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I tend to research as I write so that the narrative can take priority, which is important for a piece of fiction, I think, finding out facts as and when I need to.

I enjoy research; in fact research is so engaging that it would be easy to go on for years, and never write the novel at all.

But with nonfiction, the task is very straightforward: Do the research, tell the story.

I love research so much that I do an enormous amount; it helps put off the moment of starting to write the story.

I cannot say how strongly I object to people using other people's writing as research. Research is non-fiction, especially for horror, fantasy, science fiction. Do not take your research from other people's fiction. Just don't.

How much research I have to do depends on the nature of the story. For fantasy, none at all.

I did go through graduate school and I like to do research, to create something that has a certain objective solidity. The same thing influences my fiction to some degree, because, you know, my fiction is often based on history that I've read.

I have to do more close research and fact checking for the science fiction. This is not however to say that writing good fantasy does not involve doing good research.

Mostly, research is much more fun than the actual writing.