Cindy Hurst's Blog - Posts Tagged "research"
Living Behind the Wall: What was it Like?
One of the biggest challenges in writing Berlin Dancer was not researching the actual history, but rather bringing my characters to life in a realistic setting. There was a plethora of information available on the political and military situation of the time. However, there seemed to be very little information available about the lives of individuals beyond a bird's-eye-view.
To Americans, it is impossible to understand the kind of struggle that German citizens experienced during post-war Germany. I thought I understood at first, but eventually learned that there was so much more to it.
I shared one of the first drafts of the story with a historian who kindly told me, "Your characters are living a life of luxury." This prompted me to go back to the drawing board to make life tougher, and more realistic. Through numerous articles, interviews, and pure imagination, I was finally able to rework parts of the story.
In post-war Berlin, there were countless struggles. The Soviet invasion was frightening. The soldiers were brutal, taking what they wanted, including the women. The Soviets were not the only threat. The citizens were cold and starving. Even boiling a potato was a challenge. Real coffee was unheard of. The black market became rampant. I read through several diaries written by women who had lived through those times and I spoke with people who had spent time there and who had even grown up behind the Wall. The research was eye-opening.
In Berlin Dancer, a murder-mystery, the characters live through these times and in these settings. Therefore, the scenes have to be realistic to add to the flavor of the story. We have to immerse ourselves in the characters' lives. The reader becomes steeped in history without even realizing it. Truly, Berlin Dancer is about the characters and not the history, but you can't have one without the other.
To Americans, it is impossible to understand the kind of struggle that German citizens experienced during post-war Germany. I thought I understood at first, but eventually learned that there was so much more to it.
I shared one of the first drafts of the story with a historian who kindly told me, "Your characters are living a life of luxury." This prompted me to go back to the drawing board to make life tougher, and more realistic. Through numerous articles, interviews, and pure imagination, I was finally able to rework parts of the story.
In post-war Berlin, there were countless struggles. The Soviet invasion was frightening. The soldiers were brutal, taking what they wanted, including the women. The Soviets were not the only threat. The citizens were cold and starving. Even boiling a potato was a challenge. Real coffee was unheard of. The black market became rampant. I read through several diaries written by women who had lived through those times and I spoke with people who had spent time there and who had even grown up behind the Wall. The research was eye-opening.
In Berlin Dancer, a murder-mystery, the characters live through these times and in these settings. Therefore, the scenes have to be realistic to add to the flavor of the story. We have to immerse ourselves in the characters' lives. The reader becomes steeped in history without even realizing it. Truly, Berlin Dancer is about the characters and not the history, but you can't have one without the other.
