Tag Archives: Research
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
Mixing Truth in Fiction
By Jodie Wolfe As a reader and writer of historical romance, I’m one of those people who read the author notes at the end of the book to discover which part of the story is based on various historical happenings … Continue reading
Confessions of a Research Fanatic
By Kathleen Denly Most campers pray for clear skies and pleasant weather. The summer before my senior year of high school, however, I was fervently praying for a rainstorm. Not just any rainstorm. I wanted a gully-washing downpour that would … Continue reading
The Joy of Research
by Kimberley Woodhouse Research. It’s a chore to some people and a delight to others. I happen to fall into the latter camp although I must admit that sometimes I get so sucked into it that I lose track of … Continue reading
