Research Fun
One of the best things about my job is you never know when something you read might become useful. I don't read fiction--but I do read physics and astronomy texts, philosophy texts, and pretty much anything nonfiction that strikes my fancy. I watch the Discovery Channel (anyone else hooked on Planet Earth--AMAZING!!!) and my aforementioned love, Anthony Bourdain, and I will read up on anything and everything.
It's meandering, really. I will read about an art heist, say, in the New York Times. And a single sentence about a painting technique will send me off on a Google search. That might eventually morph into a reading expedition on famous art heists, which might bring me back to the infamous Lufthansa heist, which had a getaway driver of some sort who was pals with my dad and showed up the next day with a brand-new Caddie and then disappeared forever, which will then send me reading up on what's happening down in Hell's Kitchen. You see how it goes. One thing leads to another.
For a new wip, I am researching the history of magic. It's been so much fun . . . and like the above, one thing leads to another.
And the best part? This is my JOB!
What is your favorite part of research?
It's meandering, really. I will read about an art heist, say, in the New York Times. And a single sentence about a painting technique will send me off on a Google search. That might eventually morph into a reading expedition on famous art heists, which might bring me back to the infamous Lufthansa heist, which had a getaway driver of some sort who was pals with my dad and showed up the next day with a brand-new Caddie and then disappeared forever, which will then send me reading up on what's happening down in Hell's Kitchen. You see how it goes. One thing leads to another.
For a new wip, I am researching the history of magic. It's been so much fun . . . and like the above, one thing leads to another.
And the best part? This is my JOB!
What is your favorite part of research?
posted by Erica Orloff at 6:32 PM
4 Comments:
I'm not particularly fond of research--you know, the kind you had to do for term papers in college. The thriller I'm brainstorming, though, requires just that. I think it's a good story, and one I have to write, so I'll do the grunt work. But I won't really enjoy it.
Most of my research is the 24/7 stuff that soak into my brain without much effort. News, conversation, dreams, love and sex...it's all fair game when it comes to The Work. Life itself makes up the bulk of my research.
Jude:
Exactly.
:-)
E
I've never been keen on research that I was instructed to do either, and so far I haven't written anything that relies heavily on researching accurate details.
But like you, a single thing can pique my curiosity and away I go. One thing leads to another and so on and so on...and you've eaten up hours, accomplishing little, but learning lots that could potentially come in handy.
I lubs Google! :P
I'm LOVING Planet Earth, Erica! And I always find great inspiration from the Discovery Channel. Weird animal facts make great fodder for sexual tension. :)
Louise
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