: Re: Incorporating research and background: How much is too much? The amount of research I'm doing for my novel is staggering. To the point where my spouse says I need to write a companion book

@Martha805

Include exactly as much detail as you need for the story to make sense. If the group complained about you changing your descriptions simply because they liked the rich description of the foods, they were doing you a disservice in terms of their critique. The reader should like the description of the rich foods in Egypt more than the description of foods eaten in the desert while fleeing. That's good writing.

I know it's vague and not immediately useful to say "use as much detail as you need", but that's really the best way to do it. Any time you're tempted to add in some historical research bits, consider the tone of the story and what you're trying to express, and whether or not those details add to the story, or simply distract.

In this case, having read some of your previous questions, it seems like conveying some historical information is important to your story, so I would certainly err on the side of more detail-- but never to the point that it fails to serve plot.

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