Resources
Books, tools, and guides that support research-focused work.
Books on Research & Place
Philip Gerard — An essential guide to how research functions differently for creative writers. Covers interviewing, archival work, and observational research with a focus on how inquiry shapes discovery.
Olivia Laing — Part memoir, part cultural criticism. Shows how walking, observing, and returning to the same locations repeatedly can become a form of research in itself.
Robert Macfarlane — Walks ancient paths across Britain, exploring how landscapes hold memory and how movement through place generates understanding.
Alexandra Horowitz — Takes the same city block walk eleven times, each with a different expert. Demonstrates that observation is a skill, and that place reveals different layers depending on how you look.
James Herriot — Veterinary memoirs set in North Yorkshire. A masterclass in observing and recording daily life with affection and precision.
On Writing Place & Setting
Richard Hugo — His concept of the "triggering town" — the real place that sparks a poem versus the town that emerges in the work — applies beautifully to fiction and nonfiction.
Anne Lamott — Essential advice on observation, detail, and how to render place without over-explaining. Encourages writers to gather material without self-censoring.
Practical Travel Resources
rome2rio.com — A transportation search engine showing every possible way to get from Point A to Point B. Essential for planning research trips involving smaller towns and rural areas.
seat61.com — Comprehensive guide to train travel across Europe, Asia, and beyond. Makes complex international rail travel manageable.
atlasobscura.com — A database of unusual and overlooked places worldwide. Helps writers find the specific, often overlooked locations that serve research better than famous landmarks.
Writing & Craft
Naomi Epel — Exercises and prompts focused on developing observational skills. Practical methods for improving how you gather material during research travel.
Ursula K. Le Guin — Essential chapters on point of view, voice, and narrative distance. Helps clarify whether you need broad cultural context or specific sensory details.
Have a resource that's shaped your research practice? Let us know — we'd love to hear what's working for other writers.