When do you research?

I must admit research for the novels I've written so far has been quite limited. A medical tidbit here and there, something about weather or location. Maybe subconsciously I've shied away from too much research because I'm scared of getting something terribly wrong and everyone saying what a silly-billy I am :)

My last wip was set in Hollywood and this in itself scared me. The story that I wanted to tell HAD to be set here but I was terrified any reader (or editor) would be able to tell that I've never been anywhere NEAR the place. The verdict is still out on this because I haven't heard from the editor whether it is any good yet.

But in the meantime, I'm starting a new novel (or two). Research for one included a bit of a Google about cat illnesses last night and today I'm moving on to reading about dementia and Alzheimer's disease. I'm two chapters into the story that is going to quite heavily involve an old man with some form of dementia. Not sure yet whether he'll have Alzheimer's or not but I think it's time to open a few books and do some online research on the disease.

This got me to thinking about how much research I need to do right now. Do I need to find out every last thing about Alzheimer's right away or should I just dive right in to write the book and stop to research as questions come up? I'm not sure if one way is better or the other. Even if I do some reading now, there'll probably be some things I need to find out about as I go along.

So tonight, I'm going to start with some vague reading around the subject and maybe look for specifics as they arise.

But I'm curious? How do you research? Does it totally consume you before you start a novel or do you dive right in and pause to research only when absolutely necessary?

Rewrites NEEDED! Like MAJOR rewrites...

 I have a boyfree morning this morning (and a baby sitting on the bed next to me playing enthusiastically with his toes) and was supposed to be writing while said baby slept (not that he does much of that).

Then... I got a fabulous email from a fabulous writer who made me think seriously about where my current mss RHRT was going. I haven't felt 'right' about this story from about chapter two but I do feel there are the bones of something good there. It's been bugging me a lot, until this fabulous writer pointed out that I need to go deeper into the characters and one way to do this was to add a SECRET!!

Ooh I love a SECRET story and I think she's spot on. If I give my hero a SECRET, it will also strengthen his motivation tenfold and create an urgency the story needs but lacks at the moment. PRoblem is I'm stuck on the secret and until I find out what it is... I can't really write any more of the story!!

ARGH!!!!

On a totally different tangent... how do you guys research. Do you do it all pre-writing or post-writing or when it comes up mid-writing. I don't know WHY I do these sort of things to myself but I've just sent my h&H off to dinner at a teppanyaki grill Japanese restaurant when I've NEVER actually been anywhere near one myself!!