Research Trip after NaNo

So I struggled last night with a scene. Austin's ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat. The problem that I had when I was writing it was that I didn't know quite how to deal with setting. I can see the battle ship grey walls (bulkheads). The hatches lining a long corridor. The big guns sinking beneath ocean. I couldn't describe it because I didn't know enough about the kind of ship that he would be on nor did I know the appropriate naval terminology for everything. This caused severe problems and my manuscript to have lots and lots of holes that will need to be filled later.

I think that after the first of the year, I'm going to have to visit Patriot's Point in Charleston one weekend in January. The last time I went was when I was kid. I'd had my eyes dilated that morning so I didn't see the outside of the ships at all. Hmmm....So I think thats the plan to make my novel better is to get better information.

I think that I also need to interview my grandmothers and grandfather about life in the 1940s. What was on the radio, what was on the movie screens, what did the movie houses look like, what were the stores like, what was a farm kitchen like, etc. , etc. Since its Thanksgiving, I may get started on that this weekend.