Millions of unusual facts are buried in the history of the American West. Some of these facts are well known, but many are not well known at all. Any writer who desires to write a novel about the American West has this huge body of information to draw from in constructing his or her western story. As writers, we tend to want to draw from those facts that are commonly known and easier to obtain. Sometimes, using well known facts is good. It gives the reader something he or she can identify with quicker, and lends itself to the authenticity of your work. Most good writers will incorporate some well known facts into their story. However, sometimes it’s a greater challenge to look for unusual facts and incorporate those facts into your story.
For example, most almost all Western fiction novels take place completely in what is commonly known as the Old West. When I did a novel, Bloody Wes Teague, a few years ago, although it began in the West, the story quickly moved to New York City. I looked for some unusual facts that I could incorporate into the story. I disovered two facts that were unusual, in that they were not commonly known. One was that New York City, at one time, had a disposal system which consisted of pigs roaming loose in the streets. This was New York’s bizarre garbage collection system. Another fact was that on hot, dry summer days, there would be huge clouds of manure dust hanging in the air. This was caused by the many horses and carriages in the city driving over dried piles of manure.
Every writers ought to look to incorporate some unusual facts in your stories. These facts ought to be based on historical facts. It will make you a more interesting writer and will definitely make your novels more interesting to your reader.
