There’s Always More To Learn

Has anyone tried to write an historical novel?  For the writers among reeanactors it seems like a natural progression, write about what you love and you have the bonus of having all that research already in your head.

Or do you?

Don’t you hate it when you’re writing a scene that takes place in a castle and you have to stop writing to look up what do you call the front area of the castle, you know where everyone hangs out?  Bailey?  Demesne?  Are they the same thing in different time periods? Or are they two entirely different things?

Ever stop midway in a scene because you realize you don’t know how pirates cooked on a wooden ship?

Fortunately in this computer age we can save the novel, minimize the word processing software, open the internet in another window, get our answer and continue with the writing—all without leaving our desk.

As a reeanctor we can always ask a question of our fellow group members, providing of course, we don’t have a book on our shelves that can give us the answer.

The point of this missive is that you may think you’re an expert in your time era that is until you sit down to write a novel.  In trying to create your own world and make it as realistic as possible you begin to see what details you don’t know.

Not a bad thing.  If you’re committed to the novel you’ll do the research.  Maybe that research will lead you to another facet of your time period that you might want to explore even further.  Maybe even inspire you to pick up a new skill.

Writing an historical novel makes you face the fact that no matter how much you think you know, there’s always more to learn.