Research is something I enjoy almost as much as writing—& for a historical fiction author, it’s key to authentic storytelling.
I once read an engaging novel set in Jamestown Colony & was humming happily along when suddenly a dance scene commenced…& the characters began waltzing.
WHAT?
I share that story knowing full well that my own novels are not 100% anachronism or idiosyncrasy-free. No historical novelist gets every single detail right. But authors owe it to our readers—& to our own reputations—as well our respect for history, to research deeply enough to understand the century we’re writing about: its customs, foods, clothing, news, language, social conventions, transportation, technology, & the everyday details that make a historical world feel real.
For me, the research begins months before I write a word of the novel. I start collecting books & give myself time to soak up the era, the setting, & the people I’ll be spending nearly two years with. I want to know their world so well that it becomes second nature.
I wish I could master Scrivener, but I’m still hopelessly old-fashioned when it comes to research. I prefer handwriting everything on legal pads & in pretty notebooks. There’s something about putting pen to paper that sparks creativity— it slows me down & I also remember what I’ve handwritten far better than what I’ve read on a screen.
Last winter, I twisted my husband’s arm to turn our youngest son’s room into a little library. We’ve only managed two walls of bookshelves so far, but here’s a peek at my favorite vintage collection.
I adore vintage books & would line the entire house with them if I could. There’s something wonderfully inspiring about being surrounded by the books, ideas, and stories that came before us.
Perhaps that’s one reason I love writing historical fiction so much.
I’m writing for readers today—but I’m also quietly hoping someone will still be reading these stories a hundred years from now. 