Every decent novel needs a certain amount of research. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a historical piece or a book set in the modern times. You might need real place names, different laws that apply to a given country or even religious principles.
When I started writing “The Moment Before Dying”, I realized that it was going to be a relatively difficult task. It’s set in the 1920s – 68 years before I was born. Obviously, I had no idea what life was like in those times. I considered changing the period, but it was the golden age of the mob, so I had no choice but to do my homework.
First of all, I made my job easier by choosing a fictional city, Ruby Landing. The first name I had in mind was Ruby Falls, but my editor pointed out that a place with such name exists, and it’s a waterfall in Tennessee – nothing like a “New York kinda town” which I had in mind.
This way I did not need to use any real street names. In fact, I didn’t need to do any geographical research whatsoever. When I needed a port, I created one. When I needed a prison, there it was. One problem was still present, though. The time period. I spent a good amount of time in front of my computer, looking up what clothes people wore at that time, how much money they spent on rent, food, cigarettes… you name it. I even bought a nonfiction book about the 1920s.
I needed to study the particular practices and customs of the mafia as well. The Internet was of great help but it wasn’t enough, so I had to read some books again. This was less painful because I already had some in my library, so I didn’t need to buy any. I’ve always been interested in the mafia and I needed to familiarize myself with the exact process of the so-called initiation ritual – how the mob admitted new members to the “family”, with the customs of the Italian mafia, and so on.
Once my research was done, it was time to commence writing. Creating an outline was the next step. There are authors who like to make up details of the story on the fly, but I like to know where I am going. I’ve always had a creative mind so I enjoyed this process very much.
I’ve already said that it took me almost eight years, because my attention span was much shorter than it is today. Then, all of a sudden, some virus appeared and the global pandemic started. Most of the world had to stay at home and so did I, and this helped me finish my novel. One might think that was the final step, but the reality was much harsher. I gave my book to the content editor and it came back much more red that I would have hoped. The main problem was grammar, of course, but the editor also spotted a few plot holes that I didn’t notice. She gave me some advice about what works and what doesn’t. Fixing the holes was a painful process but it was worth it. The book is much more consistent now.
Next up was line editing and proofreading and after a few weeks of blood, sweat and tears, the book was finished. Many things had changed. The names of some characters, for example, including the main one. The name of the city had changed. I always knew what the ending would be but the road to it had changed as well. It was fun, it was difficult and I remember how much I wanted it to be finally over.
Now that it’s done, I’ve come to realize that I miss it. It was my routine. A part of my day. So what now? Let’s get on with the next novel!
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