Teresa Inge grew up
reading Nancy Drew mysteries. Today, she doesn't carry a rod like her idol, but
she hot rods. Combining her love of reading mysteries and writing professional
articles led to writing short fiction and a novel. Learn more about her and her
writing at her website.
Why is research important to location?
I love it when I start a new
mystery. This usually means a road trip where the story takes place to research
the setting.
When researching Corked for
Murder” in Virginia is for Mysteries,
I toured Williamsburg Winery and took pictures of oak barrels, machinery, and
asked lots of questions. But as the wine flowed so did my ideas when a bridal
party entered the tasting room. One woman in the party was inebriated and
inspired a drunken bridesmaid that "corked" the murderous plot in my
story.
On another trip, I visited
the historic Cavalier on the Hill hotel in Virginia Beach to research “Guide to
Murder.”
When I arrived, I noticed a
hotel tour guide. This inspired me to write a murder about a tour. I then
explored the hotel to determine the murder location. I also learned that
doorways had lower heights during the 1930’s and people were not very tall. A
great tip for creating characters.
But what should authors do
when they cannot visit a location?
Start with a Google map.
Learn the area’s main corridors and population. Research the general history,
culture, seasonal changes and weather conditions. Check out historical
societies and museums to expand your knowledge. You’ll be surprised what you
learn before you start writing your story. When writing the play “Murder on the
Lafayette,” I based it on two brothers who grew up on the Lafayette River in
Norfolk. During my research, I learned the river was originally named Tanner’s
Creek so I gave the brothers the last name Tanner and viewed maps of the river
in the 1800’s.
Since research is vital for
an accurate setting, take time to obtain the knowledge you need for your
readers. The more you know, the more comfortable you’ll be when writing about
different locations.
Virginia is for Mysteries
Virginia
may be for lovers, but to nineteen authors, Virginia
is for Mysteries: Volume II. The anthology of nineteen short stories, set
in and around the Commonwealth, features Virginia landmarks and locations such
as Virginia Wine Country, the Poe Museum, Luray Caverns, Colonial Williamsburg,
the Great Dismal Swamp, Nimrod Hall, the Barter Theater, and Mill Mountain, to
name a few.
The
stories transport readers across the diverse backdrop of the Old Dominion to a
unique and deadly landscape, filled with killers, crooks, and criminal.
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ReplyDeleteThanks for all the great comments about research and setting!
DeleteI really enjoyed Teresa Inge's summary of how she researches story settings. She's a good example of "Writing it Right." You know that if readers find an error in your location, you'll hear from them. Writers always like to hear from readers; still, writers want to make the setting as authentic as possible.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rosie! I love visiting the places I write about to do my research!
DeleteAs a writer who has also researched local settings to include in my story lines, I can appreciate the effort Teresa has made in her stories and described here. Visiting sites when possible helps the author authenticate the locale, but as a reader, I can easily transport myself to the locations described in the anthology. It makes the story fun!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Allie! I always love reading your books and seeing the time you take to research as well.
DeleteGood post on research. It's amazing how much research goes into writing fiction.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heather! It's one of my favorite things about writing is to research the setting!
DeleteWell said! Research is that heavy background work that brings it all together.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lyn! Yes! Lots of work involved in getting the setting right. It's my favorite!
DeleteVery important. The writer's job is to take the reader to the location. When I'm visiting a place for a story, I don't forget the smells and sounds of the place. Use all five senses.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maria! I love reading your books and have learned so much from you about setting!!
DeleteHey, Theresa -- Great seeing your post here. Hope you are doing well. Thanks for the good information. You made me laugh--that Tanner's CREEK turned into a RIVER. Either the water flow greatly increased or the renaming was all a matter of perspective. Congratulations on another terrific anthology.
ReplyDeleteGrace
Thank you, Grace! I hope to see you at Malice next year!
DeleteHi Teresa, I will be using this advice to prepare for writing my next novel. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAwesome!! It helps me to research main corridors for my settings. I once found that a main road in the Outerbanks floods easily. So that helped as well. Thank you!
DeleteGreat suggestions, Teresa! The internet has given authors a huge advantage in their research, though nothing beats visiting the location personally. And LOVED reading "Corked for Murder." Wine + bride + murder = a fun, twisty read!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kris! Love your story, "A Colonial Grave." You have just the right details about Colonial Williamsburg!!
DeleteThanks for a great post, Teresa. Writers often hear "Write what you know." But writers write what they don't know and that's where research comes in.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know (or forgot) that you wrote a play! How cool.
Thanks, Maggie! I wrote a play that was performed this year! It was lots of fun doing the historical research on it. Love your books and short stories too!
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