Thanks so much for sharing!!!

Beth

Great post! As for research, I usually end up doing it backwards. I travel around and find fascinating fact and they end up in my books. The first that comes to mind is a story I found while up in an old mining town in Idaho. While I was there I discovered a miner’s journal from the 1860’s and I sat down and read it. In the diary/journal was the story of three whores who had died in a freak spring snowstorm while trying to cross a mountain pass on their way to work a neighboring mine. The bodies were recovered by this miner and a few of his friends. The men tied the bodies to a sled and were bringing them down the pass which followed the raging river. The river took a sharp turn, the sled didn’t, and the bodies of the whores were never found. When I needed a name for my fictional mining town, Three Whores Bend seemed to work.

Gwynlyn–Thanks for popping by after a long day!

Justen–Just wait a few years and you’ll have a ton of research stories to share! And you can write off those tripes!!!

Thanks to everyone who popped by and posted. Not alot of traffic by the post. Had hoped to get alot of fun research stories. Everyone must be on vacation!

Beth

I think I need to go on a research trip with you. Sounds like incredible fun.

As you know, I’m just starting out and so far my research has been limited to surfing the internet and reading books. Oh, and visiting tons of coffee shops since my heroine is opening up a coffee shop. Now that’s fun because I LOVE coffee.

However, I do have a new idea in my head which will require extensive research and hopefully a trip or two! But I must, must finish this one first.

Hope to see you soon!!!
Justen

I did extensive research on the Russian Mafia once and did strike up a lasting friendship with the woman who helped me with Russian translation. See? Told you it was boring.

I like Shelley’s story much better.

Laura

Thanks for sharing your research!

Beth, so cool about the puppet show! I’ve done a couple of things specifically for “research,” but also just because I thought they’d be interesting activities. While I was writing my first manuscript (which involved a Chicago-area theater), I volunteered on the set of a community theater to help build and design the stage for their summer play. After I started work on “Jane,” I got a job at the public library (since my heroine is a librarian) and ended up working there for 3 1/2 years. I have a hero in one wip who rides a motorcycle, but I’m not sure I’m ready to take on learning that just yet…

Loveitsomuch!