Straight from the Source: Jenni L. Walsh on Writing Historical Fiction
Jenni L. Walsh is a USA Today bestselling author of over twelve books. Her passion lies in transporting readers to another world, be it in historical or contemporary settings. She is a proud member of the Tall Poppy writers, a graduate of Villanova University, and lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, daughter, son, and various pets.
For children, Jenni has written the She Dared nonfiction series and novels Hettie and the London Blitz, I Am Defiance, By the Light of Fireflies, Over and Out, Operation: Happy, and the forthcoming The Bug Bandits. She also writes historical novels for adults, including Becoming Bonnie, Side by Side, A Betting Woman, The Call of the Wrens, Unsinkable, and Ace, Marvel Spy. To learn more about Jenni and her books, please visit jennilwalsh.com or @jennilwalsh on social media.
What typically comes first for you: a character? An era? A story idea? How do you proceed from there?
I’m inspired by real people and real events, so generally it’s a person or place that sparks my intrigue. I generally will do a speed round (an hour or less) of trying to learn as much as I can about the topic. If afterwards I’m feeling excited, but more importantly, if I can summarize the “cool” aspect of the person, place, or moment in time in a single sentence, then I know I’m onto something.
How do you conduct your research?
My most recent novel, Operation: Happy, is inspired by a real-life Pearl Harbor survivor. I was very fortunate that she penned a memoir. This was gold for me. I love when I can use first-person accounts, whether that’s in book form, diaries, newspaper clippings, etc. From there, Google is my best friend. I’m constantly doing queries for random details as I go.
How long do you typically research before beginning to draft?
With Operation: Happy, I didn’t do as much upfront research as I generally do. The memoir, The Children of Battleship Row, was that good and that detailed. I read it twice, making notes in the margins each time. Then, I concocted an outline and a plan of attack to tell (and honor) the story the best way I possibly could. From there, it was wheels down.
What is your favorite thing about research?
I absolutely love learning new things. While it was heartbreaking to learn intimate details surrounding Pearl Harbor, it was so inspiring to see how a twelve-year-old reacted in the face of such a horrible event—and aftermath. My story involves Jody’s evacuation to San Francisco, which wasn’t something I ever considered when thinking about the events of Pearl Harbor. I learned so much!
What’s your least favorite thing about research?
Knowing when to stop. Or making the decision that, while the research I unearthed is super fun, there’s no place for it in my story. I always want to put everything I find into my novels. But sometimes it hurts the story more than helps it.
What’s your favorite thing about writing historical fiction?
Making it cool. During school visits I often confess that I didn’t love reading nor did I love history when I was in elementary or middle school. I didn’t find it compelling or exciting. Now I’m determined to write stories that kids find exciting, intriguing, and unputdownable.