I’ve had many people ask me how I do my research and what I use.

Here are 6 (+1 bonus) things that I’ve found very helpful when I’m writing historical fiction.

1. Biographies  – Not everyone enjoys biographies, but a good one about someone who lived during the time you want to write about can really help get a feeling for what was going on at that time. Even if you’ve only read biographies for school because you had to, try them again.
2. Historical Non-Fiction  – I don’t know how many of this sort of book I used when doing my research for Home Fires of the Great War. Some were books with a lot of photographs, others were mostly just accounts of a specific event I wanted to learn about. Or books such as the Reminisce books are a good way to learn about real life in the 1920s-1960s since they are full of stories by people who actually lived there. One of my favorites was and still is The Columbia Chronicles Of American Life, 1910 1992. You will find all kinds of fascinating information in here! Check out old World Books, or song books, or encyclopedias, and the list goes on.
   

   

3. Newspapers  – I know, I know, how are you supposed to find newspapers from way back when? Well, some time periods you can’t. But others you can. Check in your local library and see what they have. I have a really thick book Chronicle of the 20th Century which is full newspaper articles and pictures from 1900 until 1990 or so. Just be careful because pictures about certain things are graphic. And modern newspapers aren’t really accurate!
4. Online Research  – While online research can be helpful, just remember that it can also be deceiving. It’s a good idea to double check your information with at least one other place before deciding it is accurate.
5. Fiction Published During that Time  – Yes, reading fiction can be helpful if you are careful of what fiction you read. Real life fiction (Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Ivanhoe, etc.) can all give you a flavor and a feeling of what life was like in story form. Just remember that you want stories that are published around the time of your research since they are more likely to help you.
6. Historical Photographs  – I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy looking at old photographs from a long time ago. I want to see what people are wearing, what the houses looked like, the toys the children played with, and so on.
7. Real People  – Of course talking to real people about growing up in an era you want to learn about is another great way to help with research. I love hearing my grandpa tell about when he was a boy, or delivering telegrams for Western Union during WWII.

Obviously some of these things won’t be available for you, depending on what time period you want to learn about. But if you can immerse yourself in these different sources you will start to learn things that will help your next story. Or maybe give you a tidbit of information to tell you something like the OK sign wasn’t around in the 1920s. 🙂

What are some resources you enjoy using when you research? How many of these have you used before? I’d love to hear!