Status: Researching and writing
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I'm on my usual topic-research. Alice mentioned in the Saturday check-in she was researching Montana for her next books, and I am continually researching history for my books or occupations(if I'm working on a contemporary).
And the how much research/history is too much is always a topic on historical loops. I've skimmed and gleaned info from two books so far for accuracy on Nez Perce birthing and pregnancy. I have one more to go through to make sure I haven't missed anything. How much will go in the book, I don't know at this point, but it is helping me to discover the forward momentum of the story. The heroine from the beginning of the book is pregnant. The birth of this baby is what will bring down the villain at the end. So the book timeline is nine months. Which brings me around to researching the Nez Perce movements in that 9 month time span.
Have you ever had a book where the condition of the heroine was a major factor in the story? Or had a specific timeline that helped move the plot forward?
6 comments:
Paty -- That's certainly a striking looking woman in the picture you chose.
I seldom get so caught up in research that I can't stop or have too much and get confused by it. I'm not crazy about a lot of research unless it's the interactive type where I get to go walk the land and smell the air or poke around the town. I think it's something I need to work on.
As for the condition of the heroine influencing a story? Absolutely. Pregnancy, recovering from the birth of four babies, etc... And I like time lines. In my books, less time is good, the pacing improves with a short time line.
Good luck and happy researching!
Funny you posted this because I was mired in research all day yesterday looking for info on castle layouts. In my paranormals I have the luxury of being able to shift things to fit my world, but I want them to be believable so I have to use objects/places with some root in reality. And then if I can't find it, I just make the $%#! up. LOL
As for timelines, I've never had a pregnancy timeline like you mentioned, but in MARKED the heroine is sick and getting progressively sicker as the book goes along so there's a health timeline where the story had to end BEFORE she dies. That was hard to work with, but like Alice, I tend to write books that happen over short time periods to keep the pacing fast, so it all worked out in the end.
Alice, I really liked the picture even though it isn't a Nez Perce woman.
I wish I wasn't crazy about research. LOL I get caught up in it and then I find something else and before I know it, I'm thinking how to use other things in a completely different book!
I tend to keep my time lines short in my books as well. It does help the pacing considerably.
Eli, I've had times when I couldn't find information about things as well and "winged it" I do like the fact in my Nez Perce based books the paranormal characters can do whatever I like as long as I keep them based in the Nez Perce beliefs. Since they are fictional and paranormal I don't have to be quite as picky about the facts with them. It's the whole rest of the book I want to keep as true to fact as I can. ~sigh~
Research and timelines--two timely topics for me!)
Research is both a joy and a danger for me. I enjoy it but it also triggers more ideas for stories, so I try to limit my research time. However, I also tend to use research for more than one story, so it's an investment.
I've done quite a bit of research on my nine-book series, but know there will be more to do when I move beyond the outlines and start doing the actual writing.
In this series, timelines will definitely be critical because some of the stories overlap and I need to track the development of the entire family of characters as each story unfolds.
And, yes, there will be at least two pregnancies in this series as well as a couple kids in growing stages. It's very interesting as well as challenging.
I think it might have been Alice who said something like you have to always remember where you left the baby--don't open a scene with the baby and leave that scene without making sure that baby is being taken care of. :)
So glad you're working on the Spirit series. I'm really looking forward to reading them!
P.S. I agree with Alice that the picture you posted is beautiful!
Thanks for commenting, Genene. I'm anxiously waiting for a release date for the first book. The research for the second and third are killers but I think it will make a better book.
The good thing about your pregnancies in your book they are contemporary. OY! learning what the NP did during pregnancy and birth is very interesting!
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