History Writers Are Storytellers, Too

Whether we write fiction, poetry, history or news, we are creating a story. I began my writing career as a newspaper journalist and ended up writing history books. Some people have told me history is dull. With that in mind, I try to present information in a lively, insightful, and informative manner, while making the material relevant and easy to digest.

While working in museums, I honed writing skills by preparing press releases, grant applications, handouts, craft instructions, job descriptions, and newsletter pieces. If you want to write, you find a way to write! Later, I wrote exhibition texts. Then I inherited the opportunity to co-edit a collection of history pieces for a museum project already funded and in-progress. The publication of that book enriched my resume and prepared me to undertake a book of my own.

Spirited Encounters: American Indians Protest Museum Policies and Practices (AltaMira Press, Rowman & Littlefield, 2008) grew out of my master’s thesis, and was written while working full-time in a travel-intensive job at the Smithsonian. Luckily for me, the book is widely available to the public, but is also used for coursework in two career paths: museum studies and American Indian studies. I authored two more history books with two other publishers. I still practice a fact-gathering occupation utilizing journalism skills.

The first step in writing any book is selecting a topic that begs to be explored. If you possess expertise in a field or have a deep personal interest in a certain topic, start there. If you are not an expert, you will need to know as much as an expert, and you can do that by reading most, if not all, previous books already written on your topic.

You might discover the book you want to write has already been produced. If you believe you have something new to contribute to the topic, then you should continue your research. When Steve Inskeep wrote Jacksonland, I doubt he was the premier expert on Andrew Jackson. I also assume he had a bevy of researchers and assistants to help him complete the task. You will probably have to do all the research yourself. Doing so will help you master your chosen topic.

History research is a journey to another place and another time, peopled with fascinating characters and events. It can be arduous, time-consuming and frustrating. You might spend a day in archives or searching on-line and find nothing relevant. Hopefully, the next day you will find a bonanza of information. Sometimes you may come across a fact that changes your point of view. Be flexible. Your premise is allowed to change during research.

Writing a history book can demand arduous endeavors on your part. Citations of sources of information will be required, and further, you will probably be the one to index your material after final editing occurs. If you choose to have illustrations, you will have to find them, gain permissions to use them, and don’t be surprised if you have to pay for them.

When searching online try variant spellings of names relevant to your search and you may be rewarded with information no one else has found. Consider whether you want your material published by a university press, a local history press, or a mainstream publisher. Some entities provide lengthy proposal applications on their websites, and one thing they want to know is if you will be a good candidate for aiding the marketing of the publication.

If none of this has scared you away, become the sleuth you know you are, and go find the stories and facts you need to tell the history you want to write. In writing history, before you go forward, you have to step back in time. Have a great trip!