Research

I've been thinking about a new story. One that takes place around the 16th century. That means it's back to the library. I always start with general history. What was happening during that period. Who was in power. For this book, I'm most interested in trade and trade routes. Then I'll look into piracy to see how that would effect my characters. England and Spain were big traders during that period and had command of the seas, and so was Portugal.

These are the things that will give me hints about the culture of the time and area. It gives me some insight into daily life and values for the characters I'm building. I get an idea of their hopes and dreams, fears and concerns. It even helps me to understand disease and medical treatments of the time.

I'm really excited about what I'll learn. It's like a treasure hunt. Some writers I know hate this part, but I love it. It's a window into another world. I get a picture of some of the ways it has effected the world I live in and shaped the people in it.

I often learn strange bits of trivia, random facts. I love these nuggets. I'll keep you posted on the cool stuff I find.