[ArcheM]

I'm not even sure it's entirely historical. I'm trying not to place it too precisely, but at the same time sort of yes. The problem is that I'm not an expert in the period, not in any period, really. I thought it wouldn't be a problem, but I just found out that a scene I started writing is complete lunacy. Namely, I thought medieval peasants all went every morning to a church service. It's quite easy to find out that this is false, by googling, and you might think, well, job accomplished, carry on. But I just feel like there's giant challenges lurking ahead. I mean, I'm trying to think from the perspective of a person of the period, but how can I? I live in Russia but have got political issues from the other hemisphere on my mind.

I feel like either I spend the next 5 years getting a degree in the Middle Ages or give up. Neither of those options feels particularly appealing.

And at the same time, I've got this conflict: I don't want my writing to be dominated by meticulously researched facts, I want it to be a medium of imagination and emotion. At the same time, I want it to be authentic and believable, and not just for an uninitiated reader, but for myself. Like, I mean, if I were writing a realistic modern story, I'd... well, up to a point I just wouldn't need any research, I could focus on the bigger picture, such as character motivation, instead of details like what food they'd have access to. Unfortunately I don't find the present very interesting, or at least the part of my brain responsible for imagination doesn't.

I don't even know what the point of posting this is. Venting frustration, I suppose. I feel like I can't get the hang of anything and all my hobbies are constantly falling apart.

[Loose Screw x 2]

You're taking it way to seriously. Just start writing it and when it's done reread it and make corrections until you're satisfied with it then, post it.
In time you will improve and get better and better.
I'm working on a story too. Take your time and don't get in a rush. You can do it.

[unaluna]

Just put it on another planet, like Earth, but NOT Earth. Then YOU decide if the peasants go to church every day or not, and why or whatever.

[ArcheM]

I mean, that makes sense on a superficial level, but medieval peasants didn't go to church for real reasons, that make sense in a world that is like medieval Earth. The fact that that didn't come as a natural state of affairs to me means that I'm not immersed enough in the world of my story. And for me that's fatal, because I need to believe in the authenticity of the world in which I'm writing.

[ArcheM]

Originally Posted by MavriforceK9r

You're taking it way to seriously. Just start writing it and when it's done reread it and make corrections until you're satisfied with it then, post it.
In time you will improve and get better and better.
I'm working on a story too. Take your time and don't get in a rush. You can do it.

I was trying to just write, but then I wanted to see what a morning service might actually sound like (having never been to one myself). That's how I came across the information that those actually didn't exist, not for the average citizen.