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| Peter Leavell |
Immersion or sprinkle? My goodness, a touchy subject. And religious, as well.
But when it comes to researching your subject, you must
immerse.
In fact, let’s forget immersion. Hold yourself under water
until the congregation is sure someone is about to drown—and the elders or
deacons come running to save a life.
Because if a writer wants to add literary value to the book,
it’s going to take some research. Research adds depth.
An Example
Ernest Hemingway studied his work by living it. His book, For Whom the Bell Tolls, is about an event
called the Spanish Civil War. How well did he research his subject? Hemingway
was in the Spanish Civil War. Hard to
get much closer to your subject.
So, if you’re writing a modern romance that contains a
character whose interactions are insane, unreal, and unhealthy, it’s a
wonderful excuse to enjoy a relationship you only read about. You have just
cause. But, there may be a better way.
A Better Way
Instead of destroying your life, hit the books.
There’s nothing more amazing than learning about the depths
of depravity through someone else’s life. That way you don’t have to destroy
your own. Biographies are perfect for this. A great memoire not only talks
about the personal problems of a real character, it also gives insight on the
people around them. Analyze as you read. Why did the person make decisions the way
they did? Did they want to fit in with the culture? Go against it? Create it?
My wife claims she sleeps next to a different character
every night—John Adams, Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar, Leonardo de Vinci,
and the list goes on. I go as far as ordering a Roman sword to get the feel for
the weapon, or firing a Civil War cannon, just to feel what it was like. It
adds depth. And depth makes your work more worthy of literary value.
Do your research. Don’t just sprinkle, immerse yourself in
it. You’ll be happy that you did.
Thanks for visiting, Peter!
Thanks for visiting, Peter!
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| Gideon's Call |
Author
Peter Leavell forges an unprecedented tale of tragedy and triumph amid the
backdrop of the Civil War through the story of Tad, a very clever slave boy who
comes of age as America’s war reaches the sea islands of South Carolina. Tad’s
desire to better himself is obstructed by the color of his skin, until Northern
soldiers force the evacuation of white plantation owners, setting 10,000 slaves
free in a single day. These circumstances seem like a dream, except that the
newly freed slaves have no money, no education, and little hope for the
future—unless someone rises up to lead them. Based on true events, Gideon’s Callis the dramatic tale of
a young man who battles the shame of his past and faces the horrors of war and
unimaginable prejudice to become the deliverer of thousands of freed slaves.
Peter
Leavell, a 2007 graduate of Boise State
University with a degree in history, was the 2011 winner of Christian Writers
Guild's Operation First Novel contest. Peter and his family live in Boise,
Idaho. For entertainment, he reads historical books, where he finds ideas for
new novels. Whenever he has a chance, he takes his wife and two homeschooled
children on crazy but fun research trips. Learn more about Peter's books,
research, and family adventures at www.peterleavell.com
and on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PeterLeavell.
