Before I get to this month's question, I want to follow up on last month's question, which asked if you'd ever used the A-Z Blogging Challenge to promote your work and if it was effective. Now that April is over, I can say that yes, I've seen an increase in downloads and sales. Some of that is due to paid ads I ran to promote sales, but overall April was more active than previous months.
For May, we've been asked the following question: What is the weirdest/coolest thing you ever had to research for your story?
I don't want to match stories to specific research areas for fear of spoilers. However, I've researched IVF techniques; the physics of time travel; Victorian homes; and ways to kill characters with various poisons, diseases, and injuries. Other research I've done has actually been part of daily life or my own interests. For instance, my son's interests have led me to pick up knowledge of prehistoric cities and dinosaurs, which I've then used in stories. My own interest in the Beatles has influenced my work in obvious and not-so-obvious ways. I look at every non-fiction book or every new experience as a chance to research something for my writing. If I can't always be in front of the keyboard typing away, at least I can be accumulating topics for my work.
What's your approach to research? Feel free to share some of your research topics in the comments.
10 comments:
You're a sponge and soak it all in - that's a good thing.
Glad you saw an increase in sales last month.
Thanks, Alex!
For one book I spent a lot of time researching nature photography and Ingrid Bergman movies. 😉
It's addicting, isn't it? We should constantly be learning, stretching and growing our minds. If not, we're going the other direction. Being a writer just give us a good excuse.
More sales! Happy days. :)
I read so much I seem to forget immediately, but it's there, in the background, and leaks out, informing everything I write. For this to happen, I must read lots of varied information around the same subject. I don't know why this is, but it's just how my head works. lol.
PS: You didn't link to this blog on mine in your comment, so I searched your name and got your website (lovely!). But when I clicked blog it sent me to an error page? I only found your blog from your contact page. Just thought you might want to amend that link?
I kind of know what my story will touch on and I collect the information as I go. Then I read deeply when I'm ready to add detail. So far it works for me. :-)
Anna from elements of emaginette
Hi Sandra: Great post. You do have a wide variety of interests. It would be great to sit with you over a coffee and pick your brain. It surely would be a very stimulating conversation. Wishing you great success.
Research is a rabbit hole that I willingly dive head first. Even if I don't use that research for anything, they're bits and bobs of intriguing information. Sometimes, I even remember them off the cuff. :)
Sounds like you should have written a story about Ingrid the photographer, Pat!
Crystal, great point!
Shah, thanks for letting me know about the website issue. I'll have to work on that this weekend.
Results are more important than the method, Anna.
Thanks, Feather Stone!
You never know where research will lead you, Maria!
Usually it is something at work (I work in marketing and publicity) that leads me to write a blog post on it for my site because I think other bloggers and writers will benefit from it. Girl Who Reads
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