I researched more about Fredrikstad, Norway, with the idea that I might start the second book of the Zaria Fierce Trilogy with Zaria and her friends on a school field trip. In my research, I found out that Fredrikstad was a host port in 2014 for the annual Tall Ships Race organised by Sail Training International. It’s a really cool race used to train young people in sailing. Think about being about to crew on a frigate or pirate ship. Wouldn’t that be fantastic? Zaria and her friends thought so too so I included the Tall Ships Race in Zaria Fierce and the Enchanted Drakeland Sword. Check out the videos I found about the races last year:
research
Q: How much time do you spend doing research?
A: Depends on where I am at in the writing process. For instance for the book Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest I took a lot of time in the beginning to research Norway – climate, locations, photos, maps, things to do, etc. It’s not as good as being able to experience Norway in person, which I do hope to do one day soon, but it’s a good start. The key to writing is giving yourself permission to not be a subject matter expert (SME.) I started using the research immediately and took whichever elements suited my purposes (i.e. – artistic license.) If I waited to use the research until I was positive I could distribute the information like an SME or a native of Norway, the story would never have been started and it certainly wouldn’t have been finished. Sometimes you have to put the research away and just write.
