Researching Historical Fiction

Proper research is important in all novels and especially historical ones. I've found many historical errors as I've read, and I've even pre-read novels to help writers out. The mistake that jumps out the most came from the novel of a very well-known author. The book was set in the West in 1848, and the main character walked into a bank that had it's ceiling fans going. How did the building have the power to run them in 1848, since the first ceiling fans didn't come out until the 1860's?

The most difficulty I've had in research comes from tying to find records from the South prior to the Civil War, because so many of them were destroyed in the war. Since three of the four books in my Appalachian Roots series are set prior to 1865, this has presented a problem. Yet, I've found libraries, universities, museums, and historical associations to be particularly helpful.

The source I find myself using most as I write is the book, English Through the Ages, by William Brohaugh. It gives the date English words were first used. If my novel is set in 1804, I wouldn't want to use a word that didn't come into existence until much later. This is a common mistake for new writers to make. In addition, I can look up words, like "telephone" and have a good idea of when it came into use by the date listed in Brohaugh's book.

I don't find research tedious but usually like it. Maybe this comes from the fact that my Bachelor's Degree is in history. However, I also realize how easy it is to make mistakes when writing a full-length book. If someone finds historical errors in my books, at least I'll know it wasn't because I didn't put a lot of effort into getting it right.

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