A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors - Guest Post – Amanda Barratt (Within These Walls of Sorrow)

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors including Lynn Austin, Susie Finkbeiner, Jocelyn Green, Laura Frantz, Kate Breslin, Amanda Barratt, and Joanna Davidson Politano, sponsored by JustRead Publicity Tours!

You are Invited

A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors
September 2, 2023 at 7 p.m.
Palmer House Hilton Hotel, Chicago

Join us at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 2, at Chicago’s historic Palmer House Hilton Hotel for a tasteful evening with tea and talk of books, writing, history, and the power of story. Emceed by Chris Jager of Baker Book House, seven novelists will share what inspires them, tales from the research files, what they’ve learned on the journey, and their hope for readers.

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A Recipe for Research

When discussing my novels with readers, the topic of research frequently arises. “Writing that story must have involved a lot of research,” they’ll say. Or they’ll ask, “What sort of research did you do?” I always thoroughly enjoy these conversations because few topics are as near and dear to my history-nerd heart. The method and madness (for there is usually a method to the madness) of researching historical fiction is a subject with depths too great to fully plumb here, but I will share my recipe for research, such as it is. Consider this article an index card penned in almost-illegible handwriting, timeworn and marked by a splatter or two.

Prep Time: Anywhere from a few weeks to over a year.

Ingredients:

A massive binder divided into categories—If I were writing a novel set in Regency London, I might include broad categories such as: Fashion or Etiquette, as well as those specific to the story such as Newgate Prison or The Duties of a Housemaid. Related notes and other resources are filed by category.

A calendar—I find it helpful to print out a historical month-by-month calendar for my story which I use to map out events and gain a panoramic perspective of the time period. This is especially helpful when writing a novel set during a tumultuous era such as WWII.

Books—I read a steady stream of nonfiction and firsthand accounts (i.e. memoirs, letters, diaries) to immerse myself in the historical narrative and gain inspiration. This is always one of the first places I begin, as delving into these resources usually leads to discoveries that shape my story. For my November release, The Warsaw Sisters, I relied on more than one hundred books throughout the research process.

Documentaries, Oral Histories, Interviews, Photographs/Art, Music—Ideas are sparked and insight gained when I watch an interview with someone who lived through experiences similar to those of my character—obviously this isn’t always feasible, depending on the time period, but it’s a resource I never fail to explore when possible. Or when I look at a photograph or painting or listen to music popular during the era. All of this lends an emotional resonance and I return to these sources whenever I’m in need of fresh inspiration throughout the writing process.

Travel, Historical Sites, Museums—I’ve stood in front of the former Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City and imagined what it might have been like on that day in 1911 when a fire broke out and 146 people, the majority young women, lost their lives. I delve into the story of that tragedy in my novella, Echoes of the Heart, in the Courting Calamity collection. But I’ve also written two novels set in Germany and two that take place in Poland and have yet to travel to either country. I have, however, visited museums related to WWII and the Holocaust. And I’ve “journeyed” the streets of Munich and Kraków through period maps and Google Street View. I’ve also watched videos of tour guides taking groups through various cities and sites related to my stories. There are myriad ways to walk in the footsteps of history.

Experts—After a research deep-dive, sometimes a piece of information remains elusive. This is the time to reach out to experts. Museum staff and historians are often happy to answer questions and share resources. For Within These Walls of Sorrow, the staff at the museum commemorating the Under the Eagle pharmacy generously answered my often-obscure queries and provided me with period photos, floorplans, and recordings of interviews. These resources proved invaluable.

Footnotes—Footnotes are most often associated with non-fiction, but I’ve begun to use them in early drafts of my novels. Juggling dozens of research books means I often forget where a certain detail came from and fact-checking during the editing process turns into frantically flipping through tome after tome because I know I read that somewhere. For example, if I mention a historic building in my manuscript, I might include a footnote referencing a source where the building was described. Since the footnotes are for my eyes only and will be removed by the time anyone else reads the manuscript, I just include the title and page number. This simple tool has saved me countless hours.

Directions (Better known as How It Usually Happens)

Mix above ingredients well. Write. Delete a chapter because after further research, you discover your original scene was inconceivable (extra points if you read that in the voice of Vizzini from The Princess Bride). Cry because you spent three days writing said chapter. Revise. Write. Grow giddy with excitement because you finally have the chance to include that event/detail you read about months ago in an out-of-print memoir. Wonder if the librarians will let you keep an overdue historical treatise a couple of weeks longer if you bribe them with cookies. Try to extract a volume from the bottom of the Leaning Tower of Pisa you’ve somehow constructed out of research books without toppling the whole stack yet again. Keep researching and writing and revising, until finally . . . bon appétit.

Yield—One historical novel. And usually ideas for many more!

Amanda Barratt is the bestselling author of numerous historical novels and novellas, including My Dearest Dietrich, The White Rose Resists (a 2021 Christy Award winner), and Within These Walls of Sorrow. She is passionate about illuminating oft-forgotten facets of history through a fictional narrative. Amanda lives in Michigan. Learn more at AmandaBarratt.net.

About the Author

AMANDA BARRATT, whose titles include Within These Walls of Sorrow, The White Rose Resists, and My Dearest Dietrich. Connect with her at AmandaBarratt.net.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a tote bag, one bag of Pride and Peppermint Novel Tea, plus a $20 egift card to BakerBookHouse.com!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 12, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 19, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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