Guest Post - The Long & Winding Road of Research - Deniz Bevan

Today I welcome Deniz Bevan! I asked her to talk about research and her upcoming release, Druid's Moon.

The Long and Winding Road of Research

A guest post by Deniz Bevan

Every time I finish a story, I think to myself, “next time I’ll write something contemporary, set in the town I live in, so that I don’t have to do any research!”

In over three decades of writing, this has still yet to happen!

Druid’s Moon started out with an idea from a dream: A man and a woman in a storeroom in a cave, with the door barred, and antagonists on the other side of the door, doing their darndest to get in. Somehow, I knew that the man had been a beast, and that there were even more evil creatures in the depths of the cave, and they had to be defeated.

The fantasy aspect was easy to create! Then came all the bits and pieces of the plot and character backgrounds, and suddenly I had a research list of more than 10 all-encompassing items.

Here are a few:

Kraken: How to merge previous legends with mine
Archaeology: Daily life on a dig, qualifications, language
Cornwall: Locations and languages
Noble families of England, Scotland and Wales: A plausible name and ancestry for Frederick
Fairy tales: Genre staples for Beauty and the Beast tales

There were other items I read up on, including druids and their tombs and Welsh and Cornish myths and legends, that I found I didn’t need as much after all, but everything that had the right sort of flavour, I would read. The most exciting part is always the serendipity of research something and realising that you got it exactly right, or that your story and setting have dovetailed nicely into the history of that location.

The historical aspects of some of my research areas were the ones that really sent me down rabbit holes. The history of shipping, the history of Cornwall... Even ancient art depicting retellings of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale would pique my interest. I’d go to the university library and come back with two stacks of books!

While I’m in the midst of drafting and editing, I try not to read fiction set in my time or place, as I don’t want to be unduly influenced. Later, when edits are nearly complete, I might turn to fiction, to see how other authors have addressed the same location or central idea.

Eventually, there comes a moment when I realise I’m using research as an excuse to procrastinate on edits.

When that happens, focusing on the characters themselves generally gets me back into the story. Some of the most fun research is keeping an eye out for character faces!

Here are Lyne and Frederick:

Frederick is a photo of Romain Grosjean that I came across in my local newspaper; and Lyne is an unnamed screenshot from a survey I was in the middle of taking!

You just never know where the research road will take you...

Druid’s Moon
By Deniz Bevan

Beauty to his Beast…

Lyne Vanlith, an archaeologist who seeks a logical explanation to any mystery, discovers an ancient Druidic curse on her first dig. When the signs foretold by the curse descend on her, Lyne can’t find a reasonable interpretation.

And that’s even before a Beast rescues her from a monstrous sea-creature. She drops a grateful kiss on the snout of the Beast, who transforms into a man, Frederick Cunnick, Baron of Lansladron. Lyne is meant to be Beauty to his Beast—and break the curse forever.

Now both spellkeeper and monster are targeting Lyne. She must take up her legendary role, to defeat the curse and save Frederick—and herself. Instead of logic, for the first time, Lyne must trust her heart.

Release date – September 20, 2022
$14.95, 6x9 trade paperback, 226 pages
Fantasy – Romance (FIC009090) / Paranormal (FIC009050) / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology (FIC010000)
Print ISBN 9781939844866 / EBook ISBN 9781939844873
$4.99 EBook available in all formats

A firm believer in burning the candle at both ends, Deniz Bevan is generally writing a new novel while editing another and blogging about her reading and research adventures. Other days, she tries to stay off the web altogether, as she delves into the history, mystery, and romance of her characters’ lives. http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.com/

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Blogging Responsibly - It's Personal

Sometimes I forget that when I blog it's visible to more than just my fellow bloggers. And then something happens, like a friend or family member bringing up something I blogged about. For me, the wake up call to really pay attention to what I was posting if it had to do with a real life topic, such as a historical incident, were blog comments from people that weren't bloggers, but someone who had a personal connection to something I'd posted about.

Natalie Wood
By unknown photographer (ebay)
[Public domain],
 via Wikimedia Commons

You see, my topics for the 2012 A-to-Z Challenge and the 2013 A-to-Z were The Wild West and History's Mysteries, respectively. Several of my posts during those challenges caught the eyes of people who knew more about the topics than I did. One was a post about the mystery behind Natalie Wood's death. I heard from someone who had written a book about her death, and had worked with the captain of the ship they'd been on when she died. The post that drew the most attention, though, had to do with the outlaw Clay Allison. Oddly, he's someone I find few people have heard of, yet the tales of his outlaw days cause Billy the Kid to pale in comparison. I find him fascinating, and I had a lot of fun writing the post about him. 

Bearing in mind, of course, that this was during the A-to-Z, so research time wasn't what it might have been for a regular once per week post, I spent a few hours reading up on Clay Allison. There were some fantastic tales about his escapades, but what got skirted over in the information I found was the reasons behind what he'd done and how he'd become an outlaw. And a good percentage of the information out there was likely false, stuff made up in the publications of the day. 

Photo of Clay Allison courtesy of Find a Grave member John "J-Cat" Griffith

I was in it for fun, though, and posted the various tales and information. I hope that there were folks who did research on their own after reading about him, those whose interest was piqued by hearing his tales. But at the same time, I perpetuated the myths that were out there, too. And a few of his descendants contacted me in the blog comments. They were nice guys, no flaming or accusations, and they thanked me for bringing him back into people's awareness. But their comments reminded me that I was posting about real people, people who had family or acquaintances who were still around. Yes, I'm sure they're accustomed to reading the stuff that's out there, and I even got a book recommendation out of it so I can get more information on a subject that interests me. And I'm not going to lie. I'm enough of a wild west buff that I geeked out internally about being contacted by his descendants. But a subject I enjoyed reading and writing about was personal history to them, not just a story.

So my reminder to you is the same as the reminder to me: When you're posting away, thinking this is just a blog, not a newspaper or novel, remember that there's always someone out there for whom the subject could be personal.

Have you been contacted by someone with personal ties to a subject you've blogged about? How did it go? Are you aware of Clay Allison? Who do you think was responsible for Natalie Wood's death? 

May you find your Muse.

Doing it Right, GUTGAA and Announcements

**If you're here for GUTGAA, my bio and questions/answers are at the bottom of this post.

It's Monday, and no one really likes Mondays, but I'm excited to have a bit of news to tell you on this U.S. Labor Day Monday.  First, I've accepted the editor position at the Pikes Peak Writers Blog.  Things will remain the same here.  Keep an eye out for a call for guest posts.

Second, I've been asked to do a presentation/workshop on blogging for both writers and readers at the AuthorFest of the Rockies.  This one is a month sooner than the stand-alone workshop I've already mentioned.

Color me excited!

Moving on...

I'm reading the book All Clear by Connie Willis, and I'm amazed at the amount of research she had to have done, and how seamlessly she's worked it into the novel.  The story is about time traveling historians who seek the reality behind history.  They go back as observers, unable to intervene lest they cause ripples.  However, when several of them find themselves in different parts of England during the Blitz during WWII, something happens, and they're trapped.

I picked this book up at the Pikes Peak Library's Mountain of Authors this past spring after listening to Connie Willis talk.  She was fascinating.  Like me, she gets wrapped up in her research, often finding herself on a tangent.  She had stored all these little known facts about the Titanic, Molly Brown, the Black Death and the Blitz, all because she got caught up in her research.  In fact, she said she doesn't enjoy the writing part, just the research part, but she writes to see what happens next.

I took notes on what she said, but looking at them now I see that I can't read my own writing.  Whoops!

I did a post awhile back inspired by my frustration with a book I was reading because it was set in Colorado, yet the writer had obviously never been here and hadn't done her research.  Connie Willis is the antidote to that.  I'm not done with the book yet, but I'm completely lost in the world she's created, tense and terrified for the trapped historians, rooting for the survival of the secondary characters, and entirely drawn in to a part of history that has always just been of passing interest to me.  Now I'm hungry to go read more about the era (once I'm done, of course).  I had no idea how many children were evacuated during the Blitz, my only experience of it having been the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks.  I got so many of my own story ideas (horror ideas, of course, because that is just how I roll) while reading this book.

To create such a realistic world is something we all hope to strive for.  Yes, this all really happened in the past, but the level of detail in her books is stunning.  Not only that, but she isn't killing us with flat information; everything is conveyed through the story.  Not only am I having fun reading this book, but I'm learning all kinds of things that I want to look into further.

One pointer she gave us (that I can read, yay) was to start your research with kid's books.  Children's non-fiction books tend to be more simplified, boiled down.  You'll get a feel for what you're researching in the basic sense.  After that, you can start researching via adult means, taking notes, using what you've already learned to figure out what to research more on.  "Look for the details that make your spine tingle," she told us.  "That will tell you that you're writing the right thing."  If you're interested in it, if you're excited by it, your readers will be, too.

-Where do you write?

I write in my dungeon at a desktop computer, in the living room on a laptop, or on paper wherever I happen to be.

-Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left. What is the first thing you see?

A mishmash of photos of actors who resembled the looks and personality of my Lonely Hollow characters, plus a map of Lonely Hollow.

-Favorite time to write?

Any time I can!  

-Drink of choice while writing?

Water.  I know, boring, but caffeine puts me to sleep, so coffee is out.  Sometimes I drink herbal tea.

-When writing , do you listen to music or do you need complete silence?

I like music.  What I'm writing determines whether it's instrumental or just plain ol' regular music.  Editing usually calls for instrumental.

-What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?

My inspiration was a dream.  I have no idea where it came from, but I woke up knowing I needed to write about it.

-What's your most valuable writing tip?

Don't procrastinate; write when you have the chance!

BIO: Hi there!  I am a mom to two in Colorado, and I write YA Fantasy, Urban Fantasy and Horror.  I read just about anything.  My first visit to a writers conference a couple years ago got me inspired, and I jumped back into writing, finally dedicating more of my time to it.  Looking forward to meeting you and working on my pitch!

Are you participating in GUTGAA?  What are your research tips?  Do you get lost in research or try to get it over with as fast as possible?  What was a book you read that you thought did a fabulous job of accurate research without being dull?


May you find your Muse.

On Writing Biographies & Historical Fiction...Research

I got to attend a luncheon with speaker Cynthia S. Becker, who wrote Chipeta: Queen of the Utes, a biography about Chipeta, wife to Chief Ouray of the Utes. She spoke to us about resources for researching biographies, but her information would be useful to anyone who wants to be historically accurate, no matter the type of story you're writing.

A lot of what Cynthia did was legwork. If any of you have ever tried to find information on Native American history, you know how hard it is to find thorough and accurate information. I've hit roadblock after roadblock in trying to research my own ancestry, and that's despite family still living on Indian land and my grandfather having been offered a plot in Oklahoma (he wasn't registered, and we can't find who was). You see, the safest thing for many Natives was to pretend to be white, to record it that way on censuses, adopt white names and get social security cards, etc. Tracking family beyond that point can be very hard, unless you know what their previous given names were.

Luckily, one of Cynthia's hobbies was genealogy, something that gave her a leg up on knowing some resources for historical research. She recommended genealogy websites. Personally, I found great information at Ancestry.com, but the cost was steep. Cynthia informed us that many libraries have access to Ancestry.com, so if you don't want to pay for your own account, you can do this research at the library.

You can check Census records to find locations, as well as who was living with the person you're researching. There was a separate Indian Census on reservations, done by their Indian Agents, so if you happen to be researching Native history, that is one additional place to look.

Some obvious places to do research are old newspapers (often available online these days), historical societies in the appropriate areas (for instance, Cynthia worked with the Colorado Historical Society), Grolier (a research site with encyclopedias and newspapers), OneFile (which has periodicals and journals), CultureGrams (which covers over 200 countries), and ProQuest (for research around the world).

Newspapers are a great source for those writing historical fiction, as well as biographies, because they can give you a feel for other things going on at that time. For instance, you can see how people dressed, what was in style according to the ads, what prices were, kitchen and household items being sold, vehicles being sold, movies and shows playing at the time, etc. This can be valuable research when trying to set the scene.

If you can swing it, a visit to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. can be very valuable. They have copies of government receipts and documents. Cynthia was able to swing that by piggy-backing on her husband's business trip out to D.C. I would love to spend some time at the National Archives!

All of this research is great, of course, but even better is talking to people who have a more intimate knowledge of what you're researching. You can find golden nuggets of information that you likely wouldn't have found out any other way. Cynthia points out that people are often eager to talk about their past experiences, whether loved ones or a famous person they encountered. While doing her research, she was able to talk to family members of people who had met Chipeta and/or Ouray. One man talked about how Chief Ouray came to a trading post and took the little boy whose parents ran it out back, spending hours patiently teaching him how to properly use a bow and arrow. A man told Cynthia his neighbor was having a baby at the hospital when Chipeta came in for a surgery, and how Chipeta, who had never birthed a child of her own, came in and asked to hold the baby, snuggling it and talking to it in the Ute language, so sweetly. Considering how horrid newspaper reports were about Natives during the time in question, first-person accounts like these can help tell us who these people really were.

CHIPETA AND OURAY

One thing to remember in newspapers and personal accounts is that anything that can be researched/backed up, should be. Reading through the sensationalized newspaper accounts about the "savages" running around torturing white farmers and prospectors, mutilating them, raping their women and children and the like, it is easy to see why residents wanted the Natives removed. What the papers were reporting was utterly terrifying. Yet those who lived near the Utes, the Indian Agents and those that came into contact with them reported things completely differently, though attempts to set the record straight fell on deaf ears. Here, I've been thinking that our media has gone downhill, sensationalizing things and stretching the truth, yet you see it no matter what the year. The news has always been about what would sell papers, so take what you read with a grain of salt and seek other means of research to check it out before reporting it as the gospel truth.

Cynthia S. Becker was a wonderful speaker. I was captivated with her obvious respect for Chipeta and what she went through. She passed along some great information, and I'd like to close by sharing resources she recommended for research at the end of this message (many of them are regional, but may give you an idea for places to look that are similar).

Come by tomorrow for a teaser from Chipeta: Queen of the Utes, as well as Alex's Catch Fire! Blog Party!

From Cynthia's handout:

Online Research Sources

National Archives Denver Branch

Native American Nations (Southwest)

Colorado Historical Society

Colorado State Archives

Library of Congress American Memory

U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management

Newspapers

Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection

Library of Congress Historic American Newspaper Collection

New York Times Archives (fee for use/free for subscribers)

Rocky Mountain News Archives (fee for use)

Photographs

Denver Public Library Digital Collections

National Archives Digital Photography Archives

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library

Some of those sites are so incredible that I could get lost for hours! Any great research sites you'd like to pass along? I'll gladly re-post them on Thursday with credit to you!

May you find your Muse.

Shifters, Weres & Walkers, Oh My! Research & Field Trip No. 2

With the popularity of Urban Fantasy, we're seeing a lot of animal characters, usually in the form of weres/shifters, but skinwalkers are starting to trickle in, as well. Some of the presented characters are remarkably well done, the pureness of the beast brought across in stunning descriptions, while others are dull and uninspired. If you're going to write a character with animal traits, whatever the form may be, you will appeal to readers more if you've painted both sides of your character in equally vibrant hues.

An excellent way to do this is to observe the animals you're portraying in person. One good place for this is the zoo, which most people should have access to, though it may mean a day trip to another city. If the zoo is a good one, you should be able to observe the animal in an environment similar to their natural one, which should give you some insights.

An even better way to do it is to find a conservation site near you. This one is harder to come by, but extremely gratifying if you can find it. This year, I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit two such places, and will hopefully visit another in the spring or summer. Most exciting about that future visit is that they have a black leopard, which is an animal I'll be writing about in my next novel. I can't wait!!

The two sites I've gotten to visit were The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center and The Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation, both of which are wonderful places that obviously care about their animals (one has all wolves and wolf-dogs, while the other also has foxes and coyotes). The place I went yesterday, the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation, actually allowed us several hours of visiting in the pens with the wolves. It was an amazing experience, and one I hope to repeat in the not-too-distant future. There is nothing like personal interaction to really get the feeling for an animal, especially one as misunderstood and maligned as wolves.

Another benefit to visiting one of these places is that you get to support the very animals you are writing about. Many of these places rely on donations, alone, such as the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation I visited. The owner, Mark Johnson, gives three hour tours (yes, every time I say it I hear Gilligan's Island theme music) where you get to interact with his wolves completely free. He never asked us for a donation, even. He is entirely dedicated to his wolves and they, in turn, are well cared for and loved. This is the type of place I like to support, and I'm glad that I'm able to do so while also getting the experience of a lifetime and possible research for future stories. Some photos will be posted at the end of this post.

I know that I am very lucky to live in a place that offers the kind of access I have to places where I can study wildlife. If you aren't in an area like this one, you can observe similar animals in person, such as cats or dogs. Though they aren't the same, they have similarities that can be conducive to your descriptions. Watch how they move, how they eat, how they react to things. Though they are domesticated, they still have much in common with their untamed brethren.

Lastly, there are animal documentaries galore! If you can't visit or observe animals in person, check out documentaries and do your research on their habits. You will still be able to watch them, and in fact, will more often get to see them in their wild settings, which is great information to have.

This may all seem like a lot of work, but I assure you that it's worth it to really get the correct characterizations down. Of course, if your shifter or were acts and moves like a hairy human, I suppose research isn't all that necessary, other than observing hairy humans in their natural habitats. If your character is supposed to take on an animal's attributes, your writing will truly come alive when you present them in vivid living color.

The following photos are from the wolves of Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation:

This is Baby; she is a sweetheart who likes kisses and belly rubs.

Baby again.

~Yawn

Baby howling back at Josie, a wolf-dog in another pen.

Apache (who I've posted pics of before); he was digging under their shared house.

I think this was Apache, as well, standing on top of their house.

Lakota, who I found just gorgeous (of course, they all were); he is Apache's brother.

Lakota doing a little snacking.

~nom, nom, nom~

Side view of Lakota

Merlin, who has never been touched by human hands.

Merlin, watching us closely.

Another of Merlin.

Zoya, a part-wolf, part-Siberian husky. She has one blue eye and one amber.

Zoya getting a belly rub (sort of amazing to have a wolf offer up their belly to you; several of them did so, all female, I believe).

Cherokee, Apache and Lakota's sister, who was also quite a fan of belly rubs.

Thanks for looking! As always, all photos are mine alone, and cannot be used or copied without my permission.

Aren't they gorgeous?! Have you had the opportunity to visit rescued wild animals at a conservation center? How do you research your animal characters?

May you find your Muse.

Details Matter: Do Your Research!

When I first became involved with the writing community, one thing I heard a couple times that stuck with me was that your details should be accurate when you're writing. Whether you're writing historical non-fiction or a fantasy novel set on a different planet, it is important that you get anything "real" correct, such as elements of the setting. People will notice if you get things wrong, no matter how minor you might think that specific thing.

For example, if you're writing a book set in Colorado Springs, you research wildlife before you mention seeing a grizzly bear in your book. We don't have grizzlies. We have other types of bears. People who live here will notice, as will others who have been here, or who study grizzlies, or who have any interest in wildlife in the west, so on and so forth. There will always be someone who notices.

People want to get lost in a book or movie, but when some minute detail catches their attention for being inaccurate, it can drag them out of it and ruin the experience. Even if the writing is phenomenal, something minor can rip a person right out of the story. Consider something like a cell phone being pulled out in a movie set in the 50's. That's an extreme sort of example, but would it catch your attention? Would it remove you from that suspension of disbelief that caused you to be absorbed in the story being told? Almost certainly! In fact, if you look at IMDB.com, many of the films have a section dedicated to goofs people noticed.

It doesn't take long to look up little things like native wildlife, local weather, state/city government, etc. Technology has even made it possible to see a street corner or storefront via satellite. You just have to go on the internet and you can see an entire neighborhood, zooming around to look at the houses, the lawns, the types of trees.

Historical novels are trickier, of course, but if you go into historical fiction or non-fiction, you likely go in fully prepared to do the research. One of the examples I first heard was from local author M.J. Brett, who taught before she became a writer. Her class was reading a novel that was set back during WWII, and a local area was detailed. This book had a couple driving through a part of town that would have been rubble on the day they went through it, thanks to bombing. These kids caught it and ridiculed the book; it ruined the entire story for them, made it so they couldn't take the rest of it seriously. Such a small detail, though probably not the easiest thing to find.

I'm not saying it's easy to do this research, but it is important. If you find yourself questioning something, it's best to look it up. Chances are, if it strikes you as wrong, someone else will respond in the same way.

By the way, I looked up London bombings in WWII to be sure I was talking about the right time frame (wouldn't THAT be embarrassing, considering the topic), and there are old newsreels of the bombings, which was interesting, so I thought I'd pass one along: NEWS REEL.

Is there a book or movie that has been ruined for you due to a botched detail?

May you find your Muse.