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Topic: Historical research for novel
| Author | Message |
| overthehillwriter | Posted – 8/24/2006 1:07:00 PM | show profile | email poster I'm writing a novel set in a specific time period, and I'm the thick of the research stage. I'd love feedback from anyone who has done/would like to do this: How much research do you do before digging in? To what extent do you immerse yourself in that era before getting going? Does it disrupt the flow of work for you to take a break from writing to look stuff up on the internet, or do you just plow away and go back and fill in gaps later? |
| gnarls | Posted – 8/24/2006 1:21:56 PM | show profile Last question first: probably better to learn to plow through writing and fill in gaps. internet research can eat up time, no duh. Maybe if you learned a disciplinned approach, doing a whole bunch at once.... goo luck with that. Research outside the internet? Read books on the period, but remember, you're mostly here to fool the reader. They know less than you do and just want it to appear believable. The people who know waaaaay more than yourself are probably hopeless weenies and nothing you'll ever do will please them. I'm finishing up a novel about the end of WWII in Europe. I know quite a lot, but the woods are full of people who know lots more As long as I don't do anything glaring I don't care what they think, long as I gets my money! good luck, |
| overthehillwriter | Posted – 8/24/2006 4:45:53 PM | show profile | email poster THanks for the input, Gnarls. I had already done some, but then located a vast trove of material from the era, and I have just finished reading through 2,000-plus pages. It got me thoroughly in the mood and gave me tons of ideas, enabling me to crank out a summary yesterday that feels really workable. Now I'm taking the plunge. |
| mailbag | Posted – 8/24/2006 5:26:03 PM | show profile | email poster Live the era Depending upon this "era" I live it during development. Some easier that others of course - 1940s, music (radio,) newspapers from the day, inventions of the time. Old movies set at that time. Harder of course for 1880s, 1700s etc. I guess it depends on the time period doesn't it. For older eras, (good!!!) movies set in that time may be of help as long as the producers have done their research too. I suggest the older movies simply for myself because they can sometimes put the visual placement of household items, and personal affects better than a novel of that time may (in my very visual mind.) I enjoy the exercise of sinking into a bygone era. :) |
| amyward | Posted – 8/26/2006 12:17:57 AM | show profile Movies - especially if you can actually access film created during the time period. Books, both historical and contemporary. Newspapers from the time, again, if you have access to old papers. You might also want to check with local historical societies - often there will be historical groups for the city or a region of a city, as well as national and state archives, etc. But historical societies are probably a great source, because they would love to chat about the time period/place if they know about it, and they can help you with specific questions better than an old newspaper would. If you have refined your knowledge and have a handful of specific questions, you might also want to find a university professor who specializes in that historical time period or location. He/she can't answer every question, but might be able to help with a few pressing questions and possibly point you in the direction of some more useful sources to investigate. Plus, if they are really interested in your story, you might even find someone willing to read drafts and do a little editorial adjustment. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 8/26/2006 11:29:49 AM | show profile I've never written a historical novel, but a couple of people in my writing group are. If you are not intimately familiar with the period -- in terms of what people wear, how they speak, the furniture, etc. -- so this just comes out naturally, it usually becomes apparent right away, and the chapters come off as sketchy and too modern. It's OK to skip something and fill it in later. But if your chapters are strewn with "To Come Laters," you probably don't know enough about the period to set a novel in it. |
