Today I'm reminded that even though I like horses (from a distance), and I think horse racing is fascinating, I don't really know all that much about them. I've only been on a horse once or twice and all I remember is that I was terrified. I had friends in high school who rode them and talked about them constantly. My step-great-grandfather was apparently obsessed with horse racing and told my mother about all the bets he made. My friends and family are the reasons why I watch racing at all. But, since the novel I'm working on involves horses I'm going to have to do research on horses in general, and how they were used in the 1880s.
James Alexander Thom suggests getting some riding lessons just to understand the experience of being on a horse. Before I pluck up the courage to do that, I'll a little read about them, just to make sure I'm not getting anything wrong. There's an article by Mary K. Wilson that I think is a good starting off point. The piece is geared towards fantasists, but it's a good reference for writers of any genre:
A staple of fantasy novels, the horse often demands to be written into tales. As a source of transportation, recreation, or a magical being, nearly every fantasy novel has at least one horse. When they're written well horses add sparkle and life to a story. When they're written badly the writer may find his or her book thrown across the room with disgust.
It isn't important that the writer knows a lot about horses. She needs only know as much as the material demands. Fantasy, as a genre, demands much more from its authors than knowing the horse is a four-legged mammal. With horses playing such a prominent role, many knowledgeable readers will be quick to point out an author's error.
When looking to add a horse to a tale, consider what purpose it will serve. The carriage horse needs to be built, and written, differently from a riding horse, and will have a different personality than a child's pony. The war steed for a valiant knight differs considerably from a lady's palfrey, though ladies are often found riding war steeds instead. Sadly, the latter is often one of the most glaring errors I find in fiction.
The rest of the article is posted over at Writing-World.com.
Have you had to research horses or any other animals? What kind of research did you do?
Photo courtesy SXC
Never written anything about horses. I did do some reseach about trucking for my half-finished novel "Trucker". I even called a place and talked to a person who new trucking history. It was fun. How did I decide to write about truck drivers? Who knows! The idea just jumped into my head and I went with it.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting subject to write about Ann. It's always such a pleasant surprise when unusual ideas just pop up out of nowhere.
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