Eve Gaddy's Blog - Posts Tagged "fiction"
A Long Time Coming
A Long Time Coming
Some books are a long time coming.
I had the original idea for Cry Love in 1999. I found the file not too long ago. It was a one line description that I had saved in my idea file, many computers ago. But it was a very different idea and at the time I was writing for Harlequin. There was no way this book would fit what they wanted. Since I am one of those writers who does best in total immersion, I filed the idea and kept writing other things.
I am also one of those writers who periodically experiences burnout. I think it has something to do with being so obsessive. (What, me obsessive?)
Anyway, every once in a while, especially when I was feeling burned out and battered by the business, I would pull the idea out and play with it. I went to see the movie Hurricane and found it and Denzel Washington, who plays Hurricane Carter, very inspiring. My husband and I were the only people in the theatre and it seemed as if it was playing just for me.
Several years ago, maybe around 2003 or 2004, I wrote the first scene. I was at a conference and laid down to rest and the scene came to me. A year or so later, I worked on the plot during an endless drive back from Savannah to Tyler with my daughter. Then I put it aside again.
I couldn't get going on it. I would write random scenes occasionally but what I had in no way resembled a book. I went on that way until I quit writing for about two years due to burnout, family death, twin grandbabies, and life in general. I played with my grandbabies, did a lot of needlework and didn't write a word of fiction. I decided if I never wrote anything else that was okay. I'd published sixteen books and that was enough.
Then I talked to Debra Dixon, President of Belle Books, and a friend I'd known for many years. The self-publishing boom had hit. Although I thought I had retired, almost all my friends are writers and I was still a member of many writing communities. I had the rights back to eight books and was toying with publishing them myself. But I couldn't figure out a number of things. Formatting for one. At the time I wrote in Word Perfect. Everything now requires Word, which I loathe and use only when I absolutely must.
So I asked for help on one of my writers loops and Debra Dixon gave me some great advice. She also mentioned I didn't have to do this all on my own. "I don't?" I asked. She said Belle Books was interested in reissuing my backlist. I knew about Belle Books, of course. I had always wanted to write for them, in fact. But I hadn't realized they had branched out from publishing only original southern fiction to more genres as well as reissues. I was in heaven. Belle Books bought my backlist in January 2011. My first reissue, On Thin Ice, came out with Bell Bridge Books in August of 2011. I love those books and it is such a pleasure to know they have a new life. I not only have a new publisher but I'm lucky enough to have a publisher and editors who are a dream to work with.
In one of our discussions about my backlist, Deb asked me if I had plans to write anything new. She knew all about what had been going on with me and that I had mentioned retiring, but she let me know Belle Books would be interested in an original from me. I said, "Well, I do have an idea for a book that's unlike anything I've ever written.
That was what it took. Not too long after I talked to Deb, I sent a synopsis of my new book to Belle Books. It was very vague and very short since I still had no idea exactly what I was doing, or even what exactly I was writing. We decided I'd write the whole book and submit it.
Except I couldn't write. I had the synopsis but the book was so complex I couldn't figure out how to write the thing. I contacted the fabulous April Kihlstrom, published author and writing coach extraordinaire. With her help I was able to begin seriously working on my book. April was a lifesaver. I truly doubt I'd have been able to write again without her help and encouragement.
My friends, many of whom I list in the acknowledgements, were essential to writing my Book of the Heart. I can't tell you how many talks we had on every subject under the sun. Or how many times I'd call one of them up to try to hammer out a scene. Or email someone with a problem I couldn't figure out. I'm pretty sure my friends were almost as glad as I was when I finished Cry Love. For that matter, so was my family. I might be just a tiny bit hard to live with when I'm writing.
Finally, nearly a year after I started writing it seriously, I typed THE END on Cry Love. Thirteen years after the original idea occurred to me, I finished the book. To call Cry Love a book of my heart doesn't even approach how I feel about it. This book was wrenched, sometimes agonizingly, from deep within my heart and soul. I love this book. I hope you will too.
Some books are a long time coming.
I had the original idea for Cry Love in 1999. I found the file not too long ago. It was a one line description that I had saved in my idea file, many computers ago. But it was a very different idea and at the time I was writing for Harlequin. There was no way this book would fit what they wanted. Since I am one of those writers who does best in total immersion, I filed the idea and kept writing other things.
I am also one of those writers who periodically experiences burnout. I think it has something to do with being so obsessive. (What, me obsessive?)
Anyway, every once in a while, especially when I was feeling burned out and battered by the business, I would pull the idea out and play with it. I went to see the movie Hurricane and found it and Denzel Washington, who plays Hurricane Carter, very inspiring. My husband and I were the only people in the theatre and it seemed as if it was playing just for me.
Several years ago, maybe around 2003 or 2004, I wrote the first scene. I was at a conference and laid down to rest and the scene came to me. A year or so later, I worked on the plot during an endless drive back from Savannah to Tyler with my daughter. Then I put it aside again.
I couldn't get going on it. I would write random scenes occasionally but what I had in no way resembled a book. I went on that way until I quit writing for about two years due to burnout, family death, twin grandbabies, and life in general. I played with my grandbabies, did a lot of needlework and didn't write a word of fiction. I decided if I never wrote anything else that was okay. I'd published sixteen books and that was enough.
Then I talked to Debra Dixon, President of Belle Books, and a friend I'd known for many years. The self-publishing boom had hit. Although I thought I had retired, almost all my friends are writers and I was still a member of many writing communities. I had the rights back to eight books and was toying with publishing them myself. But I couldn't figure out a number of things. Formatting for one. At the time I wrote in Word Perfect. Everything now requires Word, which I loathe and use only when I absolutely must.
So I asked for help on one of my writers loops and Debra Dixon gave me some great advice. She also mentioned I didn't have to do this all on my own. "I don't?" I asked. She said Belle Books was interested in reissuing my backlist. I knew about Belle Books, of course. I had always wanted to write for them, in fact. But I hadn't realized they had branched out from publishing only original southern fiction to more genres as well as reissues. I was in heaven. Belle Books bought my backlist in January 2011. My first reissue, On Thin Ice, came out with Bell Bridge Books in August of 2011. I love those books and it is such a pleasure to know they have a new life. I not only have a new publisher but I'm lucky enough to have a publisher and editors who are a dream to work with.
In one of our discussions about my backlist, Deb asked me if I had plans to write anything new. She knew all about what had been going on with me and that I had mentioned retiring, but she let me know Belle Books would be interested in an original from me. I said, "Well, I do have an idea for a book that's unlike anything I've ever written.
That was what it took. Not too long after I talked to Deb, I sent a synopsis of my new book to Belle Books. It was very vague and very short since I still had no idea exactly what I was doing, or even what exactly I was writing. We decided I'd write the whole book and submit it.
Except I couldn't write. I had the synopsis but the book was so complex I couldn't figure out how to write the thing. I contacted the fabulous April Kihlstrom, published author and writing coach extraordinaire. With her help I was able to begin seriously working on my book. April was a lifesaver. I truly doubt I'd have been able to write again without her help and encouragement.
My friends, many of whom I list in the acknowledgements, were essential to writing my Book of the Heart. I can't tell you how many talks we had on every subject under the sun. Or how many times I'd call one of them up to try to hammer out a scene. Or email someone with a problem I couldn't figure out. I'm pretty sure my friends were almost as glad as I was when I finished Cry Love. For that matter, so was my family. I might be just a tiny bit hard to live with when I'm writing.
Finally, nearly a year after I started writing it seriously, I typed THE END on Cry Love. Thirteen years after the original idea occurred to me, I finished the book. To call Cry Love a book of my heart doesn't even approach how I feel about it. This book was wrenched, sometimes agonizingly, from deep within my heart and soul. I love this book. I hope you will too.
Music to Write By
Music to Write By
For many writers music is an integral part of their process. Just as everyone has their own method of writing, everyone has their own way of incorporating music into their process. Some writers listen to music while they write, either a playlist they've made for the book, classical music, or as Roz Denny Fox once told me, "I have to listen to kickin' country music. My husband made a classical playlist for me one time and I fell asleep." On the other hand, my editor, Pat Van Wie, is another who listens to music while she writes. She listens to only classical piano music, with no words, preferably Chopin. Our musical tastes are as unique as our writing.
Each writer's process is different, so it's no surprise each writer has a different way of using music to aid in his or her writing. I can't listen to music while I write. It's far too distracting. I can't even listen to instrumental because I'll hum the tune. But I listen to music, and my playlists, at all other times. In the car, when I clean (Stop laughing. I wash out my coffeepot. That counts, doesn't it?), when I shower, before I sit down to write. And listening while driving seems to help when I'm stuck.
I make a playlist for every book. When I first started writing I would only have one or two songs I played for the book, but then I discovered playlists! Much better. You can get awfully sick of a song you play 10,000 times. For me the playlist has to develop. I may start out with one song that's key, and as I write, others are added and become more important.
Cry Love, is a book unlike anything I've ever written. While it is a romance, it's also a love story. There are subtle differences. Love stories don't always end happily. Just read the first scene of Cry Love and you'll see what I'm talking about. So, yes, there's tragedy in Cry Love but there is also triumph. And a love that won't die.
When I first heard the song Cry Love by John Hiatt, I knew it would be important in writing this book. I wasn't sure how, but I knew it would be. For one thing, it's a beautiful song. Then it dawned on me that Cry Love was the perfect title for this book. Haunting, beautiful, evocative, different.
My playlist for Cry Love includes songs about forbidden love, hopeless love, songs about mad, passionate, and dangerous love. One song, Andy Brown's Ashes, I've yet to fully understand but it's so beautiful I added it to the list. The Vivaldi Guitar Concerto by Los Romeros, was added just because I love it. Another song that really spoke to me was Jessica Andrews' Helplessly, Hopelessly, Recklessly. Musical genres include Rock and Roll, Pop, Country, and Classical songs. Not every musical genre is represented in the Cry Love playlist. However, I cover a lot of genres in my playlists for upcoming books. I like variety. What can I say, I have eclectic tastes.
In the coming weeks, I'll be tweeting, posting on Facebook and my website the songs from my playlist for Cry Love. Enjoy!
Here is my playlist for Cry Love, with links:
Cry Love John Hiatt http://bit.ly/1m0enN1
Ashes Andy Brown http://bit.ly/1oVXJof
Helplessly, Hopelessly, Recklessly Jessica Andrews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKVJP...
Wrong to Love You Chris Isaak http://bit.ly/1ohIhfL
Forbidden Love Jim Verraros http://bit.ly/1pzJORx
Lips of An Angel Hinder http://bit.ly/1djs3T7
The Right Kind of Wrong LeAnn Rimes http://bit.ly/UGkHCx
Standing on the Edge of Goodbye John Berry http://bit.ly/1j4fbBF
We Can Be Together Jefferson Airplane http://bit.ly/1ncB28A
Dangerously In Love Beyoncé http://bit.ly/1qy5ehK
Wicked Game Chris Isaak http://bit.ly/1qX4EMY
Midnight Confessions The Grass Roots http://bit.ly/1ldq4Ug
Endless Love Lionel Richie & Diana Ross http://bit.ly/1pAhQ9t
Concerto in B Minor for 4 Guitars & Cello RV 580 (L'estro armonico No. 10): I. Allegro Los Romeros Vivaldi: Guitar Concertos http://bit.ly/VvOX3F
For many writers music is an integral part of their process. Just as everyone has their own method of writing, everyone has their own way of incorporating music into their process. Some writers listen to music while they write, either a playlist they've made for the book, classical music, or as Roz Denny Fox once told me, "I have to listen to kickin' country music. My husband made a classical playlist for me one time and I fell asleep." On the other hand, my editor, Pat Van Wie, is another who listens to music while she writes. She listens to only classical piano music, with no words, preferably Chopin. Our musical tastes are as unique as our writing.
Each writer's process is different, so it's no surprise each writer has a different way of using music to aid in his or her writing. I can't listen to music while I write. It's far too distracting. I can't even listen to instrumental because I'll hum the tune. But I listen to music, and my playlists, at all other times. In the car, when I clean (Stop laughing. I wash out my coffeepot. That counts, doesn't it?), when I shower, before I sit down to write. And listening while driving seems to help when I'm stuck.
I make a playlist for every book. When I first started writing I would only have one or two songs I played for the book, but then I discovered playlists! Much better. You can get awfully sick of a song you play 10,000 times. For me the playlist has to develop. I may start out with one song that's key, and as I write, others are added and become more important.
Cry Love, is a book unlike anything I've ever written. While it is a romance, it's also a love story. There are subtle differences. Love stories don't always end happily. Just read the first scene of Cry Love and you'll see what I'm talking about. So, yes, there's tragedy in Cry Love but there is also triumph. And a love that won't die.
When I first heard the song Cry Love by John Hiatt, I knew it would be important in writing this book. I wasn't sure how, but I knew it would be. For one thing, it's a beautiful song. Then it dawned on me that Cry Love was the perfect title for this book. Haunting, beautiful, evocative, different.
My playlist for Cry Love includes songs about forbidden love, hopeless love, songs about mad, passionate, and dangerous love. One song, Andy Brown's Ashes, I've yet to fully understand but it's so beautiful I added it to the list. The Vivaldi Guitar Concerto by Los Romeros, was added just because I love it. Another song that really spoke to me was Jessica Andrews' Helplessly, Hopelessly, Recklessly. Musical genres include Rock and Roll, Pop, Country, and Classical songs. Not every musical genre is represented in the Cry Love playlist. However, I cover a lot of genres in my playlists for upcoming books. I like variety. What can I say, I have eclectic tastes.
In the coming weeks, I'll be tweeting, posting on Facebook and my website the songs from my playlist for Cry Love. Enjoy!
Here is my playlist for Cry Love, with links:
Cry Love John Hiatt http://bit.ly/1m0enN1
Ashes Andy Brown http://bit.ly/1oVXJof
Helplessly, Hopelessly, Recklessly Jessica Andrews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKVJP...
Wrong to Love You Chris Isaak http://bit.ly/1ohIhfL
Forbidden Love Jim Verraros http://bit.ly/1pzJORx
Lips of An Angel Hinder http://bit.ly/1djs3T7
The Right Kind of Wrong LeAnn Rimes http://bit.ly/UGkHCx
Standing on the Edge of Goodbye John Berry http://bit.ly/1j4fbBF
We Can Be Together Jefferson Airplane http://bit.ly/1ncB28A
Dangerously In Love Beyoncé http://bit.ly/1qy5ehK
Wicked Game Chris Isaak http://bit.ly/1qX4EMY
Midnight Confessions The Grass Roots http://bit.ly/1ldq4Ug
Endless Love Lionel Richie & Diana Ross http://bit.ly/1pAhQ9t
Concerto in B Minor for 4 Guitars & Cello RV 580 (L'estro armonico No. 10): I. Allegro Los Romeros Vivaldi: Guitar Concertos http://bit.ly/VvOX3F
Books of the Heart
Books of the Heart
Have you ever heard the expression a "Book of the Heart?" It's a common phrase among writers. We toss it around, certain that everyone knows what we mean when we say it. Recently I heard from another writer that readers might not know what the phrase a "Book of the Heart" means. "Aren't all your books written from your heart?" a reader might ask. And the answer is yes. Absolutely. But a Book of the Heart has a different meaning.
A book of the heart is often a long time in the making. I know of several writers whose books took years to develop. Mine certainly did. I haven't heard of one that wasn't a struggle in some way. Sometimes a book of the heart is very difficult to write. The subject matter, the format, the genre, something makes it different and harder for the author to write it. Are there any books of the heart that come easily? Yes, but we call those "gift books." More on those in another blog.
To me, a book of the heart is a book that calls to the author. The book insists on being written. It won't let the author alone. It hangs around in the back of our mind, sometimes dormant, sometimes perking away and demanding we stop whatever we're doing and write the thing. Books of the Heart do not care if the author has another contracted book due. They do not care if it's difficult to write, if it wrings you dry. Quite simply the book of the heart demands to be written. We might put it off for many years, writing other things, but the time is never quite right. We know when it is. Mine rose up and whacked me in the head.
I was talking about books of the heart to amazing author, Justine Davis. I said that I didn't know of anyone who hadn't thought about their book of the heart for a very long time before writing it. Often years. The writing itself might not take years, but the book needs time to develop before you can write it. Justine said, "But to me it means not only one that's close to your heart, but one you've had to carry in your heart because the time/situation wasn't right, or you didn't have the time to devote to it." I'm planning a series of future blogs in which other authors discuss their own Books of the Heart.
My book of the heart, Cry Love, was not written quickly. It was not written easily. At times I wondered if it would ever be written at all. It is far and away the most complex, difficult, different book that I've ever written. I love romantic suspense and write a lot of it. In fact, my next book for Bell Bridge Books is romantic suspense. I also write contemporary romance. I'm a bit confused about what genre to place Cry Love in. It's a love story about lovers from three different time periods. It's about how the past connects to the present. There is triumph and tragedy, suspense, and a mystery that runs through much of the book, including the present. And romance. Cry Love is definitely a romance.
For the longest time, I wasn't sure I'd ever write Cry Love. Then I wasn't sure I'd finish it. I was also unsure that it would ever be published. Every new book is a thrill to me. Every book I write is important and matters to me. My heart is in every book. But Cry Love is my Book of the Heart, the one that's been on my mind and in my heart for many years. I'm so happy to be able to share it with you now.
Have you ever heard the expression a "Book of the Heart?" It's a common phrase among writers. We toss it around, certain that everyone knows what we mean when we say it. Recently I heard from another writer that readers might not know what the phrase a "Book of the Heart" means. "Aren't all your books written from your heart?" a reader might ask. And the answer is yes. Absolutely. But a Book of the Heart has a different meaning.
A book of the heart is often a long time in the making. I know of several writers whose books took years to develop. Mine certainly did. I haven't heard of one that wasn't a struggle in some way. Sometimes a book of the heart is very difficult to write. The subject matter, the format, the genre, something makes it different and harder for the author to write it. Are there any books of the heart that come easily? Yes, but we call those "gift books." More on those in another blog.
To me, a book of the heart is a book that calls to the author. The book insists on being written. It won't let the author alone. It hangs around in the back of our mind, sometimes dormant, sometimes perking away and demanding we stop whatever we're doing and write the thing. Books of the Heart do not care if the author has another contracted book due. They do not care if it's difficult to write, if it wrings you dry. Quite simply the book of the heart demands to be written. We might put it off for many years, writing other things, but the time is never quite right. We know when it is. Mine rose up and whacked me in the head.
I was talking about books of the heart to amazing author, Justine Davis. I said that I didn't know of anyone who hadn't thought about their book of the heart for a very long time before writing it. Often years. The writing itself might not take years, but the book needs time to develop before you can write it. Justine said, "But to me it means not only one that's close to your heart, but one you've had to carry in your heart because the time/situation wasn't right, or you didn't have the time to devote to it." I'm planning a series of future blogs in which other authors discuss their own Books of the Heart.
My book of the heart, Cry Love, was not written quickly. It was not written easily. At times I wondered if it would ever be written at all. It is far and away the most complex, difficult, different book that I've ever written. I love romantic suspense and write a lot of it. In fact, my next book for Bell Bridge Books is romantic suspense. I also write contemporary romance. I'm a bit confused about what genre to place Cry Love in. It's a love story about lovers from three different time periods. It's about how the past connects to the present. There is triumph and tragedy, suspense, and a mystery that runs through much of the book, including the present. And romance. Cry Love is definitely a romance.
For the longest time, I wasn't sure I'd ever write Cry Love. Then I wasn't sure I'd finish it. I was also unsure that it would ever be published. Every new book is a thrill to me. Every book I write is important and matters to me. My heart is in every book. But Cry Love is my Book of the Heart, the one that's been on my mind and in my heart for many years. I'm so happy to be able to share it with you now.
Ideas and Inspiration
"Where do you get your ideas?" That's a question writers hear a lot. There are as many different answers as there are books. For me, the short answer is everywhere. Every book is different.
A song can be inspiring in a number of ways. The lyrics might inspire me, or the tune, or the title, or all three. I remember driving somewhere and a song came on the radio and suddenly a plot point became obvious to me. Of course, I don't remember the song or the plot point now, but I think the book was Cry Love. Driving is great for getting ideas, except you can't write them down.
A quote, any kind of quote, might inspire me to have an idea for a new book, or a book I'm currently working on. Articles in the newspaper or from the Internet can also be sources of inspiration.
When I heard the song Cry Love, by John Hiatt http://bit.ly/1m0enN1, I knew that was the title of my book. Cry Love is the first song on my playlist. I posted the playlist for Cry Love in an earlier blog.
Pictures are wonderful at firing the imagination. I often make a board on Pinterest for my books. I make them public after the book is published. I pin pictures of people who resemble my hero and heroine, of settings, buildings, and houses. Often, I'll pin outfits the heroine might wear.
Sometimes I pin inspiring or pertinent quotes.
For some reason, I have a lot of pictures of men who might resemble my hero.
I found the movie Hurricane very inspiring. I also found Denzel Washington (in his prime!) inspiring.
In fact, I found several African-American actors inspiring.
Here are some more images I found for Cry Love. I'll leave it to you to discover why each picture might be important in the book.
I'm sure other authors have other things that inspire them. These are just a few of mine. Finding inspiration is one of my favorite things to do for a book.
A song can be inspiring in a number of ways. The lyrics might inspire me, or the tune, or the title, or all three. I remember driving somewhere and a song came on the radio and suddenly a plot point became obvious to me. Of course, I don't remember the song or the plot point now, but I think the book was Cry Love. Driving is great for getting ideas, except you can't write them down.
A quote, any kind of quote, might inspire me to have an idea for a new book, or a book I'm currently working on. Articles in the newspaper or from the Internet can also be sources of inspiration.
When I heard the song Cry Love, by John Hiatt http://bit.ly/1m0enN1, I knew that was the title of my book. Cry Love is the first song on my playlist. I posted the playlist for Cry Love in an earlier blog.
Pictures are wonderful at firing the imagination. I often make a board on Pinterest for my books. I make them public after the book is published. I pin pictures of people who resemble my hero and heroine, of settings, buildings, and houses. Often, I'll pin outfits the heroine might wear.
Sometimes I pin inspiring or pertinent quotes.
For some reason, I have a lot of pictures of men who might resemble my hero.
I found the movie Hurricane very inspiring. I also found Denzel Washington (in his prime!) inspiring.
In fact, I found several African-American actors inspiring.
Here are some more images I found for Cry Love. I'll leave it to you to discover why each picture might be important in the book.
I'm sure other authors have other things that inspire them. These are just a few of mine. Finding inspiration is one of my favorite things to do for a book.
Researchaholic
Researchaholic
I love research. There's nothing I like better when starting a book than to be able to do research. I love going to the library and finding books and articles on the subject I'm researching. I love being able to google the subject and have all kinds of books and articles show up in my browser. I make a research file for each book in my browser favorites and keep all the links in it. I also keep a file for print articles and I have both ebooks and paper books for research. I keep all my research for every book I've written. That way if I need to know something about jewel thieves, or Texas Rangers, or cops, or cold cases, or Hotshots, or any number of things I've researched in the past, I don't have to start from zero.
A really interesting thing happened just as I was starting to do research for Cry Love. I decided that even though I'd never heard of one, that it would have been logical for there to have been another Underground Railroad, but this one running from Texas to Mexico. After all, Mexico is a lot closer to Texas than Canada. Imagine my surprise when I found that my idea happened to be true.
First, I googled Texas-Mexico Underground Railroad to see if it had existed. I found a number of articles that referred to it, some with just a mention and some with more information. Information was scarce on the subject. There isn't a lot written about it, or at least, a lot that is accessible. Most people don't even know the Texas-Mexico Underground Railroad existed. I've read that much that's written about it is in Spanish, but even in Mexico the stories about it aren't well known.
The kernel of an idea I started with was that of a black man and a white woman who fell in love just prior to the Civil War. The man was a slave. Again, I didn't know much about the subject, but people fall in love all the time, so it didn't seem impossible for such a situation to have taken place. One of the books I found fascinating is Forbidden Fruit--Love Stories From the Underground Railroad, by Betty Deramus. One section that particularly interested me was about interracial love stories from the Civil War era. The stories were touching and emotional and often tragic.
Although I still research some of the medical references and situations and such, I do have my own personal go-to medical sources. My husband, Bob, is a retired physician who was a General Surgeon and Radiologist. He loves it when I ask him things.
Me: "I need something really exciting to happen in the ER." I go on to explain the circumstances, what I'm trying to accomplish, etc.
Bob: "You don't want the ER to be exciting. Things aren't going well if they're exciting."
Me: "Yes, yes, I know that. (He's told me this before. Many times.) But tell me what could happen that requires both a trauma surgeon and a neurosurgeon. Something they might argue about."
Bob: Sighs heavily. "Well, this could happen…"
Me: "No."
Bob: "Or this…"
Me: "No."
Bob: Audibly grinding teeth. "How many scenarios do you want?"
Me: "I want one that's exciting."
We go on like that for a while until I finally hear something that might work. Then, of course, I have to pick his brains about how to write the scene and finally, I ask him to read over it to make sure it doesn't sound stupid or that I haven't gotten something wrong. I'm fairly certain at times like that he wishes he wasn't a retired physician. My daughter is a Physician's Assistant so I have another source for answers to medical questions. I think she likes being asked. So far.:)
I also had to do some research about divorce in Texas. I warned my husband in case he came upon me reading about divorce and thought I was planning something. I don’t think he was worried. I'm pretty sure I've asked him questions about that as well. I've been a writer for a long time now, so he's accustomed to being asked about all sorts of subjects--both those he knows about and those he doesn't.
There are a number of groups for writers that are wonderful for doing research. An excellent one is the Yahoo groups Crime Scene Writers group, started by Wally Lind, a retired police crime scene investigator. The description from the Yahoo groups site reads: "A forum for asking and answering crime scene investigation, applied forensics, and police procedure questions for fiction or non-fiction writers. Writers are invited to ask and crime scene investigators, forensic scientists, and medical practitioners are invited to answer."
As with a lot of things, research has changed markedly with the Internet. It can make a writer's life both easier and harder. Easier to find books, articles and other resources to find answers to questions. Harder because it's common to get distracted by every article you read and keep clicking on different articles until suddenly you are reading an article that has absolutely no relation to whatever you were researching. Worse, two hours have passed and you still haven't found the answer to your question.
But you never know when you might need an article on Wolf Moon name variations.
I love research. There's nothing I like better when starting a book than to be able to do research. I love going to the library and finding books and articles on the subject I'm researching. I love being able to google the subject and have all kinds of books and articles show up in my browser. I make a research file for each book in my browser favorites and keep all the links in it. I also keep a file for print articles and I have both ebooks and paper books for research. I keep all my research for every book I've written. That way if I need to know something about jewel thieves, or Texas Rangers, or cops, or cold cases, or Hotshots, or any number of things I've researched in the past, I don't have to start from zero.
A really interesting thing happened just as I was starting to do research for Cry Love. I decided that even though I'd never heard of one, that it would have been logical for there to have been another Underground Railroad, but this one running from Texas to Mexico. After all, Mexico is a lot closer to Texas than Canada. Imagine my surprise when I found that my idea happened to be true.
First, I googled Texas-Mexico Underground Railroad to see if it had existed. I found a number of articles that referred to it, some with just a mention and some with more information. Information was scarce on the subject. There isn't a lot written about it, or at least, a lot that is accessible. Most people don't even know the Texas-Mexico Underground Railroad existed. I've read that much that's written about it is in Spanish, but even in Mexico the stories about it aren't well known.
The kernel of an idea I started with was that of a black man and a white woman who fell in love just prior to the Civil War. The man was a slave. Again, I didn't know much about the subject, but people fall in love all the time, so it didn't seem impossible for such a situation to have taken place. One of the books I found fascinating is Forbidden Fruit--Love Stories From the Underground Railroad, by Betty Deramus. One section that particularly interested me was about interracial love stories from the Civil War era. The stories were touching and emotional and often tragic.
Although I still research some of the medical references and situations and such, I do have my own personal go-to medical sources. My husband, Bob, is a retired physician who was a General Surgeon and Radiologist. He loves it when I ask him things.
Me: "I need something really exciting to happen in the ER." I go on to explain the circumstances, what I'm trying to accomplish, etc.
Bob: "You don't want the ER to be exciting. Things aren't going well if they're exciting."
Me: "Yes, yes, I know that. (He's told me this before. Many times.) But tell me what could happen that requires both a trauma surgeon and a neurosurgeon. Something they might argue about."
Bob: Sighs heavily. "Well, this could happen…"
Me: "No."
Bob: "Or this…"
Me: "No."
Bob: Audibly grinding teeth. "How many scenarios do you want?"
Me: "I want one that's exciting."
We go on like that for a while until I finally hear something that might work. Then, of course, I have to pick his brains about how to write the scene and finally, I ask him to read over it to make sure it doesn't sound stupid or that I haven't gotten something wrong. I'm fairly certain at times like that he wishes he wasn't a retired physician. My daughter is a Physician's Assistant so I have another source for answers to medical questions. I think she likes being asked. So far.:)
I also had to do some research about divorce in Texas. I warned my husband in case he came upon me reading about divorce and thought I was planning something. I don’t think he was worried. I'm pretty sure I've asked him questions about that as well. I've been a writer for a long time now, so he's accustomed to being asked about all sorts of subjects--both those he knows about and those he doesn't.
There are a number of groups for writers that are wonderful for doing research. An excellent one is the Yahoo groups Crime Scene Writers group, started by Wally Lind, a retired police crime scene investigator. The description from the Yahoo groups site reads: "A forum for asking and answering crime scene investigation, applied forensics, and police procedure questions for fiction or non-fiction writers. Writers are invited to ask and crime scene investigators, forensic scientists, and medical practitioners are invited to answer."
As with a lot of things, research has changed markedly with the Internet. It can make a writer's life both easier and harder. Easier to find books, articles and other resources to find answers to questions. Harder because it's common to get distracted by every article you read and keep clicking on different articles until suddenly you are reading an article that has absolutely no relation to whatever you were researching. Worse, two hours have passed and you still haven't found the answer to your question.
But you never know when you might need an article on Wolf Moon name variations.
