Query Prep: Researching Agents
Luckily for me, I enjoy research. I like doing a quick search and seeing if I hit anything interesting on the first try. I like going down rabbit holes. And I like pulling my discoveries together into some kind of recognizable order. All of which is a good thing. Because, as I started getting serious […]
Where to Find those 10,000 Books
So at some point in Outliers, I guess Malcolm Gladwell said a few things about putting 10,000 hours into something you want to do well. And possibly there is debate about not only what he said, but about whether he was right. Whatever Gladwell actually said, how many times have you heard other writers, publishers, agents, […]
Open Letter to Anyone Writing a Research Book Just for Me
This post is dedicated to my sister Jenny, the history teacher, who is stunned to find me reading history after all these years and who, I fear, grits her teeth and bites back words every time I reject or whine about a book. Love you, Jen! Dear History Writer: I’m back on the research trail, […]
Research Trip…Cars, Cars, Cars!
So Monday’s post was about Bruce Coville’s keynote speech at the Spring Spirit conference, and I still haven’t gotten around to writing up a summary post of the whole conference. Friday, maybe? Anyway, f you haven’t read the Monday post yet, and you’d like to enter my giveaway for a signed copy of Bruce’s The […]
More Research: AKA Resisting the Rush
Last night, I took down books down from my shelf to do a bit more research. I’m starting to move into the less general research stage and focusing on specific details I need to create Caro’s world–her world, within that of 1912 Chicago. Yes, more research. As I looked at TOCs for the information I […]
Friday Five: MORE Things I’ll be Researching
Here’s the thing about the research bucket. It’s like Mary Poppins carpetbag–never really empty. I said back here that, in my second draft, I want to be able to weave in a lot of the history I need for the story. So I’ve spent a lot of time the past few months doing the kind […]
Following a Research Path & Arriving at Story
I’m thinking, not even too optimistically, that I’m going to be ready to start the second draft of my WIP somewhere on or about 1/1/11. Sounds auspicious, right? I feel like I’ve got a handle on most of the characters–on what they want and, a bit, about how that’s going to weave into, conflict with […]
Monday Method: This is My Brain on Research
Thought I’d just give you a (not-too-scary) glimpse into my favorite research technique these days. And not just favorite because it involves a comfy couch and books. Remember, this is the research I’m doing to help figure out my characters, what they want (which means figuring out what is possible, probable, and/or dream-worthy in 1911), […]
Two Steps Forward, One Step Somewhere
Here’s what I’ve decided it’s like to write historical fiction. You go along, sort of researching and writing together, at slightly more than a snail’s pace–or so it feels. So you put the researching aside for a while, because you want to just GO for that flow-of-words feeling, even when you know the flow is […]
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