I don’t know how long a person must write and publish books before that person feels like a real writer. (That person being me!)

But there are a few things that help me believe it. One is research. Traveling through an area, making notes in a little notebook, taking pictures, going to museums all make me think what I am doing is authentic.

A trip to Montana this summer contained all the above and more.

The Libby, Montana museum:

It’s a beautiful building with displays both inside and out. A big thank you to the volunteers who marked everything with dates and a description.

But the best part of the research trip might have been the few hours I spent in the Libby library.

There was a very extensive local and state history section. I delved in and had a great time.

I spread myself out and skimmed a dozen or more books. I the ‘good’ old days I would have been forced to either take notes or photocopy the pages that interested me. But thanks to technology, I simply used my camera to take pictures and capture the information I needed. It sure did make things fast. When I got home, I printed out the pages and created a hard copy of all the research. Here’s a sample of the books I enjoyed.

These are some of the things that make me feel like a real writer. Of course, there’s seeing the new covers, getting the edits back, having a box of books delivered to my door and best of all, brainstorming with my writing friend, Carolyne Aarsen.