"Write what you know." We hear it all the time. Today, author A. M. Heath gives writers tips on ways in which we can transform our knowledge into first-hand experience. -- Sandy
Anita: Research is more than just a weekend trip to the library. Research is a way of life.
Most fiction authors are used to taking everyday experiences and filing them away for their writing. A walk in the rain would give you valuable insight into the life of a soldier. A bad case of strep gives you insight into the deathbed of a character.
But I want to encourage you to find new ways to gain valuable experience. For contemporary authors, this would mean experiencing your character's job or hobby. There are certain details that only experience can teach. For example, you might not know that one of the greatest challenges to photography is lighting and interference in the background, or that a hardship would be the workout your legs get from squatting and standing all afternoon.
A baker's greatest challenge is getting interrupted and forgetting whether or not they've added in the salt. While the hardship might be the heat in the kitchen or the dishes.
Whatever your character is involved in, take the time to experience it first hand so you can bring a deeper understanding to it.
As a historical author, I want to give you a list of suggestions for bring history to life and experiencing new things aside from visiting historic homes and landmarks.
Transportation:
- Ride a horse
- Train
- Carriage
- Wagon
- Ride sidesaddle
In the kitchen:
- Cook recipes from your era, especially if you work with a war era. There were so many shortages so try working with what they had on hand.
- Pluck a chicken
- Grind coffee beans by hand
- Use tea leaves
- Cook over an open fire
- Drink tea or coffee without sugar
- Bake pies or bread from scratch
Household:
- Turn your lights off and only use a candle for the night
- Turn off the tv and listen to the radio (use audio books in place of radio programs)
- Candle or soap making
- Sew by hand
- Knitting
- Canning
- Write with a quill
- Handwash your dishes or laundry (Don't forget to towel dry or hang your clothes on a line)
- Sew and stuff a tick (mattress)
Outdoors:
- Shoot a rifle
- Chop and stack firewood
- Start a fire
General life:
- Play old games
- Try on reenactment clothing
- Tour a fabric store and feel and compare common materials worn during your era
- Folk dancing
I'd love to hear the ways you've taken your research to the next level! In what ways are you now planning to?
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Connect with A.M. Heath online on her blog, Facebook page, or website.
Devastation sweeps across the land, and the families of Maple Grove cannot escape when war arrives at their front doors. They must learn how to survive the uncertainty of war and a country split in two. While the war in the nation rages on, the battle within grows stronger. Will they learn that the only safe place to hide is in the shadow of Thy Wings?
*The Ancient Words Series is best read in order.
