As a writer of historical fiction, I’m always researching. It’s not just the big picture, either. Sure, I need to know the basics of life in the late 1800s, but I also need to know if a certain slang term was in use at that time, or what an expensive evening dress might have looked like.
Let’s look at the research process a bit, then. Your first step, of course, will be Google–maybe even Wikipedia. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking the latter is always correct. Remember that anyone can edit a Wikipedia article and write whatever they want. But Google will always net you a few gems you’ll want to bookmark and use over and over.
The trick to any search engine is to know your keywords. If you type “life in the late 1800s,” you’re going to get zillions of vague websites that don’t really tell you much at all. You need to narrow your search until you’re getting those laser-focused, scientifically-researched websites that will truly teach you what you need to know for your story. “Slang terms of 1870” is far better than “Slang in the Old West,” which is better than “Old-fashioned language.”
Your goal with Google (or whatever search engine you use) is the sort of website that reads like a scientific paper (“The Chinese as Medical Scapegoats: 1870-1905”) instead of a vague “The History of Chinatown.” In 99% of the cases, the more narrow the focus, the better the historical information included. Figure out exactly what you want to learn, then use that question as your search keywords.
Another good resource is the photograph site. Do the same sort of search, but add “photographs” to the keyword string. This will give you actual images of the period you’re researching, which you can use in your descriptions of setting, clothing, and even in character creation. Pinterest usually has some interesting photos, but they’re not likely to have the best descriptions of the images, the way a historical website will.
I’ve found that pretty much anything I’m interested in will have someone else who’s interested enough to create a website (or at least a blog entry). It’s rare that I can’t find anything at all, and in that case, I turn to the secondary research method (in today’s world, at least): the library. You’re not always going to be able to visit the library you really need, which will be the one in whatever city your story is set. Within those walls, you can find old newspapers (or microfiche copies), rare books about the city, “Who’s Who” books, and maybe even antique memorabilia from the time period you’re interested in. If you can afford the travel, visit the town’s library and ask the research librarian for help.
Old maps are also good research tools. You don’t need to invest in an original though–a good copy or photo of one will do nicely. Maps will tell you where the streets were, what areas were residential or business, and sometimes even what shops or businesses were in each district. I once found a map that showed every brothel in San Francisco within a certain time period–invaluable for the book I was writing at the time.
Finally, check out rare book dealers. You can often locate valuable information in small-print, local books like “Who’s Who” or those histories of city neighborhoods. A bookseller would be more familiar with what might be available, or can keep an eye out for books about whatever year you’re interested in. As an aside, while we’re talking about old books, you can often find antique books you can read online for free. Just find the name of a book you’d like to read and type in “read ___ online free” into the search bar and see if it’s available. I’ve found many interesting tomes that way.
Research is to historical fiction what muscle memory is to an athlete. It’s a necessary part of the writing process, whether or not you enjoy digging for information. What about you–have you found any tried-and-true research sites you return to over and over?