Story Research: Reenactments and Living History

People love to dress up and recreate their favorite points in history. Some are more hardcore than others. Participants pitch tents, cook over a fire, sleep on cots and try to keep it as "real" as possible. Others prefer to dress up and mingle for fun. Serious money is invested in costumes and equipment.

Is there any historical benefit to reenactments? Some. Groups differ in their adherence to detail, but many have closely studied and strive for as much realism as possible short of actually dying of gunshot. You can learn a lot should you attend one of these events or find a participant willing to help you with research. Reenactors love talking about their passion. You might even be inclined to participate.

Recollections provides a list of the Top 29 Reenactment Societies for the Revolutionary war, Civil War, War of 1812, Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, and Korean War. 

https://recollections.biz/blog/top-historical-reenactment-societiescovers

Wikipedia also has an extensive list of reenactment societies from the Middle Ages to the world wars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_reenactment

Another possibility is living history museums. There are many scattered throughout the United States and around the world. I will list a few examples.

Conner Prairie near Indianapolis, Indiana takes you to 1800s Indiana including a Lenape Indian village.  http://www.connerprairie.org/

Canterbury Shaker has 25 restored original Shaker buildings, 4 reconstructed Shaker buildings, and 694 acres of forests, fields, gardens, nature trails, and mill ponds under permanent conservation easement. http://www.shakers.org/visit/touring-the-village/

Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia is the largest reenactment village covering the 1800s South. https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/

George Ranch near Houston, Texas explores 100 years of Texas history on a 20,000-acre working ranch featuring historic homes, costumed interpreters, and livestock. https://www.georgeranch.org/

Greenfield Village is located within the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn Michigan. Nearly one hundred historical buildings were moved to the property and arranged in a "village" setting. The museum's intent is to show how Americans have lived and worked since the founding of the country. https://www.thehenryford.org/visit/greenfield-village

Historic Deerfield in Massachusetts is an authentic 18th-Century New England village. The 18th and 19th-century houses of the village center, many on their original site, are filled with antique furnishings range from the first English settlement to the Arts and Crafts Movement in the early 20th century. www.historic-deerfield.org

Historic St. Mary's in Maryland depicts life in a 17th century colonial plantation. https://hsmcdigshistory.org/

Old Sturbridge's outdoor living history museum in Massachusetts depicts 19th-century New England. https://www.osv.org/

Old World Wisconsin living museum takes you to an 1880s village built by German and Scandinavian immigrants.  https://oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org/

Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts is an open air early pilgrim settlement. https://www.plimoth.org/

Strawberry Banke Museum in historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is an authentic 10-acre outdoor history museum dedicated to bringing 300+ years of American history in the same waterfront neighborhood to life. http://www.strawberybanke.org/

For extensive lists you can turn to Wikipedia:

USA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open-air_and_living_history_museums_in_the_United_States

International: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open-air_and_living_history_museums

Next week, we take a look at Film Reenactments.


For advanced worldbuilding check out SBB Build A World Workbook in print and ebook.

Story Research: Festivals & Faires

At Renaissance Faires, the historical accuracy is questionable, but they are enormous fun if you wish to pretend to be a lord or lady watching a joust or perhaps witnessing a visit from a Queen. You occasionally find individuals knowledgeable about the period.

There are now Steampunk Faires dedicated to the Victorian Steam Age with scientific advances including robotics. You can meet makers, tinkerers, costumers, and gadgeteers.  You can find out more by visiting these sites.

Renaissance Fairs offers a list of upcoming Renaissance Faires through the US. http://www.renfaire.com/Sites

Wikipedia also offers an extensive list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Renaissance_fairs

Steampunk Conventions https://steampunkcons.com/calendar/

Steampunk World's Fair http://steampunkworldsfair.com/

Wikipedia offers a list of Steampunk events: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Steampunk_conventions

Jane Austen has her own cult following and multiple opportunities to pretend you are hanging out with her characters.

Jane Austen Weekends offer you a chance to escape to Regency England in a beautiful old mansion where Jane herself would feel at home. https://www.onehundredmain.com/events/jane-austen-weekends/

The Jane Austen Festival in Bath England is in the autumn every year. It is the largest gathering of Jane Austen fans in the world. There are more than eighty events over ten days. You can visit the baths or dance at a masked ball. http://www.janeaustenfestivalbath.co.uk/ 

Jane Austen Evening features high tea and an evening ball. http://janeaustenevening.org/ 

Or perhaps you'd like to visit a wizarding school. Bothwell School of Witchcraft in East Sussex England hosts weekend-long role play opportunities for lovers of the Harry Potter universe but is based on an entirely different story world. https://www.bothwellschoolofwitchcraft.com/

There are other opportunities to role play different eras and beloved books. Investigate local events in towns near you or search for particular topics.

Check in next week as we take a look at Live Reenactments.

For advanced worldbuilding check out SBB Build A World Workbook in print and ebook.

World Building: Build A Map Tools

Should you have a map? Must you have a map? No. It is a very personal decision and largely depends on the genre of your book and whether it is in print, though there are now options for adding images to ebooks. Some people love them, others never glance at them.

Whether you are writing Fantasy, Science Fiction, or even Mystery, building a map of your story world can be fun for you and your readers. It is a fun addition to your website.

You can do it just for yourself for reference when writing your book. I like to draw room plans for choreography purposes, but those aren't included in the finished product.

If you have spent a great deal of time researching or building a story world, the maps can help you avoid continuity errors.

I used a map of Rhodes Greece to plot my character's 30 day journey on Mythikas Island. (Blatant plug, the new ten-year anniversary editions are available!). 

Here is a map from Mystery author Deborah Crombie. I highly recommend her books which are set in London.

https://www.deborahcrombie.com/index.php/the-maps

And from the romantic Fantasy The Princess Bride by William Goldman:

https://www.amazon.com/Princess-Bride-Morgensterns-Classic-Adventure/dp/0156035219

Here is a list of articles with tips for creating maps.

1. How to Create a Map for Your Fantasy World Updated on March 15, 2018 M. T. Dremer

https://hobbylark.com/writing/How-to-Create-a-Map-for-Your-Fantasy-World

2. How to Make a Custom Map for Your Fantasy World by JANLOOS

http://www.online-tabletop.com/art/custom-map/

3. 10 Rules For Making Better Fantasy Maps by Lauren Davis

https://io9.gizmodo.com/10-rules-for-making-better-fantasy-maps-1680429159

4. Generating Fantasy Maps by Martin O'Leary http://mewo2.com/notes/terrain/

5. Creating a Map for Your Fantasy Novel by jademphillips

https://jademphillips.com/2012/12/05/creating-a-map-for-your-fantasy-novel/

6. Map Creation for Fictional Worlds by Tina Dubinsky

https://hobbylark.com/writing/Map-Creation-for-Fictional-Worlds

7. Planet Maker allows you to design your own planets. http://planetmaker.wthr.us/

Here is a list of Instructional Videos

1. How to Make and Design a Fantasy World Map by  Shipwreck Samantha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB0Zynh1dtc

2. Generate Your Own Random Fantasy Maps by Mark Frauenfelder

https://boingboing.net/2016/08/11/generate-your-own-random-fanta.html

3. How to Draw Medieval Cities: Fantasy Mapmaking Tutorial for DnD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQgRU2Kq_zc

Here is a list of software options for map building.

1. Roll For Fantasy Map Builder allows you to the create a whole world of your own design using over 1400 different images. It includes natural parts for the inner landscape, like forests, mountains, and hills. All of these elements can be dragged around if you enable this feature. http://rollforfantasy.com/tools/map-creator.php

2. World Spinner is for gaming, but allows you to render a high-quality map. No other tools or artistic skills required! https://worldspinner.com/

3. Otherworld Mapper software https://www.otherworldmapper.com/

4. Profantasy software  Campaign Cartographer 3+ is faster, easier to use and creates more attractive maps than ever before. https://www.profantasy.com/products/cc3-plus.asp

5. Inkmate is a site where you can build fantasy world maps. https://inkarnate.com/

Here is a list of Photoshop Brushes and other image sites for map building.

1. Fantasy Map Symbols has a large collection of downloadable images and map elements from terrain to castles.  http://www.yim778.com/group/fantasy-map-symbols/

2. Shutterstock has images for purchase https://www.shutterstock.com/search/cartography

3. Deviant Art  has a large assortment of medieval brushes.

https://kaenna1.deviantart.com/favourites/58200491/Fantasy-Cartography-Brushes

4. Free 1,622 PS Vectors: https://publicdomainvectors.org/en/free-vector-fantasy-map

 5.  Adobe Fantasy Brushes https://www.brusheezy.com/free/adobe

Next week, we will take a look at researching your historical setting, starting with Fairs and Festivals.

For advanced worldbuilding, check out SBB Build A World Workbook in print and ebook.

Story Research: Maps

Throughout history, borders have constantly shifted. Countries come and go. Manmade designs are built, moved, abandoned, or renamed. You can't rely on modern maps for historical accuracy. Luckily, there are multiple resources for both modern and historical settings.

The Agas Map of London in the 1500s to 1600s with details down to the location of pubs etc. https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/agas.htm

Metrocosm allows you to watch the rise and fall of cities across time. http://metrocosm.com/history-of-cities/ watch world cities disappear

Ancient Roman Roads: This source overlaid the ancient roman road system with modern subway maps. http://www.openculture.com/2017/06/ancient-romes-system-of-roads-visualized-in-the-style-of-modern-subway-maps.html

Google Maps allows you to zoom into Satellite and Street View in many locations and move around the area you wish to explore. You can see how a city is laid out, walk down its Main Street, or find the subway stations. You can look at the facades of famous homes and tourist sites. https://www.google.com/maps

You can go further if you enter Google Earth Voyager https://earth.google.com/web/. From note cards to video tours, this service takes the basic street view to a new level of touring and virtual guides. 

Google Virtual Tours take you so close, it is almost like being there. 

 https://artsandculture.google.com/project/virtual-tours through their Arts and Cultural Tour project

National Geographic Maps allow you to explore around the globe.

https://www.natgeomaps.com/

Old Maps Online allows you to choose a specific location on the map or browse their list. It has an extensive array of road maps from past eras. https://www.oldmapsonline.org/

United States Geographical Survey/USGS also offers a wide array of historical maps: https://www.usgs.gov/news/historical-maps-your-fingertips and topographical maps http://historicalmaps.arcgis.com/usgs.

David Rumsey Historical Map Collection includes rare 16th through 21st century maps of America, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Pacific, Arctic, Antarctic, and the World.

Next week, we look at building a unique map for your fictional story world.

For advanced worldbuilding check out SBB Build A World Workbook in print and ebook.