Today, author Anna Schmidt shares five things (and a bonus tip) that have helped her when researching a novel. -- Sandy
Anna:
Step by step: Research
is often overwhelming, and for a novelist, it can get in the way of a good
story. I like to break it down—for instance in the novel I’m working on now my
heroine has to deliver a baby in Arizona in 1882 in the middle of nowhere. So I research what I need to write the scene.
No time like the
present: notice that I did not say I stored the research above in a file—I did
the research when I came to the scene, then wrote the scene while the details
were still fresh in my mind and I could lay my hands on my sources.
Look at the Big Picture: what are the pieces of research you need to make the story real from beginning to end? Setting? Furnishings? Clothing? Rely on visual research—go to the place if you can, watch films of the period, go through catalogues and magazines from the times, find photo collections from the period, and take advantage of historic home tours and collections in museums.
GOOGLE! I began to notice that whatever I entered in the search column, very often the third or fourth entry would be “Images”—CLICK ON THAT for a surprising treasure trove of resources.
Verify and revise! In this world where anyone can post just about anything online, an author needs to make sure the research is accurate. If possible I seek assistance from museums, institutions or societies that specialize in the historical place and time. In appreciation I make a donation. And when I uncover something that changes something major in my story? Research wins every time because some reader somewhere will know when you try to take “poetic license”—and they’ll not only call you on it, they’ll tell their friends.
Look at the Big Picture: what are the pieces of research you need to make the story real from beginning to end? Setting? Furnishings? Clothing? Rely on visual research—go to the place if you can, watch films of the period, go through catalogues and magazines from the times, find photo collections from the period, and take advantage of historic home tours and collections in museums.
GOOGLE! I began to notice that whatever I entered in the search column, very often the third or fourth entry would be “Images”—CLICK ON THAT for a surprising treasure trove of resources.
Verify and revise! In this world where anyone can post just about anything online, an author needs to make sure the research is accurate. If possible I seek assistance from museums, institutions or societies that specialize in the historical place and time. In appreciation I make a donation. And when I uncover something that changes something major in my story? Research wins every time because some reader somewhere will know when you try to take “poetic license”—and they’ll not only call you on it, they’ll tell their friends.
One final tip—enjoy the journey. You’re learning something
new and there are wonderful surprises along the way that will make you laugh or
groan, smile and yes, sometimes weep.
Have you ever had to completely rethink your story because your research told you some aspect of the plot was not possible?
~~~~~
Anna Schmidt is a three-time finalist for the coveted RITA award presented
annually by Romance Writers of America. Her novel A SISTER’S
FORGIVENESS gave Anna her fourth finalist honor for the Reviewers’
Choice Awards from Romantic Times magazine. She has won that award twice
before. Publisher's Weekly had high praise for Anna's WWII series--THE
PEACEMAKERS--stating that Schmidt seamlessly integrates...actual
events, and the courageous real-life individuals who fought against Hitler’s
regime, with her fictional characters and their story, to produce a strong tale
of hope and love in the face of insurmountable obstacles." The author
of over twenty-five works of historical and contemporary fiction Anna has
worked in the corporate world for two international companies, taught at the
college level and is a popular presenter of hands-on workshops.