100 things, writing, #31, research

[jana_denardo]

{Take the 100 Things challenge!}

#31, research.

This has to be a critical part of any author's tool box. I am not a believer in the hoary chestnut 'write what you know,' because how boring would that be? I am, however, a believer of researching what you chose to write. I'm not one hundred percent that I am going to do a novel for Temple, Caleb and Agni for this year's nanowrimo. I should. It would be a mistake to let too much time go between stories. It would be easier to write Nine and Reko's or Gideon Madog's stories which are flowing like mountain streams.

I decided that if I do what I should, then I do not want to wait until the last minute to do my research, I won't write. I'm trying to do it now and with this particular novel setting, it's harder than you might imagine. I was very disappointed this summer (which killed some of the desire to write this) when not even the Pittsburgh History Museum had books on the 1930's and Pittsburgh. At best, I could find that time period as an inclusion in a much larger and expensive book but even that was rare.

Tonight I must have hit the right combo of search terms because it spit out some links for me. I'm mostly just collecting links into a folder tonight as work destroyed all my brain cells. I noticed right off that some have conflicting info that means a deeper search. Such is the nature of the beast.

And tomorrow I probably need to do a little research into the 30's in general. For instance, i know Temple loves music and radio shows so I need to find out what he could be listening to. I know he reads Edgar Rice Burroughs and loves John Carter of Mars & Tarzan. I need things for Caleb and Agni to be interested in (and am open to suggestions). I suspect Caleb loves the movies

well back to the research.