On Being Mentored: Featuring Lynn Austin-7 Time Christy Winner

Not all of us have the opportunity to invest one month to envelope ourselves in research for our story, yet we wish we could. Today seven-time Christy winner, Lynn Austin, tells about her exciting opportunity to research details for one of her book series.


Lynn was the keynote speaker at the Write to Publish Conference the first year I attended. She shared this story. Her messages were inspirational and engaging--I still remember what she said six years later! I've asked her to mentor us today.

Hi Mary,

     Thank you for inviting me to share my research process with your readers. The Chronicles of the Kings series was the first set of books I ever wrote. I was still learning how to research.


     Since this series about Hezekiah was set in Israel, I longed to see the setting for myself. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible, at first. 


     I began poring over every book I could find on Israel using Jewish sources as well as Christian ones. Since Isaiah was a main character, I read commentaries on the book of Isaiah until I felt as if I knew the prophet thoroughly. I also subscribed to a magazine called Biblical Archaeological Review which gave a host of information on discoveries and ancient practices. The magazine also listed volunteer dig opportunities in Israel—I made up my mind to go on one.


     My kids came down with chicken pox a few days before I was scheduled to leave—and then my husband got them, too! He is my biggest encourager; he told me to GO to Israel! Our oldest son, who was 14 at the time, went with me even though he was still recovering from the chicken pox. Crazy!

     We spent 5 days eachh week on the site, digging from 4:30 am (!) until noon. We spent part of the afternoon with the archaeologists, learning about the culture and the discoveries. We traveled from one end of Israel to the other, listening to lectures at all the sites (and I asked a million questions). It was amazing!


     Of course I knew my research had to include a walk through Hezekiah’s tunnel, still intact beneath modern Jerusalem. I didn't particularly like dark, tight, cave-like spaces, the tunnel was all of those things—plus it still contained ice-cold, thigh-deep water! 


     I walked through the tunnel with only a tour guide and one flashlight. Midway through, the guide turned off the flashlight. “See how dark it is?” I nearly had a panic attack! That's when I decided one of my characters (Eliakim in Book II) would have to experience what I did.


    The best part of the trip for me was to live in Israel for a month and keep a record of the sights, sounds, smells. These sensory details and weather patterns bring a story to life.


    I always purchase books to take home and remind myself of what I learned. Pictures help me a lot. I decorate my work area with photographs and drawings that take me back to the original setting.

     I actually enjoy doing research. But after completely immersing myself in the facts of the story’s time period, it becomes very “tricky” not to start spewing them out in my fiction. I would say that of all the information I collect, only a very small percentage of it ever shows up in the novel. The rest is in my head and my heart, creating an “atmosphere” in which the story is allowed to breathe.


    It took me much longer to research this first series than it does for books I write now. 
    
    I still spend at least one to two months researching and visiting the site (if possible) before I start writing. And I don’t stop researching. It’s an on-going process throughout the year it takes to complete each novel.


Blessings,




Thank you, Lynn! 


Lynn then blended sights, sounds, textures, information, smells, and tastes from Israel into her story as a weaver would fashion a design into tapestry. When such works of art are completed, the well crafted intricacies go undetected unless pointed out by a guide. 


Here--take a look for yourself--


--from Lynn's book Among the Gods (book 5) p.339


Joshua held the oil lamp in his right hand, feeling along the clammy wall with his left as he slowly groped his way through the meandering tunnel. He had only been inside it once before, with his father, but the suffocating darkness, the weight of the rock closing in around him, the terrible heaviness bearing down on top of him, were all so familiar it was as if he had been inside this tunnel many times. The icy water grew deeper as he sloshed through it, the passageway narrower, like his lungs as he struggled to breathe.


He inched his way forward, searching for nearly ten minutes before he found what he was looking for-Abba's inscription. He held the light close to read the words his father had chiseled into the stone, feeling them with his fingers. "Behold the tunnel..."


Those were the only words he managed to read before a spasm of coughing overwhelmed him. As he fought to catch his breath, the lamp jostled in his hand. The wick sputtered and sank beneath the oil. The flame died. Joshua plunged into total darkness.


"Abba!" he cried out in panic. But his father was dead, and his Heavenly Father was too far away to hear his cries. He knew that his own anger and forgiveness had separated him from God. They were the true source of his darkness, just as Miriam had said. When he'd turned his back on God, he had walked away from the only Source of light.


Joshua's limbs went numb with terror. He wanted to run from this terribly black void, but he was too dizzy and disoriented to move. He shivered, shaken to realize that Manasseh had lived in this eternal darkness, this midnight of the soul, for most of his life; now Joshua was lost in it too. How would he ever find his way out?
from Among the Gods (Book 5) p. 339, used by permission.




Have you visited the setting for your WIP/book in person or with a video media?
How has visiting the setting benefited your story?
How have you blended pages of facts smoothly into your book?


Lynn said she would stop by today to answer questions. What would you like to ask?

On Being Mentored: Siri Mitchell's Detailed Accuracy

I sat down at my computer, closed my eyes, and pictured the scene I was about to write. 

I saw______, 

I heard ________, 

I touched ________, 

I tasted _________, 

and I smelled________. 

I painted a picture, a 3-D picture with rich words. Yet for some reason my story seemed superficial.  

Master writers like Siri Mitchell nominated for this year's Christy Award and Lynn Austin 5 time winner of the Christy Award have conquered this problem by: 


**Investing hours, days, weeks, and even months researching their topic
**Filtering through pages of information to include only select valuable details
**Blending the information into the action/dialogue/setting/plot/theme with master craftsmanship

so that....

Readers 

Don't 

Notice 

their great investment.

Take a look at this scene from She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell, page 34

     The corset had placed me in an unnatural position, and I could find no comfortable posture in which to sit. Moreover whenever I moved, at lest one of the corset's six hundred bones poked into my sides. I counted the hours until I would be able to take it off and sleep.

     But that night, after the maid had removed the corset cover, she handed me my nightgown.

     "But you've forgotten to remove the corset."

     She curtsied. "You're to wear it, miss."

     "I know, And I do. I will. But now it's time for sleep." Aunt had trouble finding maids that performed to her satisfaction. I was beginning to think this one's time, too, was limited.

     "You're to wear it while you sleep, miss."

     "While I sleep? But if I wear it, I will not seep!"

     The maid bowed her head and curtsied again. "Twas the missus's orders." 

     If I could have reached the laces, I would have untied them myself. I had tried, in fact, that very afternoon. But they were located at the back of the garment and tucked into the corset where I could not find them.

     "Your nightgown, miss?"

WOW!

I asked Siri to share her research information with us today.  

Mary –

Thanks so much for thinking of me for your series!

I research all of my books the same way. 

I try, first, to read broadly about the period, looking for books on the general historic era. 

After that, I search for social histories that give more insight into the way people thought about themselves and the world in general. 

At this point, I try also to find books that focus on the women’s history of the period. If I can find them, I try to read some biographies or journals kept by women or some books from that era as well. 

After reading generally, I turn toward specifics: books about food, furniture, clothing, professions (if applicable), etc.

I’ve found YouTube to be a great source for old-fashioned dances and sites like SnapFish and Shutterfly to be useful for photos taken of places like Plymoth Colony, Castles in Europe, or other tourist sites that are still in existence.

I usually end up with between 200 and 300 sources for each book. Most of these are from the internet (a great source for digitized primary documents and out-of-print books), but a fair number are books. 

I’m attaching my bibliography for She Walks In  Beauty so you can see the books I read through. 

She really sent me the list!  Unbelievable!

I usually spend a month or two reading up before I start writing. I prefer to have all the ‘big picture’ research in my head before I start so I can ‘feel’ the era. I don’t mind leaving some of the more specific research (food, clothes, hairstyles) for later drafts.

Let me know if you have further questions. I’d be happy to answer them. And thanks so much for supporting my books!

-Siri
author of A Heart Most Worthy,
She Walks in Beauty, Love’s Pursuit,
A Constant Heart, & Chateau of Echoes

Thanks for the great insights, Siri.

Well, I have more to say on this topic. AND I simply must tell you about Lynn Austin's modeling.
So, I will continue this topic in my next post, September 14th.

Do you have questions for Siri regarding her detailed accuracy craftsmanship?
Have you mastered this skill and are you willing to share tips or examples?
What research did you do prior for your WIP?
How have you changed boring details into exciting text?


Siri not only modeled how to let her reader see and touch the corset--Siri modeled how to let the reader wear the corset

**from She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell, used with permission