Doing Historical Research, My Way

Franz Anton Mesmer

I have completed my second historical novel about Franz Anton Mesmer, the precursor to hypnosis. (He has his own verb: to mesmerize). Mesmer: Tale of a Medical Maverick is about a feisty 18th century doctor who developed a way to heal people without the pain and suffering traditional doctors inflicted on them with leeches, blistering, even drilling into people’s heads to “release demons” and—get this—relieve headaches. So, people abandoned them and flocked to Mesmer’s clinic. Did the medical community give him the time of day? No! Instead, they subjected his methods to 18 experiments designed by Anton Lavoisier and Benjamin Franklin, who wrote a scathing report, thereby quashing any hopes of further business in Paris. Jealous much?

Writing a historical novel demands prodigious research. Here are some tips for organizing material.

1.      As my novel unfolds, I create a timeline of people and events. On rare occasions, I take liberties with the real dates so they fit my storyline. That's okay; just own up to it in your author’s notes. Readers are pretty forgiving about that stuff.

2.      Readers are not forgiving, however, when it comes to factual errors. If you say the Burlington Northern Railway ran through Laramie, Wyoming, in 1877, when it was the Union Pacific Railroad, readers might fling your book across the room and worse, bad-mouth it on social media. You don’t want that!

3.      I keep track of information by putting sticky notes on the page with a reminder about the topic. I don’t use Scrivener or any software because 1) I don’t want to spend time learning it or keying in information, 2) I don’t want any software to organize my stuff. It’s my brain, and it’s my way of storing info, and 3) I don't want to have to search for info--Now where did I put that quote about Benjamin Franklin? kinda stuff, causing my BP to rise to unhealthy levels.

4.      As I research, I create an outline for chapters I want. Like the timeline, it morphs a lot. I also use it to record ideas about, say, problems to address or any fleeting thoughts, so they're all in one place.

5.      Last, as I learn about a particular topic, I write a scene while the info is fresh. Some I cut; others are absorbed into subsequent ones. It speeds up my draft writing a lot.

What are your organizational principles and practices as you build your manuscript? I’ll even listen to reason if you use software!