Victorians and voodoo and trains, oh my.

[truepenny]

I am realizing in practice what I already knew in theory: that the great thing about being a fantasy writer is that EVERYTHING is research. If not for one book, then for another.

It's even better than academia because (aside from certain obvious reasons of which you, Gentle Reader, will already be well-aware) I don't have to specialize. It doesn't all have to fit into one coherent course of study.

*gloats quietly*

Comments

[libskrat]

There are things that those of us with jackdaws' minds can do well. Fantasy writing is indeed one of them.

Librarianship is another. :)

[ex-ajhalluk585.livejournal.com]

Well, in theory, I'm researching for an original novel set in FEb-Mar 1863. But has that stopped me ranging? Has it hell.

[coffeeandink.livejournal.com]

This is why I'm TERRIFIED to throw anything out.

Okay, it's not. But it's a potential excuse.

yes!

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

reason #9879 for me to FLEE academia!

[peacockharpy.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my tendency to obsess like mad on one subject... then another... then another... for all my reading life has definitely stood me in good stead with writing. Plus, it's just FUN. It's really fun to learn subjects in depth, just because I'm interested or it attracts me.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

I know I should have stuck to fantasy. I pick a period to write about that is a bit low on known facts, and what do I end up with? 20 feet of books that I own, let alone all the ones in sundry libraries. The nice thing about fantasy is you can leave things out.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Yes. If one doesn't like a fact, one doesn't have to use it. And one can decide when one wants to stop learning facts and start making them up.