Nuances and intricacies
Recently, out of the blue, I was reminded of a bit of humor my dad passed on to me years ago. It came under the heading of “bathroom wall doggerel” and it went like this:
Here I sit, broken hearted./Paid a nickel and only farted.
Now, the comedy in this comes from the knowledge that, at one time, there were pay toilets, mostly in major cities. There weren’t the huge gas station/convenience store entities that exist now, offering weary travelers all kinds of comfort. Naturally, if you have no understanding of this concept, there is no humor.
However, as someone who writes historical crime fiction, I have to be uniquely aware of the nuances and intricacies of daily life, above and beyond the police procedural aspects. Driving laws, taxi fares, grocery stores, business operations — all of these details are an integral part of historical fiction.
For “Secrets of the Righteous”, book two in the “Ark City Confidential Chronicles” series, I had to determine the approximate monthly pay of beat cop Baron Witherspoon as well as train fares and schedules that would get him from Arkansas City, KS to Cleveland, OH. I had to refrain from using the expressions “serial killer” and “profiler” as these terms did not exist in 1938.
For book three, “Lost in the Plains”, I visited the Camp Concordia POW camp to understand how life was for German soldiers and to calculate a method of desertion/escape (despite the historical fact this did not occur). I then visited the remnants of Strother Air Field in an attempt to visualize what it was like during the war.
For the entire series, I researched period verbiage, police department protocols and regulations, wardrobe ranging from 1934 to 1954, and so many other small details. Much of my research did not make it into any of the books. But, I had it all at my disposal. By covering myself in as much authenticity as possible, I could “feel” the essence of the locale while writing.
I’m sure there are writers that do not go into as much detail. However, readers are far more knowledgeable now than, say, twenty years ago. It is far too easy for an inaccuracy to be easily spotted and, therefore, allow a reader to fall out of the magical spell the writer has so desperately attempted to create.
As I proceed forward on a new series, I have taken all that I have learned and continue to make an effort to add the details into my writing. In this way, I hope to create an experience of pleasure and entertainment.
