Guest Blog: Debra Purdy Kong

I'm a fan of Debra Purdy Kong, so I was thrilled when she agreed to join me and blog about the research she did for her mysteries. Many readers don't realize how much background work authors do to write even the simplest novel. I blame this on authors like Debra. Her books appear effortless, which is the hallmark of a good writer who did a great deal of research.

So here's Debra!

Researching the Hard Way

To say that I’m not a prolific writer would be an understatement. My first Casey Holland novel, The Opposite of Dark, took twelve drafts and about that many years to write. Mind you, I was working, raising a family and writing two other novels as well as short stories, articles, and personal essays.

The idea for The Opposite of Dark actually came twenty-five years ago, while I was working a temporary secretarial job for a public bus company here in British Columbia. I remember typing away when a young woman walked in wearing a black leather jacket and mini-skirt, and high heels. In the mid-eighties this definitely wasn’t an acceptable dress code, but I quickly learned that she was working as an undercover security officer for the bus company.

As years passed, I never forgot that woman or her work, so when I was ready to create a new mystery series, I decided to put my protagonist in security. After the seventh or eighth draft, I decided to learn more about the security business to add authenticity to my story. So, at age 53, I answered an ad in the paper for security officers from a company that paid for training.

With some trepidation, I called them up and asked if they could use someone my age. The answer was yes. Apparently, my maturity and work experience was an asset. It proved to be true, as I was assigned to a university campus where young women and female staff often felt more comfortable with women officers, particularly if we had to patrol locker rooms or dorms for a specific reason. I also worked in the communications office, dispatching security officers to different incidents and coordinating with the paramedics and firefighters during emergencies.

After landing a contract with my publisher, I left security work to write full time, but I have to say that I kind of miss security. I learned a lot, and although some might think I’d taken a tough approach to research, the paychecks certainly came in handy. The basic security training I took, including conflict prevention and resolution, is the same that Casey would have taken. Casey, however, is much more of an in-your-face, rule-breaker than I was, but she’s also a lot more interesting.

Since I intended The Opposite of Dark to be the first in a series, I wanted readers to learn about Casey’s family background, as it plays a huge role in the decisions she makes in future professional and personal relationships. In this book, Casey is informed by the police that her father has been murdered in his West Vancouver home. The problem is that she buried her dad three years earlier in an open-casket ceremony in front of a lot of witnesses. Once more, her dad never owned a home in West Vancouver, but he’d always dreamed of one. And so begins Casey’s adventures.

You can visit Debra on the web at: http://www.debrapurdykong.com/index.html

More info about The Opposite of Dark can be found from the publisher at http://bit.ly/i983XE
From amazon.com at www.tinyurl.com/2frw58u  or
From chapters/indo and on Kobo at http://bit.ly/gtFSFw

Guest Blog: Gwyn Ramsey

I'm very pleased to have author Gwyn Ramsey with me this evening to talk about writing. As everyone has heard me say before, research is key to great fiction so for the last few blogs, I've been concentrating on that and asking other writers about the research they've done for their books. Gwen was gracious enough to answer a few questions about her career and writing.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING?

I decided in 2000 to become a writer. I walked into the front room one night and announced to my husband that I was going to write a book. But it took me three years of research and learning the writing process in order to finish my first book, Journey to Tracer’s Point. The other three have taken a year each, so I must be getting a little more organized with my thoughts and story ideas. I joined Romance Writers of American (RWA) and eventually Women Writing the West (WWW) and Western Writers of American (WWA). These organizations have been very helpful in my writing through workshops, conferences, and Internet loops. I also belong to a critique group that helps me hone down my manuscript in better form.

WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?

I write historical family sagas. My first book of the Anderson Chronicles, Journey to Tracer’s Point, begins in 1849. This book is followed by Winds of Change, Bound for Texas, and the next one out this fall is Trails of Destiny. There are many changes in the family structure in all four books as they travel, develop homesteads, search for lost members and work getting back together again. Since I’m a genealogist, I enjoy putting people together. But unfortunately I also have a way of doing away with them.

WHERE DO YOU RESEARCH?

I use the Internet, my personal and home town library, plus inter-library loans from other areas. I am a researcher and carry a card for the Library of Congress (LOC) in DC where I do some work about once a year. What a marvelous place to be. The Jefferson Building is fantastic with its Italian Renaissance style. You can almost hear Jefferson offering his personal library to the LOC or see J. F. Kennedy sitting at the slanted 1800 century desks with a small lamp lit. The library is regal and awe inspiring. So doing research at the LOC is more than worth the trip to DC to feel the ambience of the Jefferson room.

HOW DO YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH?

Writing is very personal. So is research. Every writer has some type or degree of research they need to do for their story. But if you write any genre that isn’t present day, there is loads of work to do and you have to get it right. I usually begin with the internet, then I check out books on the subject from my library, and eventually make a to-do list when I go to the LOC in DC. Take the Comanche Indians that I am presently working on. I want to be sure that information is correct in my book, but not to the point of over educating the reader. So I pick out maybe how they are dressed, what they eat or even how they sit, or what their teepees are like. The Comanche were grouped in bands, not a tribe. Different than the Arapaho or Sioux. Sometimes the Indians paint themselves for different ceremonies. Each item I select makes my character three dimensional. That is important for the reader to love or hate the character, to be able to feel his pain or happiness, or just to come to understand the character’s actions within the story.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE ALL THE PAPERWORK FOR YOUR RESEARCH?
Paperwork can be overwhelming. During the writing process of the current book, my office looks like a hurricane hit several times. Books and papers are strung out all over the table, my desk, and the floor, not to mention maps, calendars, etc. My filing cabinets hold most of my information so that I can quickly obtain the information. I keep present papers close at hand. I can tell you truthfully, filing really piles up and it’s not my favorite thing to do. I would rather keep writing than file, but someone has to do it and since I’m the only one in the office, well….it becomes my job, eventually.

HOW IMPORTANT IS RESEARCH?

Research is top priority in writing historical fiction. Out there in your readership, there are experts who will write to you if your information is wrong. Besides most writers feel that the information he or she puts into the book much be accurate. You never second guess the information. I use whatever I can to get it right. Since I’m also a genealogist, I sometimes use Rootsweb.com or Ancestry.com to pull up information on families. I use diaries, language books, whatever I can get my hands on. I have books on poison/potions, non-poisonous remedies, some very old health books, cowboy slang, and a book by a writer friend (Marilyn Kelly) entitled Eleven Senses, Who Knew. A very interesting book.

ANY OTHER BOOKS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HISTORICAL WRITERS?
There are many but depends on the century you might be writing about. Some books that I use are: Women’s Diaries of the Westward Journey by Schlissel, Everyday Life Among the American Indians by Moulton, Everyday Life in the 1800s by McCutcheon, Indian Talk by Cody, and last but not least Everyday Life in the Wild West by Moulton. I am sure there are many, many more that your readers could share with me and I would welcome the suggestions.

ARE THERE PITFALLS WITH RESEARCH?
Oh, yes. A writer has to be careful how much of his research he is going to use. There is no way to use everything you come across. The information is what makes or breaks a story. Too much info is overpowering and not enough makes a story dull. So new writers, be careful. Use enough to give your reader a feel for the situation or enough to make your characters come alive. Keep the rest file for another date or time, maybe for another book along the way.

Thank you, Amy, for having me on your blog. It’s been an interesting venture. I do hope some of your readers will enjoy the information.

Gwyn's Bio

GWYN RAMSEY was born and raised in Jennings, Missouri. The library became her favorite haunt and reading her most cherished passion. She attended the Florissant Valley Community College, pursuing a career in computer applications. She is the author of a historical series, Journey to Tracer’s Point (2008), Winds of Change (2009), and Bound for Texas. Her next book in the series, Trails of Destiny, will be out late fall 2011, published by Treble Heart Books.

She is a member of Women Writing the West, Western Writers of America, Romance Writer’s of America, and Tampa Area Romance Authors. A former executive secretary for the Army, Gwyn resides in Florida with her husband. When not writing and time allows, she enjoys researching genealogy and tap dancing.

Gwyn has participated in writer's workshops, seminars, conferences, and school presentations. She is on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Goodreads, My Space, just to name a few. Come visit her blog at http://www.gwynramsey.blogspot.com/ . 

Thank you so much for joining me, Gwyn, and giving us more insight into the research that goes into your books! It was fascinating.

Guest: Anne Patrick on The Importance of Research

My guest blogger today is Anne Patrick and she is talking about a subject that is near-and-dear to my heart: research and getting your facts straight. How many of us have started a book only to throw it across the room when we run into a glaring error? Obviously, none of us can get everything right--there are some honest mistakes and even historians have been known to argue about what exactly happened when, and to whom--but there are basics that every diligent author should get right.

But...I digress (since this is a favorite topic of mine). Here is Anne Patrick!

Get Your Facts Straight.

How many of you remember the drudgery of researching at your local library? Thanks to the internet, things are a lot easier now. I do my research, probably like most other writers: books and the internet. However, you have to be careful where you get your information and whether or not it is indeed accurate. Your best bet is to find someone in the field you are researching and ask them to lend their expertise. Most always, you'll find a willing participant—especially if you promise to acknowledge them in your book.

Through research is one of the most important steps you'll take in the writing process. You want to take great care in making sure you've done your homework, especially if you plan on doing any book signing or book club talks. I never will forget my first book signing. After I'd done the fun part of autographing all the books, I was asked to talk to a group of about twenty people. Now that in itself is pretty terrifying to me, but when they started asking research questions my anxiety level went up a notch or two. Thankfully, I had contacted a professional in the same field I'd placed my main character and I was able to answer all their questions. I even had a little pamphlet made up (just in case anyone was to ask) that I passed around describing how my forensic artist went through her creation process.

Another example is my novel Fire and Ash. Several months of research went into it's creation, involving books and the internet. To make sure I got my facts straight I enlisted the help of a wonderful man named Keith Tarbox. He is the fire investigator I corroborated with to make sure my fire scenes were plausible and that my character was believable. His help was invaluable. Not only did he take time out of his busy schedule to answer all my questions he read the manuscript and made some suggestions that gave the book more depth. His insights and the real life experiences he shared helped me to get inside Sadie's head and really get to know her. In all honesty, this books success is due largely to his willingness to help out a nagging author.

Last case in point is my short story Dangerous Deception, which is included in a mystery/suspense anthology that was released March 1st from Victory Tales Press. My inspiration behind this story came from reading about the civil war in Sierra Leone back in the nineties. When I first came up with the idea for this story a few years ago, I contacted two different pastors living in Sierra Leone who actually witnessed many of the atrocities that took place. Since my novel is a contemporary, it takes place in a fictitious country. The events I describe, however, were inspired from the stories I was told. This brings up another point you may want to watch out for, avoid using real names and places if possible.


I hope my post was useful to you. I want to thank Amy for having me today, and for the opportunity to share a little about myself. If you'd like to learn more about me and my books, please visit my website: http://www.annepatrick.weebly.com/ .
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Thank you so much, Anne! I'm glad (for once) that I wasn't the one up on her hobby horse screaming that writers need to do the appropriate research for their books! I only want to add that I've noted that the best-selling authors have one huge thing in common: they always do their research, and then some.
 
Nobody gets everything right, but we need to all try to get most things right!
What is your opinion, readers? Do you care if authors go a little "off the tracks" when they right or do you prefer something as accurate as possible?