No one said writing a book was easy. Besides trying to create an engaging storyline, you may have to use the Internet to check on some facts. Thank goodness for Google.
Part of my story is set in Elizabethan England and part of it is set in the New World, before it was overrun with Europeans. I want to give the feel of London. I've never been but know it often to be foggy and rainy. Too cliché? There's got to be more. The River Thames plays a roll. It was stinky and used as a dump for garbage, sewage, and dead bodies. The London Bridge was there, but the river was most often crossed in boats. For the Americas portion, the research involves the Native Americans living here. I need to know the tribal names, the relationships among the tribes. Did they get along or were they at war with each other? Did they stop their fighting and come together to discuss how to deal with the wave of settlers about to hit?
Others have written on the topic. I checked out Last of the Mohicans to get a better understanding of the Indian people. On the movie front, there are two Elizabeth movies, both starring Kate Blanchett. Think I'll download one or two to get the feel for the time. A visit to London would be ideal.
The research has been fascinating. It bites into writing time, but the writing can't proceed until the descriptions are accurate.
Maybe I can find an editor to fund a trip to London, you know, just for research.
Probably not.
Bruce,
ReplyDeleteI have been to London twice in the summer and it is not foggy in the summer. It does get overcast and rains and my daughter lived there 3 years and said snow is rare. But it can look quite gloomy on a cloudy day and you really need to visit the old cities like Bath and villages and get a feel for the markets, the old castles, the narrow roads, the Thames and the walks along there. There is no longer a London Bridge just a Tower Bridge next to the Tower of London. To see the homes in the villages and the back country would give you more of a flavor.