Research for writers in the twenty-first century is not what it used to be. Decades ago, researching a novel might take months, and the entire process had to be completed before the creative writing process could begin. Researching a historical novel – any kind of novel, really – required a well-stocked library, and the more specific the research your novel required, the more specialized the library had to be. Writers might find themselves making long trips to distant libraries in order to seek out the material they needed to give their novel authenticity.
Researching a Novel in the Twenty-First Century
Writers of historical fiction still need to do their research, of course, but these days the process is quite different. Often, writers need only a framework of knowledge to set their historical fiction believably within that world, and then the process of planning a novel and writing the first draft can begin. With the vast resources of the internet only seconds away, specific historical details can be researched as and when they are necessary. Need to know what village peasants ate in 1400 in England? Or how the guillotine worked? Want the precise dimensions of a trebuchet, or a detailed description of how to load a pistol? Novelists have all this, and so much more, at their fingertips.
Researching and Writing Historical Fiction
Writing historical fiction has become much less daunting. These days, writers can research as they work, meaning they can focus almost immediately on what they love most – building their characters, creating a plot and writing the first draft of the novel that they long to write.
Julie Hartley
Director
Centauri Arts
