Thought for the day: Escaping into a world of our making is one of the best things about writing.
Yep. It's that time again.Time for our monthly IWSG posts. As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. I'm telling ya, this group offers better support and lift than the world's most expensive bra. (No underwires, either!) To join this super supportive group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go
HERE
As to be expected, no writing this past month, either. For the foreseeable future, getting my husband healthy again is my top priority. Today is his 16th day of radiation and chemo, and so far, so good.
Not much time to spare these days, so I'll get right to this month's question:
What's the strangest thing you've ever googled in researching a story?
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| [image courtesy of shutterstock] |
The
strangest, huh? I can't say that narrows it down a heckuva lot, because I've done some mighty
interesting searches, and to me, it's all fun. But if I had to pick just one topic... it'd probably be the research I did on explosives. Homemade explosives. To tell the truth, it was a little scary just how much information I was able to find. Anarchist kinda stuff. (Who knew?) Smarticus teased me about it a little bit, and said NSA or some other alphabet soup government agency was probably watching, but he offered plenty of assurances, too. He said if someone from the government came to the front door looking for me, he'd handle it for me. Yes sirree, he'd direct them right down the hallway to my office...
Not that I
reeeeeally thought anyone was following my
interesting online searches, but I ended up finishing the rest of my explosive research via some U.S. Army handbooks. (Who knew?) I read about more kinds of explosives, booby traps, delayed time detonations, etc. than you can imagine. Funny thing is, I used very little of it in my book
Explosive Beginnings. But for me, the research... no matter what the topic... is always a fascinating pursuit. I figure, it's best to gather much more info than I need and then use a minimum of it, as needed, to properly tell the story. (I mean, you guys didn't reeeeally want to know how to use a light bulb as a booby trap, did ya...?)
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Research is wonderful isn't it? And has led me down some very, very strange rabbit holes. Which is also wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI am thrilled that Smarticus is beating chemo and radiation.
It is! I've always loved doing research. Spending hours in a library poring through reference books and taking notes in preparation for a term paper was one of my favorite things to do when I was in school. Now, the internet makes the research even easier! (And irresistible!)
DeleteThanks. It's been a little rough, but he's toughing it out beautifully.
That must have been some fun research! Glad Smarticus was so supportive. We will all vouch for you if the NSA starts investigating you! Glad the treatment is going well. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteIt WAS fun! (Then again, I think any kind of research is fun...)
DeleteThanks, Val. Hugs back atcha.
I'm so glad to hear that the chemo is going well for your husband. Sending positive thoughts always.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of how many excruciatingly long hours I used to spend in the library doing research. Now I spend excruciatingly long hours at the computer - - but it's admittedly a lot easier. Actually, I've always loved doing research.
I can't really think of any particularly strange research that I've indulged in. Looong ago I published an article about the Marquis De Sade. That research was kinda unusual...
My mind is muddled tonight. If I start thinking hard enough, I might come up with something explosively good (*smile*).
Thanks, cowboy. I appreciate it.
DeleteI knew it! When you described those long hours in the library as "excruciating," I just KNEW that was a fib! :)
Marquis de Sade, huh? If I did much research on him, I think I'd need a shower afterwards...
Your comments are always explosively good. :)
I love to over-research, but mostly I'm happy about the chemo success! Good health to both of you and much as I would like to read the next book, even my impatience understands xx
ReplyDeleteI don't know the weirdest thing I've ever Googled but once for a children's illustration I was doing I looked up (without thinking) 'rude clowns' and none of that was appropriate for kids...
Hey! There's no such thing as "over" research. It's all good. Um, except for maybe what you encountered when looking for rude clowns. I've heard of people who were doing innocent research stumbling upon unintended filth, but that's never happened to me. (When I want filth, I go for it directly... HA! Just kidding!)
DeleteThanks, kiddo.
The most interesting research I ever did so far was piecing together my ancestry and heritage, which is 99% Eastern European and 1% Ashkenazi. No wonder "my kind" was a target during WW2. Your post inspired me to work on a new poem, friend Sue. And please know that you and your loved one are loved and not forgotten by this Alberta cat :)
ReplyDeleteMy brother did a lot of research into our ancestry, and he shared what he found with me, but I never had much interest in doing that kind of research myself. I hope you were able to find stories about specific people, rather than just names and dates. That's the part of my brother's research that I found most interesting. And as for "your kind"? I'd say your kind is sweet. Very sweet. With a poet's heart.
DeleteI'll be looking forward to reading that poem, dear cat. I don't often inspire anybody... :)
NOW I get why I didn't do so well while in school. Never, ever would I have put "fun" and "research" in the same sentence. LOL.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to hear your hubby's treatments are going smoothly. YAY, Smarticus!
HA! Too funny. I don't know why, but I have ALWAYS loved doing research. Just curious, I guess.
DeleteThanks. Yeah, Smarticus is a tough ol' farticus. :)
I think you must be the champion of all researchers, but I didn't expect explosives to be your top choice. I just love everything you research and post about. Prayers for your husband.
ReplyDeleteChampion of researchers? Cool! I'd wear that title proudly. :)
DeleteThank you, sweet lady. I appreciate it.
Keeping fingers crossed for you guys! Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteThanks! We're hanging...
DeleteThey're watching you...
ReplyDeleteWhat's scary is how much is available freely online. Everyone should be a bomb expert now.
They're watching ALL of us...
DeleteI know. It is a little scary.
Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteI once had to research the verbiage small private planes use when calling a control tower, plus a lot of Basque vocabulary, for a story I was writing.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I'm too insecure to join the Insecure Writers' Support Group.
I bet that was interesting, huh?
DeleteBelieve me, there's no such thing as being too insecure to join this group. EVERY writer... even the ones who make mega-bucks... are insecure. Belonging to a group like this helps. Try it... you'll like it!
Just this morning I was researching pungent and bold foods. Now that really made me hungry and let to several recipes I'll be trying in the future. There truly is no end to what we can find out on the internet. Yes, first things must come first and right now that is your husbands health. It's encouraging to hear he is doing so well. Chemo and radiation can be very hard on us. And some reactions are not so good.
ReplyDeletePungent and bold foods? Sounds enticing... :) You're right. The Internet is an endless source of information. (Some of it is even accurate! HA)
DeleteThank you. It's been very tiring, but as of today, he's at the halfway mark. :)
Rooting for your husband to get well soon, Susan. Can't be easy for you either. Sending good vibes.
ReplyDeleteIt was fascinating following your journey with research. Thanks so much for getting You Beneath Your Skin--since all proceeds go towards women empowerment, I'm hoping the book reaches as many hands as possible.
Thank you. It's been rough, but we're tougher than we look.
DeleteYou're very welcome. I'm looking forward to reading your book. (And I promise to write a review.)
I always reckon it's important to research more deeply than is strictly needed for the story. I believe it shows in subtle ways. Even if you didn't use a lot of it, I'm willing to bet the broader knowledge affected how confidently you were able to write the parts that you did include.
ReplyDeleteSending good wishes to you and your husband. I hope he responds to the treatment.
I could say that I research more deeply than needed purely for the benefit of a story, but the truth is, I get "hooked" on the pursuit.
DeleteThank you. I appreciate it.
How cool to find all that out, and, thanks for the enticing tidbit, but no answer, to the light bulb booby trap! I too, love the research part and found early on not to use too much in the actual work. Only enough to make it interesting, but not a lecture! Hope your hubby is doing well, and continues to...
ReplyDeleteHA! I'm a real stinker, aren't I? Since the older type incandescent bulbs are slowly going the way of the dodo, future booby trappers will be outta luck with the LED ones.
DeleteThank you. :)
You're definitely on some watch list now. LOL!
ReplyDeleteSending healing thoughts to your husband.
Yeah, I probably am... but if anyone's watching, they're gonna be pretty doggone bored... :)
DeleteThanks.
Boom! Your explosives beat out my poisons any day. My prayers for your husband's speedy recovery.
ReplyDeleteHA! I dunno about that. Big Brother might find your research into poisons every bit as incriminating...
DeleteThank you. I appreciate it.
My boys got the recipe for turning an apple into a bomb off the internet. I had no clue what he was doing until I heard the bang in the back yard. I'd like to say it was then they were little guys, but they 19 and 21 years old. I suppose at under 12 I was watching them better.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear Smarticus is doing well. He and you are in my thoughts and prayers!
HUH! Not that I'd ever want to encourage anyone's kids to turn an apple into a bomb... but dang! that sounds COOL! (I'll have to check it out... (ahem)... for a friend, of course... HA
DeleteThanks. We're at the halfway point now.
I bet that was a really fun research project. Who knows - you might need the information again someday.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun. And you're right. As Judy Tenuto used to say, "It could happen!"
DeleteI've been away from blogging since the spring because of a move. I didn't know about your husband. So true about getting him healthy again.
ReplyDeleteSo get it about stirring up official interest by our searches. I once thought the two men at my door were from the government. Turns out no. But it was a scary few minutes for me. Not enough to scare me away though. I still research :)
HA! The men in black at my door wouldn't keep me from researching, either. :)
DeleteNow you have a blog post to support your reasons for searching, if they come a'knocking. :) I research weird stuff for lesson plans sometimes. Recently I was heck bent on finding clean song lyrics to modern songs the kids like. That was daggone challenging. Even the 'clean' lyrics are often very inappropriate.
ReplyDeleteHA! Good point. (I like the way you think!)
DeleteOh dear. I guess I'll keep on listening to my oldies. (Ya know... when music was music. HA!)
Hmmm you may not want to go near any airports lol
ReplyDeleteLearning through research isn't a bad thing, as long as one has self control and doesn't act on certain things. Those booby traps are such a pain.
HA! Thanks for making me laugh. Yeah, booby traps are a real pain... especially to the people who trip them.
DeleteI don't have a clue about where to research, so I'm kind of stuck for now with my book. I did walk into an actual police station though and ask about the rankings of police officers and detectives to be sure I had that right and I googled for information on darkrooms and developing films. I could probably google various types of mining, I need to know about granite, marble etc. Once this don't-be-lazy streak kick starts itself again.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear Smarticus is holding up well and you too.
For someone who doesn't know where to do research, it sounds to me like you're already off to a good start. :)
DeleteThanks.
As a gardener, I'm always impressed by the vigor of IWSG --also inspired by you and your husband's courage. Stay positive --it helps everybody. It helps me.
ReplyDeleteHere's me staying positive. You do the same, dude. :)
DeleteBlessings....
ReplyDeleteMy daughter loves to write thought she hasn't published anything yet.
Blessings back atcha. Your daughter isn't the only writer in your family... still thinking about writing a book?
DeleteGlad to hear your hubby is doing okay - tough dude with an awesome sidekick ready to blast away. Kick ass, take names, and light that fuse...for peace, not harm. Take care and have a good weekend ahead. (be sure you are resting and eating well, my friend)
ReplyDeleteWe're hanging in there. Doing pretty well, but too tired to kick much ass. :)
DeleteI totally understand your lack of writing--although this blog counts as writing. Your mind can only handle so much at a time. People tell me to be kind to myself, so I'll pass that advice on to you. While taking care of your spouse is a full-time job, you must take care of yourself, too. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's good advise... I'll try to follow it. Hugs back atcha.
DeleteSome of the most interesting research I have done has been when I started on one topic which led to another and so on. Good luck to Smarticus on his treatments. Wishing him speedy healing. Prayers for him and for you here.
ReplyDeleteExactly! The domino effect, right? Sometimes the rabbit hole has lots of twists and turns. :)
DeleteThank you.
I love booby traps (so yes I do want to know how to make use of a light bulb in that manner - you never know when that info might come in handy!). And research, though I admit I've gotten lost down a rabbit hole or two. My most interesting research was probably FTL travel, ie Faster Than Light for my scifi novel.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to know how to use an incandescent light bulb for nefarious purposes, you'll need a copy of the old U.S. Army manual on... booby traps. Sounds like you'd like to have a copy of that book, anyway. :) (I found mine at a gun show.)
DeleteSusan, 16 days of chemo and radiation has to be extremely draining for both of you, but somehow in your own way, I'm sure you make it as pleasant as possible. Smarticus is being a terrific patient, and I'm sure a lot of it has to do with all of your patience. Sending love to both of you, and I believe all of your hard work will pay off soon.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I agree that it's both funny and a little scary how easy it was for you to research blowing things up. Thank goodness you only use your powers for good!
Julie
Hi-ya, Julie. Yeah, it's been a pretty hectic schedule, but at least we have weekends off, and I figure each day we get past makes for one less day to go... :)
DeleteI don’t think I’ll ever research explosives! I like to research history and do find some interesting facts I did not know. The one that excited me the most is when I found out that FDR wanted to annex France to the US after World War 2. I could not find anything on Google US but there was plenty on Google France and in other European research engines (Belgian, Swiss.) I even found pictures of dollars bills he had printed in French! But nada about this in the US. Also on the Vietnam War, many facts that are never found about it in the Google US. I really enjoy the search.
ReplyDeleteFascinating! I've never read anything to indicate FDR wanted to annex France. It's sounds bizarre. I agree... it's all about the search. (Which always leads to new, even more interesting, side searches...)
DeleteHmmm... wit the sort of surveillance we have nowadays, I don't think I would like to go there, with Google or any other search engine! :-)
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
The truth is, if I were a young man of color, I'd probably be a lot more wary about my searches. Being an old white lady may afford me a little more latitude. (Maybe. Or maybe I'm being a tad naive. :)
Delete