Novelist Elizabeth Sims Talks Research

Elizabeth Sims, the author of eight successful novels and a frequent contributor to Writer's Digest, spoke at the July 5 meeting of the Sarasota Fiction Writers.

Sims presented “Looking for Trouble: Doing Research for Fiction is Not for Sissies.” She discussed how to do research effectively and efficiently, including professional tips, slightly dirty tricks, and ways to overcome the dreaded ailments of Call Reluctance and Crippling Tact. Fiction must be compelling and convincing, and good research is a cornerstone.

Sims is the author of two series – the Rita Farmer Mysteries and the Lambda and Goldie award-winning Lillian Byrd crime novels. She’s been published by a major house (Macmillan) as well as by several smaller presses. The audio rights to her five-novel Lillian Byrd series were recently acquired by Audible.

Elizabeth writes frequently for Writer’s Digest magazine, where she is a contributing editor. Her book “You've Got a Book in You: A Stress-Free Guide to Writing the Book of Your Dreams” was published by Writer's Digest Books and received special recognition by NaNoWriMo and hundreds of other websites and bloggers.

Elizabeth holds degrees in English from Michigan State University and Wayne State University, where she won the Tompkins Award for graduate fiction. She belongs to several literary societies as well as American Mensa and is represented by the Donald Maass Literary Agency.