I'm writing a thesis/novel. What should I pay attention to on a possible research trip?
For my BA degree, I am required to complete a thesis project in the field of fiction writing, and I plan to write a novel. With the idea I'm pursuing right now, I plan for it to have elements of fantasy, but be set in a historical time period in a real place. In a few weeks I may have the opportunity to travel to this real place, which I didn't expect to have until just a few days ago, and I want to turn this into a mini research trip if I am able.
If you were doing a research trip for a novel, what kinds of things would you look for while on it? What details should I pay attention to (peoples' demeanor, locations in the story, climate?) and what resources should I seek out (museums, living persons with knowledge of this past time, etc), considering that I will be in this place but it will have changed some since the time of my story's setting (and obviously I can't visit the specific time)? If you've written a thesis specifically: what is useful to document during research?
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1 answer
Locations that probably haven't changed too much
The most useful things to have a look at in a case like yours are the landmarks that probably haven't changed too much, such as:
- nearby mountains
- lakes
- rivers
- ...
Famous old stuff
The next best thing to see would be stuff that is quite old and therefore might have already been there at the time you are writing. Or something similar was at the same place and got rebuilt later. Maybe a building had some new rooms added, but is still mostly the same. So have a look out for:
- famous old graveyards
- famous old buildings
- famous old trees
- ...
Whatever it is that your characters will notice
Try to be your character for a day. For example where I come from the land is pretty flat. You can see very far and there are no mountains, just a few little hills here and there.
When I visited a region that was really hilly I was amazed by the amounts of steps I had to take to even get up to the next baker... It was a very, very unusual experience for me and therefore quite fascinating.
Does your character have a similar trait? Maybe he or she is from a cold region and visiting somewhere warm? Has your character lived his whole live near the sea and is for the first time somewhere without any direct access to water? Has your character lived in a big city before and is now in a comparatively small village? What do the streets look like compared to home?
What would be the thing that should stand out based on what you've read so far? Take that thing and see what it really feels/looks/... like
It's important to realize what you think will be important and what you want to describe now - and then see whether it really is as fascinating and important as you thought it would be. Or maybe it's even better than you have thought.
Be careful about locations that your character will visit
If you want to do something that is close to real-world documentation then by all means - go and see how that river looks like and describe it in as much detail as possible. Maybe take a notebook for notes and a camera with you so that you can later access the information again when writing the book.
But beware the fact that things change and that it might not have been as it is now. Researching on the net might be better in some cases.
Visiting the place might give you a general feeling - how important it is for the village, how warm it is, ... - but you shouldn't try to make an exact copy when writing. Most of the time, especially when fantasy is involved, it's better to take reality merely as a starting point and then twist things in a way that makes it obvious that this is fiction and not a documentation. Otherwise people could start complaining that you didn't do something exactly as it is, while others complain that you changed not enough because it's so old, ...
Don't get lost in descriptions of the scenery
A big part of a novel, especially when fantasy is invovled, is: leaving things to the readers imagination. If you get lost in far-too-detailed descriptions of the scenery you might alienate some of your readers. Obviously this depends on your readers, your style and the role of the location in the story. But your trip will not be the most important part thing defining your novel - your story, your characters and your words are the most important part.
Documentation of your trip
I haven't written such a thesis, but I would recommend something like a little diary. I often write postcards to friends and family when I am on a trip somewhere and it's a nice experience to relieve the day at the end before going to bed for example. It will also show you what was most memorable, based on what comes to mind first.
So basically just write down whatever comes to your mind at the evening in a freeform text and then at the end of the trip you will see what really feels important for yourself and for your story.
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