📜 The 100-Year-Old Mystery on a 7-Year-Old Tablet: How I Research Historical Fiction
By D.C. Salmon ⏱️ Reading Time: 5 minutes
In this post: Writing on a train to Switzerland, my non-negotiable research checklist, using modern AI ethically as a Pantser, and how my background in bespoke joinery shapes my writing tech today.
🚂 Chapter One Started on a Train to Switzerland
If you ask me how long it took to write Chapter One of my current work-in-progress, the quick answer is "about two hours on a train."
I started writing it on the train down to King's Cross station on my way to a roller hockey tournament in Switzerland with my son. I managed to write an entire chapter that day, an hour-long ride down from Peterborough, another 50-minute leg down to Gatwick, and then finishing it off over dinner at the hotel restaurant while watching England play Croatia in the World Cup.
But the truth is, it didn't really take me a day. Long before I typed the first word, I knew the exact era I wanted to explore. I had spent hours watching documentary videos and digging into historical accounts. Chapter One wasn't written from scratch in two hours; it was simply the moment all that background research came together into a prologue.
📧 Want to read that very prologue? You can read the opening chapter right now by joining my newsletter, Against the Current.
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📝 What Does My Research Actually Involve?
I am someone who often does far more research than actual writing. Setting a story nearly 100 years in the past means every tiny detail matters—from what people ate for breakfast to how they paid for a taxi.
I keep a running checklist of details I need to gather before and during the writing process:
- Names & Trades: Period-accurate first/last names, common jobs, and local trades for the region.
- Geography & Regional Culture: Specific street-level details for towns like Minden and Bielefeld.
- Daily Life: Regional dishes, typical meals, clothing worn by different social classes, and average wages.
- Era Mechanics: Currency in circulation, local transit (taxis, trains, horses), popular brand names, and daily weather/temperatures.
I don't write any of this down on paper. I use Google Docs for everything. I don't even own a laptop; every single book I’ve published was written on a high-end Samsung tablet with a Dexnor Bluetooth keyboard that is now about seven years old. My Google Drive is a chaotic collection of notes where I copy and paste interesting historical facts to reference later.
🤖 Using Modern Tech to Build Historical Detail
AI is a hot topic in the writing world right now. Over the last year or so, I’ve integrated AI into my research process, not to write the book for me, but to speed up finding niche historical facts.
My current WIP is set in 1930s Germany. Finding authentic background details used to mean spending hours digging through search engine results just to figure out what a character might be reading on a Sunday afternoon.
Now, I can ask a direct question like: "What was a popular book in Germany in 1932 for a woman to read?"
It gives me options like Hans Fallada’s Kleiner Mann – was nun? (Little Man, What Now?) published in June 1932. From there, I do my own digging on the book to see if it fits my character's personality. The writing is still 100% mine—just as it was when I wrote An Irish Mystery during the pandemic, or An American Treasure and An Atlantic Shadow a couple of years later using Google Search, online maps, and street-view images to scout locations.
The Joinery Analogy
My first ever proper job as an apprentice, I was a tradesman making bespoke furniture, kitchens, and bedrooms. I was at a wedding recently and sat with someone who currently works in joinery. Today, panel designs are cut by computer-programmed precision machinery, and on-site assembly is far faster and more cost-effective than doing everything entirely by hand.
We had machinery in my day, but nothing like the precision technology used now. To me, using modern digital tools to assist with research is no different. If technology can help me find the facts I need to build a better story, I’m going to use it.
Is a modern day joiner less skilled than a joiner from 30 years ago? does using modern machinery make them less a joiner?
🔀 52,000 Words In: When Three Plots Collide
Because I am a Pantser, my plots live largely in my head. I write down basic character names, relationships, and starting premises, but I let the characters' personalities evolve naturally as I write.
Sometimes, because my Drive notes are messy, I'll forget to include a specific historical detail in a scene, like a live radio broadcast from the Chancellor on a specific date. In historical fiction, those details ground the scene in reality, which means I have to go back during editing and weave them into the narrative.
Right now, I am 52,000 words into this WIP, and because I let the story breathe, three completely separate plotlines are about to collide. The tension is high, and the book has taken more twists and turns than it ever would have if I had rigidly outlined it from day one.
Writing A Newman Adventure was a fantastic experience, but this new project feels like it's taking things to another level.
💬 Over to You!
How do you feel about authors using modern technology to assist with historical research? And if you're a reader, do you prefer strict historical accuracy or fast-paced plot turns? Let me know in the comments below!
📚 What I’m Reading...
Celtic Empire by Clive Cussler (with Dirk Cussler)
With the school holidays now in full swing and a welcome break from coaching roller hockey, I’ve finally had a bit more time to sit down and get some proper reading done.
I’m about 150 pages into Clive Cussler’s Celtic Empire now, though at the moment, I must admit I cannot for the life of me see why the book is actually called Celtic Empire! So far, the story has bounced from ancient Egypt to El Salvador, over to Detroit, and then down to Washington D.C.
I am sure, however, that the connection to the title will become glaringly apparent at some point as the mystery unfolds. I’ll keep you updated on where Dirk Pitt's adventure leads in my next blog post!
💌 Want More?
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📚 The Newman Adventures
An Irish Mystery A fast-paced historical adventure about stolen treasures, hidden histories, and the cost of obsession. The story that started it all.
An American Treasure The journey continues! Cedric Newman returns in a high-stakes hunt for the lost riches of Mosby's Rangers. Action, mystery, and a new enemy await.
Available in Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback & Hardcover
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