Whether you prefer strolling the aisles of libraries and bookstores, or surfing the Internet, you'll find no shortage of reference books related to any topic you're penning. If you're writing a Victorian romance novel, your sources will include books about history, costumes, courtship etiquette, architecture and transportation so as to capture an accurate snapshot of the era in which your heroine lives. Consider how-to texts, photography collections, maps, travel guides, memoirs, slang and dialects guides, genealogy records, and trivia books to supplement your existing knowledge.
Tap into the knowledge, opinions and experience of experts by incorporating interviews into your source list. This approach is commonly used in nonfiction projects and uses attributed quotes, short essays or Q&A conversations conducted in person, through email or by phone. In addition to using chat rooms, social media and your own circle of friends to find experts, online resources such as Reporter Connection allow you to specify the type of credentials and input you're seeking, then screen the responses to identify the best matches for your book.
Newspapers, magazines, newsletters and trade journals invite writers to stay abreast of what's going on in their field of interest, as well as provide inspiration for new ideas about plots, characters and locations. Comprehensive online sources such as World-Newspapers.com and Worldpress.org offer an additional benefit of exposure to a diverse range of cultural perspectives and international political commentary. Magazines such as Writer's Digest, The Writer and Writer's Journal are replete with how-to tips, agent interviews, contest information and prospective markets.
Although writing is a solitary craft, there comes a time when you'll want to know what others think about your ideas and efforts. Critique groups -- that either meet in person or online -- represent a source of honest appraisal, helpful advice and nurturing encouragement for your work in progress. You may also want to seek the support of a mentor who is already published in your genre, and understands what it takes to get the attention of agents and editors.