Most of my favorite novels are the ones that tell an incredible story, but there’s loads of research that went into that book—a lot of it not even included in the final draft. Marlon James, who is currently writing the Dark Star Trilogy, spent a full two years solely on research on African mythology and collecting images of palaces from different parts of the continent. As a result, his published works are incredibly innovative. He has said the research served as a starting point for the creative journey he took.
I would say I spent a year and a half buried in research. This consisted of many long days reading old books in Spanish, having to get accustomed to the dry academic language and turn to a dictionary. But then there was the fieldwork. While on a fellowship, I researched different museums that focused on artifacts of the time period. Obviously, I traveled to the locations where my protagonist lived.
I did the fieldwork with an open mind. I didn’t go thinking I had to find something or else the book wouldn’t work out. Fiction is forgiving in that way. Loads of questions popped up the moment I started writing (Did they have mirrors at the time? How did they look at themselves?). I continued writing, scraping around in the darkness, hoping to grasp something to lean on.
Museums were wonderful. I went to the the Museum of Popular Art and Traditions in Seville, filled with incredible artifacts like this coffer from the 1600s.
This piece has become a frequent prop within my manuscript. Upon discovering these items in my research, I felt more confident in the story I was telling. I collected my notes on one software platform and over time, I would review them in the mornings before I started to write. It felt a little like I was studying for a test, when in truth, I was still working to get to know the culture.
Some places held an ambiance that I realized I wanted reflected in my work. The preserved house of the Countess de Lebrija in Seville demonstrated the standard Andalusian courtyard in high-class homes, along with keeping much of the Moorish detail on the archways.
Sometimes the images alone were enough to catapult me back into the story. In having actual accounts, images, or music, I found a gateway to understanding the period.
There were also times where I simply stumbled upon something so random and cool that I had to collect it. I had no idea how it would work into my book (and sometimes it didn’t), but it captivated me nonetheless. Below are some keys I came across. I loved the lower one, which contains words on the bit.
Writers have warned me that the research can be such a fun experience that you forget to sit down and write. It was hard to get to the writing because I always felt there was more I should research, more I should read. Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent, told us in a seminar that we should push through and just start writing while in the research process. Allow the story to take shape while the world is also being formed.
There is something to the act of being a collector that can serve as a source of inspiration for your work. What kinds of items have you stored up lately?
I love the keys—so emblematic of opening your story! The one that says “Dios abrirá (rebertbara?) anyway. I went to the Seville Cathedral last week and thought of Doña Ana—that place stilled time…
My token, when I visit the Palace of Knossos, I grabbed a labyrinth pendent.
Here’s to Dona Ana—Ole!
We readers assume that the author sits down and writes the story. Thanks for giving us some sense for the work behind the scenes.