Ask an Expert--And a Giveaway of Forged in Love

 

Forged in Love

Since we’re supposed to be a TEACHING blog, I decided today I’d share something I know but tend to not use enough in my writing.

Talking to experts.

I’ve had so many experiences where I reached out to someone with background knowledge of a subject and just had so much fun talking to an expert.

Very often for me, this is through museums on historical topics.

The example that works best for Forged in Love is a living history museum near me. 

I talked to a blacksmith. 

This is his hobby. There are several men who show up one weekend a month during the summer, usually starting Memorial Weekend through Labor Day weekend. They are re-enacting life in Fort Atkinson, Nebraska. There are doctors, tinsmiths, coopers, weavers, cooks and all the soldiers stationed there in this remote (back in 1820) fort meant to be the first in a series of forts built to support the fur trade. They only built one and it was abandoned after six years.

This is fifteen years after Lewis and Clark. Twenty years before the first Oregon Trail wagon trains. Fort Atkinson was fascinating.

I talked to the cooper, the cook, the soldiers and weavers. But mainly I talked to the blacksmiths.

The thing about talking to these experts in historical re-enacting is, they know so much, and they are having so much fun acting out something they know and love. And they are thrilled if someone pauses and asks them questions beyond the short talks each of them give.

I once talked to a woman who was an expert in historical laundry. Yes, laundry. Turns out there’s more to it than just heat up water, shave in soap, scrub the clothes. And she’s so eager to share.

I attended the Lewis and Clark expedition festival near me and found all these men who re-enact the Cor of Discovery. And they finish their talks and say, “Have you got any questions?”

I say, “I’ve got ONE HUNDRED questions.”

They all just perk up. It was so fun and they loved talking about what they know so well.

One of them was a historical doctor and he’s showing me his ‘medical equipment.’

I say, “You do realize that every single piece of medical equipment is some kind of knife, right? Medicine back then seems to be 95% cutting things off.”

And he just kinda bulled up, but in a great way, full of knowledge and pride and said, “There was no way to stop gangrene short of cutting a leg off. These knives were the very finest medicine in existence back then and they saved lives.”

I just loved it.

One guy showed me how to load his rifle. (No actual gun powder involved, so that was wise)

I talked to a guy once who had a masters degree in American frontier history. I didn’t know you could specialize quite that much!

I’ve talked to the head of a museum that knows all about the Oregon Trail and wagon trains. And did you know that the Santa Fe Trail began twenty years before the Oregon Trail? It left Independence, Missouri and went to Santa Fe, New Mexico with strings of mules or pack horses. It was strictly for commerce, no settlers went to Santa Fe.

Hauling supplies to Santa Fe, trading with the Spanish and Mexicans there, then turning around with supplies coming from all over Mexico and South America and making the ride back to Independence.

I’ve phoned a guy with train questions at the Trails and Rails museum in Kearney, Nebraska. He’s just the guy who answers the phone. I ask strange little questions like, how did trains heading west not crash into trains heading east? Did the trains roll on through the night?

This guy said if my questions get complicated, he’d have to send me on to someone else but so far he knows what I want.

There are others and they are all just so delighted to find someone who is interested in what they are experts in. I mean, that frontier history masters degree guy, I didn’t think he’d let us leave. We went into his office and stayed forever. And one question led to another. It was great.

I think the woman talking about historical laundry almost cried. “You have follow-up questions? Really?” sniffle. “Why yes, I know all about bluing.”

Forged in Love

Buy from Baker Book House

Buy from Amazon

Anyway, todays’ lesson is a simple one. If you want to know something obscure, ask someone. Hunt up a museum or a doctor or a science lab, and ask. You’ll make some lonely expert very happy. And you’ll learn personal, detailed, fascinating facts from someone who has a passion for getting it right.

Now think about the book you’re writing. Do you need an expert? Let’s talk about who can help you with the little things, the fine details, the one hour long conversation that might add a half a sentence in four different places, that can help bring your story to life.

Leave a comment or a question and you’ll get your name in a drawing for a signed copy of Forged in Love, book #1 in the Wyoming Sunrise Series.

AND

Drumroll

Coming up on March 20th!!!

My birthday twin (Erica Vetsch) and I....are having a party and YOU get a lot of chances to win.

Don't miss it.