Author William Heath approaches writing historical nonfiction with the enthusiasm and focus of a fanatic. He typically spends years researching a project, combing through numerous archives and resources. He feels this process is necessary if you want your historical novel to be more than just costume drama. He recommends getting the information from primary sources on the inside, and then giving the information your own spin or interpretation. His approach requires a lot of effort and can be very tedious, so admittedly, it may not be for everyone.