Gracewriters Podcast #70: Romance novelist Alison Joy on using research to create authentic fiction

In this episode, Belinda Pollard and Donita Bundy interview romance novelist (and podcast co-host) Alison Joy. Alison writes romance novels set in Australia and the South Pacific. She shares a variety of research techniques she has developed to help her create fictional locations, events and characters that ring true.

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Episode summary:

• How Alison got an idea for a novel series from an exercise class.
• Creating small town communities on the page using a combination of research and personal experience.
• Different ways to use recurring characters in a series.
• Using actual locations, buildings, sites, facilities to inspire authentic fictional ones.
• How Alison produced an actual country song for book promotion.
• Different research techniques used by Belinda and Donita – interviews, travel, experiences, googling, historical research.
• The benefits and pitfalls of research – how it enriches your writing and your life, but you can end up down rabbit holes!
• Coping with the uncertainty of whether we should be writing, especially when we don’t write “Christian” books.