Hey, Gang:
I'm doing a chat in the TKA chat room tomorrow at Noon EST. Would love to see you there! I know many of you also visit that blog and probably know, but thought I'd let you know.
Meanwhile, am winding down on PARALLEL HEAT. Got some amazing research info from a fellow writer today, including pictures of the USAF base that figures into the story. The wonderful woman sent me pictures! It's amazing to me how life conspires to bring you exactly what you need creatively. Take Julie Ramsey at my office, for example. As some of you will find out (and some already know! Thanks for the plug, Jax!) part of Parallel series involves fighter pilots and aerial action. Not major amounts, but enough that when she showed up for her interview and formed me that her father is involved at Lockheed, and that she could help me get a tour, and so forth, I knew that it was meant to be. And guess what else? Julie has proved a font of interviewing opportunity, arranging for me to interview an FBI linguist right when I needed it, and so forth.
Then today the fellow writer has precisely the information I need. I love it! Research is such an important part of bringing a book alive for me. If I can, I like to have visited the setting--or be planning to visit it--for the stories that I write. Clearly if the book is set off-world on some imaginary alien planet, well NO, can't do that. But I can at least draw on elements of a place I know. It's almost like method acting.
I'm not advocating this for all writers; I'm just saying that for me it breathes extra life into the world, making it more vivid. I'm lucky, too, that in my lifetime I've traveled pretty extensively. Not all at one time, but over the years. I've biked across Europe, traveled Europe by train, studied in London, ridden across the country four times. Spent time out west in a camper. You name it. In fact, there are only three states in the US that I haven't visited, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. I hope to add those in the years to come.
Anyway, that reminds me that my four year old has a bday coming up! And we plan to give her a Dora the Explorer party because she's just so into her (she really IS that into you, Dora!) We're going to make party compilation CD's that are all about traveling and exploring. THe first song on the CD? ROAM by the B52's!
Deidre
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5 comments:
It's amazing how easy it is to obtain hard-to-get information just by making the right connections and talking to people.
I had to research Nobel Peace Prize recipient Joseph Rotblat for a paper I had to write. (One of the main minds involved in the development of the atom bomb, and one incredible man with an incredible history.) I sent an email of inquiry to a site he was affiliate with, and to my surprise, it was forwarded to him. Mr. Rotblat emailed me and even snail mailed me copies of his articles, papers, etc. He's 96 years old now, and so very charming.
Research is fun. I love it because often it can lead on to a more exciting twist in a tale that you'd never even imagine unless you knew about it.
Faith is so right about how easy it is to obtain hard-to-get information. And when you do it you want to stretch the proverbial suspender belt straps, puff out your chest and say to yourself:
"I missed my vocation! I should have been God!"
I'm quite new to blogging and must have forgotten to fill in the "other" or something and I loathe anonymous posts so the above was me.
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