I’ve written more than thirty novels and for most of them, I’ve traveled on location for research. It takes time. It takes money, and folks may wonder if it’s worth it.
It’s possible to accurate novels without traveling on location, but sometimes the location forms the story.
This happened with my co-written novel Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska. When Ocieanna and I got the idea for Glacier Bay, we knew we wanted to mix a historical story with a contemporary one. We had a basic idea, but we were basically researching two books, set in two time periods.
Ocieanna and I traveled to Lonesome Prairie, Montana, and to Seattle, Washington for our previous books, and we knew the benefit of on-site research. We hoped we’d find the same benefit in Glacier Bay. Here’s a photo from that trip:
If you are looking to travel for research here are some things that might help.
1. Connect before you go. In each of our trips we did some research ahead of time and found knowledgeable people to talk to. The best places to look were historical societies or museums. A phone call goes a long way. Call the local historical society and museum and set an appointment to visit. Let the person know what you’re looking for. We’ve found wonderful people willing to help. They get excited that writers are interested in what they know. They like to share their expertise. (Just remember to take down everyone’s name so you can thank them in the acknowledgements.)
2. Talk to locals. One of my favorite things to do is simply talk to the locals. Ask: “What is unique about the area? What are some of you rfavorite stories that you tell others. And who else can I talk to.
Check out the rest of my tips over on Novel Rocket!
*Photo credit:
Check out the rest of my tips over on Novel Rocket!
*Photo credit:
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