Historical Research in MTS

gothicangel

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Hi, been a while since I've participated in MTS, but I've had an idea for a novel and it won't let me go . . .

So I have an idea for a novel based around the Irish Troubles/IRA, bascically the premise is (modern day) the protaganist witnesses the murder of a high profile journalist (his father) by the IRA as a teenager (who had been investigating the 'missing bodies'). He is now a successful barrister, living under a different identity in England. His grown-up son is a post-doctoral researcher (doesn't know about his family's past), and uncovers information which reveals his father's identity to the unsolved murder, and the killer who doesn't want to be identified.

My worry is, that for the last few years I've been writing Roman Historicals, which are very research heavy. My knowledge of the Irish Troubles is superficial (being on a young teenager when the Good Friday Agreement was signed), and I will need to educate myself. But how much reserach is too much research?
 

ironmikezero

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Hmm, how long is a piece of string? Is there such a thing as too much research? Maybe, if that pursuit keeps you from getting the story down on paper (or its equivalent). Just because you have accumulated mounds of research doesn't mean you absolutely must use every bit of it; just use what your story needs. Don't worry about what other data now resides in your knowledge cache; it may prove useful in an unexpected way. Such knowledge is equivalent to residual power that keeps well and need not depreciate.
 

stephenf

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I work on a need to know principle. Irish history is well documented and easy to research. But it can become complex, with different sides of the argument offering up there own version of events. One man's hero can be a murderer to another. Personally, I believe the best approach would focus on the characters and the events that affect them. Keeping the wider issue of the troubles, as simple as possible.
 

gothicangel

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Thanks! I'll start with some Youtube documentaries, and see what my local bookshop has on modern Irish history.
 

autumnleaf

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Here's a few reading recommendations:
- A Place Apart by Dervla Murphy.
- Rebel Hearts: Journeys Within the IRA's Soul by Kevin Toolis.
- The Price of my Soul by Bernadette Devlin McAliskey.
- The "NornIronGirl1981" Twitter account: https://twitter.com/nrnirngirl1981?lang=en

You should also watch the ITV series "Derry Girls", because it's very funny and captures the spirit of the time.
 

HistoryLvr

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Hopefully this is helpful to you: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40163119-say-nothing

That's a link to a book on Goodreads that hasn't come out yet but that I won through Netgalley as an ARC. It is nonfiction but sounds like it would be the literal perfect research book for you. It comes out Feb 26th, but I couldn't not share since I think it could help you immensely, if you can wait that long to do your research ;) If you can't wait, I think it's still available to request on Netgalley and it's free to join.

Just trying to be helpful here, even though I didn't exactly answer the question you asked....

Book: Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
 

the_wild_bamboo

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I think a good way about it is to read as much as you can but focus on the experiences of the people who lived through it and not so much on the history of it. Sure, it's important to know the reasons behind the Troubles and why there was so much tension, but how did it affect those who lived at the time? Was there a curfew? Where were the no-go zones if you were Catholic or Protestant? Were there stop-and-frisk tactics employed by the British Army and the Northern Ireland Police? How did mixed families deal with the situations? I think that would make your characters more rounded than a straightforward history of the Troubles. How has it influenced your protagonist? Are there things he does, certain ticks or something, because of what he witnessed in the Troubles? (Like, does his heart race when he sees a British soldier in uniform or the police on patrol?)

As for how much is too much....enough is when you really feel like you know enough about them to accurately represent them. If you can find people who lived through the Troubles or went there at the time, their stories could be very useful. Good luck!