Jumping in
Besides writing,
my favorite favorite favorite thing to do
is research.
Because I'm a geek that way.
The best way to start is to jump right in,
splash around,
make a mess of it
and have fun,
hunting for treasures.
Like this:
Except, obviously, with books.
And websites.
And phone calls to historical societies.
But it's pretty much the same.
P.S. This isn't trying to be a poem, so don't let the format fool you. It's just words that wanted lots of white space on either side. To compensate for the posts where I talk too much and there isn't any. :)
Aww. Where is this? I want to do a seashell excursion with Lucia, but she's been a serious homebody the past few days and not even the beach is tempting her out of her pajamas. (Man...introverts! ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's at Hammonasset--I'm not sure the name of the particular beach, but it was the one by the campgrounds. (We like to walk down there, and every so often the water just pulls us in, whether we're prepared or not. :)
DeleteIf you have an artist of very high caliber in the house, I have to say this picture DEMANDS to be painted. I also noticed Miss G is having none of the hat business.
ReplyDelete"The best way to start is to jump right in ..."— yup.
Hmm...I'll have to look around and see if we've got one of those. :)
DeleteResearch...I am terrible at it. But this inspired me. Because I know I need to 'jump right in' I also love this photo.
ReplyDeleteOh, I bet you're not terrible. Maybe you just haven't found the right source yet! If you find it difficult to get started, historical societies really are amazing--they're full of the most knowledgeable, enthusiastic people in the world, and their love for history is infectious! (Of course this doesn't usually apply if you're researching something like the middle ages...)
DeleteI love research, too. I've decided that if my writing ever makes me money, I owe a debt to Wikipedia, which exists solely on contributions unless I'm mistaken. I can't remember a time where I didn't have at least one Wikipedia tab open on my browser. ("Cavalry Tactics" at this exact moment)
ReplyDeleteI can just picture the Wikipedia paragraph on your acknowledgments page, David. :)
DeleteI wish I could come research at the beach with you and the girls!
ReplyDeleteI wish you could, too!! We all miss you here.
DeleteI like researching, too! It helps generate even more ideas.
ReplyDeleteHappy reading and writing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines
Yes--some of my best ideas were "secondary" things I learned during research. Sometimes even tangents are the most helpful things! (My entire novel, CIRQUE, was developed because I happened upon a line about the early circus in London when I was researching something else entirely.)
DeleteShelling! Love this photo.
ReplyDeleteI love research too, but it can be madness when I start a new project, books piled high, hours on the net, and finding hidden treasures.
I'm normally a very orderly person, but research is one bit of madness I enjoy. :)
DeleteCan I email the historical society instead?????
ReplyDeleteActually, it depends. More and more historical societies have email, but when I was researching a Revolutionary War story a few years ago, many of them still didn't have email accounts--so I had to suppress my introverted self for a few minutes while I dialed. :)
DeleteOn the other hand, the Circus Historical Society was very good about emailing and even had an online message board where I found many of my questions already answered.
Love this! The picture, the image you convey with your words, the white space.
ReplyDelete