Write What You Don’t Know (Part Two) by Melanie Dobson

Last week I shared three of the resources I use to “write what I don’t know”—surf the web, explore museums, and invade the library. Following are the final two—and most important—research tools that I rely on to add authenticity, description, and emotion to each of my historical and time-slip stories.

Interview Experts and Locals

Many people love to talk about their childhoods or hobbies or area of expertise, and if I tell them I write fiction, they’ll often give me much more information than I need for the book. Or at least, more than I think I’ll need…

Several months ago, I had the privilege of meeting with a Dutch Jewish gentleman who had been hidden away as a child during World War II. I befriended his sister online after reading a local news article, and she and her brother graciously opened up their world to me over coffee, sharing many personal stories about their own journey and their mother’s struggles and determination living in a concentration camp. Encounters like this one provide me with an enormous amount of information to build my story.

Because I write both historical and contemporary fiction, I’ve interviewed detectives, artists, Quaker friends, World War II heroes, and families of men and women who were part of the French resistance. I’ve spent hours listening to personal accounts about the inner workings of the Mafia, what it was like to grow up in a religious cult, and living in an England manor in the 1950s. Each person, each memory, redirects my plot and adds another layer of authenticity to a fictional story.

Visit the Location

When I researched Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana, I spent several days climbing secret staircases and exploring other hidden places in homes that had once been stations along the Underground Railroad. I drove through the surrounding forest at night, and when I stepped out into the darkness, the owls hooted and the cloud cover masked the stars. My heart raced, and I felt terribly alone—a glimpse of what a runaway slave might have felt like in that horrible blackness, pursued by a slave hunter and his dogs.

When writers evoke the senses on paper, describing what the characters smell, hear, or taste, we invite readers to step directly into our story world. It can be challenging for me to describe the sensory information from a distant location, so I always visit my main settings, meeting the people and learning their stories even as I explore old towns and castles and gardens, scribbling down all the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes along the way.

With each of my novels, I spend about a month slowly compiling the pieces needed to engage readers, typing all the information into folders on Scrivener. Because research has become my favorite part of writing, I have to deliberately set aside my mounds of background work after a month to begin putting my own words on paper. With the details now rooted in my mind, I’ll become completely lost in a story, and for the next three or four months, I’m writing about all that I’ve learned.

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From the award-winning author of Catching the Wind, which Publishers Weekly called “unforgettable” and a “must-read,” comes another gripping time-slip novel about hidden treasure, a castle, and ordinary people who resisted evil in their own extraordinary way.

The year is 1938, and as Hitler’s troops sweep into Vienna, Austrian Max Dornbach promises to help his Jewish friends hide their most valuable possessions from the Nazis, smuggling them to his family’s summer estate near the picturesque village of Hallstatt. He enlists the help of Annika Knopf, his childhood friend and the caretaker’s daughter, who is eager to help the man she’s loved her entire life. But when Max also brings Luzia Weiss, a young Jewish woman, to hide at the castle, it complicates Annika’s feelings and puts their entire plan―even their very lives―in jeopardy. Especially when the Nazis come to scour the estate and find both Luzia and the treasure gone.

Eighty years later, Callie Randall is mostly content with her quiet life, running a bookstore with her sister and reaching out into the world through her blog. Then she finds a cryptic list in an old edition of Bambi that connects her to Annika’s story …and maybe to the long-buried story of a dear friend. As she digs into the past, Callie must risk venturing outside the safe world she’s built for a chance at answers, adventure, and maybe even new love.



Writing fiction is Melanie Dobson’s excuse to explore abandoned houses, travel to unique places, and spend hours reading old books and journals. The award-winning author of almost twenty books, Melanie enjoys stitching together both time-slip and historical novels including Hidden Among the Stars, Chateau of Secrets, and Catching the Wind. More information about Melanie’s journey is available at www.melaniedobson.com.

Write What You Don’t Know (Part One) by Melanie Dobson

When I first started writing fiction, I was often told to “write what I know,” but I quickly realized that I don’t know that much, at least not enough to sustain a career as a novelist. After the release of my first novel, I wanted to learn much more, so I developed a research process that works for me, using five resources to build my contemporary and historical story worlds.

Surf the Web

The ideas for my novels—twenty of them now—come from many different sources, but I always partner with Google in the beginning to explore dozens of possibilities. When I wrote Chateau of Secrets, for example, I wondered if there were any Jewish men in Hitler’s army. I discovered online that there may have been 100,000 Jewish men who served in the Wehrmacht, and this startling fact became central to my plot.

In the past twenty years, I’ve read countless interviews, watched dozens of how-to videos, tested my main characters on sites like 16personalities.com, and connected with experts on a variety of topics. I’ve explored potential settings around the world through Google Earth VR and used social media to research the contemporary portions of my time-slip stories.

For my latest novel, Hidden Among the Stars, I searched online until I found the history of the Austrian lake castle that inspired my story and then contacted a violin maker in Salzburg who helped me create a character passionate about her violin.

The Internet is fantastic for connecting people and to verify a number of facts (on reputable sites, of course), but online research is just the beginning. To dig deeper, I have to go offline.

Explore Museums and Living History

When I’m writing historical fiction, I’ve discovered that museums along with living history farms, exhibits, and towns like Williamsburg or Roscoe Village are gold mines. Each place offers an educational window to the past, and at these towns and exhibits, I’ve learned how to run a printing press, escape through a mine, load a rifle, break into an ancient coffin, pan for gold, and drive an Amish buggy. Things that would have been difficult to learn through written references or a video.

The tour guides at living history landmarks and museums seem to have accumulated more information than a textbook. The hands-on experience and the opportunity to email guides later with more questions is invaluable.

Invade the Library
Top secret—that’s what was stamped across the folder in England’s National Archives. To research Catching the Wind, I spent a day scouring recently released spy files outside London to learn about British citizens who had spied for Nazi Germany. The information I found in these files shaped my entire book.

Clothing catalogs, research papers, personal letters, magazines, and diaries—reference materials like these can be found in archives or a library. For historical research, these references provide basic information about attire and food during a specific era as well as more abstract concepts like how people approached life and what world events shaped their thinking.

For each new novel, I work closely with my local reference librarian to find the exact resources I need, and she helps me find answers to any lingering questions—like how British spies developed and hid microphotographs during the war.

Thank you for joining me today!

Please stop by again next Wednesday (September 19th) for the last—and most important—resources that I use to research and write about what I don’t know.

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From the award-winning author of Catching the Wind, which Publishers Weekly called “unforgettable” and a “must-read,” comes another gripping time-slip novel about hidden

treasure, a castle, and ordinary people who resisted evil in their own extraordinary way.

HIDDEN AMONG THE STARS
The year is 1938, and as Hitler’s troops sweep into Vienna, Austrian Max Dornbach promises
to help his Jewish friends hide their most valuable possessions from the Nazis, smuggling them to his family’s summer estate near the picturesque village of Hallstatt. He enlists the help of Annika Knopf, his childhood friend and the caretaker’s daughter, who is eager to help the man she’s loved her entire life. But when Max also brings Luzia Weiss, a young Jewish woman, to hide at the castle, it complicates Annika’s feelings and puts their entire plan―even their very lives―in jeopardy. Especially when the Nazis come to scour the estate and find both Luzia and the treasure gone.

Eighty years later, Callie Randall is mostly content with her quiet life, running a bookstore with her sister and reaching out into the world through her blog. Then she finds a cryptic list in an old edition of Bambi that connects her to Annika’s story …and maybe to the long-buried story of a dear friend. As she digs into the past, Callie must risk venturing outside the safe world she’s built for a chance at answers, adventure, and maybe even new love.

Writing fiction is Melanie Dobson’s excuse to explore abandoned houses, travel to unique places, and spend hours reading old books and journals. The award-winning author of almost twenty books, Melanie enjoys stitching together both time-slip and historical novels including Hidden Among the Stars, Chateau of Secrets, and Catching the Wind. More information about Melanie’s journey is available at www.melaniedobson.com.

Deadly Research Can Be So Uplifting by C. Kevin Thompson

C. Kevin Thompson

I wrote a series of articles several years ago when 30 Days Hath Revenge originally came out. It was a quick history of The Plague. It covered The Justinian Plague of 542 A.D., The Black Death, or Black Plague, in the 14th century, and the Third Great Plague of the 17th century. There were other, more recent outbreaks, too, which I discussed, like The Barbary Plague in San Francisco during the early 1900s, and smaller outbreaks in Chandigarh, India (1994) and in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa (2003).

As I researched for my book, I became fascinated by a portion of Old testament scripture I had read numerous times in the past, but it was an author who specialized in germ warfare who pointed out to me what I had missed.

In 1 Samuel 5:1-7:1, we have the story of the Ark of God being captured by the Philistines. They take the Ark back home and place it in the temple of Dagon in the city of Ashdod. At first, the Lord God sends a little message to the Philistines by causing the image of Dagon to fall on its face. The priests of the pagan temple, finding their god on the ground that next morning, picked up the image and put it back in its place.

(As an aside, how much does this look like us? God knocks down an image we tend to worship, and we, like the priests, pick it up, dust it off, and continue to live our lives in the same fashion, missing the inherent warning? Hmmm…Now, back to our story.)

So, the Lord God does it again. When the image of Dagon fell a second time the very next morning, the head and hands also broke off. They were found lying on the threshold of the temple. A very symbolic act by the Lord God to denote His dominion and power over the pagan god. Problem is, neither the priests nor the people of Ashdod got the message. You would think they would have put two and two together and thought to themselves, “Hey, we didn’t have this problem until the Ark of God arrived.” But, they didn’t. So, God proceeded to Plan B.

(One more aside: This, by the way, shows how merciful God is. He could have just gone ahead and enacted Plan B, but He tried to get their attention by other means first. This is often how God operates. Unfortunately, we often miss the earlier messages and only see the bad ones that follow, like the people of Ashdod. Then, we have the audacity to criticize God and ask why He is so vicious, so uncaring, and so malevolent in His ways. “Why does He allow bad things to happen to good people?” Had we listened the first time, He wouldn’t have to enact Plan B. Hmmm… Now, back to our story.)

In verse six and following, it says the Lord God’s hand was heavy upon the people of Ashdod, and He inflicted them with “tumors.” In the Septuagint and Latin Vulgate, they add this line (NIV): “And rats appeared in their land, and death and destruction were throughout the city.”

That’s when the priests and people of Ashdod finally figured it out. Oh, it’s the Ark… So, they called for a meeting and decided to move the Ark. To Ekron. Duh. Now, two cities were infected because God did not stop the affliction in Ashdod. Verse 9 says the people in Ekron were also infected with “tumors.” In the Septuagint, it adds: “in the groin.”

The Bubonic Plague was referred to by that name because of the buboes (in the Biblical account = tumors) which appear under the arms and in the groin area. Lymph nodes swell with a mixture of the bacteria, both alive and dead, and puss (hence the stories about the “stench” and “smell of death” often recorded by historians).

In 1 Samuel 6, seven months passed before the Philistines called a major conference. Seven months of the plague devastating five major cities of the kingdom. Such is sin. It causes great suffering and stubbornness. So, when the conferees arrived and discussed the situation, they decided the Ark of God must be sent back to Israel. They also decided a guilt offering be sent with it: five golden tumors and five golden rats, to symbolize the affliction, and one for each ruler of the five major cities of Philistia (vv. 1-18). They finally got it.

Historians believe that this account in 1 Samuel is the first recorded account of a bubonic plague. There may have been other outbreaks in biblical times, too. They just didn’t get recorded.

What can we take away from this? It’s interesting how God uses the effects of sin (in this case, war, pride, and disease) to “preach a sermon,” of sorts (cf. Romans 1:19). In one of the worst accounts in recorded history, it started with one little microscopic bacteria and a flea. But that’s how sin operates. One seemingly small incident, decision, or choice against the laws of God, even by those who seem religiously devout, hatches in one individual and spreads throughout that person’s body, who in turn, comes in contact with another and another.

And the rest, they say, is history.

If only we would listen to the first message, we’d never have to experience God’s Plan B.

30 Days Hath Revenge

30 Days Hath Revenge

A Clandestine Mission.

A Cryptic Message.

A Chaste Promise.

Blake Meyer dreamed of a peaceful end to a dutiful career with the FBI. Married now, his life was taking him in a new direction—a desk job. He would be an analyst. Ride it out until retirement. Be safe so he could enjoy his grandchildren some day.

But when a notable member of the IRA is murdered in a London flat, Blake’s secretive past propels him into the middle of a vindictive, international scheme so hellish and horrific, it will take everything Blake possesses—all of it—to save the United States from the most diabolical terrorist attack to date.

C. KEVIN THOMPSON is an ordained minister with a B.A. In Bible (Houghton College, Houghton, NY), an M.A. in Christian Studies (Wesley Biblical Seminary, Jackson, MS), and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership (National-Louis University, Wheeling, IL). He presently works as an assistant principal in a middle school. He also has several years of experience as an administrator at the high school level.

A former Language Arts teacher, Kevin decided to put his money where his mouth was and write, fiction mostly. Now, years later, Kevin is a member of the Christian Authors Network (CAN), American Christian Fictions Writers (ACFW), and Word Weavers International. He is the Chapter President of Word Weavers-Lake County (FL), and his published works include two award-winning novels. The Serpent’s Grasp (Winner of the 2013 Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference Selah Award for First Fiction) is scheduled for reprint with Hallway Publishing, Spring 2017. Kevin’s second book, 30 Days Hath Revenge - A Blake Meyer Thriller: Book 1, is also scheduled for a second edition Oct. 2016, with Book 2 coming soon. Kevin also has had articles appear in The Wesleyan Advocate, The Preacher, Vista, The Des Moines Register and The Ocala Star-Banner.

Kevin is a huge fan of the TV series 24, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, and Criminal Minds, loves anything to do with Star Trek, and is a Sherlock Holmes fanatic, too.

Website: www.ckevinthompson.com

Kevin’s Writer’s Blog: www.ckevinthompson.blogspot.com

Facebook: C. Kevin Thompson – Author Fan Page

Twitter: @CKevinThompson

Goodreads: C. Kevin Thompson

Why Should Writers Read Newspapers? by Sandra Ardoin

Newspapers can be a valuable research tool. While I’m writing the following from the viewpoint of a historical writer, most of the tips can apply for those who create contemporary stories.

Over the past few years, libraries, historical societies, and archives from thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia

Image Courtesy of Grafixar at morguefile.com

have contributed to a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress to form a national database that makes historic newspapers public. That database can be found on the Chronicling America website.

Since these organizations submit digitized issues to Chronicling America, not all newspapers are listed on the site. The available dates range from 1836 to 1922, though there are search mechanisms for finding additional papers in various archives. Search by date or keyword.

To illustrate some tidbits of what you’ll find and reasons why searching newspapers will add authenticity and uniqueness to your story, I’ll use examples from one page of an actual newspaper found on Chronicling America: The Madisonian from Richmond, Kentucky, February 3, 1914.

• Story Ideas – Has your well run dry? Do you need something to stir your imagination? Try this headline: “Post Office Robbed at Crab Orchard.” Twelve hundred dollars in money and stamps were stolen from the post office after nitroglycerin was used to blow the safe. No one heard the explosions because the perpetrators used mail bags to muffle the sound. It was assumed the robbers got away on an early train. But what if the thieves didn’t blow the safe for the money? What if there was something in the post office they wanted or wanted to destroy, something incriminating, perhaps. Who? What? Why? When (it could happen today)? Historical and contemporary writers, are the creative juices flowing? 
• Cultural/Social Attitudes – On Wednesday, Edward Baxter Perry gave a highly touted classical programme and lecture to a “large and cultured audience.” On Sunday, Dr. E. B. Barnes sermonized on “Marriage and Misery” at the Christian church and expressed his view that those who were miserable in their union should be allowed to divorce through the civil courts. The next week he would preach on “Marriage and Happiness.” 
• Weather/Farming Reports – Unlike today, most early newspapers did not have an official section for weather reports and forecasted temperatures. However, sometimes we’re given an indication of the weather through a particular article. A small paragraph about the groundhog seeing his shadow advised people to look out for “squalls, bursted water pipes, and plumber’s bills.” 
• Political News Both Local and National – Presidential executive orders have been in our news quite a bit in recent months. The Madisonian ran a paragraph stating that President Wilson signed an executive order for a permanent government for the Panama Canal Zone and gave the person he named as the first civil governor. 
• Prices – A three-line tidbit advertised signs for sale through the newspaper. Available were “For Sale,” “For Rent,” and “Furnished Rooms for Rent.” Prices for the cards were ten and fifteen cents. 

Here are some additional facts I’ve uncovered in the past while looking through old newspapers:·         

• Railroad schedules that have come in handy when I want a character to travel from one location to another
• The yearly subscription cost of a newspaper
• Advertisements for various businesses and products (including the infamous patent medicines)
• Period names/Terms/Turns of Phrase
• Businesses of the day and some of the goods they carried, along with prices
• Jokes and humor of the period
• Parenting/Marriage Advice

Even if you’re writing a contemporary story, scour the newspapers in the vicinity of your setting for little tidbits that make your story come alive. It could be local businesses or products, parks, local government, etc.

Do you regularly check newspapers (old and new) for facts and ideas for your stories? Have you found something interesting that hasn't been mentioned above?

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As well as being the Wednesday hostess on the Seriously Write blog, Sandra Ardoin crafts stories with stalwart heroes who melt the hearts of strong, sometimes unconventional heroines. Connect with Sandy on various social media sites and at sandraardoin.com.

Making Your Fifteen Minutes Count

More research is involved in becoming a published writer than just gathering facts for your story. You also need to know which editors or agents to meet with at a writer's conference, and how to pitch your story within a short window of time.

I asked Cindy Sproles, Executive Editor of Christian Devotions.us, to share her thoughts on how writers should use their fifteen minute conference appointments. - Sandy

Cindy: The fifteen minutes an author is given in the presence of an agent or publisher is vitally important. Learning to make the most of this time should be a defining moment for the author. Agents should walk away with a “memorable” moment.

Take these tips and make your fifteen minutes of fame last a career:

·        Write your pitch and practice it. You should be about to bolt from a dead sleep and recite your pitch.

·        Bring business cards and one-sheets and proposals to your appointment. Never attend a conference without business cards. Hint:  Take your business card to the next level…add a photo. A photo helps the agent/publisher place a name to a face.

·        Get a professional email address. Consider an email address with your name, i.e., Jondoe100@gmail.com. An email address containing your name helps agents/publishers recognize you. TickyToes@gmail.com is not helpful nor is it professional. Build a successful platform by beginning with a nice email address.

·        Practice professionalism, handshake and greeting. Jot down questions in advance so you are able to present your work effectively and concisely. Agents appreciate those who are prepared and courteous of their time.

·        Be familiar with the agent/publisher and what they represent. Don’t offer a non-fiction editor a fictional work. This is a waste of their time and yours. Do your homework prior to your appointment and choose your appointments wisely. There is little value in presenting your work to an agent/publisher who does not deal with your genre.

·        Be prepared. Have your information ready when you arrive at your appointment. Time is valuable. Don’t spend it upside down digging in your brief case. Carry one business card, a one-sheet and a proposal. Offer the business card, and give the remainder only if the agent/publisher requests it.

·        Don’t argue. Agents know their business. If they say a WIP is not ready, take heed. Writing is subjective. Show your work, listen, and walk away leaving a good impression. Even if you don’t agree. A good impression will get you a second look…arguments scream, “Stay away!"

·        Simple discussion. If you do not have a finished piece, that’s fine. Choose an agent/publisher with whom you can discuss publication and market needs in your chosen genre. Again, prepare questions in advance, take notes as they answer. You’ll receive a wealth of information.

·        Say thank you. Ask for their business card and send a thank you note. Agents/publishers sit through hundreds of interviews and are rarely thanked for their time and attention. Be the one to set a new precedence. It shows your sincerity and it’s a vote of confidence for the professional.

A lot can be accomplished in a fifteen minute appointment. Make the time count and you’ll forge valuable and long lasting contacts in the publishing world.

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Cindy Sproles is the Executive Editor of ChristianDevotions.us. She is an author and teacher as well as a popular conference speaker. Cindy is the co founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and serves as the Devotional Acquisitions Editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Her new book, New Sheets – Thirty Days to Refine You Into the Woman You Can Be quickly becoming a mover and shaker in unique devotionals.  Cindy co writes the popular He Said, She Said devotions and serves as co host of Christian Devotions Speak UP!, the syndicated blog talk radio show for Christian Devotions. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com and www.christiandevotions.us.

For your last writer's conference did you do your research beforehand? Did you take the time learn what each agent or editor wants during an appointment and choose the proper person to meet with? Have you done most of the things Cindy recommended? What was your experience?