Sometimes people ask writers the most puzzling questions. We’re often asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” I never know what to say about this. Doesn’t everyone have so many ideas they can’t write all those stories in the next 400 years? Maybe a more pertinent question would be, “How do you mold your ideas into a complete story?” Because that isn’t always easy. At least, not for me.
But a question someone asked today really stunned me and I'm afraid I was a little long on the uptake. She asked, “Why do you write historicals? Isn’t all that research boring?”
Um, no.
And she followed it up with, “Where do you find this stuff? I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
Obviously, she’s not obsessive about old newspapers. I love the archives, especially the Idaho State Archives, which is the best set-up I’ve visited in the Pacific Northwest. Or libraries. Nearly all of them have newspapers on microfiche. I think I have tiny microfiche reels in my red blood cells.
If I’m looking for something specific, I try to narrow down dates and location so I can find whatever I’m looking for a little faster. But... (confession time) what I love most is reading the papers with no thought of anything in particular, and saving whatever interests me at the time. And, going back to the idea question, if I didn’t have enough story ideas already, reading newspapers definitely fills the barrel and then some. With a bonus of a few characters now and again.
Here's a bad hombre:
You can find medical articles. I’d never heard of the Condurango cancer-cure, but that just might work into a story sometime.
Do you know what books your third grade student would use in 1871?
Actually, we learn a lot of things from the article above. We know the Silver City (Idaho Territory) schoolteacher was Mr. P.M. Sullivan. We know how many students attended, the subjects they took, how many days school was held, and the titles of their textbooks. This could definitely come in handy.
Ghosts in Wagontown—looks like our fascination with ghosts is nothing new.
Patent medicines (and devices) are always fun.
Anything with prices in it catches my attention.
So now you know—the newspaper was $10 and a shot of whisky cost 25¢ in Silver City, whereas it cost $2 for a newspaper and 5¢ (for gin, but I bet he means an equivalent liquor) in Chautauqua, NY.
And of course parents and childrearing. A lot has changed in the last 150 years, but parents loved their children then as now.
So there you have a variety of articles, any one of which could trigger and idea, and put together, they could be really interesting!
My latest story, Mail-Order Ruckus (the second book in Mail-Order Tangle—Caroline Clemmons wrote the first book, Mail-Order Promise) has a puppy and a bull. What breed of puppy? What breed of bull? Oftentimes they call a breed one name and a hundred years later, it's another. Such is the case with Durham cattle, now called Shorthorns. For the puppy, I went with a border collie. Then of course I had to find out the various schemes of the mail-order bride business, and there were several (not all of them on the up-and-up, either).
For Don't Go Snaring My Heart in Lassoing a Groom, I had to learn all about breeds of goats. Turns out, they didn't call goats anything but goats until the turn of the century.
Took me a while to find that. Sometimes looking for something that's not there takes a while, but all's not for naught because of course, you find fun stuff along the way.
Of course, that's the danger of old newspapers, especially for someone who has a bad case of "shiny!" and can't stay on task as it is. There's just so much information and every bit of it is fascinating in one way or another, that I simply can't imagine anyone not thinking a trip to the archives is every bit as much fun as going to Disneyland.
But, um, that's just me.
Hearts of Owyhee series
Someone who understands, what a relief. My research (obsession) began with just such a find. Reading the papers and found an murder trial -stlll working on that one- and low and behold an obituary for a woman doctor that everyone had missed all these years. Well it was off to the races. and now many doctors later the race still isn't over and it's not even 1900 yet. Now that I've found a couple of other options for reading and finding information in those old 'rags', winter can't come soon enough so locking oneself away with the past will be so much easier. Loved this! Doris
ReplyDeleteAren't those discoveries just the best? And you find so many other things to go along with, or to branch out in another direction. Yep, we're definitely two peas in a pod on this one, Doris.
DeleteJacquie, I always love your posts. This one takes the cake with Dr. Sanden's Electric Belt...OH DEAR LORD. What those men must have thought when they wore that belt...LOLLOL Thanks for all your hours of diligent research and bringing these things to our attention. I will be laughing about this for weeks to come.
ReplyDeleteCheryl
I should do a post on lost manhood restorers. I have a bunch of them somewhere... um, you know how that goes. Anyway, Dr. Sanden's Electric Belt is definitely eye-catching. My first thought is eeeew! What a brave (or desperate) man it would take to strap one of those devices to his nether parts. And you notice it not only cures "seminal weakness," but also back and stomach issues.
DeleteGreat post, Jacquie. I also have taken a gander at old issues of newspapers more than once, but my search was more for family history research. The journalism style back in the day tends to prompt a chuckle out of me. I agree that it is interesting and amazing what miscellaneous information you can run across just reading some of the articles for fun.
DeleteI also have found going through old census records and death records for a locality interesting for the same reason. Several years ago I ordered the microfilm for the Salt Lake death records for 1848 to about the end of the century because I have several of my ancestors who crossed the plains and ended up in that area. But, while searching for my people, I ran across some interesting entries. The one that sticks out in my mind was regarding a man whose cause of death was due to a gunshot wound. Where died: Widow So-and-so’s front yard.
Congratulations on getting your book published. I look forward to reading it.
Robyn Echols writing history as Zina Abbott.
Robyn, that is most interesting, all right. :) Conjures up all kinds of scenarios. I've also found some good stuff in the property tax records.
DeleteI love the way that electric belt ad gives the names and addresses of endorsers. Now that takes a real man! :-D
ReplyDeleteAfter reading all these old newspapers, today's media doesn't seem so bad, does it? ;-)
Tex, that ad had a whole column of endorsements but I couldn't get them in the frame. It's hard to believe a man would actually let Dr. Sanden use his name and I have to think those testimonials are as fictitious as the claims for the miracle cure. LOL
DeleteYep, the old newspapers weren't a bit worried about political correctness or accuracy. Then, as now, the owners wanted to sell papers, and whatever did that, they'd print. Some things never change.
I really love your blogs Jacquie they are always filled with a wealth of information. Not sure that I would recommend an electric belt but I am sure that there were men that would try anything. Love reading old newspapers.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lynda! I'm a little leery of that electric belt, too. We're lucky in that The Owyhee Avalanche has been in business since 1864, so all those wonderful news items (whether they were actually news or not) are available.
DeleteGreat blog Jacquie. My favorite part of writing is doing the research for the story I am about to write. I get a lot of my information from the internet. I have researched old newspapers also. Please blog next time on your Manhood restorers. That should make a very interesting blog.
ReplyDeleteThere are quite a few manhood restores. I used Dr. Liebig's in Much Ado About Marshals and it was great fun to write, because nearly every phrase in the entire ad could be mistaken for something else, which got Daisy, the heroine, in muddy waters. :) I love doing that.
DeleteGreat post, Jacquie! I've never done much newspaper research. Need to change that.
ReplyDeleteKristy, once you start, you can't stop. There's probably a 12-step program out there for people like us. Or not, because no one would go. LOL.
DeleteI agree, Jacquie. Who wants to be cured of newspaper research? We come across more interesting items than we can ever use, but reading them is fun. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI like the items that would be "news" at the time, but what I really, really love about old newspapers is they give you a much clearer picture of daily life, the mindset of the local populace, and their entertainment. Those things just don't make it into history books.
DeleteIf we didn't love old newspapers, where would we get half of the historical detail we use? I'm like you - just like browsing through the papers without any real idea of what I'm looking for.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Newspapers give us the flavor, not just the facts. Old-time editors were really something, too. Very competitive and not afraid to let the world know it. Also voluntarily and eagerly swayed by a contribution of the alcoholic variety. The editors at The Owyhee Avalanche often mention contributions involving liquid spirits. :)
DeleteJacquie, I always get a kick out of these newspaper articles you post. It's like a little sampler of what life was like and what the people were interested in back in history. They really make me feel involved in those times.
ReplyDeletePeople do ask strange questions about writers sometimes. My favorite is the notion that we're all extremely rich. I wish.
The only writer who has run dry on ideas is the one who's six foot under--and that one probably still has ideas, but can't communicate them from the other side.
As always, I enjoyed your article and look forward to many more of them.
Actually, I think the newspapers were more interesting then than now because they could print anything they wanted to, especially in a remote area such as Silver City, Idaho Territory. That gives us a more accurate picture of what life was like. Of course, they're still in business, and they still print pretty much whatever they want to. LOL
DeleteThe only time I've ever run dry is when I have to write something that's someone else's idea. That can put my in a tizzy. But mostly, I have so many ideas of how things can happen that it would be nice if only one or two would come--easier to choose!
Jacquie,
ReplyDeleteI've got a couple of favorite Internet research sites that include old newspapers. I'd love to have a library at my disposal, but it would be a 6 hour drive one way to get to a decent research library. *sigh* So I buy books and troll the Internet.
And you are so right about the problem with "Shiny!" I catch myself running from one shiny site to the next and the first thing I know, five hours have passed and I still haven't found the one little bit of research I needed. lol
The digitization of old newspapers is a real boon to writers, that's for sure! Most libraries, large or small, have a microfiche, though, and do inter-library loans. I'm thinking in the next few years most of the major newspapers will be digitized, though, and microfiches will go the way of buggy whips.
DeleteThe "shiny!" syndrome is a blessing and a curse. It can really interfere with my writing time, but then I've found the most juicy material that way. Total lack of self-discipline is a benefit in that regard. LOL