Welcome to another round of the Insecure Writers Support Group monthly blog hop! The first Wednesday of each month, we check in with our fellow writers to commiserate over our common woes and celebrate our writerly wins. Organized by Ninja Captain Alex Cavenaugh, the IWSG is a great place to connect with and support others in the writing trenches.
I’m tickled to cohost this month, along with Patricia Josephine, Lisa Buie-Collard, Erika Beebe, and C. Lee McKenzie!
This month’s optional question: What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever googled in researching a story?
What fun! For my Book Nirvana series, I’ve researched
- Historical erotica. Wanna get freaky? Google Franz von Bayros, Paul Émile Bécat, or Mihály Zichy.
- Photography
- Graphic arts and design. Thanks to the two graphic designers who let me pick their brains.
- Class schedules and majors at the University of Oregon
- Anime and manga heroines
- Tattoos—so many tattoos!
- Eugene, Oregon—the setting for the series. I don’t get to visit as often as I’d like, but thanks to Google Earth I have toured the town from top to bottom, even taking a virtual “run” up the paths winding through Skinner Butte Park.
- Small business ownership, from bookshops to breweries to cafes to art galleries and more. I love this chance to try on alternate careers without having to invest actual $$.
- Art shows, juried and otherwise
- Art grants—thanks to the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation for the detail on how these work.
- Pottery techniques. Thanks to SPUN Clay Arts Studio in Tacoma for lessons and brain-picking
And for as-yet-unpublished mysteries, I spent a lot of time researching poisons, firearms, police procedure (thank you, patient and talkative cops!), and arson.
Most people are glad to share knowledge of their job fields, and I like to get details right in order to be respectful and realistic in my fictional portrayals.
And you? What are some weird things you’ve researched for your fiction?
Other News
October was a busy month, with two live author events. I had a blast at the Columbia Gorge Book Festival in The Dalles, Oregon. The drive up the river is worth the trip—simply gorgeous! (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
And then, highlight of my writerly year, I attended my second Emerald City Writers’ Conference in Bellevue, Washington, sponsored by the Greater Seattle RWA. Fabulous workshops–still organizing my notes–and mucho fun at the Passport to Romance reader event. I met so many readers who are truly passionate about our genre.
The biggest lesson I learned at ECWC is the importance of prioritizing the actual writing—duh! Sometimes we all need a nudge to remind us of what we already know, eh? Since then, I’ve cut my social media way down and, thanks to renewed focus, finished Book Three in the Book Nirvana series! It’s off with beta readers now. What a marvelous feeling!
I’m not doing NANOWRIMO this year but am starting a new novella project. There will be ice cream, beaches, and smooching, along with a little sweet retribution. Are you doing NANO this year?
Pumpkins by Alexas Photos from Pixabay. Fireworks by nickgesell from Pixabay.
I’m so googling historical erotica now! ? Great post!
You have such a great smile, Rhonda. Long list of interesting items. 🙂
Thank you for co hosting. I love your research list. Anime and Manga heroines!! Wow. Congratulations on finishing Book Three.
Hi,
Oh, I have been neglecting my writing since I have started shopping my manuscript. My FB and Twitter time have been reduced greatly since two years ago, but now I need to get my head out of the cloud about finishing my manuscript and start on my second book of the series, so thank you for the advice.
Thank you also for co-hosting and have a lovely month of November.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
Great set-up for your book festivals.
Pass on historical erotica though.
Thanks for co-hosting today!
Great question. Have to think on it.
http://www.rsrue.blogspot.com
When researching subjects like poisons and firearms, do you ever wonder if you’ll leave an electronic trail and become a suspect?
The weirdest subject was treatment for my clogged arteries.
Thank you for co-hosting this month. Wishing you continued success!
Sounds like you’ve had a great writing year 🙂 I’m doing NaNo again this year — must be an addiction!
Ronel visiting on IWSG day Year in Review
There are so many rabbit holes to go down with research. Congratulations on a great year!
Those videos taken on trail hikes are perfect for working out on a treadmill or elliptical machine in the winter. I never thought about using them for writing research, but that’s genius.
Those author events sound like so much fun!
I’m doing NaNo again this year – so far, so good, even if I am behind in my word count. Good luck with your novella!
Thanks for co-hosting!
This post reminds me of why writers are the most interesting people in the world. Your search history might raise a few eyebrows, but people will find you fascinating to talk to.
And learning how to prioritize the actual writing is key. Thanks for the beautiful spot to visit this morning.
Very Intriguing searches… Thank you for co-hosting this month
Congrats on your author events! So exciting! The thing about research is all the miscellaneous minutiae I know about weird topics. And thanks to you, now I know about Franz von Bayros. 😀
And yes, time to let the social media cool and focus more on writing for me for the rest of the year.
What a lot of fun things you searched for! Thanks for co-hosting this month! Bravo on the live author events, and finishing the wip!!!
That is a fascinating list. I can’t wait to reach that point in my life where I can get lost in whatever cerebral tug comes my way. Does that ever happen?
Hi Sadira!
Your post title made me smile. There’s a lot of truth to that ; -)
I enjoyed the photos of your book events. The offer of chocolates is a delightful touch.
Excellent reminder about prioritization. Your achievements in doing so are inspirational – thanks for sharing.
Your research sounds like a lot of fun!
Thanks for co-hosting IWSG!
And yes, I’m doing NaNoWriMo. 🙂
Wow, you’ve had a busy month – and a lot of fun with it. So awesome to be doing live book events and attending writer’s conferences. And, yes, the Columbia River Gorge is gorgeous. What a beautiful state Oregon is. I can totally see why you picked the setting for your latest romance. Thank you for co-hosting and hurrah for Google, eh! 🙂
Thanks for co-hosting today and congrats on your author events!
I’m doing NaNoWriMo this year. Last year was dreadful so tackling last year’s novel again this year.
That’s a lot of research.
Well done on your live author events.
Thank you for co-hosting the IWSG this month.
Thanks for cohosting. I like your research list.
Historical erotica – wow! Must be fascinating.
Oh my gosh yes, Google Earth is the best thing ever! Thanks so much for co-hosting this month.
Fascinating list. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
I love your detailed list! I agree, historical erotica sounds interesting. I love the detailed research. It makes scene building so much richer. Thanks for cohosting this month 🙂
I had to laugh at the reminder to prioritize the actual writing. So true! Once you get a writing career going there’s so much to do that isn’t writing, exactly: promotion, events, etc. It’s easy to let that take all your writing time if you’re not careful. @samanthabwriter from
Balancing Act
Love the picture of you and your books. Thanks for co hosting.
I’ve googled class schedules and majors at universities, too. I have never googled historical erotica, though, and I think my life is the poorer for it. 🙂
Best of luck with NaNoWriMo this month!
And thanks for co-hosting!
I love the Columbia River Gorge! We usually go that way to visit family in the western part of the state.
That list of your googles has intrigued me – I’ve added your books to my TBR!
Thanks for hosting this month’s question 🙂
Jemima Pett
Historical erotica? Oh my …
Mind you, having visited the Victorian section of the sex museum in Amsterdam with clients (yeah – weird experience), I’m not sure whether that’ll be titillating or terrifying! 😉
Thanks so much for co-hosting – I was unexpectedly out yesterday, so catching up a day late.
Historical Erotica? I’m both scared and curious. LOL
What an inspiring month you’ve had. I think I need to cut back on my social media, as well. 🙂
Sadira! You are a research guru!
You’ve done some pretty darned cool research, lady. I betcha doing the research on historical erotica led to you receiving some might “interesting” ads… 🙂
Thanks for co-hosting this month.
I love and respect your approach to search. It’s inspiring.
Looks like you had fun at your conference.
Great way to research… never thought about looking at the actual terrain of a place to REALLY get the true feel. Something to remember the next time I research a specific place. My most complicated google search was about VOODOO… ALL the aspects of this fascinating and almost terrifying subject. But What I found most interesting about this subject was that the actual spirituality and the communal with nature is what most voodoo disciples practice.
I also researched tattoos. Russian tattoos, and they are terrifying! The way they mark convicts and outlaws is beyond surreal. Happy IWSG!