stuff
I'm going to go give a talk about research in Glastonbury, CT. Want to come? It's at 11 am today.
This is what the web page says I'm going to talk about:
Topic: Researching information to make your novels factually and historically accurate
which isn't really what I'm going to talk about at all. I do research to make the people and scenes better drawn, easier to see. Unique. I'm rotten at scene-setting so I look for anything that'll help. The "factually and historically accurate" is way, way less important to me than making the book feel like there's a there there or that the people aren't just a bunch of valley girls shoved back in time.
OR, If I'm writing about valley girls (damn, do they still exist?) that I don't screw them up and make them sound like a bunch of 40-something women. I do research to write a better book not to make it more Accurate. Bah. If I wanted accurate, I'd write articles again, and I don't wanna do that.
okay off that high horse.
And speaking of high horses, I do like Jenny Crusie's slapdown of Miss Snark, which the SBTB were squeeing about. I'm not sure why Crusie hated the phrase about clue cake so much. She stomped the shit out of the phrase.
This is what the web page says I'm going to talk about:
Topic: Researching information to make your novels factually and historically accurate
which isn't really what I'm going to talk about at all. I do research to make the people and scenes better drawn, easier to see. Unique. I'm rotten at scene-setting so I look for anything that'll help. The "factually and historically accurate" is way, way less important to me than making the book feel like there's a there there or that the people aren't just a bunch of valley girls shoved back in time.
OR, If I'm writing about valley girls (damn, do they still exist?) that I don't screw them up and make them sound like a bunch of 40-something women. I do research to write a better book not to make it more Accurate. Bah. If I wanted accurate, I'd write articles again, and I don't wanna do that.
okay off that high horse.
And speaking of high horses, I do like Jenny Crusie's slapdown of Miss Snark, which the SBTB were squeeing about. I'm not sure why Crusie hated the phrase about clue cake so much. She stomped the shit out of the phrase.
I appreciate Miss Snark because she can point out where people are being stoopid. And then I learn from the stoopid people and their mistakes. Fine. But all her squealing fans annoy me. As if, the more they can agree with her, the more likely she is to magically want to represent them!
ReplyDeleteBut I agree about your approach to the history thang. Accuracy is great, and the historian in me shouts that it's MOST IMPORTANT. I tell the historian to shut up because, if she was in charge, I'd still be in a uni doing PROFOUND RESEARCH. But I'm not. Scene building is hard, and sometimes I feel like a damn travel writer -- just for olden type times.
Unless the Valley is still turning out "for shure, for shure" girls, the Valley Girls ARE 40ish.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you 100% on the reasons for research. I'm not an anal research snob, but I've always done tons of research, mainly because it's the main source of inspiration for me.
ReplyDeleteWhich is one reason I write so slowly. Because I read slowly too.
salome, it's clear to me that your research is thorough.
ReplyDeletegrace, holy shit. you're right. they're all OLD. Paris Hilton? Does she count.
kathy, I have to check now. You write historicals? Off to find out. . .
No, I write contemps, but am thinking about doing a historical. Cause I love research so much!
ReplyDelete