Research sends us down endless trails as we look at how our
characters live their daily lives. The year, the season, the location can
change things. Will the winter be a hard one or mild?
As I write my diary of Clare Coleman, I’m also dealing with
a woman who matures over the years. She started out as a slightly naive and
idealist teen and eventually she hardens into a woman who isn’t phased by what
the West and life tosses at her.
The mid through late 1800’s is also a time of change with the
Civil War, its aftermath, and all the industrial inventions. These things
impacted the West. And while fashion raised and lowered bustles, changed changed the hip lines on skirts and the shape
of corsets in the East, women in the West didn’t have time for such nonsense. They
wore practical fabrics and horrors upon horrors pants(!) because they were
practical. They rolled up their sleeves.
But Clare had another influence on her. Indians. Tribal
people that she and her husband had befriended. Their ways and customs were
different and often shocking. She had to learn to accept the differences.
As Clare experiences and encounters life’s adventures, I
must research so that the reader can follow along an accurate path. Timelines,
maps, language translation, fashion, recipes and dozens of other things clutter
my desk. It’s supposed to be Clare’s life, but it’s become my journey. I can't wait to share it with you.
I look forward to seeing more of Clare's journey. I hope you'll share some of the details you learn with us here.
ReplyDelete