There are times when you just have to get out of your bubble and escape the house. Most of the time I visit a coffee shop for inspiration and other times I step way out of the box and travel to unknown locations. Unknown to me, anyway. Two years ago I moved to a new town. One of the greatest advantages of living in an age of technology is that I can use GPS to get practically anywhere I want. This has not always been the case. One example of my dependence on technology was when I went section hiking on the Appalachian Trail a couple summers ago. No one would think that I am at the top of a mountain. I should be able to find a signal! But that is not true, and more often than not I was actually short on bars. Both in the phone and the drink sense. Ba-dum-ch-h-h 🙂 However, living “off the grid” caused me to get creative with sharing my adventures. I sketched things in my journal and wrote quick timelines to help me figure out what I did and when because of course, sometimes the days blend together. NOTE: I love traveling to get out of my comfort zone!
Travel through Time
One such trip, I traveled to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, when I was first researching for my historical fiction book. I took pictures and created sketches, particularly to see the “haunted” areas of the old town and to see some Christmas decorations, which had fortunately started the week previously. It was a wonderful long weekend of writing. I snatched an Air B&B and walked to several of the places that I wanted to see, being sure to ask locals in the shops about other areas of interest. This was such a good time to explore and enjoy the beautiful late fall weather, but also an amazing time to set aside time for writing. One evening right before Thanksgiving, I went on a virtual turkey trot in a local park (hello, season of Covid) and picked up pizza and a cannoli from a local, authentic Italian restaurant. I highly encourage any writer to make time at least once a year for a getaway trip like this. It is amazing how much creativity emerges!
Research
A caveat, or a drawback, depending on how you look at it, of writing historical fiction is that one must research – a lot! Part of this is diving deep into internet research, which has many more resources now, visiting the local library, and even taking a day trip to a museum or gallery to gain some first-hand knowledge. I am by no means an expert in research, but I have learned in the couple years I’ve spent trying to put together historical fiction novels that it takes more effort than just a few weeks. My latest project took three months, and I’m not even completely done with research.
(Pictured: Window at Moravian Bookstore, oldest bookstore in Bethlehem, PA).
I used to think I might be able to find out all the information that I needed by pure grit, but really it is more useful to find someone who is passionate about the subject and to ask questions. LOTS of questions! For this historical fiction, I found a lot of my information from curators at museums or tour guides when visiting another city. These people usually accepted their job because they have a knack for history and are chalk-full of information on the subject. This allows me to write the historical aspect from a different perspective than I might have without someone else’s insight.
Authors for History
One of my favorite authors who usually writes non-fiction is Erik Larson. The majority of his books tackle true, usually little-known, events in history. My favorite of his (so far), recommended by a friend, is In the Garden of Beasts, set during World War II. He writes narrative non-fiction, which reads like a novel, but is purely fact-based. Each manuscript is different, usually involves around ten years of research. I hope that my historical fiction elements use some of his techniques, so even if I am building imagination into my world, it can still be based on the actual event and touches on the subjects in a true manner.
Another historical fiction author that I keep returning to is Ruta Sepetys, whose novels are usually based on history from her own family. One of my favorites, Fountains of Silence, is a young adult crossover novel, which has been an inspiration for my future YA Graphic Novel. It includes quotes from true events and people in the Spanish Revolution and characters that are so life-like that one can’t help but get sucked into the adventure.
World-building
When it comes to place settings in my novel, sometimes it is useful to visit the actual location or one similar. When that is not possible, I use websites or even Google Earth, which includes lots of detail in the most up-to-date option possible. I am building a world of my own in my historical fiction manuscript in the next couple of months, complete with…well, I can’t tell you that.
But I can say that world-building takes a lot of commitment and organization, even if that plan is to build layers through combining folders on my computer. I include character interviews, maps, sketches, brainstorming ideas, and more, all to get an idea of where my world is going and how my characters fit into that place. This is definitely an area that I could improve, but its always interesting to see where brainstorming take us!
So tell me: What background work goes into your manuscript? Which parts are the hardest about setting up the world of your novel? What are some surprises that you have found about the writing process? How do you approach world-building?
Stay curious,
Hannah Marie.
