I've found that getting something right really isn't as hard as we would at first believe; with the internet all the info you need is out there, you just have to go get it.
And laziness is no trait for an author to have!
But sometimes Research wants to run away on me.I previously posted a bunch of links related to all the things you need to know when sailing the Seven Seas.
I put them here to share them with others, and also to keep them where I can find them when I need them next!
I keep many tales on the same stove, and when a scene Ruthlessly ATTACKS me, I can run right over to that tale and get it hammered down. It's the only way I know to make it let go of my brain!
Seriously, it's a problem.
(But not something I can't handle!
)So I let myself revel in all the seafaring things I needed to complete that particular scene,... then I ruthlessly shut the muchly inspiring websites down, (neatly saving the urls for the future.) I have to maintain control over what I feed my imagination.
And yes, I really enjoyed my stint in the sea air. I'm looking forward to returning to that scene and getting more shippy-ness done!
I had to drag myself away from my research to keep it from running off with my imagination... Getting too wrapped up in research for a "back burner" story can kill me for any other story. And that's no good!
Right now, I have to maintain a "mountain-y" atmosphere in order to complete my current "Focus Project".
How do you handle research? Do you have a problem with it galloping of in unproductive (or counter productive) directions?
We need to hear!
3 comments:
I completely understand about research galloping off ... I've recently made it a goal of mine to learn how to keep the reins tighter by being more organized and focused. The problem is, there are so many interesting things to learn, and I think, "I may not remember to look this up in the future! And I want to know it NOW! It may be useful later on ...." That's a good tip about saving the URLs. (I remember the ones for seafaring you posted.)
Yeah, when I get fired up about some new topic or time period it's really hard to discipline my imagination. My imagination is a fickle lady and flirts with many admirers, you might say. :D Just hearing a new piece of music or seeing some costumes or finding an interesting historical fact makes me lose my focus completely.
One thing that helps me is keeping things in an imaginary world-- that way I can integrate interesting foreign customs and suchlike in any combination I want. :D
Kelsey; I know! It's soo hard!
Let me know if you come up with any amazing tricks that work, will you? ;-)
Hannah: Good thinking! I do the EXACT same thing. ;-) It's so much fun! :-)
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