Comments | andpuff: January blog the third

andpuff

January blog the third

Jan 30, 2011 14:29

So the_ivorytower asked:

How much research do you wind up doing for your books? Particularly the Confederation books, since there's so much military "stuff" in it? What are the kinds of things that you think to research, and what are the kinds of things you'd *never* think to research, but you get poked about either by your friends, editors, or both? I'm deeply ( Read more... )

writing

Comments 25

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andpuff February 1 2011, 00:33:00 UTC

Research is definitely the fun part... That and finishing. *g*

muffyjo January 31 2011, 04:39:49 UTC

There...yep, there...you absolutely got a full-on guffaw out of me on the very last line. Pungent Potent point. :) Thank you. And I'm glad to hear about the research, that's an excellent question to be answered! And a damn fine answer to the question!

andpuff February 1 2011, 00:33:27 UTC

You're welcome! And thank you.

ext_411119 January 31 2011, 07:35:25 UTC

I love reading about how author's do what they do, it really enriches the experience of reading their work. So thank you for this post!

There's a reason why they call it the Interwebs to us poor little moths seeking en"light"enment!

Just a few days ago, I spent an entire day reading about historic Los Angeles (and its suburbs in the San Fernando Valley where I grew up) via two related Facebook pages a friend mentioned. It was an utterly fascinating trip down memory lane, and I came away with 2 recipes for long lost Van de Kamp Bakery items from my childhood and a fascinating video about James Dean's Final Ride. So, not a total waste of a day! ;)

andpuff February 1 2011, 00:34:37 UTC

You're welcome!

I love the serendipity of the internet -- next thing you know, you're where you actually wanted to be even if you didn't know that starting out.

wiliqueen January 31 2011, 18:06:13 UTC

then moved the phone away from her mouth and yelled, "Father, this one's for you!"

This is where it comes in handy to have clergy in the family. Especially if they're partially responsible for one having grown up as nuts eclectic in one's interests as one is. :-D

andpuff February 1 2011, 00:35:38 UTC

Clergy in the family would be so helpful! But then, so would a forensic pathologist...

In-Person Research darcy807 February 1 2011, 01:39:49 UTC

I believe the very first time we met you (Philadelphia Gaylaxicon in 1992, I think), you had just turned in Blood Lines. Melissa mentioned that she was a grad student in Egyptology, and you exclaimed, "Where were you last year?!!" IIRC, you had spent a good bit of time hanging about the ROM researching that one.

When Corky's nephew was around 5, he found a squirrel that had fallen into a trashcan full of water and drowned. Rigor mortis had already set in; you could pretty much whack things with it like in Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch.

He insisted that we had to bury it - and that it had to have a name first. His suggestion? "Let's call him Stiffy!"