When writing historical fiction, you need a vivid and accurate background for your character to live in. Before I began writing, I knew quite a bit about New Netherland, but I soon realized I needed more. To do this, I read more than one hundred books, articles, and primary sources to build a background for the story. 

There are a handful of primary sources specifically about Catalyntje. They are found in court notes from the director general’s office, orphan master records, two depositions, and even a description of her in a traveling missionary’s journal. These were invaluable to painting an accurate picture of her life. 

Researching about New Netherlands and its inhabitants was an interesting journey. As I learned new things, I wrote parts of my book along the way. It was a challenge to decide which historical figures to include in my narrative, as there were many unique personalities. However, I had to maintain the focus on Catalyntje. This meant that some influential individuals are only briefly mentioned in my story. 

Once I was about halfway finished with my research, I organized my notes in a composition notebook. I wrote a date at the top of a page for every year of Catalyntje’s life. Then, as I found significant events in the colony or Catalyntje’s family, I wrote a brief description on the appropriate page. This was a great way to decide which details to keep and which were more critical to Catalyntje’s story.

How have you done research for a book you’ve written? What have you done to organize the information you found?