Tag Archives: Research
Inspiration is Everywhere
By Suzanne Woods Fisher I listen to a local classical radio station while I write. One morning, the radio host made a casual remark about that day in history: “On September 5, 1911,” he said, “the Moonlight Schools began.” The … Continue reading
Maine is a State of Mind
by Suzanne Woods Fisher There’s just something about Maine. It fills the senses: the smell of pine trees, the sound of the sea splashing against the rocky coastline, the sight of a lighthouse, the tangy taste of blueberries, the touch … Continue reading
My Research Introduced Me to New Long-Lost Friends
By Kathryn Haueisen I wrote Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures as historical fiction so I could create conversations. However, I still wanted it make it as historically accurate as possible. I especially wanted to be faithful to the … Continue reading
Research Can Amaze You
By Janetta Fudge Messmer Years ago (2009) I had the privilege of working with multi-published author, Janice Hanna Thompson on a book idea. I was a newbie and the two of us brainstormed a story in my living room in … Continue reading
3 Tips to Sort Out Contradictory Research
by Mesu Andrews On our recent Israel tour, I was reminded that archaeologists and scholars are incredibly smart—but they can’t know everything for certain. Shouldn’t they know where Jesus was crucified and buried? The Christian Conundrum Our Catholic brothers and … Continue reading
The Journey of Research
By Tema Banner I love research. I think most historical fiction writers would agree, it is one of the fascinating adventures of the writer’s world. With each new fact we uncover, our stories can take twist and turns that we … Continue reading
Integrity an Integral Requirement for Historical Fiction
By Donna Wichelman How many of you read historical fiction and why? I asked this question in an informal survey on Facebook to get a pulse on what makes the genre compelling. Many answers complied with what you would expect: … Continue reading
Research Matters
by Dana R. Lynn I recently had a conversation with a close friend regarding research. I was researching what a 911 operator’s computer terminal would look like. “What does it matter?” My friend asked, completely serious. “It’s fiction. Just make … Continue reading
Writing What You Don’t Know—Research
By Gail Gaymer Martin Writers are so often told ‘write what you know.’ Yet sometimes ideas hit us that encompass things we do not know. This happens to me, and though I always research details in my books even if … Continue reading
Lots of Digging…
by Kimberley Woodhouse I’ve talked a lot about research on my blogs for ACFW before. But as an author, that’s a huge amount of what we do isn’t it? I teach at a lot of writer’s conferences and groups about … Continue reading
The Bird and the Worm—Research for Historical Fiction
By Sarah Sundin When writing historical fiction, we need to research with both the eye of the bird and the eye of the worm. A bird soars high. It sees for miles in all directions and senses what’s happening in … Continue reading
How Did They Do That?
By Kimberley Woodhouse I’m always fascinated with research. It’s one of my favorite things to do in my career. I find it so easy to get sucked in by an interesting time in history, an amazing person, or an absolutely … Continue reading
Tips for Researching and Writing an Authentic Novel
By Amy Clipston I’ve written Amish fiction for more than ten years now, since I received my contract for my first book, A Gift of Grace, on Dec. 14, 2007. I decided to try to write Amish fiction after being … Continue reading
From Breathing Britain to Immersion in the Civil War
By Glynn Young Researching a historical novel is more than a challenge; it feels like a career. I’ve written four novels in a series, with the main characters staying intact throughout. Buzzing around my head is the fifth, but I’m … Continue reading
Smell-O-Vision Research
By Kim Gilliland I am certain whatever genre of writing you favor there is some amount of research required. In today’s world that probably means getting online and typing in a phrase or word into your search engine. It doesn’t … Continue reading
