Current Project: Leg Shaving Leads to Trouble
Status: Rewriting the first 5 chapters after some re-plotting last week (think I got it this time!)
As a few of you know (who were at the beach retreat), I changed my story a bit to have the hero and heroine studying the effect of scent on mood. I was struggling for a reason why the two were even interacting, beyond working together - and I think this is something that fits.
The problem then became, what is the effect of scent on mood? I have no clue. And to be honest, I don't trust Google at all. Google doesn't get you the academic sources where research is actually being done, it gets you corporations who are putting together research to sell their product. Then it dawned on me, I work at a university! Where there are PROFESSORS! Psychology professors who do this kind of research! That was quite a lightbulb moment.
Last week I had a wonderful chat with one of our psych profs who has done some research on the effects of scent on mood. She gave me a copy of one of her articles and pointed me to some great research resources. Again, I am lucky to work at a university because I have access to a ton of research resources. So I might as well take advantage!
I found quite a few articles talking about various scents and their possible impacts and it has helped me re-plot the first third of my book, which I have been struggling with for a while.
How have you reached out to other people to research for your stories? Were you nervous? I sure was.
7 comments:
Lisa -- I just read something about this this weekend. It concerned the glands in the nose whose name I can't spell. These glands detect the scent of fear. The test revolved around taking an air sample from a pen containing frightened mice and releasing it into two other pens of mice, one normal and the other who had all had these glands surgically removed. The normal mice froze (apparently when mice sense fear they stand still.) The surgically altered mice didn't notice a thing. I can't wait to work this into my next book, maybe as playful banter! It gives a whole new meaning to "The tension in the room was so thick she could smell it."
The first few times I went to interview people for my books I was extremely nervous, too. Not as much now. I'm glad you reached past your fear to ask the right people the right questions. It'll get easier!
Congrats on finding a new direction for your book!
Lisa, Congrats on finding the info you needed!
I think having been a freelance reporter helps me with the interview process. I actually prefer one on one interviews to glean information rather than the computer or books, because you never know what interesting tidbit can be learned by an innocent question or digging a little deeper about a subject.
At museums the oldest volunteers have wonderful stories that they heard as children about areas. They usually grew up in the area and have a love of the history. And I interviewed a man who had grown up on the Imnaha in one of the hardest to reach locations of Wallowa county. When he was a child in the early 1900's they still had to use horses to pack everything into their place. He had some wonderful stories about getting a cook stove packed in by horse and other items that have worked in more than one story.
Yep, I'm big on one on one interviews. That's why I had to go to the blind school. And it paid off because the receptionist was very knowledgeable and fed me info I didn't know I needed.
Great post!
I'll admit that so far I haven't written about anything that's required me to do a personal interview. I can also say that the idea of doing so fills the shy person in me with dread.
Hopefully, though, when the time comes I'll overcome my shyness as well as you overcame your nervousness and, as the Nike commercials say, just do it. ;-)
My mom is my go to person for everything medical. I lucked out needing plane info because my brother is a pilot. I haven't really needed to talk to anyone else. Oh, OSP information officer helped me via email when I had questions about the police. I would have a hard time asking a person for their time. Thank goodness for email.
Hi, Lisa!
Yes, I've done one-on-one interviews, but lost my nervousness years ago when I was a newsletter editor at my day job. Once the person starts talking passionately about their topic, I become totally fascinated with what they are saying.
And, as Paty said, that's when you pick up nuggets of information that make your story realistic.
So cool that you have access to the people and resources that you do!
Alice, ooooh! That sounds interesting! I'm glad to know it will get easier, it feels like I'm inconveniencing people. But it's silly - I'd have no problem calling on the professor if it was a question related to my day job. Silly mental blocks.
Paty, thanks! I agree, reporting experience does help. My experience as a reporter has come in handy too! Wow! That must have been an incredible interview!! Museums are wonderful places :)
Debbie, when I read that, I heard a New Zealand accent like on Flight of the Conchords. Have you seen that show? If not, you must. I think you will overcome it! I think people are generally, genuinely nice and try to help out when they can.
Kendra, I'm with you on the e-mail thing. I always try to e-mail when I can, I HATE talking on the phone and try to avoid meeting in person. I also like having something written to refer back to because I'm a scatterbrain.
Genene, I agree! It's wonderful to listen to people when they are excited - it's infectious!
Kudos to you, Lisa! I always felt funny interviewing people one on one before I was published. Even now it's not my first choice, LOL. When I was looking for SCUBA info for STOLEN FURY, I called a friend who dives (more than I do) and asked her a bunch of questions about tank life, etc. She didn't know and immediately called a dive store for me, then called me back with all the info. Some people have no problem asking. It's taken me a while longer to do that myself. All I can say is thank goodness I have friends who are "experts" in different fields (you, included!!!) to answer all my silly questions.
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