Why Do I Write These Posts?
I really shouldn’t get too fixated on research. I spend far too much time looking things up. I’m not even sure that it’s healthy for my mental state. However I think that some of my ideas and ways of looking at background can help other writers. It’s important to know that I’m not telling anyone how to do stuff. I’m showing the ways I play around with stuff in the hope that other writers can benefit from what I have found, and possibly avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made. Besides, I love sharing! And I’d be thrilled to hear other people’s views.
The Posts
I’ve collected links to all the posts so far here to make things easier to find. Feel free to browse and enjoy.
Timing is Everything – How time can actually be part of reseach, and how it can be used to support the story once you’ve pinned that timing down.
Location, Location, Location – Looking up locations in the modern world and using what you find to bring on ideas for the story
Ye Old Location – Ideas and potential pitfalls when stalking through nineteenth century London
Location and the Lost City – Following explorers into strange lands can go wrong – looking at nineteenth century adventure and some ideas.
Fantasy Locations – Researching something that isn’t real and why it’s useful.
Clothes Maketh Man – Just because you know how clothes work in our world doesn’t mean that you can’t find an excuse to have a look around and perhaps find unexpected inspiration
The Bother with Bustles – How looking at the clothes being worn in nineteenth century London can inspire a plot
Fantasy Clothes – there’s absolutely no real need to research fantasy clothing, but it can be fun.
The Two Most Important Things I’ve Learned
If you have to choose between research and the story, always choose the story.
You owe it to yourself to protect whatever sanity you have left. Learn when to step away from the search bar.
I hope you have wonderful fun writing.