?
What’s ONE strategy to market myself on Instagram?
How do I be productive when I only have five minutes to write?
Though these are just a few topics you can explore, the possibilities are endless!
Step 2: Connect the Information
Make a list of the resource titles (with links so you can easily find it again).
You’re not diving deep into these resources yet, you’re just compiling a list of potential options.
Each time you find a resource, ask yourself: will it give me the information I need?
While deciding which resources to use, it’s important to understand if this resource (i.e. blog post, book, writing course) directly relates to the questions you’re trying to answer.
If all you need to know is how a doctor preps for surgery, you don’t have to research every single thing about performing surgery.
If your marketing strategy is focused on Instagram, you wouldn’t look at articles about Facebook.
Focus on what’s most relevant to you and the current topic you’re researching.
Before diving deep into a podcast episode or website blog, read the title and description–if there is one.
That way you’ll know if it’ll be worth your time to explore, or if you can move on to the next resource.
It’s a BIG time saver when you narrow your search.
Step 3: Choose 3 Resources
Once you have your list of potential resources (aim for about ten total), choose THREE from the list.
This helps you avoid the overwhelm of trying to consume every possible piece of information.
Look at the titles of the resources.
Which items directly relate to the question you want answered?
For example, if you want to know more about reels on Instagram and the title of a resource is about understanding post analytics, you can skip that resource for now.
Choose three of the most relevant resources as your starting point.
Don’t delete your list yet, as you might need to come back to it later.
It may not be useful for the current topic, but it might come in handy for something else and save you time searching for the same things.
Depending on how much detail you need, you may not require more than three resources.
If your topic is common, you’ll find a lot of repeat information anyway.
It’s better to find the information you need and move forward, than to feed the fear that you’re missing something.
Step 4: Consume the Information
Now that you’ve chosen your three relevant resources, it’s time to do the deep dive.
Read or listen to it in its entirety, noting the most relevant information to your question.
Once you’ve collected all the important information, review it to see if you have answered your question.
If yes, perfect!
Nothing more to research.
If not, ask yourself: what am I missing?
Is what I’m missing directly related to the question I’m asking, or will it take me down another research rabbit hole?
Understanding that distinction can help you decide if you’re ready to stop researching or you really do need more information.
Go back through your resource list and choose ONE more.
After you’ve collected the information from that research, ask yourself: what am I missing?
Is what I’m missing directly related to the question I’m asking, or will it take me down another research rabbit hole?
Repeat this process until you have everything you need to answer that ONE specific question.
Step 5: Avoid the Research Rabbit Hole
It’s easy to feel like you need to know every single thing on a topic before you can move forward, but that holds back your momentum. It keeps you stuck in one stage of the writing process.
You only need a few key resources to help you answer your question.
Focus on the key themes and keep your progress going.
Over the last decade in my business Worthy Writers, I’ve had the opportunity to work with and learn from countless writers and coaches.
I’ve learned skills on how to improve my writing, editing, and marketing.
I’ve created workbooks and courses, and interviewed industry professionals for my podcast.
My research on how to be a successful writer, and to help others achieve their goals, is an ongoing process.
Can anyone ever truly become an expert if there’s always something more to learn?
To make the process easier for writers to learn, grow, and connect with others, I’ve created the Worthy Writers Resource Membership.
A self-guided learning platform that contains videos, workbooks, and mini courses to help new writers, and those reconnecting to their passion for the craft, become confident and empowered on their writing journey.
Join my membership platform today, and receive a FREE 1-hr coaching call!
Use what you’ve learned through this blog to pick out the most relevant resources, which help you answer important questions and create stories with the utmost passion and confidence.
There are countless resources out there, and it would be impossible to consume everything in a lifetime.
Focus on yourself and what you want to learn.
And, as always, never forget that you are WORTHY.
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ABOUT KIRSTEN MCNEILL
Kirsten McNeill is a Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach, Blogger, and Self-Published Writer. Her mission with Worthy Writers Coaching is to align you with your creative side through practical writing schedules and exploring your identity. Connect to your sunflower confidence to publish and share your stories with an empowered mindset.
Download the FREE workbook Feed Your Horses Confidence Thought Exercise when you subscribe to the Worthy Writers Confidence Newsletter.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/confident.kirsten
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