Wednesdays with Joanne - "Research for our novels - when is enough, enough?"

Hi All,

Hoping to soon RIP (Research In Peace), I'm still at war so to speak, with the amount of research necessary to begin my current Civil War romance, set in Virginia. At times it's overwhelming ... I mean come on ... it's the Civil War! I mentioned before that I grew up in Virginia, at the heart of the war between the states, but I'd no idea of the hallowed ground on which I trod as a youngun`.

I'm finding that "I'd no idea" about a lot of things. Each discovery leads me to yet another one, learning facts key to my story ... key to unlocking the truth of Civil War Virginia ... what happened to Confederates, to Yankees, to African-Americans, both slave and free, to women, to families torn apart ... to make the ground indeed hallow. Getting down to the truth of it all isn't so easy, as some historical accounts have proven inaccurate. Some accounts leave important information out, depending on their opinion of the war I suppose. In any event, I'm having to gather far more information for this novel than any before. I may have to turn this into a two-book affair, as there's so much vital information that I want to put in my story ... to make it real, to make it right.

So, when is enough, enough? Interesting to ponder, is it not? I guess we, each of us, have to answer this for ourselves. Those of us who write historicals, whether romance or general fiction, must come to that point where we know ... we know we have enough information under our belts to allow our characters to walk and talk on credible ground, allowing them choices needed for their story to unfold and come alive on the printed page.

I'd love to know how you research your novels. Please comment if you like. I think it would be fun, not to mention fascinating, to see how we all conduct our research.

Love you, mean it ...

Jo(anne) Gregg Sundell
http://www.joannesundell.com/
www.joannesundell.blogspot.com
www.squidoo.com/historicalromancewriter

A...My Name's Amelia, LP 8/08
The Parlor House Daughter, 12/08
Meggie's Remains, 7/09