Reach out for that helping hand

   So much of writing requires accuracy.  As I wrote in the blog post, ‘The Seductive Lure of Research,’ precise information, especially for a period piece, is vital.

    While a fiction writer incorporates (fact-based) accuracy, she/he may also build on those facts to create a model that exists within the story.  One of the greatest assets for me while writing Harbinger of Secrets was having the expertise of various individuals from many walks of life.

    In the early days of writing I sought the knowledge of the late Stanley Kaiser, a Canadian WWII veteran who was stationed in England during the war.  He spoke to me at length about so many aspects of wartime life in England.  He made a list of colloquialisms, brands of cigarettes, uniform types, pubs and beverages, and the ‘feel’ of the early ‘40s in Britain.

    British and Canadian doctors, listed in the book’s Acknowledgements, assisted me with various medical information, including what operating rooms would look like, the instruments of the day, and the lifestyle of 1940s’ British physicians.  I also met - by sheer luck and chance - a nurse who worked at St. Thomas’ Hospital after the war.  I was astonished that of all the hospitals in England, she worked at the very hospital I had written about some time before I met her.  It was one of a number of coincidences I encountered during the writing of the book.

    Englishman Alan Smith, along with his wife (who unfortunately has since passed away) sent me a great deal of information pertaining to aviation - his area of expertise - as well as life during the ‘40s.  Alan read the manuscript twice making sure that British terminology was correct, and also provided valued feedback.

    British Captain Jonathan Mercer of Holland America Line, emailed many anecdotes, assisted with all facts nautical, and contributed greatly to the chapters covering life at sea, and the disposition of sailors under varying conditions.

    The personal knowledge these individuals provided could not, in my opinion, be gleaned from books nor the Internet.  Being able to converse with these people directly, to call on them at whim, was both crucial and appreciated.

    Direct research - personal research - combined with factual book/Internet research is the quintessential method at the end of the day.

    On a slightly different note, seek out the assistance of friends, family and other authors.  What they provide, though on a different level, is also invaluable.  You know who your target audience is, you know who reads a variety of books, and you know who will be truthful with you.  Choose carefully those whose feedback will be (brutally) honest and will give your manuscript a once-over from a reader’s perspective.

    You want answers from these “test readers!”  Did the story lag?  Are the characters believable and well-drawn?  Did the setting seem authentic?  Were you eager to keep reading?  Ask them the nuts-and-bolts questions, providing the nuts-and-bolts answers a writer needs to know.

    Strive as well to seek out a well-known author or authors for critical feedback.  Put to use their experience and practical knowledge.  I can’t stress enough that learning from those who are considered successful in the literary field is paramount.  Listen to what they say, take note of their anecdotes, and benefit from critiques of your work.