DON’T BECOME A WRITER ….
… unless you like to do research. Which I do. And lucky for me, research is a lot easier now than it used to be, thanks to the internet. On a daily basis, I can locate information I could have never accessed years ago, without leaving my office. (That’s my window in the picture. I’m sitting on the other side of it right now.)
Writers don’t just do research for historical novels. Writers research everything.
For the Humphrey books, for example, I researched such diverse subjects as hamster care and behavior, frogs, elementary curriculum and lesson plans, bulletin board suggestions, classroom pets, and most recently, how to build a model sailboat. For Surprises According to Humphrey, coming out in February, I spent a lot of time looking at hamster balls.
Much of the research for The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs came from my own brain, where I had stored away Grandma Mohrmann’s tales of growing up in Lonedell, Missouri. But I also double-checked farm life in the 20s, how a musical saw is played, how an applehead doll is made, plagues of grasshoppers, clothespin dolls, general stores, rainmakers - a lot!
Even the cowboy fantasy, Tyrannosaurus Tex, led me to a museum to look at a real chuck wagon.
But the most interesting hodge-podge of research I’ve done is for The Princess and the Peabodys, coming out September 1. (This is a funny book with touches of magic and romance for girls 10 and up …. basically if you like High School Musical, you’ll like this book.) A modern fantasy about an arrogant medieval princess who gets warped into a nice American family, the book traces the Princess’ comical adjustment to the modern world and contemporary school life. Let’s just say, she does it on her own terms.
When I started, I didn’t know much about soccer or cheerleading, but I so loved the idea of a soccer-playing girl having to room with a genuine princess, I was happy to dig in and do the work. For this book, I researched:
Soccer (particularly girls’ soccer) - which is an important element in the book. Girls’ soccer didn’t even exist when I was growing up - which is too bad because it’s a great sport! And now that David Beckham and wife (former Spice Girl) have moved to L.A., soccer has been front and center in our local news.
Cheerleading - I actually made it to the finals of my junior high tryouts - but I wouldn’t want to attempt to do a split today. By the way, cheerleading has gotten a lot more challenging than it used to be.
French - Because there’s some French in it. I don’t know much French but the Princess does.
The Lady of Shalott - a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, which I read in junior high and referred to in the book.
Medieval life, clothes, castles, wizardry - the story takes place in present time, but I had to do light research on these subjects - which was great fun.
What have I googled as I write today? Superheroes, outsider art, some really cute shoes (oops, that was personal, not for work), and I’m about to try to find out how to fix up an old truck. That’s definitely new territory for me … but the book I’m working on requires it. I’m going to have to check out horses and ranching, too.
Writing has definitely made me a more well-rounded, well-informed person. Thanks to the internet and my own extensive library, I don’t have to leave my wonderful office and its wonderful air conditioning during this very hot August!