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For my latest work, A Christmas to Remember (Which was just contracted by The Wild Rose Press this week!...Yippie!), I totally stepped outside of the box and took my characters someplace I'd never been before. I have to say...it was a different experience.
My setting is a ski resort, and I've never been to one. (Too afraid of breaking my leg.) So I made good use of Google and searched maps and layouts of resorts, how to get on and off of a ski lift, and even what cuisine might be served. Having the Internet at my fingertips is a valuable resource. If I'm stuck on a point I simply open a new window, and with a few clicks of my mouse, I have the information I need. I also checked out Skiing for Dummies from the library. Wa la! Instant ski lesson for my hero to give my heroine.
Then I decided I wanted my hero to be a Secret Service agent. All I really knew about them were that they're the guys who protect the President. So I went back to Google and checked out a few books on this topic as well. (When using books for research, I find that Youth non-fiction works best for me. The text is simple and easy to understand, highlighting the main points of what I need to know, and there are usually plenty of pictures.)
In one part, the hero gives the heroine a necklace. I had an idea in mind, but found I wasn't doing a very good job of describing it on paper. Once again, I hit the Internet, did a search for a pink snowflake necklace, and I had a visual reference.
All in all, I learned a lot and hopefully added some depth and rounded out several plot points in my story.
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
Congratulations on the new TWRP contract, Debra!
ReplyDeleteI agree about the youth reference books. They are straight-forward, succinct, have great pictures with arrows and identifications.
Yep, Ana, for my simple mind, they work so well!
ReplyDeleteI'm super excited about my new contract....
Congratulations on your new contract! My librarian recommended the youth section for me when I was researching something as well--don't remember what, but she went to great pains to assure me she wasn't faulting my intelligence. It was kind of funny!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the contract!
ReplyDeleteAgree that youth books can be a good source of basic information (which is often all you need).
I've searched the internet for jewellery, and also clothes. My heroines tend to be in their 20's, and it's a long time since I was that age so I have to research young modern fashions:-)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteOooh, ski based story, just my kind of read! ;)
Congrats on new contract, too.
I'm still considering Rhonda P's offer, after the editor debacle! :o But the thing is, once bitten twice shy. :)
best
F
Thanks for all of the congrats...I've never done a shorter length novella that will only be released in digital form, so this will be somewhat of a learning experience for me. And I'm working with a new editor this time around, so it should be interesting in more ways than one!
ReplyDeleteI'm very visual, so having images from the Net when I need to describe something is really helpful to me.
Happy Easter all!
In my A-Z blog tomorrow, it's S and I'm going for Settings for my Novels and explaining how I have to experience and not just see a place for myself. Hope you'll pop in and and give your views!
ReplyDelete