Research trips this summer

As I've already mentioned in a previous post, I did a wee bit of research. The Internet is fine for the most basic of research but doesn't quite cut it for details. I'm a detail sort of writer or at least I want to be. I get frustrated when I can't find simple things like the layout of a historical location.

That said, my 85-year-old mother and I set out on a ten-day road trip. She doesn't amble as well as she used to and there were many things I didn't get to see but the trip was in part for her so I can't complain - much. We started from our home in central Texas and landed in Natchez, Louisiana our first night. While there we toured Sanford Hall and ate a lovely lunch at the Carriage Inn. The house was lovely but we weren't allowed to take photos so if and when I ever write a story with it as my setting, I'll just have to go back.

We headed for Florida to visit two of my friends and then to Athens to visit my mother's college roommate. After that we landed in Nashville, TN to visit my cousin. We did no touring for this leg of the trip as it was all about family and friends but our next destination via Kentucky was Kansas where I was able to visit the location of four forts.



Fort Larned, Kansas

We toured Fort Hays first which is where a good deal of my current story takes place. Already I have to change a scene I wrote to accommodate a more accurate setting but that's okay. It will give me my writing challenge for the day.

We then toured Fort Larned which was great as most of that fort is still intact. I made the drive to Fort Supply but there's nothing there, nothing to see. And then we spent time in Dodge City, Kansas where I got to see the location of Fort Dodge. It was a good, informative trip.

From slipper to clog

It's been a while since I've been in a critique group and I miss that comaraderie shared by those with a common love of writing. Needless to say, I'm in a newly formed group. As we're all established authors, this group isn't as chatty as I'm used to, but that's fine. What they are is very talented. Sure, I can probably get by without critiques but my writing won't be quite as sound. Let's face it, once you've committed the thought to paper, it's hard for the author to see the small problems that the reader might encounter. Your work always needs fresh eyes.

That said, one of my new critique partners read through a first chapter I'd written and commented on my use of the term clog. To be quite honest, I'd found a reference to some 1870 style shoes in which it was common for women to wear "mules". I also found a reference to clogs. The mules look like bulky slippers and can be rather elaborate. The clogs are less frivolous and more serviceable. Mules typically didn't have a back at the heel whereas the images I found of clogs could have a back or not. When someone calls them slippers a more dainty image pops in mind. I'd used the term clog and slipper interchangeably and I could see her confusion.

Wooden Shoes by Vera Kratochvil

Quite frankly, part of the confusion was mine. I hadn't yet cemented in my own mind what that shoe might look like so I began some more research. What I discovered were wooden clogs. Now why would that work in my western story? Wooden clogs are typically Dutch, after all.

There was a brewery in Odgen, Kansas that was run by a German imigrant. His workers wore wooden clogs while working in the brewery. My story begins in Dodge City, Kansas and so I think it quite feasible for one pair of wooden clogs to journey from Ogden to Dodge. Too fun.

Finding this jewel of information led me to an idea for my story, one that I hope will enhance the imagery I'm trying to create. Things like this are a writer's spice.

A huge thank you to my new critique partner for setting me on this course of investigation.

A bookaholic when it comes to research

Okay, I confess. I'm a bookaholic when it comes to buying research books. Oh yes, I buy lots of romance also, but we'll save that for another day. Today, I decided to start my inventory project and I decided to begin with my office.

I knew I had lots of books but writing down the titles, authors and copyright dates on three shelves worth of books took all afternoon. But - I found some real treasures in doing so. Most of the books I buy come from Half-Price Books. I can spend hours just browsing for historical gems and it shows. I found at least 4 collectible books, books I bought for five or ten dollars but are worth far more. Doing a search of the books on a collectible site led to the discovery of these 4 jewels. So fun.

Books usually find their way to my place because they spark an idea, like the the book, Life at the Texas State Lunatic Asylum, 1857 – 1997 by Sarah C. Sitton. I always thought it would be fun to use an asylum as part of the setting for a book but never got any further than the idea.

I have a whole row devoted to the medieval times and Vikings. I also have a whole row on books that deal with writing like On Writing by Steven King and TheWriter’s Journey by Christopher Vogler.  I highly recommend both books. Astrology books also grace the top shelf as I find them useful in developing my characters along with a book on archtypes. Another row is devoted to just books on the old west from Texas Rangers to the Overland Trail to a Railroad Atlas. The bottom photo shows just a few of my research books.

The fun part about doing the inventory is being reintroduced to books I'd forgotten about and letting those books spark ideas. Oh yeah, the ideas are flowing. Now to find time to write. 

Yes, the Internet is a wonderful tool but sometimes I'd much rather do the research the old fashioned way.

Why did I choose Indianola?

I'm working steadily to finish what I thought would be a novella set in Indianola, Texas in 1875, but I have 50,000 words already and I'm no where near the end of my story so....could this be another full length novel? As a pantser I won't know until I reach the end but it's looking that way.
I chose the town because I wanted a ghost town. Ghost towns have a fascination unlike real or fictional towns in that they possess mystery. Why did the town die? I wanted that part of the town to be a real element in the story. At the time I went searching for a setting, I had no idea how that history would play into my story but wow - I'm so excited about this one.

Indianola rivaled Galveston back in the day and was known as "the" port for shipping and for newly arrived immigrants. It was perfectly situated with easy access. In fact, it was the county seat at the time, but nature had other plans. A very distructive hurricane swept through in on Sept 16, 1875. Folks managed to rebuild, but another hurricane in 1886 sealed her fate and the post office was officially closed in 1887.

After reading some of the town's history, I told my mom about my selected location and she got all excited. She actually had a book on the town's history because she's huge into geneaology and that's the port where my forefathers entered the US for the first time. Having the book made my research go a lot smoother. Yes, there's plenty of info on the Internet, but not the wonderful tidbits offered by Indianola: The Mother of Western Texas by Brownson Malsch.

Even more fascinating is the culmination of the Sutton/Taylor feud. The trial of Bill Taylor was in progress when the hurricane hit so the town was full of visitors seeking a bit of excitement. I started my story in August and I'm now at the point where the hurricane hits. Can't wait to see how my hero and heroine react, how they survive. So many lost their lives to nature's destructive forces.

I'm planning a trip to the actual site sometime in March. I'll post pictures later.

Two more Mondays left of school

We were all groaning about how slow this month is going with regards to school. Both teachers and students are ready for a break. Why? Way too much testing. Texas in its infinite wisdom has a test for everything now from TAKS to EOC and all occuring at the same time as AP testing. Argggg. When can we go back to teaching and learning. I thought that was what school was for.

Anyway, instead of counting the days or weeks, one of my sweet students said, "Only two more Mondays left." Wow, that says it all and it was a much more positive statement. And of course after tomorrow, there only be one more Monday left. Whoop!

In the meantime, I'm trying to get everything done for school so I can start prepping for my "write" time. By this time, I usually know what research I need to do in order to make the most of my summer. And yes, I do know what I'll be researching. Two things: Cheyenne Indians and the Templar Knights. No - not for the same story but wouldn't that be a hoot to write. Two seperate stories are warring for my attention. I'm hoping to work on both. I pretty much have to finish at least one in order to have any books come out in 2012. So - hopefully my muse and I are on track.