J’nell Ciesielski is a fellow client of Linda S. Glaz and
the Hartline Literary Agency. She finaled in the Dixie First Chapter contest in 2011, the Launching a Star contest in 2011, and won first place for the Inspy category of the Maggie Award in 2012! Her marvelous attention to detail comes through beautifully in her writing, so I
invited J’nell to share some tips for historical research. You will enjoy what
she has to share.
J’nell, please tell us something about yourself.
Born in Florida, I spent a happy
childhood splashing on the sugar white beaches only known to the Sunshine
Stare. While in middle school, my dad got a job transfer to Texas where I
graduated from Texas A&M with a B.S. in Psychology. Not knowing what else
to do with my life and seeing as how writing wasn’t paying the bills yet, I
joined the Air Force. Stationed in Germany I was privileged to travel to
France, Austria, the Netherlands, England, and my favorite, Scotland. I also met
my awesome husband over there. Finding him was worth wearing camouflage and
combat boots every day. After serving our four years, we now live in Virginia
where I’m a stay at home mom to a busy one and a half year old and a very lazy
beagle.
Want to learn about random history facts or things that time
has forgotten?
My blog is for you! I like talking about famous women spies,
pirate foods, FANY ambulance drivers, and how to properly wear a
filleadh mhor (that’s great kilt to you
and me). It’s the perfect place to expound upon little details I uncover during
research and that doesn’t get more than a passing reference in my books. Things
like why Pekinese dog hair was used to make blankets for burned victims in
WWI.
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| A recommended resource. |
What do you
consider the best resources for historical research?
Start with movies. No, Hollywood isn’t the most accurate
when it comes to historical details (Pearl Harbor anyone?), but they’ll give
you a sense and feel for the era. Get you in the mood, so to speak. Once you’ve
mastered sitting in front of the flickering screen for hours, give your eyes a
break and go listen to music from that time. If your story is in 1941 France
then try Edith Piaf. If you’re galloping in the Highlands, go for some bagpipes,
and for the Revolutionary War try a drum and fife march in your living room.
Kidding. Unless it helps, and then I say no holds barred. You’ll find out not
just the type of rhythms they liked, but the messages in there. What was
important to people of that time? Were they hopeful, were they sad or angry,
did they just want to get back home to their girls? It’s amazing how much history
is written into those little tunes.
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| One of J'nell's favorite writing places, with her dog, Daisy, for company. |
Now it’s time to stretch your legs! Go to museums, get in
touch with professionals, interview those who lived during that time (if
possible), or attend reenactments. Just don’t let your search stop at
Wikipedia. And of course, read. Read everything you can get your hot,
greedy hands on. Biographies, diaries, fashion magazines, newspapers, and
anything else that will give you insight into the daily lives and extraordinary
events going on.
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| Research notes! |
Those sound like excellent suggestions, J'nell. What period of history
do you find most fascinating? And is there a specific location related to that
which you like to study?
I may have to cheat on this one, but since no one is here to
stop me I’ll do it anyways. My mood determines which time period I find
fascinating, and the mood is often dependent on watching certain movies. Like
everyone else on the planet, Sunday nights spent at Downton Abbey give me a
longing for Edwardian England. If a sense of daring adventure strikes, I’ll
write about pirates and sailing the high seas. For bravery that defies
society’s rules and honor that risks it all for love I dive into a world war.
And if I need warriors and their fiery ladies amidst a backdrop of breathtaking
beauty I head to Scotland.
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| J'nell at Eilean Donan Castle. |
Even though I switch around the century that my stories
occupy, I tend to keep them based on the British Isles and the western half of
the Continent. Why? Because I’m an Anglophile and love writing men with
Scottish accents. Seriously though, there’s such a rich history that is passed
down from generation to generation that affected how they dressed, ate, social
circles, what they said and how they said it. I’m so proud to be an American,
but there’s something so exciting about places different from my own. Castles,
moors of heather, centuries old buildings, driving on the wrong side of the
road, moody weather, what’s not to love? And of course, the accents hehe
J
The one thread that ties these centuries and places together
is the characters that inhabit them. Characters who dare to risk it all,
including their own lives, for the one they love. Clothes, countries, and
politics may change, but love never does.
How true!
Are you the kind
of person who searches for answers to particular questions? Or do you
completely immerse yourself in your historical research?
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| J'nell on more of her world travels. |
Both! I’ve always loved history. I was the nerd in school
who put together historical research papers and read them to the class for fun.
So I have a pretty fair knowledge of what happened when and the general essence
of different eras. Starting with that broad scope, I then narrow my focus to
what was happening during the time frame I set my story in. What were the
politics, who wasn’t getting along with whom, what kind of transportation did
they have and how long did it take them to get from place to place. Most
exciting of all were the kinds of fashion for the day. Once I have a big
overview of the year, I then go back to look up specific questions which often
lead me down more than one rabbit hole, but sometimes those holes hold the most
fascinating tidbits that end up in the story.
As the story goes on, I find myself looking for very
specific things. What color chairs did Hitler have in the Berghof? What brand of
lipstick was available in 1941 England? How would a sailor get tar out of his hair
on board a ship? What song would a Tommy sing hunkered down in a trench on the
Somme? For
A Rolls Royce in No Man’s Land
it took me a whole week of reading and watching youtube videos to learn how to
change a tire on a vintage Rolls Royce. No detail is too small for me because I
believe it’s these little things that bring the story to life. And yes, I’ve
been known to look up weather records for certain days in history.
I have looked up weather record as well. I guess I'm not alone in that.
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| Another recommended book. |
Do you have any
tips you’d like to share for effective historical research?
Never stop reading! Books are our gateway to the world.
That’s a little heavy I know, but it’s true. You’ll never know the kinds of
things you’ll learn each time you open a book and let the pages take you away.
And if not a book, the Internet is a boundless source of information. For pretty
much anything you could possibly want to know about, and even the things you
don’t, there’s a website out there.
If you can, visit the places you’re writing about. I was
privileged to live in Europe for three years and we took as many opportunities
as we could to visit different places. I remember the unique smell of Paris
streets, the feel of the wind whipping through my hair as I stood on a cliff in
Skye, the bullet holes still in the stone walls of Kaiserslautern, Germany as
we walked to get a pretzel, the beautiful green richness of Bavaria, and the
clanging of Big Ben on a gloomy afternoon. I can feel these places each time I
write about them, and hopefully my stories are richer for the experiences.
Just remember to always double check your facts! You don’t
want your Scots running around in clan tartans ala Braveheart when the ‘clan
tartan’ wasn’t really invented until the nineteenth century.
You are indeed blessed to have been able to visit all those places, J'nell.
Thank you for taking the time to be a guest on my blog,
J’nell! You've shared very
helpful information.
You’re welcome! I loved sharing with you!
We'd love your comments. What do you find difficult about
historical research? Do you love it? Or does it bog you
down? Do you have a question for J'nell?
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