tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post2459880198317780708..comments2024-03-28T12:01:31.049-04:00Comments on Writers Who Kill: Finishing a Book and Starting AnotherJim Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-52784813349072064732014-10-31T10:36:58.565-04:002014-10-31T10:36:58.565-04:00Pat, I call on my life experiences, too. At least ...Pat, I call on my life experiences, too. At least as much as possible. I also pick up bits and pieces from reading the newspapers, certain characters and jobs that might work for characters with some changes, of course. And then I have characters based on people I know or knew with enough changes not to be too obvious, although I've made them positive characters.Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-67545845728237912042014-10-30T18:21:21.268-04:002014-10-30T18:21:21.268-04:00I have to agree with James, life is research. I wr...I have to agree with James, life is research. I wrote about what I know and have lived with and through most all of it. Otherwise, it is stuff I've seen other people experience. For this new book--will my editor ever be finished--I had to call my ex-room mate from NY to remember some of the other room mates we had. And I had to ask Liz Zelvin if she remembered 'casual' dress for the streets of NY in 1963. She had to contact a friend of hers. It was quite funny, but we got it.<br />PatgPatghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01046665022709722606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-13306817444986570262014-10-30T17:04:20.810-04:002014-10-30T17:04:20.810-04:00Kara, on our way home from Rocky Mountain National...Kara, on our way home from Rocky Mountain National Park years ago, we stopped for the night in a small town in the middle of miles and miles of corn fields. We stayed in a small campgrounds that happened to be next to a museum. It was absolutely fascinating and we were there for several hours before hitting the road for home. I don't remember what you mentioned, but it still makes me wonder if it was the same museum. It was quite an amazing museum with all it had for such a small very rural town.Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-54179684498654526802014-10-30T15:35:16.413-04:002014-10-30T15:35:16.413-04:00Your trip to the corn maze sounds fun, Gloria. I&#...Your trip to the corn maze sounds fun, Gloria. I've seen them, but have never walked through one.<br /><br />A few years ago while on a vacation I stopped by a small town in Nebraska to research the 1893 Cowboy Race. The local historical society even had the pelt from the horse that won.Kara Cerisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16484336785514235707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-45889598011496529232014-10-30T15:04:06.045-04:002014-10-30T15:04:06.045-04:00Shari, I love the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's w...Shari, I love the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's where I backpacked on the Appalachian Trail for short trips of 4 or 5 days. It's also where my subplot takes place in the book I just finished. I wrote from my experience there which did not include a murder. :-)Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-14651487000070638952014-10-30T14:40:05.498-04:002014-10-30T14:40:05.498-04:00For now, I've stayed pretty well within my zon...For now, I've stayed pretty well within my zone, but I'd like to set a story near the Blue Ridge Mountains, so I'm planning to do some exploring.<br />Your corn maze story sounds intriguing!<br />Paula, I think I speak for all of us when I say you are going to have to blog about your strip club research. There's a strip club in my town which I thought was a restaurant. I was chatting with one of my daughter's high school boyfriends when he clued me in that, uh, no, we did not want to go to dinner at the Paper Moon.Shari Randallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16425493627354028820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-2876409499616811842014-10-30T12:44:01.582-04:002014-10-30T12:44:01.582-04:00Carla, don't you just love meeting people who ...Carla, don't you just love meeting people who give you great ideas? I'll bet he didn't mind answering your questions, at all.<br /><br />Paula, how interesting for you. Are you visiting them for your research??? I'm curious about those sources you've found. Maybe you can email me and tell me about them.Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-65968890136392660912014-10-30T12:07:14.099-04:002014-10-30T12:07:14.099-04:00Gloria, I'm looking forward to reading about t...Gloria, I'm looking forward to reading about the reenactment. They truly are fascinating events to watch and provide lots of opportunity for research. Currently, I'm researching strip joints, which is a delicate topic. What surprises me are the sources where I'm learning information!Paula Gail Bensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08843350597811462936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-50791943990101465772014-10-30T12:04:03.425-04:002014-10-30T12:04:03.425-04:00I've done great research on planes. Was once f...I've done great research on planes. Was once flying to Oklahoma and sat next to a guy who was an environmental engineer. I was researching industrial toxins for a novel, so the poor guy was stuck answering questions for me the entire flight!carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15985823239660829148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-73402455433970120832014-10-30T09:43:22.599-04:002014-10-30T09:43:22.599-04:00Warren, that had to have been the most exciting of...Warren, that had to have been the most exciting of research projects. I've read several biographies of him, and admire him immensely. Truly, he was our best president, in my opinion.Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-5597346495024733292014-10-30T09:41:32.082-04:002014-10-30T09:41:32.082-04:00E.B. that sounds like wonderful research. When I w...E.B. that sounds like wonderful research. When I wrote "The Lure of the Rainbow" that made it into the FISH NETS anthology, I knew absolutely nothing about fly fishing. So I not only got books out of the library to read, I also called some guy, who had written an article about in my local paper. He thought it was a prank call at first, but then gave me an answer I didn't want because it didn't go with my plot. So at a concert, I approached a man wearing a shirt with fish on it and asked him and got an answer that worked with my plot. From then on whenever I went to a concert there - I go to many there - he would ask me about the story. When I told him it had been accepted, I gave him a copy of the story.Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-34881599909614289342014-10-30T09:37:00.300-04:002014-10-30T09:37:00.300-04:00KM, one of the things I love about your Jesse Damo...KM, one of the things I love about your Jesse Damon series is the fact that you know what you're writing about. That comes through your books clearly. I hope you'll be writing more books in that series.<br /><br />Jim, that's true for me, also. I've lived a long life with lots of life experiences that I draw on for both books and short stories. That's why I feel I know and like your Seamus McCree. I see you in him.Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-63217390643168403612014-10-30T08:59:51.545-04:002014-10-30T08:59:51.545-04:00My best research experience was when I was reading...My best research experience was when I was reading the collected writing of Abraham Lincoln and discovered he'd outlined just what I needed to write a mystery about one of his cases.Warren Bullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789270258599769915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-51084376216212557622014-10-30T08:44:12.639-04:002014-10-30T08:44:12.639-04:00Great question, Gloria. My favorite? I set a book ...Great question, Gloria. My favorite? I set a book at a resort in Naples, FL. My family had a condo there so when I visited, I went to the resort (in the ms. fictional) and interviewed the security manager. He was wonderful. One scene I set in the spa, so of course, a friend and I had to go to the spa for a massage. If I ever get that book published I could deduct the expense. Nothing like a hard day of research!E. B. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16746747050278597888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-69312904541527985782014-10-30T08:26:56.974-04:002014-10-30T08:26:56.974-04:00I consider life as research -- I never know when s...I consider life as research -- I never know when something I've seen or done will show up in a story. I do try to visit actual places I use in my books and stories and if I plan to use a place, I'll take lots of pictures to remind me.<br /><br />Fingers crossed for an easy final passage of book four into print.<br /><br />~ JimJim Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-10701497399742771952014-10-30T07:16:02.060-04:002014-10-30T07:16:02.060-04:00Sounds like a fun trip! I'm impressed that you...Sounds like a fun trip! I'm impressed that you have the 4th book almost ready to go and are starting on the 5th.<br /><br />I have to admit I do ad hoc research. Usually I'm writing about things and characters with which I am very familiar--my stories tend to rise organically from my experiences--but once in a while I need to check facts. I've found that editors often don't believe things I "know," and I have to get some verification.<br /><br />The most time consuming (although not difficult) is when I need to check on something regarding circumstances in prison. One editor told me that of course there are computers in prisons, so to have a recently released inmate who had no familiarity with them was not believable. I wrote to several people I know who have been incarcerated for a lengthy time, and they eventually (time is not a major consideration in their lives) confirmed what I thought, that although there are computers in use, it is mainly staff, and every once in a while a specialized inmate worker, who uses them. Most inmates have absolutely no access at all.<br /><br />I sent copies of their letters, including the stamp on the envelopes that say "Inmate mail--this is a prison" and she finally believed me.KM Rockwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03973749764907859829noreply@blogger.com