One of the hardest things to do in writing historical fiction is accurately revealing the attitudes, the environment and natural world of people in the time period about which we write.
This, of course, means we have to know more than just the month and year.
If we want our stories to come alive and touch our readers, we must convince them of the realism of the world we have asked them to visit.
The only credible way to do that is if we know our characters' worlds inside and out. How?
Let Your Senses Do The Walking
Place yourself in the picture. Close your eyes and allow your senses to ride ahead of you.
Imagine yourself on the main street of your town.
Do you detect the odor of horses, or smoke emanating from the local factory?
In the background, do you hear the grinding of machinery? The bray of mules? The squeal of wagon wheels?
Now open your eyes. Take note of which vehicles are making their way down the street.
What clothing are the characters wearing? Are they wearing long skirts and bonnets?
Accuracy in writing historical fiction comes such details as ...
the clothing our characters are wearing, even what kinds of stores they shopped in
their mode of transportation, the type of housing
sports they may have participated in
their hobbies
their education, vernacular and vocabulary
personal hygiene, birth control, medical practices of the period
animals they would have come in contact with, and how they cared for them
the predominant religion of the area
the landscape and weather unique to their part of the country or world
Research First, Gather Your Facts, Make a Plan, Then Write
Here I must interject a word of caution. There is oh, so much wonderful information out there. And reading it is very time consuming. Oftentimes it was hard to tear myself from it and get back to the business of writing.
One hour would lead to five or six, then seven or eight. Before I knew it, the day was gone - the dishes hadn't been done, the dogs hadn't been pottied since noon, and I had completely forgotten about eating lunch.
Research plays an important part in the writing of any type of fiction, but knowing when to stop and begin composing is just as important.
When I wrote my novel, The Sacrifice of the Sage Hen, I spent 2 months in research - on every aspect I thought I would include in my story.
I researched the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails, Independence, Missouri, mountain men, sage hens, Kansas Territory, Texas, Missouri, slavery and emancipation, the Civil War, the clothing and hair styles of the period, what women read in those days, 19th century weapons. . . and the list went on and on.
Which Research Sources Work Best?
Primary sources are the best information initially, books written by people whose opinion was not prejudiced in one way or another, such as encyclopedias.
Afterward, you can confirm the information with secondary sources, like diaries or newspaper articles, many of which can be found online. Though they are secondary sources, the information is valuable, as it may divulge the passions, loyalties, and heartfelt sentiments of the people of that time.
Get Motivated to Write
One excellent suggestion for getting motivated is to read.
Researching Historical Fiction
the clothing our characters are wearing, even what kinds of stores they shopped in
