Research

I have spent most of my afternoon doing research for my story, carefully logging interesting details that will help me to create realism in my characters even as I spin them off into something totally fictional and my own.

I now have a lovely little manilla folder sitting on my desk labeled “research” which contains a stack of interesting news stories about the case, along with some details about the place in Venezuela where my characters will be from.

My MC, Elena, and her daughter Dulcea (though I’m not hooked on that name yet, because something about it doesn’t quite fit perfectly) are from Sierra De Coro, in Venezuela. So they have names, and a home, and I know some things about their home. All very good steps!

I have quite the urge to start crafting now, but forcing myself to spend that creative energy researching and doing pre-writing exercises is probably much more helpful.

Our local NaNo group is meeting on Saturday, and I have a three-page plot ready to share there. Then on Sunday I’m trekking to Bismarck to visit with the group there, meet Pookel and say hello. Oh yeah, and go shopping... *wink* On Monday I’m thinking a massage, not thinking about writing, and taking a long afternoon nap so that at midnight I can jump right into writing.

Ambitious, probably, but it’s all about pushing myself to get the writing done. It will be a very busy, busy month, and I’ll need all the incentive and push I can get.