I've seen this "first lines" meme all over the place and thought it looked fun. The rules are simple: post the first line from any (or all) of your books/works in progress. Play along in the comments with your own first lines, if you like. Here goes mine:
"I stiffened at the red and blue lights flashing behind me, because there was no way I could explain what was in the back of my truck." -- HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE
"I waited outside the large, four-story home in Manhasset that was owned by a Mr. Liam Flannery." -- ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE
"The man smiled and I let my gaze linger over his face." -- AT GRAVE'S END
"If he catches me, I'm dead." -- DESTINED FOR AN EARLY GRAVE
"As soon as Blake saw the men, he knew tonight would end with death." Devil to Pay, FOUR DUKES AND A DEVIL anthology.
"Eric swallowed the last of his beer and then set the empty bottle on the sidewalk." --Reckoning, UNBOUND anthology.
"I think Amber was murdered." -- FIRST DROP OF CRIMSON
"I squinted in the morning sunlight." One For the Money, DEATH'S EXCELLENT VACATION anthology.
"I'd been watching the dark-haired boy for a couple minutes before he disappeared." -- untitled WIP.
"I squinted in the morning sunlight." One For the Money, DEATH'S EXCELLENT VACATION anthology.
"I'd been watching the dark-haired boy for a couple minutes before he disappeared." -- untitled WIP.
And here's a question: as readers or writers, are first lines supposed to be extra special? Should they be punchy, provocative, attention-grabbing, shocking, or it makes no difference, as long as the opening scene is good? Inquiring minds want to know :-).
The following FFF titles released in June and were showcased on the blog sidebar. They're still out there, so it's not too late to pick up copies for yourself or someone else.
To see the July releases, check out the updated FFF sidebar.
Happy Reading!
S. J. Day
To see the July releases, check out the updated FFF sidebar.
Happy Reading!
S. J. Day
Last night I was wandering the SF/F section of my local Barnes & Noble, trying to decide the best way to spend my birthday gift card. I had one book in hand (a friend's new release that I'd gone for specifically), but still had money to burn. I was browsing the new release shelves when a trio of guys (I hesitate to use the word "men" because they seemed to epitomize the man-child, I-spend-too-much-time-playing-WII-and-no
They ended up browsing within arm's reach of me, so I overheard an...amusing snippet of conversation between two of them.
( The conversation continues... )
They ended up browsing within arm's reach of me, so I overheard an...amusing snippet of conversation between two of them.
( The conversation continues... )
July's newsletter is a little light, but here it is! Authors if you have news or appearances that you'd like to share, please do so in the comments section!
JULY RELEASES
Balog, Cyn -- Fairy Tale
Brennan, Sarah Rees -- The Demon's Lexicon
Day, S.J. -- Eve of Chaos
Frost, Jeaniene -- FOUR DUKES AND A DEVIL (anthology)
McLeod, Suzanne -- The Cold Kiss of Death
Robertson, Linda -- Vicious Circle
Singh, Nalini -- Branded By Fire
Vincent, Rachel -- Prey
APPEARANCES
July 14 -18 RWA National: Kathryn Smith, Jessa Slade
July 23 - 26, 2009 San Diego Comic Con: Jackie Kessler, Sarah Rees Brennan , Marlene Perez
Saturday, July 25, San Diego Comic Con
3:00-4:00 Monster Mash
Panelists: Amber Benson (DEATH’S DAUGHTER); Alice Henderson (VORACIOUS), Walter Greatshell (XOMBIES: APOCALYPSE BLUES), S.G. Browne (BREATHERS); Marlene Perez (DEAD IS SO LAST YEAR); Rob Thurman (DEATHWISH); and Samantha Sommersby (FORBIDDEN: THE TEMPTATION).
Moderator: Maryelizabeth Hart, Mysterious Galaxy
Wednesday, July 15th @ RWA National -- 5:30-7:30 p.m. -- Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington DC -- Literacy Signing.
Many FF&F authors will be on hand to raise money for literacy. Click on the link for a complete list of participating authors.
NEWS
-The new cover art for EMBERS, by Laura Bickle, has been released. The artist is Chris McGrath, who you'll recognize from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files covers. A link to the cover is here: www.salamanderstales.com. EMBERS will be released in April, 2010 from Pocket-Juno Books.
-The Cold Kiss of Death : Spellcrackers.com 2 : Suzanne McLeod releases on the 16th July. To celebrate Suzanne is holding weekly giveaways on her blog - http://suzannemcleod.blogspot.
Hi, everyone! Thanks for joining us, those of you who are online instead of out enjoying this summer holiday week (happy Canada Day and Independence Day, before I forget).
This week's topic comes from![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
whereistheluv, who asks:
I'm curious to hear everyone else's answers, because while I do have CPs/beta readers (and I could not live without them), I knew them all as friends first. So I've never had to seek them out. In fact, I've turned down invitations to join writers' groups because I pretty much only write long fiction and never show it to anyone until a completed second draft. Plus, group dynamics drive me nuts. ;-)
As always, Members and Watchers alike are encouraged to post their responses in the comments section.
Have a great holiday week!
--Jeri Smith-Ready
This week's topic comes from
whereistheluv, who asks:Hi! I'm new here. I would like to know how you found your writing groups or crit partners. I'm new to the writing world, and working on my first YA urban fantasy/paranormal/something like that novel and would love to find some other people to work with. I guess to be clearer, I'd like to know the story behind how you find the people you truly trust to read and critique your work, and also any tips or warnings on what not to do. I'd also like to know when you pass on what you've written for critiquing. Do you share as you go, or wait until after you've completed a first draft. AND (jeez, I thought this was going to be short!) how much do you let what they say affect you and your final product?
I'm curious to hear everyone else's answers, because while I do have CPs/beta readers (and I could not live without them), I knew them all as friends first. So I've never had to seek them out. In fact, I've turned down invitations to join writers' groups because I pretty much only write long fiction and never show it to anyone until a completed second draft. Plus, group dynamics drive me nuts. ;-)
As always, Members and Watchers alike are encouraged to post their responses in the comments section.
Have a great holiday week!
--Jeri Smith-Ready
First...Topic of the Month, research. I have recently tromped all over downtown Cleveland, around University Circle, scouted churches, restaurants and various locales searching for the ones to serve as backdrop for some key scenes in my WIP. Let me say this: not all wait staff are created equal. And the fancy (remaining nameless) restaurant had the worst service. DEPLORABLE.
That aside, the most interesting thing that I can tell you about that I did in the name of research (HAHA!) is this: years ago, I contacted a martial arts guru near my hometown. He specialized in sword fighting. He and his top student, for the humble price of lunch at a local Chinese restaurant, set up their karate classroom with cardboard boxes to represent the masts and railings of a pirate ship, then improvised a scene for me while I videotaped them. I wrote the scene to include some high spots from their battle--and there were COOL things that got added in because of what they did, moves/rolls/weapons switching hands, etc. that I wouldn't have thought of. *that book however will likely never get published...*
Please go over to The League of Reluctant Adults blogsite @: http://reluctantadults.blogspot.com/ Go right now!
Not only are there a bunch of very talented and entertaining writers over there who you should be reading...but Kelly Meding, whose debut book comes out this fall, has been kind enough to do an interview with me, and have a contest in honor of my available-in-like-5-days book, VICIOUS CIRCLE! (Scroll down...there it is!) In the interview I reveal some electrifying events from my rock-n-roll past, heh heh, and you can be entered into a drawing to win a signed copy of VICIOUS CIRCLE by leaving a comment or asking me a question in the comments section. The contest is open all weekend, so--in a moment between the awesome things you're all surely doing this weekend-- stop in and say hi or ask me a question and get yourself in the running for that free copy! Kelly will conduct a random drawing, and I'll mail the book out!
And, when you're done with that, zip over t Kelly's site http://www.kellymeding.com/ and read about THREE DAYS TO DEAD, her novel coming this fall. SOUNDS AWESOME! You'll want to add it to your to-be-read list!
That aside, the most interesting thing that I can tell you about that I did in the name of research (HAHA!) is this: years ago, I contacted a martial arts guru near my hometown. He specialized in sword fighting. He and his top student, for the humble price of lunch at a local Chinese restaurant, set up their karate classroom with cardboard boxes to represent the masts and railings of a pirate ship, then improvised a scene for me while I videotaped them. I wrote the scene to include some high spots from their battle--and there were COOL things that got added in because of what they did, moves/rolls/weapons switching hands, etc. that I wouldn't have thought of. *that book however will likely never get published...*
Please go over to The League of Reluctant Adults blogsite @: http://reluctantadults.blogspot.com/ Go right now!
Not only are there a bunch of very talented and entertaining writers over there who you should be reading...but Kelly Meding, whose debut book comes out this fall, has been kind enough to do an interview with me, and have a contest in honor of my available-in-like-5-days book, VICIOUS CIRCLE! (Scroll down...there it is!) In the interview I reveal some electrifying events from my rock-n-roll past, heh heh, and you can be entered into a drawing to win a signed copy of VICIOUS CIRCLE by leaving a comment or asking me a question in the comments section. The contest is open all weekend, so--in a moment between the awesome things you're all surely doing this weekend-- stop in and say hi or ask me a question and get yourself in the running for that free copy! Kelly will conduct a random drawing, and I'll mail the book out!
And, when you're done with that, zip over t Kelly's site http://www.kellymeding.com/ and read about THREE DAYS TO DEAD, her novel coming this fall. SOUNDS AWESOME! You'll want to add it to your to-be-read list!
- Mood:
ecstatic
I still have time! The month isn't over yet! (I, er, was out of town when the Topic of the Month got posted, and it took my brain a little while to wake up and notice that other people were posting about research for a reason.)
So, how far would I go for research?
My answer: I should have gone farther, dammit, but it was raining and I hadn't explicitly asked the guy whether I could climb the ladder, and I had neither the time nor the cardiovascular endurance to go down three-hundred-odd stairs and then back up them again if he said I could stick my head out the trapdoor.
( What exactly was I doing? )
The best part is, it's all tax-deductible. Kind of sucks to calculate around April, but these are all business expenses, my friends. ^_^ I totally need to write books set in places like, oh, the Caribbean, or Egypt, or all the other destinations I want to visit . . . .
So, how far would I go for research?
My answer: I should have gone farther, dammit, but it was raining and I hadn't explicitly asked the guy whether I could climb the ladder, and I had neither the time nor the cardiovascular endurance to go down three-hundred-odd stairs and then back up them again if he said I could stick my head out the trapdoor.
( What exactly was I doing? )
The best part is, it's all tax-deductible. Kind of sucks to calculate around April, but these are all business expenses, my friends. ^_^ I totally need to write books set in places like, oh, the Caribbean, or Egypt, or all the other destinations I want to visit . . . .
Last week, kelly_gay put up a wonderful post outlining in detail the timeline from offer to publication. Then she wrote me and said:
For my three series it varied from 17 to 21 months from original offer to publication. The longest one was sold on proposal, and when I got the offer I hadn't written beyond the three samples chapters (I didn't want to jinx it--no, seriously, I was afraid to even think about it ;-), so I needed the extra time to finish the first book.
What about you? Feel free to expound on any delays (or rushes) encountered in your journey from offer to publication. Share your thoughts in the comments, and though this is mainly a question for Members, Watchers please feel free to respond.
Have a great week!
--Jeri Smith-Ready
kelly_gay put up a wonderful post outlining in detail the timeline from offer to publication. Then she wrote me and said:After posting my publishing timeline today, I got into a discussion on how long it takes from sale to release. I always thought 12-18 months was kind of average, but I've seen some going to the two year mark as well. Wondering if this would make a good Topic of the Week. Authors weighing on in how long it took from sale to release date on their books.
For my three series it varied from 17 to 21 months from original offer to publication. The longest one was sold on proposal, and when I got the offer I hadn't written beyond the three samples chapters (I didn't want to jinx it--no, seriously, I was afraid to even think about it ;-), so I needed the extra time to finish the first book.
What about you? Feel free to expound on any delays (or rushes) encountered in your journey from offer to publication. Share your thoughts in the comments, and though this is mainly a question for Members, Watchers please feel free to respond.
Have a great week!
--Jeri Smith-Ready
X-posted from my blog.
One of my favorite procrastination websites is TV Tropes Dot Org, a wiki which catalogues popular tropes used in movies, TV shows, manga, and literature. Talking to a friend the other day, I realized that there are some tropes I love- not because they're always done well so much as because there are some character types and situations that I'm so fond of that any fiction that uses them has an a priori advantage with me as a reader/viewer. And the converse is true, too- there are tropes that I just innately dislike, not because there's anything actually wrong with them, but just because I personally have an aversion to them, and any book that uses them has to overcome that hurdle to win me over as a reader.
Examples of my favorite tropes: slightly crazy, waiflike characters who are more than people give them credit for being (a la River in Firefly or Luna in Harry Potter), stories which contain characters who have an older brother or sister as their legal guardian (ie Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, the Dawn/Buffy storyline in BtVS), characters with strongly literal or stylized speech patterns who don't quite understand human niceties (Anya from Buffy; Simi from the Dark Hunter series), and romances in which characters are drawn to each other based on some bone-deep similarity or flaw that makes them understand each other in ways that other people couldn't.
Some of my least favorite tropes: the best friend character who seems to have a vested interest in the main character losing their virginity (YA) or the state of the MC's sex life more broadly (adult); stories which revolve around an overachieving female learning to loosen up; the surprise werewolf (in which a male character in a known supernatural world is revealed at the very end of the book to be a werewolf).
Like I said before- it's not that I think the tropes I don't like are at all inferior to the tropes I love. I could name books that do tropes I dislike wonderfully well and that, as a result, I have enjoyed, and I could name books that have done my favorite tropes not-so-well (and which... I've still kind of enjoyed, because I just really love the trope).
So what are you guys? Any tropes you love beyond reason for no real rational reason? Any that you dislike, even when they're done well? In accordance with FFF policy, please no bashing of any trope or subgenre beyond simply expressing personal preferences and no finger pointing at specific books you dislike. Self-reflection > flame wars.
-Jennifer Lynn Barnes
One of my favorite procrastination websites is TV Tropes Dot Org, a wiki which catalogues popular tropes used in movies, TV shows, manga, and literature. Talking to a friend the other day, I realized that there are some tropes I love- not because they're always done well so much as because there are some character types and situations that I'm so fond of that any fiction that uses them has an a priori advantage with me as a reader/viewer. And the converse is true, too- there are tropes that I just innately dislike, not because there's anything actually wrong with them, but just because I personally have an aversion to them, and any book that uses them has to overcome that hurdle to win me over as a reader.
Examples of my favorite tropes: slightly crazy, waiflike characters who are more than people give them credit for being (a la River in Firefly or Luna in Harry Potter), stories which contain characters who have an older brother or sister as their legal guardian (ie Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, the Dawn/Buffy storyline in BtVS), characters with strongly literal or stylized speech patterns who don't quite understand human niceties (Anya from Buffy; Simi from the Dark Hunter series), and romances in which characters are drawn to each other based on some bone-deep similarity or flaw that makes them understand each other in ways that other people couldn't.
Some of my least favorite tropes: the best friend character who seems to have a vested interest in the main character losing their virginity (YA) or the state of the MC's sex life more broadly (adult); stories which revolve around an overachieving female learning to loosen up; the surprise werewolf (in which a male character in a known supernatural world is revealed at the very end of the book to be a werewolf).
Like I said before- it's not that I think the tropes I don't like are at all inferior to the tropes I love. I could name books that do tropes I dislike wonderfully well and that, as a result, I have enjoyed, and I could name books that have done my favorite tropes not-so-well (and which... I've still kind of enjoyed, because I just really love the trope).
So what are you guys? Any tropes you love beyond reason for no real rational reason? Any that you dislike, even when they're done well? In accordance with FFF policy, please no bashing of any trope or subgenre beyond simply expressing personal preferences and no finger pointing at specific books you dislike. Self-reflection > flame wars.
-Jennifer Lynn Barnes
I keep thinking the short answer to the question "How far would you go for your research?" is, for me, "about 5000 miles," because that's the distance from Tucson to Reykjavík. :-)
( The long answer is, maybe sometimes the research begins before the story )
( Also, all posts are better with arctic foxes )
( The long answer is, maybe sometimes the research begins before the story )
( Also, all posts are better with arctic foxes )
The late great Tony Hillerman talked about "write what you want to know about".
One of my college professors, in a journalism class, taught us to write what we wanted to read. Stories that no one else wrote. Stories that intrigued us. She was talking about non-fiction, feature stories (which is how I began my writing career), but it's definitely applicable to fiction.
A fertile ground for research, n'est-ce pas?
( Give me more research, please )
-- Maria Lima
One of my college professors, in a journalism class, taught us to write what we wanted to read. Stories that no one else wrote. Stories that intrigued us. She was talking about non-fiction, feature stories (which is how I began my writing career), but it's definitely applicable to fiction.
A fertile ground for research, n'est-ce pas?
( Give me more research, please )
-- Maria Lima
- Mood:
working--sort of
Taking a stab at my first FF&F post besides the Intro and comments... I thought this peek into an actual publishing timeline, using my urban fantasy The Better Part of Darkness as an example, would be of interest to some of you watchers out there. (This is x-posted from my blog). I decided to go back 13 months instead of 12, starting with the sale, and covering things like revisions, cover art, copy edits, cover copy, and down to this week. Obviously, not every book follows this timeline, but this might give those interested an idea of how long the process can be. ;-) So here's a look into mine:
I know I blog a lot about self-confidence (or at least it feels like I blog a lot about self-confidence), but I’ve been thinking about it a lot since I got back from the Gothic Girls retreat. I've actually been thinking about it so much that the word 'confidence' no longer looks like it's spelled right. For a lot of reasons. For starters, the Gothic Girls were a very self-confident bunch. Also, we talked a lot about ambition and what we would need to accomplish to feel we’ve “arrived” and what we saw ourselves doing in five years. (Me: "Taking my long-awaited position as Queen of America, reinstating That 70s Show, delivering all state of the union speeches in 30 minute claymation television specials involving hedgehogs, and continue making a living writing") All of this while revising LINGER, the sequel to SHIVER (which, as you might guess from my last SHIVER post, inspires NO pressure whatsoever), and generally standing next to incredibly talented and accomplished women.
And so my musings came round to three big points. Which I've made into a list because man oh man I love me my lists.
1) Self-confidence has absolutely nothing to do with your accomplishments. People in the writing world seem to think this more than other people. Part of it, I think, is trying to apply an objective value (getting an agent, landing a book deal, getting a tour, getting a manservant to oil your back and throw cheetos into your mouth) to a subjective pursuit -- writing, which is creative and subjective and difficult to quantify. We all work so hard to validate our time spent writing that we start to think that these milestones make us better people, better writers, whatever.
It’s not true. And it leads to huge let downs if you have poor self-confidence, because guess what? On the other side of that book deal, you’ll still have poor self-confidence. Because there’s always the next thing. The bigger deal, the more popular blog, the private waffle breakfasts with J. K. Rowling. You'll never get to that magical honeypot that makes you feel like a Real Person.
( more musings and a single talk bubble pic under the cut . . . )
-maggie stiefvater
And so my musings came round to three big points. Which I've made into a list because man oh man I love me my lists.
1) Self-confidence has absolutely nothing to do with your accomplishments. People in the writing world seem to think this more than other people. Part of it, I think, is trying to apply an objective value (getting an agent, landing a book deal, getting a tour, getting a manservant to oil your back and throw cheetos into your mouth) to a subjective pursuit -- writing, which is creative and subjective and difficult to quantify. We all work so hard to validate our time spent writing that we start to think that these milestones make us better people, better writers, whatever.
It’s not true. And it leads to huge let downs if you have poor self-confidence, because guess what? On the other side of that book deal, you’ll still have poor self-confidence. Because there’s always the next thing. The bigger deal, the more popular blog, the private waffle breakfasts with J. K. Rowling. You'll never get to that magical honeypot that makes you feel like a Real Person.
( more musings and a single talk bubble pic under the cut . . . )
-maggie stiefvater
This week's Topic comes from Corinne D., and I think we haven't ever covered it here before (yay!):
I once heard a Hollywood producer at a writer's conference say that the "natural" time frame for a mainstream film story is six to eight weeks--long enough to give the character a chance to develop and grow, but not so long that the story loses its urgency and intensity (this is all my own paraphrasing, because the conference was nine years ago). I don't know if the same general rule applies to novels, but my non-epic fantasy novels tend to last about that long (with one exception, which I'll mention in the comments).
What do you think? I'm curious to hear not only writers' reactions, but readers' as well. Members and Watchers, share your thoughts in the comments.
Have a great week! (If a week is your preferred unit of time. ;-)
--Jeri Smith-Ready
How much time usually passes in your novels, and how do you handle this? Do you skip over entire days/weeks/months, and if so, how do you keep the character proactive if nothing appears to happen for so long? If your entire manuscript takes place in just a matter of days, do you feel like it's too busy? Can your character grow and change over such a short period of time?
I once heard a Hollywood producer at a writer's conference say that the "natural" time frame for a mainstream film story is six to eight weeks--long enough to give the character a chance to develop and grow, but not so long that the story loses its urgency and intensity (this is all my own paraphrasing, because the conference was nine years ago). I don't know if the same general rule applies to novels, but my non-epic fantasy novels tend to last about that long (with one exception, which I'll mention in the comments).
What do you think? I'm curious to hear not only writers' reactions, but readers' as well. Members and Watchers, share your thoughts in the comments.
Have a great week! (If a week is your preferred unit of time. ;-)
--Jeri Smith-Ready
I think I'd stop at eating live bugs. Yes, that would probably be my "Not Going There" stopping point.
( No bugs, but... )
( No bugs, but... )
- Location:My living room
- Mood: busy
- Music:Breaking Benjamin
Hi all,
My name is Brenna Yovanoff, and my contemporary YA fantasy Fe recently sold to Razorbill for publication in Fall 2010.
A little bit about my book:
Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now the creatures under the hill want him back, and Mackie must decide where he really belongs and what he really wants.
I've been hanging around FFF as a watcher for quite a while now, and I'm really glad that I finally have the opportunity to join this awesome community!
My name is Brenna Yovanoff, and my contemporary YA fantasy Fe recently sold to Razorbill for publication in Fall 2010.
A little bit about my book:
Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now the creatures under the hill want him back, and Mackie must decide where he really belongs and what he really wants.
I've been hanging around FFF as a watcher for quite a while now, and I'm really glad that I finally have the opportunity to join this awesome community!
One of the things that I always think is pretty funny is when someone says something to the effect of: writing fantasy must be so easy. You don't have to do any research--you can just make stuff up. (Keeping in mind that I hang out with a lot of academics who spend a lot of time researching for their work).
But the fact is that fantasy writers frequently do a whole lot of research. Some more than others. Some books require more than others, You really can't get away with just making things up because even made up things require consistency and some basis in reality to be believable. For instance, for The Black Ship, I set the entire book on board a square rigged clipper ship. And I'd never been sailing before. So I ended up doing a whole lot of reading, watching movies set on ships so I could see ships, I went on a short cruise aboard a square rigged ship, and I even watched bad reality television because it was set on a ship and I wanted to see some up close images of the ship.
But my first six books have been epic fantasy, which allowed for a certain amount of making things up in regards to setting that is harder to get away with in UF. Bitter NIght, which is my first foray into UF, I thought would be easier because it's set in the real world and I know the real world. Except that I didn't't know the real world. Not in the depth that I needed. Just getting the setting details right--distances, what's actually there on that street corner? street names and so on--to cars and clothes and guns and so on--was harder than I expected. The details matter and Google Earth is my friend. Those details require a great deal of research. A lot of it you can't prepare for--it's the sort that you stumble upon needing. I'll be in the middle of a scene and realize, uh oh, I don't know how that works. Or what that looks like. In the end, I spent a lot more time researching than I thought I would.
Luckily I love doing the research. I go looking for one thing and frequently find a whole lot more stuff that turns out useful for worldbuilding or plot building. It's all fodder, if not for the book I'm working on, then the next one.
But the fact is that fantasy writers frequently do a whole lot of research. Some more than others. Some books require more than others, You really can't get away with just making things up because even made up things require consistency and some basis in reality to be believable. For instance, for The Black Ship, I set the entire book on board a square rigged clipper ship. And I'd never been sailing before. So I ended up doing a whole lot of reading, watching movies set on ships so I could see ships, I went on a short cruise aboard a square rigged ship, and I even watched bad reality television because it was set on a ship and I wanted to see some up close images of the ship.
But my first six books have been epic fantasy, which allowed for a certain amount of making things up in regards to setting that is harder to get away with in UF. Bitter NIght, which is my first foray into UF, I thought would be easier because it's set in the real world and I know the real world. Except that I didn't't know the real world. Not in the depth that I needed. Just getting the setting details right--distances, what's actually there on that street corner? street names and so on--to cars and clothes and guns and so on--was harder than I expected. The details matter and Google Earth is my friend. Those details require a great deal of research. A lot of it you can't prepare for--it's the sort that you stumble upon needing. I'll be in the middle of a scene and realize, uh oh, I don't know how that works. Or what that looks like. In the end, I spent a lot more time researching than I thought I would.
Luckily I love doing the research. I go looking for one thing and frequently find a whole lot more stuff that turns out useful for worldbuilding or plot building. It's all fodder, if not for the book I'm working on, then the next one.
- Mood: busy
Ah, the glorious pursuit of research. From the mildest to the wildest, I've:
- Written to Sterno, to ask how early their ignitable cans were available.
- Called a sheriff in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, to find out what color the uniforms and cars were, and who might respond to a particular sort of 911 call.
- Written to a bowyer, to find out how best to put out someone's eye.
- Bothered a funeral director at length about body placement bingo when a crime-related corpse is between jurisdictions.
- Rabidly studied maps of Baltimore- and then later, was able to give directions, in Baltimore, on my first visit there.
- Spent time in the Coroner's office, witnessing actual autopsies on actual people.
( So I think it's safe to say, I like research, but... )
I really hate research. I don't do it well; I'm easily led astray into worlds of info I don't need; and when I do find something I was actually looking for, invariably it directly contradicts what I'm trying to accomplish.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
The topic of the month:
How far would you go for your research? Do you have a cool research story?
I love research like a botfly loves human flesh. It's tasty, it's chewy, and I can burrow into it and not come out for weeks. I am never happier than when I am researching. I have attended autopsies, gone out on fishing boats, visited firing ranges, stuck my arm into rattlesnake holes, and examined dead squirrels, all in the name of research. I've also spent uncounted hours in libraries and used bookstores, questing for books about obscure aspects of folklore and mythology, books on alchemy, and books on pandemic disease. Research comes in both field and home editions, and I adore them both, since otherwise, I'd probably go insane.
( Do I have a cool research story? Well... )
How far would you go for your research? Do you have a cool research story?
I love research like a botfly loves human flesh. It's tasty, it's chewy, and I can burrow into it and not come out for weeks. I am never happier than when I am researching. I have attended autopsies, gone out on fishing boats, visited firing ranges, stuck my arm into rattlesnake holes, and examined dead squirrels, all in the name of research. I've also spent uncounted hours in libraries and used bookstores, questing for books about obscure aspects of folklore and mythology, books on alchemy, and books on pandemic disease. Research comes in both field and home editions, and I adore them both, since otherwise, I'd probably go insane.
( Do I have a cool research story? Well... )
- Mood: chipper
- Music:Glee, "Don't Stop Believing."
Profile
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif)
fangs_fur_fey- Fangs, Fur, & Fey
Page Summary
- frost_light : First Lines [+22]
- sj_day : Still Available From June! [+1]
- kellymeding : Overheard in Conversation [+81]
- kathrynsmith : July Newsletter [+1]
- jer_bear711 : Topic of the Week - With a Little Help from my Friends [+16]
- linda_robertson : TotM & a Contest [+6]
- swan_tower : TotM: Research [+2]
- jer_bear711 : Topic of the Week - The Waiting is the Hardest Part [+21]
- jenlyn_b : Tropes: What's your weakness? [+20]
- janni : TotM: Which comes first, the research or the story? [+2]
- chickwriter : ToTM: The many riches of research [+1]
- kelly_gay : Publishing Timeline - a look at the past year [+30]
- m_stiefvater : Writers & Self-Confidence (x-post from my LJ) [+25]
- jer_bear711 : Topic of the Week - Let's do the time warp again [+25]
- cheymccray : ToM: How far would you go for your research? Do you have a cool research story? [+12]
- brennayovanoff : Introduction: Brenna Yovanoff [+24]
- difrancis : Researching [+4]
- anywherebeyond : ToM: The Research-Procrastination Vortex [+7]
- jessaslade : TotM: I hate research [+3]
- seanan_mcguire : ToM: Let's get ready to research! [+7]
Syndicate
Designed by chasethestars
chasethestars