The Research is Rockin’
Finally.
(Extends hands, squeezes fingers together.)
Who’s up for a bit of research?
Me? Well, I’m currently delving into Pennsylvania (and am currently able to spell it the first time without a red line). Didn’t envision that one before I commenced writing this novel.
However, I have visited and stayed there in the past. In fact, I’d previously visited London only a ‘vague’ once prior to my first time jetting off to the States for a full six weeks (sometime in the naughties). Quite overwhelming for my rural head at the time. It was the land of contrasts – the size and scale of the place (particularly the skyscrapers in NY) – bamboozling me. I’d never seen such bustle, and commuter speed.
The great thing about this research, is being able to step back from the clamour and tumult, that was so visceral and firsthand, and really appreciate the Eastern States from afar, and in hindsight. Back then, you bought a book, and you learned how to travel/plan, and the concentric circles drew you back into those glossy (increasingly tatty) pages. It was key to read everything over and over. I’d heard about Greyhound buses through Heavy Metal songs, so I was sorted for that part of my journey from Newark to Philly. Certainly, that is, until I arrived at the bus depo around 10pm. (Holy Crap! That was a whole new experience.)
A six-week stint, for a complete newbie, is about as unprecedented a perception overhaul as anyone can have, governed by rapidly firing neurones. It takes days (even weeks) to settle and adjust– let alone, appreciate – those quieter, more subtle nuances in your landscape.
Thirty years later, with so much available knowledge at our fingertips, I’m wary of the opposite problem. It’s easy to be fooled into thinking you’re pinpointing and learning the key stuff about alocation – via the web – but that’s not always the case. I’ve had the literal ‘on the ground’ experience of a few towns in the Keystone State (names, through time, escape me) but what about a panoramic view of every quarter of this area? Although useful in of themselves, I’ve had to be careful of perfunctory glances at relevant sites on the ‘Googles’. (Am I increasing accuracy?) What of… town-to-town differences, the Mennonites and Amish, 39th or 40th Parallel etc, etc?
The religious underpinnings of the thirteen colonies have fascinated me.
The topography, and industry, too.
And, Socio-demographics, are an absolute must, when developing a realistic storyline.
Argggghhh!
By the same token, I’m aware the enjoyment (and sometimes the sheer scale) of research can take over, and you become lost in that instead – adjusting your original ideas – to the point they’re undistinguishable from the current trajectory you’re heading. Here, it takes discipline – to keep the soul of the book – and get back on track. The gut, the instinct, and the inspiration need grasped all over again.
I think, for today, I’ll focus on the latter.
Research though? It’s got to be done. The fine balance is tricky.
Thankfully, I love just about every aspect of writing, so it’s only ever a labour of love.
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