Research. Read. Write. Rewrite. The 4 "R's." I'm writing this short blog about research, which might be my favorite "R."
I love delving into history and learning new, interesting facts, and I especially rejoice when I uncover a rare historical nugget that most people haven't heard about. I call these "diamonds," and I love injecting these fantastic little facts into my fiction. It adds an important layer of realism to the stories.
In the story Theodore Goes Hunting, I learned that Theodore Roosevelt, an avid boxer even while in office, lost vision in one eye after a boxing match. Only those close to him knew about it. He remained extremely active, and those outside his inner circle didn't know he was partially blind. He never let his impairment affect him. Theodore was uncomplicated, and when he spoke, his words were straightforward and to the point, holding nothing back. Physically and mentally, he was strong, determined, and disciplined in every aspect of life, something he never took for granted. These attributes reflected what might have been the greatest leader we have ever had.
In the story An 11:34 Christmas, set in 1953 in Oslo, Norway, the city is healing from the scars of a world war, not only physically but emotionally. The city held the Olympics the year before, which gave it a major spiritual lift. Emotionally, the Nazi occupation had taken its toll. The Germans forced themselves on Norwegians, whom they saw as ideal models of the perfect race. Desperate to get Norwegians to ally with them, the Germans occupied Norway but remained friendly. Norwegians wanted nothing to do with them, and their contempt was so apparent that the disappointed Germans began to enact laws to force Norwegians to show kindness and respect toward them. The diamond I uncovered was when the Germans created a bus seat occupation law which stipulated if a German soldier sat alone on a 2-person seat, then a Norwegian occupant was required to take the seat next to him.
Research can take days, if not weeks, just to write a single 11:34 story. I spent 3 frenzied weeks — by far the most I've spent on any story — researching Theodore Goes Hunting, reading hundreds of pages in the process. When dealing with iconic figures, it helps to really get to know them. Once you reach a comfort level, it helps to write the story while the research stays fresh in your mind. This can really make the story sparkle.
I have found that good research makes writing easier. After coming up with one particular story idea, I did a little research to start and decided to "wing it," and found that writing the story became particularly arduous because I had to go back and research while I wrote. Writing should be fluent, continuous, like a beautiful classical song. How beautiful is the song when you have to stop periodically?
For those yearning to write, this is the first suggestion I pass along. Do your research. Be thorough. Once you feel comfortable, begin writing.
