Bringing the Past to Life

For me, writing historical fiction begins long before I ever type the first sentence. It starts with finding a historical subject whose story sparks my imagination — someone whose life can become the heart of a great tale. From there, I immerse myself in books, photographs, letters, music, and when possible, the very places where history unfolded.

From Paris cafés to Titanic survivor testimonies, my inspiration comes from the stories history leaves behind.

Here’s how I approach it:

1. Reading Widely

My research always begins with stories. For Titanic, I’ve focused on survivor accounts and historical narratives that bring the voyage to life. Books like and Violet Jessop’s memoir Titanic Survivor helped me imagine what it meant to step aboard another ship after such a tragedy. I’ve also drawn from broader works such as The Only Way to Cross and Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage,  which capture the luxury and the loss of the era.

For WWI, I’ve started with a mix of nonfiction and historical fiction — Paris at the End of the World for a sense of the city on the brink, and The Guns of August, which lays out the chain of events that thrust Europe into war. Alongside these, I’ve dug into newspaper articles and online archives to hear the voices of the time. These books and sources give me more than facts; they let me see the world through the eyes of those who lived it.

2. Studying Artifacts and Photos

Details matter. The cut of a coat, the design of a teacup, the way a promenade deck was lit — these small touches make a fictional world feel real. When I place my characters in a scene, these details are what give it weight and texture. While I haven’t yet had the chance to study many artifacts firsthand, this will be an important part of my research during my upcoming research trip. Museums and memorials in Southampton, Belfast, Cobh, and Halifax will allow me to see the history up close — the design of a teacup, the cut of a coat, the lettering on a ticket. These are the details that will bring history back to life.

3. Visiting the Places

I make it a priority to visit the places where my characters’ stories intersect with history, walking the same ground where these events took place. This October, I’ll board a transatlantic cruise retracing Titanic’s route, with stops in the very ports that shaped her story.

• Southampton: where the Titanic set sail, and where thousands of crew and passengers said their last goodbyes.

• Belfast: where she was built, in the shipyards that still hold echoes of her creation.

• Cobh (formerly Queenstown): her final port of call before heading into the Atlantic.

• Halifax: the city that bore witness to the tragedy, recovering many of the lost and laying them to rest.

Each of these places holds a piece of Titanic’s story, and walking through them will help me capture not just the history, but the atmosphere my characters would have known. Experiencing the landscapes, the architecture, and even the weather will bring authenticity to my pages.

And my journey won’t end there — in the months ahead, I also plan to spend time in Paris, where the shadow of the First World War first fell. Just as my novel follows Titanic’s survivors into a new world on the brink of change, my research will lead me from the shipyards of Belfast to the boulevards of Paris.

4. Listening for the Human Story

Facts form the backbone of historical fiction, but emotion is what brings it alive. In my research, I look for the human moments — quiet resilience, fleeting joys, unexpected courage — that echo across time.

For Titanic, that might mean the bravery of women who stepped onto lifeboats not knowing if they’d ever see their loved ones again, or the strength of survivors who dared to sail again despite their trauma. These are the threads that inspired my heroine, Nora — a young woman who must find the courage to begin again after loss.

For WWI, I seek the voices of those who lived through upheaval: families torn apart, cities transformed, and women stepping into new roles as the world changed around them. Their stories remind me that history is not only about events, but about people who loved, feared, and persevered.

It’s these human stories — woven with fact and feeling — that I hope will make my novel resonate, allowing readers to step back in time and walk alongside my characters.

A note on my process: Alongside books, archives, and travel, I also use modern tools — including AI — as part of my writing process. These tools help me brainstorm, organize, and polish, but the story, characters, and creative vision are entirely by own.

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