Diggin' Up the Dirt

American author, journalist, naturalist, and social activist -- Jack London

It's difficult to write almost anything -- a story, an essay, a poem, even a grocery list -- without doing some research. You might need to know a respectable performance time for bronco-riding or perhaps the date of the Parliament Hill Fire in Ottawa. Perhaps you need to spend an afternoon watching the rhythm of ocean waves, or check a recipe to make sure you have all the ingredients. There are so many things to research and so many ways to do it.

Some writers I know are addicted to research. They are never happier than when they are rooting through library archives, viewing microfiche, reading old newspapers, scouring the internet, and interviewing armies of experts and witnesses, etc. They accumulate mountains of notes and become armchair authorities on whatever it is they happen to have been researching. They almost hate to reach the point where they have to apply their research to their writing. How much or how little should they use? Decisions, decisions.

I don't do that kind of research. Well, certainly not on a regular basis, though for six weeks back in 2009 when I was writing Pharaohs and Foot Soldiers, the floor of my office was an obstacle course of book stacks. (You have no idea how hard it is to find 100 jobs ancient Egyptians did. That's when I decided to stick to fiction. Making things up is way easier than looking them up.)

Ah, yes ... once again I digress.

For the most part, I research on a need-to-know basis. I write until I need to know something, and when I find that thing, I return to my writing. Now that I'm focusing on historical fiction though, that method has changed slightly. Before I begin a story, I take a couple of days to get a feel for the time and place, social climate, etc. of my story's setting. I am not looking to learn all there is to learn. I am trying to get a feel for that time and place. For the type of historical fiction I write, that works. My stories, regardless of the historical setting, are always about the characters, and the nature of people doesn't change. Hopes, fears, desires, worries -- they remain constant regardless of the era. Once I establish the basic setting, I get on with the writing, stopping only when I need to find additional information or specific details. I've always been a quick study, so this method works well for me. Of my most recent historical novel, Closer to Far Away, Kirkus Review said, "Details about farm life, domestic routines, and Prohibition firmly establish the rural historical setting, while Lucy’s emotional struggles will resonate with a contemporary audience."

Mission accomplished.

As I mentioned earlier, there are a myriad of research techniques, ranging from personal experimentation to deciphering ancient scrolls. Since I don't need to become an expert, I tend to keep my research methods simple. I read other novels. I watch movies and television programs set in the era I'm writing about. I surf the internet for social and political events of the time, styles of dress, time-appropriate names, job descriptions, geographical details, social norms, architecture, and so on, though I'm always wary of my findings there. I need to discover the information in at least three different places before I decide to use it. That's a trick I learned in genealogy, which I also use as a research tool. I watch videos related to aspects of my story, and, of course, I hit the non-fiction section of the library.

For my current WIP, Lady of Bethnal Green, I have been exceedingly fortunate. Since the story is based on the life of my great-grandmother, my genealogy research is proving to be a wonderful resource. In addition, I have cousins who also dabble in genealogy, and they have been a Godsend. In addition to digging up information on the Boer War activities of a family member, they steered me to the television series, Ripper Street, which has provided a good feel for the period.

But my best research source for this novel is a non-fiction book I bought a few years ago titled The People of the Abyss by Jack London. Originally published in 1902 (I think), the book is basically a journal of Jack London's time in the slums of East London. For several weeks, he assumed the identity of an out-of-work homeless man in the Whitechapel district (just one step up from Bethnal Green), and his first-hand experiences and encounters are recorded here. It's like he was working undercover. Living as one of the common people -- among them -- he was privy to information he couldn't otherwise have obtained.

Thank you, Jack!

PS -- Though Jack London died young (he was only 40) he penned close to that number of books -- both fiction and non-fiction. His most famous novels are Call of the Wild and White Fang.

PPS -- Because technology has conspired to thwart all my efforts, I managed to lose all of the novel when I tried to upload the next five chapters today. As a result, I spent the day trying to get it back online again. Worried that the same thing would happen to me next month too, I have posted Bran in its entirety for your reading enjoyment. Please share the link with friends and on social media. Thanks.

See you next month.