Since I write mostly fantasy or paranormal, with a little horror thrown in every once in a while, I can mostly make stuff up if I want. But there are times when I need to do some research.
I don't look at my research the same way some writers do, though. Most of the time I'm not researching a thing in order to write it "properly".
See, I want to know everything there is to know about a thing so that I can twist it around on itself. I'm a firm believer in understanding the rules before breaking them. :)
What do you think of research?