As goes the foot, so goes the brain?
Posts published in “Research Finds”
Am writing along on a series of short stories set in the Brassbright universe, when I arrive at a scene where I wish for a father to give his son his wood-burning equipment. Since I write in a setting grounded in the Victorian era, I popped out to Google to do some 'quick research'. Two hours later, I know a lot more than I needed, but a lot less than I wanted to!
“What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” That's cute, Shakespeare... now, can anyone tell what those other names actually are?
Did you just blink and draw a blank? You're in good company. Let's say you're a writer. You've just conjured up a skinny teenaged boy with an incredible backstory, anger issues, perfect hair and an allergy to squirrels. That's all well and good, but what's his name?
I love researching the little details for a story. Yesterday I decided that a particular character in "Down The Tubes" should live next door to a paper clip factory, simply because I liked the way that sounded. But I needed to be sure paper clips had been invented in 1895. I found patent application diagram, which shows a paperclip that is identical to the classic clip we still use today.