Researching the Write Way with Tracy Ward

Researching the Write Way 

with Tracy Ward

“Oh I'd love to write a historical but I couldn't do all that research.” I often hear this phrase from other writers upon hearing I write historical fiction. The reality is all writing takes research and not all of it takes place in a library.  Research is vital to every writer, not just the historical ones. The contemporary writer may not realize it but they are researching a book every day. Every new place discovered and new person met is an opportunity for better, more descriptive writing. Everything you read is another lesson in vocabulary, sentence structure and plot development. There is no such thing as an “off” button for a writer and research is no different.

But beyond accepting that the world is one big research project, there are different techniques and tips for the average writer, historical or not. In this article I want to highlight a few of the techniques that I learned while working as a local journalist and writing novels in my Peter Ainsley historical mystery series.

Keep a File Folder (or Re-purposed Hat Box)

Every newspaper office or journalist has a set of files where they stash clippings of articles on specific topics they feel will come up again, or will one day make great stories. The second category is called prompts or story generators and they usually focus on non-time sensitive ideas that could be followed up on regardless of how much time had passed since the reporter came across it. This technique works for fiction writers too. How many times have you heard something on the radio or saw something on television and thought “That's better than fiction”?

Story prompts can be anything that catches your eye, anything you find interesting, anything that relates to your genre or area of writing interest. For me that means anything that relates to history and crime but because my books are character driven, I also tend to be drawn to articles that talk about the human condition (ie: why we do the things we do).

Lucy Maud Montgomery, writer of the Anne of Green Gables series, said that the idea for her famous novel came from a hand written prompt she found in an old hat box she had used once to stash away her stories. Montgomery was going through this box when she found a note describing a story of an orphaned girl sent to an elderly couple by mistake. Some of the best feature stories I have written for newspapers came from prompts I left for myself in my file folder.

Apply the Primer Coat

When you start a new project you must make some decisions straight away. What is the theme of your book? The answer to this question will guide your starting research. The book I am currently writing focuses a lot on the living conditions and societal attitudes towards Victorian London's pauper children. I already knew orphaned children were a dime a dozen on London's streets at the time and poverty was everywhere so to begin I had to find out why. Why were there so many unclaimed children living in those conditions. Before I wrote a single word of my WIP I looked into this and the answers I found  is what I formulated my plot points around. I needed this first layer of research in order to create a convincing plot, otherwise I would become stuck, have to back track or try to force something that just would not make sense. Poor research in the beginning has resulted in a number of manuscripts dying halfway through. Having said that, research should not stop you from writing for too long. Think of this step as a primer coat. At some point you just have to start your masterpiece.

Stay Put and Save on Jet Fuel

You don't have to go to a place to get a feeling for it. I often hear the phrase “Write what you know” as if it's a sure fire way to get across a convincing story but research can go a long way into providing adequate descriptions. The PeterAinsley mystery series is based in 19^th Century London and there is no plane ticket that can take me back 150 years. Historical writers rely on research to give them the details that readers want. The same can be true for contemporary writers who wish to write a scene that takes place in a city they can not easily visit.

Travel sites, local blogs and Youtube all have a place in a writer's arsenal. Travel sites often have detailed maps, and downloadable audio walking tours (sometimes historic in their content) that can give you context for notable buildings and directional substance for urban areas that you wish to include in your book. Youtube is a major resource, often under-utilized by writers. It feels like everyone has a video camera and will take videos of the most mundane things but those seemingly normal videos are great for providing local terminology, dialect, visual perspective and even minor details like the amount of traffic at a particular park or on a particular street. You'll be surprised what you come up with.

Set Your Feet on Virtual Pavement

Don't forget Google maps' Streetview feature. This setting on Google Maps plops you down right at street level and gives you a 360 degree view of everything including traffic, crowds and architecture. For my second book, Dead Silent, I needed to find a neighbourhood for a typical 19^th century surgeon. Remembering surgeons were the 'tradesmen' of their day and not compensated all that well for their life-saving and often distrusted work I knew Dr. Jonas Davies would not be living alongside the upper crust. He was from a very poor family and had just started out with a career in medicine. Thanks to a google search  I was able to find a colour coded map detailing neighbourhood classes (http://booth.lse.ac.uk/static/a/4.html). From there I was able to select a neighbourhood within his social class and income level, not far but not close to the hospital where he works (St. Thomas). Using Google maps I was able to get a street view of that area and I could 'walk' the streets as they appear now. Through this research I also found some Youtube videos describing a revitalization project currently taking place in London to return the neighbourhood to it's original glory. This was not vital to my research but it is heart warming to know these Victorian terrace houses are still standing and remain valued.

Don't Underestimate Society

Historical societies are a great place to get local and even not so local information. Often run by volunteer history enthusiasts, these groups are packed to the gills with information and, in the very least, research knowledge. They can point you in the right direction if not join you in your search. I once had a historian call me four weeks after our initial contact to tell me some new information she had found about a neighbourhood I was researching. I was humbled by her willingness to assist and her matched enthusiasm.

The Devil is in the Details

It's easy for research to become a distraction. Many writers get so caught up in the research they never get around to writing the story. You could always find more details but the details may never find their way into the final draft so it's important to research the big stuff, write the book and fact check the smaller things later as part of the revision process. When I was writing Chorus of theDead I used symbols on both sides of a word or phrase I found suspect. When I write, momentum is my best asset and stopping that momentum to research what kind of remedy Dr. Ainsley would suggest or what type of dress Margaret would wear would be tantamount to shooting myself in the foot. If I am on a roll I stop for nothing and put ***research treatment*** or ***fashionable dress*** and keep writing. When I go back over the book during a second, third and fourth readings I can not miss the highlighted parts and by then I will have the time to look more in depth into that detail. 

Research need not be cumbersome. If you are as interested in your subject matter as I am about history then it's not work, it's just another part of writing a book. It may not be your favourite part but trust me when I say writing a book that is rich in research helps to separate the writers from the authors.

A former journalist and graduate from Humber College's School for Writers, Tracy L. Ward has been hard at work developing her favourite protagonist, Peter Ainsley, and chronicling his adventures as a young surgeon in Victorian England. Her books, Chorus of the Dead and Dead Silent can be found on Amazon, Kobo and other ebook retailers. 

Her website is www.gothicmysterywriter.blogspot.com and she invites you to follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TracyWard.Author. Tracy Ward is currently working on the third book in the Peter Ainsley mystery series. She lives near Toronto, Ontario with her husband and two kids.  Follow her on Twitter @TracyWardAuthor

What Happens Next? by guest blogger K. Wodke

What Happens Next? 

A Fiction Writer’s Dilemma   

by K. Wodke   

Some writers are planners; some like to fly by the seat of their pants. 

I’m somewhere in the middle. The question that often stumps me is this: what happens next? This uncertainty is the bane of my writing life. I’m sure other authors/writers deal with this more easily than I do. I imagine they pull the next act from a file drawer in their brains, or pull on their sturdy boots and tromp into the fertile wilds of their imagination, or perhaps fall asleep and dream of viable options. 

Not me. 

For me, it’s been practically a syndrome. I can start with a great concept for a story, go full speed ahead, and then suddenly fall off the precipice of my idea and find nothing there to hold me up, like a train running out of track over a steep cliff. Freefalling into the inspirational void is a bit scary. And can be quite frustrating as well.

This doesn’t happen when I’m writing with my co-author, PJ. We never seem to run out of ideas as a team. No, the what happens next syndrome only strikes me when working on my solo projects. Fortunately, I have discovered some techniques that ease me past this crippling obstacle. Surprisingly, it turns out that when I don’t know what to write next, the answer is to write anyway. 

The following are suggestions that have worked for me:

Make a schedule. I find I am much more productive now that I’ve established a schedule for my writing instead of just fitting it in willy-nilly. I’ve had no real excuse for being so lackadaisical; I don’t work an outside job. Writing is my job. Given that fact, I reasoned it’s important to spend some time each day on my job. I’ve found it doesn’t necessarily have to be the same time every day, as long as I set aside time each day to write.

 

Define a goal. I have yet to reach my daily writing goal, but I’m not abandoning it because it’s something to shoot for. It is my personal ambition to put out 70,000 words in a 30-day period, which means I must write 2,333 words per day, with no days off. Like I said, I haven’t met that daily goal yet, but I’ve come close. And at least I’m writing. I strive. In that striving, I accomplish something. And something is better than nothing.

Track your work. I’ve started keeping a record of how many words I write each day. It only takes a few seconds to jot it down and I can look back over my chart and see that progress is being made. On dry days, this chart can give the spirit a boost.

Peruse your favorite how-to book. I’ve read a number of good books on the subject of writing, but my current favorite is No Plot? No Problem by Chris Baty. It’s written with a casual, humorous style that I find helpful and engaging, and I feel it specifically addresses my particular problem with what happens next. I’ve been inspired by this book.

Write when you don’t feel like it.  Many times throughout my life, I’ve had to report to a job when I didn’t feel up to the task. My boss expected my presence and my co-workers depended on my

contribution. I’ve decided that writing is no different. It’s my career now (as well as my pleasure) and I’d better show up to get the job done. On my solo writing projects, I don’t have co-workers to cover for me and take up the slack when I’m absent. I realize perfect attendance is not always possible. There are illnesses and family emergencies, etc., but most of the time I succeed in producing something each day. It may not be my best work, but that’s why writers edit and revise later on down the line. Some days, creativity flows like a swollen river down a mountain pass and you can barely type fast enough to get it all down. Other days, it’s like mining for nonexistent diamonds, every word a painful struggle. But write anyway.

Establish a writing routine or ritual. Having a set of props or habits that get you in the mode for writing is a big help, something that lets your mind know it’s time to tap that creative fount. My ritual involves a big cup of French vanilla-flavored coffee to help me concentrate. For some writers, it’s a certain kind of music playing in the background. For others, it’s chocolate. Or their cat curled up in the corner. Or first cleaning and organizing their desk. Or pulling out their storyboards and diagrams. Only you can decide what ritual works for you. 

Avoid social media until the work is done. I saw this suggestion on a blog and recognized the wisdom. Social media is very important with regard to marketing your work, connecting with others of your ilk, and for the pleasure of interacting with fellow human beings. But, it is a time-consumer and will eat into your writing hours like a hungry piranha. I’m working to implement this most helpful advice, though it’s hard to ignore Twitter. It does call to me...

When writer’s block strikes. This dastardly affliction raises its ugly head from time to time, but you do not need to allow it to destroy your goals. Here is how I spit in the face of this monster: at the end of

my working copy or draft, I keep a list of ideas. Even when I’m not writing, I can still work on my project by adding to that list of ideas. The list includes scene ideas, perhaps snippets of dialogue I’ve heard in my head, descriptions that need to be incorporated in the tale, concepts that could be explored, interesting characters that could be added, brainstorming possibilities, etc. There is often research to be done as well. When writer’s block shows up to spoil the party, I just keep rolling along as if it doesn’t exist, workings on tasks that are just as important to the process as putting the words on the page. Does that count as writing? I think it does, although this work is not included in my daily word count. And it never hurts to spend a little time courting your muse by indulging in that which you find inspiring, whether it’s listening to music, gazing at beautiful art, looking at photographs, going for a walk, or just having a conversation with someone. Your muse just might sneak back and peer over your shoulder, curious about what you are doing, and ready to whisper in your ear once more.

Rest assured answers will come. Yes, sometimes answers to the what happens next dilemma magically appear when you are least expecting it. As you write, your story takes on a life of its own; characters evolve; situations expand; and motives deepen. Remember, if you don’t like the way your story is turning out, you can always save a new copy and take it a different direction. (Never delete your old copy; there may be treasures inside that you can use a different way or for another project.) You are the boss of your work. So get in there, take authority over it, and make it behave!

Most recently, I encountered the what happens next dilemma while writing Mirtis Tod, my novelette about a woman who is the opposite of brain-dead. Once I set up the story, I struggled to find an answer for this character whose physical body had died, leaving her awareness intact. Since her body continued to deteriorate, Mirtis faced quite a serious predicament. And so did I. I needed to solve her problem by the end of the tale. In the beginning, I didn’t know how it would be resolved, but I knew I wanted her to meet some interesting characters along the way and there were concepts I wished to express. So, I worked on those areas and just kept on writing. The solution eventually presented itself to me and I was able to give Mirtis Tod a conclusion with which I was satisfied. 

Remember, even when you’re not sure what happens next or how you want your story to end, don’t let that bring your work to a screeching halt. Keep on writing!

 

K. Wodke has published two novelettes: Mirtis Tod, a short novel of uplifting horror, and James Willis Makes a Million, a book geared toward young readers that can be enjoyed by those of all ages. 

 

Along with PJ Hawkinson, she is half of the writing team, Wodke Hawkinson. Their co-authored works include Betrayed, Zeke, Sue, Tangerine, three volumes of short fiction, and several short story singles. 

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