After my Christian suspense novel, Undaunted Valor, released in April this year, people asked me if I had actually visited the parts of Europe where Alessandro’s Grandmother Luciana was kidnapped and held for ransom. My response always feels humbling, because I consider having gone to the Savoy region of France to do research on the book an enormous privilege. Yet the experience enabled me to write with an authenticity I would not have otherwise had.
     Research has been the backbone of much of my writing. I can’t imagine writing any piece–fiction or nonfiction–without a sense of having a more intimate knowledge of the circumstance or place. In the beginning stages of outlining, I find the research fun, my mind stimulated by the possibilities for how the story can develop. What began as a foray into the unknown becomes a treasure trove of tenable opportunities for story and character.
   

The Glorious Return Trail coming down into Les Chapieux

A Stone Cottage near the Glorious Return trail, Les Chapieux

     Throughout the process of writing, many things came up I needed to research–the kind of gun appropriate for a situation, the wild animals common to the region, a 1940s style European kitchen. I didn’t always know or remember the information I needed for a particular scene, but I could always research the virtual world and information on my computer. In fact, my car chase scene in the iconic ski village of Megève, France came from utilizing a satellite image of Google Maps.

Donna Wichelman was a communications professional before writing full-time. She has authored short stories, essays and articles in various inspirational publications and lives her dream writing novels and screenplays. She and her husband work with teens at their local church in Fort Collins, Colorado. They travel, bike and kayak whenever their schedules allow.