What’s this about happiness being “research?” Well, I used to interview people all the time for my old career, and no, I wasn’t a journalist, even though I am from a long line of them stretching back to my great-great grandpa who won our family newspaper in a poker game in 1892, the rebel. I used to rebuild war zones in my old job, anything from communities to political systems to the rule of law. When I visited these wild places, I would interview a ton of people, anyone from a village woman to a Member of Parliament. I probably averaged about thirty interviews on each of my trips. And let me tell you, it was fascinating. I had forgotten how much I love it until this week…
I recently interviewed Mayor Sue Fuchtman of Norfolk, Nebraska about her experience running for and serving as mayor of a community about the size of my fictional town of Dare Valley.
This time I’m not rebuilding a war zone. But real information is still critical in making my fictional setting come to life so it will resonate with people.
It finally hit me why research, or should I say interviewing, makes me so happy. It’s because I get to connect with people and hear their stories. How wonderful it is to have a short peek into their lives, their passions, their journeys, and their victories. And in the case of Mayor Sue, what a victory. She’s the first female mayor of Norfolk. Yay for her and women everywhere!
What’s also wonderful is when the person you’re interviewing strikes a chord in you. As you have probably guessed, community, family, and connecting are all important values to me. And I could tell the same was true for Mayor Sue.
My novel, The Park of Sunset Dreams, isn’t only going to be better because of this interview, it’s going to rock. Why? Because as with all my books, it’s imbued with some spark of the true, the real, and the higher vision, which is critical to what I believe my writing is all about.
So, next time you have a chance to research something, try interviewing someone. Or even when you meet someone new, think of it as “life” research. You might be surprised not only by how happy it makes you, but by how much you learn.
Spread the joy.