Tricia Goyer is
an acclaimed and prolific writer, publishing hundreds of articles in national
magazines while authoring more
than twenty-five fiction and nonfiction books combined. Among those are 3:16 Teen Edition with Max Lucado and
the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the Year Award winners Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights. She has also written books on marriage
and parenting and contributed notes to the Women
of Faith Study Bible. Tricia lives with her husband and four children in Arkansas.
I've written over thirty novels and for most of them, I've
traveled on location for research. It takes time. It takes money, and folks may
wonder if it's worth it.
It's possible to accurate novels without traveling on
location, but sometimes the location forms the story.
This happened with my co-written novel Love Finds You in
Glacier Bay, Alaska. When Ocieanna and I got the idea for Glacier Bay we
knew we wanted to mix a historical story with a contemporary one. We had a
basic idea, but we were basically researching two books, set in two time
periods.
Ocieanna and I traveled to Lonesome Prairie, Montana, and to
Seattle, Washington for our previous books, and we knew the benefit of on-site
research. We hoped we'd find the same benefit in Glacier Bay.
If you are
looking to travel for research here are some things that might help.
1. Connect before
you go. In each of our trips we did some research ahead of time and
found knowledgeable people to talk to. The best places to look were historical
societies or museums. A phone call goes a long way. Call the local historical
society and museum and set an appointment to visit. Let the person know what
you're looking for. We've found wonderful people willing to help. They get
excited that writers are interested in what they know. They like to share their
expertise. (Just remember to take down everyone's name so you can thank them in
the acknowledgements.)
2. Talk to
locals. One of my favorite things to do is simply talk to the
locals. Ask: “What is unique about the area? What are some of you rfavorite
stories that you tell others. And who else can I talk to.
3. Don't go with a fixed schedule. Some of the best
research and stories have come from unexpected interviews.
4. Have a few set questions, but allow for rabbit trails.
Be a good listener.
5. Be observant.
This is obvious, but don't just focus on the mountains, the houses, or the
museums. Look at the bulletin boards, the grocery store shelves, and ask about
the local walking trails.
6. If you've discovered wonderful, colorful locals, write
them into the book. Ocieanna and I were able to do this with Glacier Bay.
Both historical figures and current residents found their way into our novel.
(Just make sure you ask permission!)
7. Don't be so fixed on your storyline that you don't
have room to weave all the good stuff in. With each of our books, Ocieanna
and I had a basic idea of the storyline, but we had plenty of room to expand
and change the plot after our trips.
8. Ask for pre-readers. After your trip send thank
you notes to those you interviewed. When you write, also ask if the person
would be willing to read your manuscript after you're done. This is an important step. You can travel, do
research and work as hard as you can to get things right, but there are always
those little things that a writer misses. When the book is done our goal is to
get even the locals to admit, “They got it right.”
What about you? Do you travel to do research? What are the
benefit? How has your research impacted your writing?
Love Finds You in
Glacier Bay, Alaska
Singer Ginny Marshall is one
signature away from the recording contract of her dreams—a deal that would
guarantee success for the former foster child, who still struggles to bury the
memories of her painful childhood. But Ginny needs advice from the one person
who will look out for her best interests—her former fiancé, Brett Miller. She
travels to the remote town of Glacier Bay, Alaska, where the town’s colorful
characters and stunning scenery provide respite from LA’s pressures.
In Glacier Bay, Ginny discovers a box
of old letters and is swept up in the love story between Clay, an early
missionary to Alaska Territory, and Ellie, the woman who traveled there to be
his children’s governess. When Ginny is reunited with Brett in Glacier Bay,
will she discover—as Ellie did—that healing and love are sometimes found in the
most unexpected places?
