Snippet from an Earlier Blog: Time Equals Change

(This is from a post on my original website.)

The Nubian Barnstormer’s story spans the years of 1917 through 1946. I’m a history nerd, so I was eager to delve into how major events like World Wars I and II and the Great Depression would affect Ava Odell and the people in her life.

I enjoyed the hours of research necessary to capture the evolution of fashion, technology and entertainment during that time period. The rise and fall of hemlines. Communication by telegram and the expansion of telephone service. The discovery of dances that would have been popular with Ava and her friends and learning the steps myself so I could describe the Breakaway and the Balboa in detail.

Newspapers and magazines were the mass media. Radio became a major source of entertainment and news. The transformation of cinema from silents to talkies not only changed Hollywood, but also altered the fortunes of independent black filmmakers.

Another cool area of my research was etymology. What’s that? It’s the study of the origins of words and phrases.

It’s important to me that my characters only say or use words and terms authentic for the time period. For example, Ava wouldn’t call someone acting crazy “bonkers” in 1931.  The term didn’t exist until the 1940s. By the way, no one uses “bonkers” in the Nubian Barnstormer novels.

People have said “okay” since 1839!  Los Angeles wasn’t called “L. A.” until 1939. There were phrases I’d assumed would be in the books because I’d heard older folks use them when I was a kid. But the colorful phrases didn’t make the cut.  They may have been old expressions, but they weren’t uttered until after 1946.

If you want to write historical fiction, or if you’re just curious, Online Etymology is a great resource!