You’ve done your research. You’ve written your manuscript. You’ve sold your book. No need to ever think about research again, right?
Wrong, wrong, wrong. In the last month, I’ve combed through historical maps of Kansas (I’ve had to move May’s home; my original setting happened to be smack dab in the middle of a cattle trail), read up on the differences between the short grass and mixed-grass prairies, double checked the process of building a soddy, and Googled every frontier town along the Kansas Pacific Railroad.
Just like revision, research often needs to be on-going.
It seems I’m always doing research for something or other for one of my books. Thank God for Google. Someday though, I’d like to get to England and walk the streets of Picadilly or go to Westminster, Kew Gardens. Of course it won’t be the same as it was 200 hundred years ago, as it was along the Kansas prairie but to me there’s just something about “being there”. Like you can channel the spirit of the place. You know.
Thanks for the insight. I didn’t think about that. I knew you’d revise, but didn’t realize it could entail more research.
Hi Caroline, this is a good reminder that research needs to happen at every phase of the writing journey. I write mostly contemporary YA but research is still a big part of my process throughout. Thanks for the insight into having to do yet more research late in the game:-)
Constantly researching! Sometimes that’s where I get my ideas from. Shhh, don’t tell anyone. 😉
Tere, me too. I didn’t know what my story line when I started the research that led to this book. I figured the story would surface as I learned.
Research is a big part of writing even if you’re not writing historical. My MC in my latest wip is a sailor. I know nothing about sailing but I know if someone who sails reads my ms, it has to ring true.
Wow. That sounds like a lot of work, Caroline! I guess there are advantages to making everything up! LOL! 🙂
Yikes! That’s a lot of research – but I guess it never ends!
I’ve written an historical MG and it’s a lot of work. And the record keeping of your research is lots of work too!
A nice reminder. 🙂
I’m always in awe of people who write historical fiction–it seems like such a daunting task, but you lot undertake it with such passion and it always shows in the writing.
I guess it’s true when they say a writers work is never really finished!
This actually sounds like fun research. I love reading about historical places.
Good luck!
New follow here 🙂 I’m also in revision–and finding I’m continually tweaking with more research as I go. Glad to meet you!
I’m not writing historical fiction, but I’m finding research is definitely an ongoing thing. Thank goodness we don’t have to show anyone our first drafts. (I show my crit group, but we’ve been together for years and I know they’ll still respect me in the morning.)
Your book sounds super interesting. I look forward to reading it! I wrote a ms that took place on a farm during the Depression and I learned way more about farms than I ever thought I would. It was actually really fun, and I learned how to pick up chickens!
I looove research. The problem is sometimes I can get lost in it!
Can’t wait to read your book–it sounds fab!
i found it was the tiny detail research that i left to the end that got me in the final round of edits stage. there was so much more than i thought. moving a character from town to town–nightmare! congratulations!