Friday, November 4, 2011

Research is Fun!

Inspiration can come in many forms. Here I sit talking to a friend that's newly engaged! We're texting back and forth and I'm over the moon excited for her! She's dove into conversations about gowns, location, food.

I'm not sure if it's the time of year for engagements but I plan on finding out! In fact, it's gotten me excited to write about a wedding. That's right, I'm planning on a short story about a woman's wedding day. That one beautiful moment in time! Remembering those feeling I felt on mine!

I love research because you have the opportunity to experience something new or enjoy the old.

As a chick lit/romantic comedy writer I get the constant excuse to watch trash television, buy wedding magazines, the works!

Of course there are moments not everything is peachy. My characters do have their issues. Average divorce rate, worse dates, places where it snows continuously.

In saying that I still very much enjoy every aspect of the research, it's just not peachy for my characters.

What's your latest research project? I love to hear the depth one will go for a story!
 
Happy Writing! Happy Weekend!

28 comments:

Jessica Bell said...

Sounds like you're gonna have fun, sugar :o) Congrats to your friend! xx

Unknown said...

Congrats to your friend! That's wonderful news.

I know what you mean, I love doing research as well. You always find the most fascinating facts and ideas as a result. I'm working on a historical set along the Old Silk Road in 1929. What a journey this has been. I also have to say as an erotica writer, I have done some very intriguing research. ;) Have a great weekend and good luck with new project.

Jess said...

I think to write ANY story you need some amount of research, whether it's for a fight scene, people getting married, or even just a conversation. Have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

I've been researching the 1920s in England lately. That's been fun. Not so fun is trying to untangle the intricacies of the British police system. I'm sure it is no more complicated than the US system, it's just all completely foreign to me, and I have such a hard time wrapping my brain around it. I keep thinking I might have to hand that aspect over to my husband, who has a very organized mind, and just ask him to make a spreadsheet for me!

DL Hammons said...

I'm in between projects, so no research activity for me right now. But I do love research...I feel it makes your stories richer! If I didn't have a full-time job, I would do MUCH more of it. :)

Lindsay N. Currie said...

Hi lovely! I'm trying my hand at a YA thriller, so I've no idea what kind of strange research I'll be doing...but I'm willing to be it's going to be unusual LOL

Slamdunk said...

Though I am immersed in non-fiction research, I am currently bogged down in how each state differs in allowing freedom of information related requests.

Pretty exciting huh? I am sure your other readers have better stuff.

LynnRush said...

Oh fun. Research is cool. I do most online, but I did talk with my nephew about karate moves since he was a brown belt. He showed me a few things in slow motion so I could process them and describe a fight scene better.

Thankfully he didn't Karate chop me as part of the research. :)

Talli Roland said...

Big congrats to your friend! And yes, when it comes to TV and having cake, research can be fun!

Emily R. King said...

You can't go wrong writing about a wedding. It helps that you had yours and you get to watch your friend plan hers. All the research you need!

Laura Pauling said...

Oo, a story about a wedding could be great. Lots of emotions and ups and downs. Good luck!

Laura Pauling said...

Oo, a story about a wedding could be great. Lots of emotions and ups and downs. Good luck!

Laura Pauling said...

Oo, a story about a wedding could be great. Lots of emotions and ups and downs. Good luck!

Laura Pauling said...

Oo, a story about a wedding could be great. Lots of emotions and ups and downs. Good luck!

Nicole Zoltack said...

With my princess and griffin story, I was doing a ton of research on mythological creatures, even made a few up. My nano story is a witch story. So far I haven't had to do any research but I'll probably have to research witches and witchcraft soon.

Sarah Allen said...

Totally with you on this one :) Research is the best!

Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Only women can write about a wedding day with genuine enthusiasm! Maybe not only women, but you're more excited about it.

Christa Desir said...

My best friend just suggested we do "e" for research for my book...LOL! I'd be such an idiot and probably have a heart attack. Chick lit research might be a bit easier than dark YA.

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

Obvious you enjoy your work. Isn't it wonderful?

Angela Brown said...

Oh a wedding story. How delightful!

For my NaNo story I'm using Google Earth to help me understand my physical boundaries and distances in locations for the dystopian version of area my characters live in. I'm also learning about different otherworldly creatures. It's quite interesting.

Jessica Lindsay said...

Oh, man, your research sounds like so much fun! I'm reading Stacy Schiff's Cleopatra and Sarah B. Pomeroy's Women in Hellenistic Egypt for a current project. It's pretty intense, reading about the slaves, workers, and married women. Difficult to imagine, and very easy to just romanticize, imagining them all eating figs and dancing in the desert.

Christina Lee said...

I'd tell you, but then I'd have to swear you to secrecy :--))))

But really, it has to do with reptiles (of the slithery kind)!

Sarah Tokeley said...

If you need research on terrible wedding days, feel free to ask ;-)

Leslie S. Rose said...

I don't think we gals every get over our Cinderella wedding fixation. Have a blast with the planning. My most interesting research was on coral. Who knew there were so many kinds.

alexia said...

I did lots of location research for my last book... including using Google maps on street level to "walk" through cities virtually. Pretty fun!

Unknown said...

My research has taken me to the dark continent once again. I'm excited to get to the first turning point when that research will start making its way into my NaNo novel!

A.L. Sonnichsen said...

I've been researching the dangers of drinking Listerine. Oh, and the joys of kite flying and cherry farming. Oh, and I need to do more research on driving school rules and regulations. Fun, fun, fun. :)

Amy

Theresa Milstein said...

I do like research, but I like writing more. Right now, I'm writing about teen witches, so I need to get back to my Wicca book. Who knows? Maybe I'll find a whole knew way of living or learn how to do magic in the name of research.

Enjoy your wedding research. Hope you had a happy weekend.