How do you approach researching and fact-checking when writing nonfiction? What tools or methods do you find most useful?
When I’m doing research for a non-fiction piece, I find that interviewing experts is the best “jumping off point” when getting started on your story. I used to be a reporter for Health.com, and when I worked there, almost every single weekday morning was filled with cold calls to doctors and other health specialists. It helps you get an idea of what angle to take, and can even make you realize that your initial approach or focus is totally irrelevant.
To do that, I usually start by looking at university websites and finding professors in that field of study. If it’s a health-focused story, I’ll reach out to doctor’s offices directly. It can be very hard to get a response, but if you’re persistent and reach out to enough people there’s always someone who wants to share their findings to be published.