How much research should go into your historical fiction in order to make it credible and authentic? Whether you are writing a short story or a novel, the research should be enough to make your reader feel transported to the time period. Yet how much is enough? The problem with research is that writers become so obsessed with it that they spend more time researching than writing. Readers are then bombarded with contemporary food, clothing, tools, setting, fashion, and furniture of the subject period. Using all this information makes your story credible, but just because you can put it all into your story does not mean that you have to for the sake of authentication. 

Consider this example: After scraping the pharaoh’s brain clean using iron hooks that ran through the king’s nasal passages, Khnurn used a funnel to pour resins into the cranial cavity. Then he used a wooden adze to remove the organs and packed the internal cavity with natron to preserve the body tissues. 

The paragraph is authenticated enough that the writer sounds like an authority on the subject of Egyptian mummification. It describes the process and makes the story credible. The writer must avoid excessive information culled from research because the reader is more interested in the plot. Once the writer succeeds in establishing believability, he needs to make sure that other research materials must blend with the story, and not interrupt its flow. The writer is free to cut down information as the story moves forward.

Example (after the mummification): Masuda, the assistant, joined Khnurn in marveling at the flawless mummification they had rendered on King Nephi.

      “You’ve done well, Master Embalmer,” Masuda said, admiring the work of his mentor.

      “He was a good king,” Khnurn said, “but he was too young to die. I am not convinced that he died in his sleep. I believe the queen has something to do with it.”

      Masuda sank his fingers on his mentor’s shoulder. “Be careful with what you speak! The ground and walls have ears!” 

As the scene progresses, the writer may trim down on his research. But to sustain the illusion of the time period, he may, from time to time, throw in bits and pieces of information to sustain the setting. The writer could mention something like canopic jars or the sarcophagus, provided that they are essential to the scene. Satisfy the reader’s need for time travel while at the same time meeting their demand for a good story. 

Going back to the question of how much research must go into research: As long as you succeed in establishing a three-dimensional story, your artistic license will tell you. Use the outline of your story when doing your research. This will let you know what essential information you need to put into your story. You can let go of the rest. Remember that you will be writing. Never let research overwhelm you. Many writers are tempted to throw in research they deem important that is better off reserved for future use.