.Today, well, technically yesterday, I officially started the research for my EMA. I know I have a YEAR before it's due, but I am a muller. I like to think about it, contemplate it, examine the angles, see if it will work. It may not. It may. I don't know. I've never written a family history before. Never plotted out a piece of Creative Nonfiction of 15,000 words, approximately 60 pages, all of which needs to make sense and create a path that the reader can follow - more importantly - that the reader will WANT to follow.
So I write to my third cousins to thank them for their hospitality in Tullamore. I write to the Tullamore Parish to find records. I write to the Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society for different records. And now I wait to hear back, and contemplate my next moves. This is how I start mapping it out. I start with the obvious stuff, and then I start to dig.
I like the research and when I was in grad school the first time, I found that in the process of doing the research the writing part came together fairly seamlessly. I'm getting the feel for that back again, that flow of information into my brain, some miraculous subconscious activity occurs, and then the story (or academic paper) flows out and I understand how all the pieces slot together.
Well, I'm hoping that's how it still works. Fingers crossed.