Drowning in the Details

As I just mentioned in my previous post, I'm working on a historical piece. I've never attempted historical fiction before (well, I've written fantasy based in the Middle Ages, but I'm not counting that) so I found myself overwhelmed by the research part of the process.

When the kernel of the idea "popped" back in November, I set out to research the era in which I was going to set the novel. I checked out nearly every book in my library system that dealt with the Victorians. I searched websites and digital libraries. I took page after page of notes.

But then I stopped.

My story started writing itself, in a way. I just started writing the scenes as they came to me (see previous post on this). I knew enough about the era to not make any blatantly obvious mistakes, so I just wrote.

Over the course of the writing, I've tried to go back to continue the research. However, I've found that it's far too easy to drown yourself in the details. As writers, we're perfectionists. I want my story to be historically accurate, right down the street names of the town in which the story takes place (Wilmington, North Carolina). But worrying about such things overwhelms me, stifles me, makes me doubt that I can do this.

So I'm stopping. As with my story, which is emerging "pop by pop", I'm going to do the research as it needs to be done. If something emerges in a scene that needs to be researched, I'll dig out the pile of books. But I'm going to save the fact checking, the tiny historical details that add authenticity, for the end. For the second draft.

As I've mentioned before, I've never written a historical novel before. And I've never used this writing process before. I've also never used this research method before. And yet, it's all working. I'm not drowning myself in the details, and so, the passion of the story has stuck with me.

Do you have a similar story? Have you ever found yourself focusing so much on the little things that you end up taking your eye off the target? Have you ever drowned yourself in the details?