What Did They Wear in 17th Century Colonial America? Clothing in Massachusetts wasn’t much different than clothing throughout the rest of the American colonies. However, living in the Massachusetts Bay Colony was different because Massachusetts was a theocracy ruled by Puritans. The colonial Puritans were stricter in many ways than their English counterparts, and, oddly … Continue reading Clothing in Colonial Massachusetts
Research
Food in Colonial Massachusetts
A Wannabe Food Historian I'm having a lot of fun learning about food in Colonial Massachusetts. Not that I like to eat or anything. There's a lot to discover about the types of foods that were available then, how they were processed, and how the meals were cooked. I started following a few food historians, … Continue reading Food in Colonial Massachusetts
Daily Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
How Did They Live in Colonial Massachusetts? The main reason I felt drawn to writing Down Salem Way was that there wasn’t much space to explore James and Elizabeth’s lives in 1691-1692 in Her Dear and Loving Husband. We get glimpses of that time through James and Sarah’s memories, but the focus in Her Dear … Continue reading Daily Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
What Was Christmas Like in the Massachusetts Bay Colony? I started wondering what Christmas would have been like for the Wentworths in Salem in the late 17th century. I hadn't researched Christmas during that time since it wasn't necessary for Her Dear & Loving Husband and the diary for Down Salem Way begins in January … Continue reading Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Jobs in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
What Kind of Work Did They Do in Colonial Massachusetts? The North American continent was largely a question mark to those who left their European homelands behind to seek their fortunes, or, in the case of those immigrating to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, religious freedom. The immigrants may have heard great success stories about others … Continue reading Jobs in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Researching the Victorian Era
Writers Can Watch TV and Call It Work There’s a joke I’ve seen on Pinterest, a cartoon of a writer watching TV. The character says, “I’m researching!” to the cynical-looking people standing nearby. For those of us who write fiction, we know that watching TV or movies, listening to music, or going for walks really … Continue reading Researching the Victorian Era
Anne Bradstreet: An Inspirational Colonial Woman
Who is Anne Bradstreet? While researching historical fiction, occassionally I’ll stumble onto a fact, or an event, or a person that helps to bring my story to life in a way even I hadn’t envisaged. This is what happened when I discovered Anne Bradstreet while writing Her Dear & Loving Husband. As with most things … Continue reading Anne Bradstreet: An Inspirational Colonial Woman
Trying New Writing Tools: Scrivener, I Love You
Sometimes You Need A Break From Writing A few weeks ago I wrote about how I had been struggling as I was writing my new historical novel. Nothing in the story seemed to be working, and for whatever reason I was at a loss as to how to fix it. I decided to give myself … Continue reading Trying New Writing Tools: Scrivener, I Love You
Do You Need to Travel to the Place You’re Writing About?
You don't need to travel to the place you’re writing about, but it’s helpful to go if you can. Sometimes traveling for research happens by accident, when you find a jewel you didn’t know you were looking for. That’s what happened to me when I was in Portland, Oregon and I found my way to Pittock … Continue reading Do You Need to Travel to the Place You’re Writing About?
Writing Historical Fiction: The Trail of Tears
My interest in the Trail of Tears began four years ago. At the time, I was teaching U.S. history and I taught the Trail of Tears in some depth to my students. One day, not long after the 2008 presidential election, I was flipping the television channels and stopped long enough to listen to a … Continue reading Writing Historical Fiction: The Trail of Tears