grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Crafts
  • Farm
  • Food
  • Garden
  • Reading & Books
  • Sunday Letter
  • SHOP!
  • Privacy Policy

on researching and writing and keeping it real

March 2, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner 6 Comments

When I decided hey, I’m gonna write a book, I had no idea the amount of research that would be involved. Researching. Writing. Sitting around eating Jiffy Pop helps me keep it real. It’s all part of the deal I made when I set out on this adventure. One leads to another, Sunday melts into Monday, and shockingly it’s March. A year later. And I’m still working on “my book”. What began as memoir has morphed into fiction and taken me on a path I never imagined, even though I’m the person doing the imagining. Crazy how that works.

the someplace, Mississippi Co, Ar. Tate Farms

The setting for my story is part of me. The place I grew up during the time I grew up. 1972. And even though I lived that time and place, research is a big part of my project. Making sure I have the description, sound, smell, feel of a specific place or object accurate for 1972, that’s imperative. I want my readers to see through my eyes. Feel what I feel. Taste the Jiffy Pop.

Mark Twain said Don’t say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream. That’s what I’m trying to do. Letting the old lady to scream takes work and time and research and remembering.

A sample of the things I’ve researched the last few days: Watergate, Chinese finger trap, phases of the moon in 1972, Memphis cotton trade, Mark Spitz. Just your regular, run-of-the-mill, 1970s stuff.

Sometimes I listen to seventies music while I write. Sonny & Cher. Tony Orlando and Dawn. Marvin Gaye. Yes I do. That takes me back to my groovy cassette player as quickly as anything. (I loved that thing. I hated that thing. It ate more tape than it ever played.)

Saturday I even made Jiffy Pop. Jiffy Pop was a weekend tradition at our house. Shaking that pan over the flame, hearing the kernels sizzle, then seeing the foil expand like a balloon (more quickly than I remembered) made that memory as real as it could be forty years later, plus it was a fun snow day activity.

on researching and writing and keeping it real

On researching and writing. Jiffy Pop to keep it real. www.gracegritsgarden.com

Now, back to writing. If anyone needs me, knock three times on the ceiling, but only if you’re bleeding (to quote my friend Laurie Reichart).

Happy Monday.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]Writing, research and eating #JiffyPop to keep it real. #writingabook #fiction #1970s[/tweetthis]

Knock Three Times, Tony Orlando with Jimmy Fallon & Will Forte (sorry Dawn)

“The challenge of the writer is to transform—artistically and imaginatively—a unique personal experience into a universal, meaningful story.”

― Hillel F. Damron

Filed Under: Memories, Writing Tagged With: Barbie, Jiffy Pop, Mississippi County, novel, writing

Wanna receive my monthly Newsletter? Sign up here!

Comments

  1. Colene says

    March 2, 2015 at 10:36 am

    That was great! Loved the musical pairing. I can’t wait to hold your book in my hands!

    Reply
  2. Vickie Petz Henderson says

    March 2, 2015 at 11:32 am

    I’m tasting the Jiffy pop!

    Reply
  3. Renee says

    March 2, 2015 at 1:27 pm

    Love the memories that come with your stories, they are as precious as gold, and increase in value with age….thank you!

    Reply
  4. Dorothy Johnson says

    March 2, 2015 at 4:41 pm

    Sounds like you are doing it absolutely right! I’m looking forward to reading your book.

    Reply
  5. Gary Henderson says

    March 2, 2015 at 4:42 pm

    Your research sounds much more manageable than what I’m having to do for my current project: orbital mechanics, Dyson spheres, time delay in communication between various objects in space, light sails.

    Maybe I need to write something set in the real world. 🙂

    Reply
  6. Debbie says

    March 3, 2015 at 7:17 pm

    So many memories! Jiffy Pop was too much fun! I’m gonna get some for the grands:). I want an autographed copy of the book. It’s been an incredible journey, I know.

    Reply

COMMENT: Cancel reply

Talya Tate Boerner


Hi! I'm Talya. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

Click to BUY NOW!

Talya Tate Boerner books
Gene, Everywhere

Never miss a blog post! Subscribe via email:

Receive my not-very-regular Newsletter?

Most Popular Posts…

  • Nana's Strawberry Cake (the real one)
  • Sunday Letter: 01.29.23
  • Yum Yum Cake - old southern recipe!
  • Ozarkansas Tool Library!
  • Black Apple Crisp

Most Recent

  • Sunday Letter: 01.29.23
  • Sunday Letter: 01.15.23
  • Sunday Letter: 01.08.23
  • Sunday Letter: 12.18.22
  • Sunday Letter: 12.11.22

Grace Grits index

Prior Posts

Search Categories

Tags

A to Z April Blog Challenge Autumn BAT Book Reviews childhood Christmas creative writing prompt Dallas Desserts Eureka Springs Fall Fayetteville Food Gracie Lee Halloween Hemingway-Pfeiffer home humor Johnson Family Keiser Lake Norfork Lucy and Annabelle Mississippi County Mississippi Delta moving Munger Place Nana nature Northeast Arkansas Northwest Arkansas Osceola poem Reading Schnauzer simple living simple things spring spring gardening Summer sunday letter Talya Tate Boerner novel The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee Thomas Tate Winter Wordless Wednesday
Follow on Bloglovin

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!

All content and photos Copyright Grace, Grits and Gardening © 2023 · Web Hosting By StrataByte