Don't Forget The Research

Research is one of my favorite things to do. I was recently asked to do a story for the Hearing Loss Association of America Colorado Springs Chapter. This story will be revealed on 16 December at their Christmas Party. The theme of the story is to revolve around a Mountain Man Christmas. I researched for stories about mountain men and Christmas. No luck!

This meant I had to write my own story about a mountain man and Christmas. Well, I started my research and I have discovered a connection with hearing loss and a mountain man. The first part of the story is fiction. The mountain man I am writing about will fall in love with a deaf girl. 

The interesting research comes next with the girl who learned how to communicate with her hands, commonly called sign language, in 1817 at a school that created the American Sign Language that is used today. She then teaches a student how to sign at Ft. Smith. This student named Phillip Emery goes on to teach and create a school for the deaf in Kansas. Twenty years later at the same Kansas schools a new Stewart of the school will stay for about 10 years then moves to Colorado Springs to establish a new school called The Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind.  

This research gave me the material that will make my story very local and the people at the Christmas party will feel connected with the situation as well as the location. The information that I garnered will enable me to maybe inspire others to research the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind for students and what they may have accomplished in the past. I went to college with a blind alumni of the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind. Kevin and I were DJ’s on the college radio station together as a duet. Boy did we have fun.  

Research is important to the building of any story. Start with a concept then research to find information that will lead to the development of a solid and impactful story. The next time you are going to write, don’t forget the research.