Today I'm working on a manuscript for a middle-grade novel set in 1918. No one needs to be reminded that a lot of stuff was going on that year, especially in the second half:
- World War I
- The influenza pandemic
- Women's suffrage
- Ongoing racism toward Irish and Irish American people (and others, of course, but this book is focused on the Irish)
Although I'm telling a fictional story, it's based on historical events and the prevailing culture. To create a believable story, I want to know as many details about that time so that I can authentically tell the story from my character's perspective. Not all the details will go into the story, of course, but my knowledge of the details will be reflected in what my character notices and how she frames her thoughts, words, and actions.
Just the other day I discovered that is actually the secondary reason for doing this research. The first reason is more significant to how I work as a writer and create the worlds of my characters.
I realized that the hardest thing for me to do is believe what I make up. So, when I make up stuff (which is essentially what fiction writers do), I know that if I don't believe this world I've created, my readers won't either. I'm a stranger in this world I'm trying to create for my character/s, and everything feels weird and questionable. But, if I steep myself long enough and deep enough in the world my character lives in, then it becomes my world--my home--as well. I'm no longer a stranger to this world but a citizen of it. One who eats, sleeps, dreams, walks, and loves in this world.
And it's so much easier to write when I feel at home.
