Angela Scott
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What kind's of WEIRD stuff have you had to research for your WIP? (Come check out mine)

1/6/2012

32 Comments

 
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Enjoy the scenic landscape picture because it's going to get weird from this point on.
Because I'm writing about zombies, the old west, and cowboys, I find myself researching some very odd things. Things so bizarre that should I ever commit a crime (I really don't think I would, but you never know when I just might snap) and the police raid my house and view my activity on my laptop, I will have no way to defend myself:

"But I'm an author, your honor. All that stuff about stabbing someone through the jaw and then eating their brains was for a project. I swear. It wasn't me! It wasn't me!"

For my latest WIP, I research a lot about guns, rifles, and swords. I need to know the style and names of those kinds of weapons back in the wild west days, and how many bullets such a weapon can hold before needing to reload. I've researched this a lot. Sometime my research takes me to websites that I'm fairly certain are run by white supremacy groups or run by government haters. It's happened. BUT, I quickly get out of there as fast as I can. EXCEPT, now those sites are logged in my history. (You can delete your history, but the police always have a way. They do!).

Then add on top of that the research I did to learn how to skin and gut a rabbit (it wasn't nearly as bloody as I imagined it would be. As long as it doesn't stink, I think I could do it) AND add to that the research I did to find out if it was at all possible to kill a man by jamming a 6 inch knife up through the bottom of their jaw and into the roof of the mouth. Would it touch brain? Could a person survive? This little piece of research took me to many, many sites--some very helpful, others, as you can imagine, not so much (very scary).

I've had to research the rate in which a body decomposes, what a dead body smells like under normal circumstances, what it smells like when it is burned, and whether an arrow can pierce a skull. All good stuff to know, by the way.

So yep. I'm in a heap of trouble.

And this is only for the current WIP. Let's not even go into the research I had to do to find out if a veterinarian had the tools to amputate a human hand. 

It's bizarre the things authors are forced to research due to the direction our WIP takes us. I've researched things I NEVER thought I would have to.

So I'm curious, what bizarre things have you had to research for your novel/novels? I'd love to know I'm not the only one perusing strange sites that can land me jail :)

Just to make things even more interesting, as I researched a picture of something WEIRD to add to this blog, here are a few pictures that came up when I did so. See? Even searching for a weird picture is going to get me in trouble. Enjoy.

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This is so wrong. So very wrong. Who came up with this slide design? Seriously?
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OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! (I don't like this picture. It hurts my tummy).
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Ummm . . . I have no idea what is going on here. I think I'll hold it, thanks anyway.
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I'm sorry, my French friends, but this is really gross. This kid looks like she's bathing in blood. This is a real product you can buy called Gelli Baff
32 Comments
Julia King link
1/6/2012 04:21:33 am

I have to admit the pic of the tongue pretty much grossed me out. But the elephant was dungtastic. Ok, forgive the play on words.

Now to the meat of my comment: I've had to do a ton of research on Paris for my first book. Nothing super strange there. However, I did have to research and ask around about drinking. Being a person who has never touched a drink, I didn't know how much of one type of liquor or another would make someone drunk. Let's just say one of my characters gets plastered in a scene. That was sort of odd.

In my WIP, I had to do lots of studying up on the city my book takes place in. I've never been there so that was interesting. I did have to do a ton of research on my paranormal character (not saying what it is, tho--my secret). Sorry I'm not super exciting with my topics of research. There it is!

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Angela Scott link
1/6/2012 05:45:34 am

Oh,I wish I got to research about Paris! That's much better than skinning rabbits :)

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Liv Rancourt link
1/6/2012 06:22:31 am

My current WIP has had me buying Tarot cards and reading about Dios de los Meurtos and thinking about clowns. Oh, and planning another research trip to LA, where it all takes place. And your last picture reminds me of the time I put green food coloring in the kids scrambled eggs to make them think they were eating Green Eggs and Ham. Amazing the things we do to children.
Peace,
Liv

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Angela Scott link
1/6/2012 09:35:02 am

Ahh, you gave me a good idea to write about some exotic place so I can go on a trip there and call it "research" :)

My next novel, maybe.

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Angela Wallace link
1/6/2012 06:46:34 am

Haha, I've also thought that about my browser history as well. I've researched guns and knives before. Recently I researched how fungal spores can become pathogenic and kill people. Those pictures are disgusting!

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Angela Scott link
1/6/2012 09:36:53 am

Can fungal spores kill people? I need to know this. How can I protect myself? Death is everywhere, I tell ya.

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Veronica Jorden link
1/6/2012 08:25:51 am

Ah, research. I've been buried in research from the beginning of this WIP. For me it's started with the prison ships used by the British during the American Revolution. It just kind of expanded from there and now feel like I know more about the year 1778 then I do 2012!

I appreciate your dedication, and am glad to hear that there are others who want to tell a good story, but want to authentic as possible.

Have a super weekend and happy writing/research!

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Angela Scott link
1/6/2012 09:38:21 am

The British are coming! The British are coming!

(Sorry. I couldn't help it).

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Kortnee link
1/6/2012 09:08:28 am

One of my favorite books of all time is called Forensics and Fiction. It's written by a doctor who has been the go-to guy for a bunch of novelists and television shows. I had the weirdest dreams for weeks after I bought it and opened it up randomly. I've gotten some pretty awesome story hooks from reading through it, too.

Right now, I'm researching the geology of a dessert and what could create one, trying to figure out if a city could be swallowed by the dessert and still be mostly intact and if I can teleport my main character to the middle of the city without suffocating her.

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Angela Scott link
1/6/2012 09:40:25 am

Hmm...how do you even begin to research something like that? I mean, do you just type in: How to teleport into a desert without suffocating?

Now you've got me curious. I'm going to go type that in and see what happens :)

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Charlotte Rains Dixon link
1/6/2012 09:08:37 am

Well, since I write plain old-fashioned women's fiction, I don't get to research the good stuff like you But in my other writing career, I got to write a book about Voodoo and that was AWESOME.

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Angela Scott link
1/6/2012 09:42:02 am

Voodoo! Just the word itself sounds awesome--scary, but cool.

(I ain't messing with that though).

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Rebecca L. Fisk link
1/6/2012 09:24:22 am

I am SO GLAD to hear I am not the only one who has contemplated my computer's browsing hx to be used against me in a court of law!
Let's see-
Medieval weaponry, 16th Century France culture/politics/religious issues/diseases/foods/clothing, French dialogue chat rooms, Circuses and the performers in them (PBS did a mini-series called Circus that was AMAZING and actually incredibly helpful!) maps of 16th century France, pictures of mythic beasts, the history of felines, including musculoskeletal diagrams, um...what else. Watching martial arts movies, playing with swords in a weird antique replica store (THAT was super fun!)

That's all I got for now!!

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Angela Scott link
1/6/2012 09:44:22 am

Circuses! That would be cool to research. Maybe my next book can be a zombie circus? YEAH. That's my idea. Don't anybody snatch it It's a winner. Pure golden genius.

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Diana link
1/6/2012 09:31:51 am

I know lots of ways to strangle someone, knife wounds, and some dirty stuff that I inadvertently found out because I wasn't so careful with my key words. BTW, I wrote a blog post after months, can you believe it? It's a miracle.

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Angela Scott link
1/6/2012 09:46:54 am

Holy crap! You wrote a blog post? Will miracles never cease? AWESOME, my friend. Come back to the dark side :)

I'm off to check it out now.

Hey, everyone! Diana wrote a blog post! She's back in the saddle again. YIPPEE!

She's my bestest writing buddy, my ideal reader, and a most awesome friend. Pop over and support her. Do it. Do it now :)

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Kathleen S. Allen link
1/6/2012 11:31:58 am

I am also doing a zombie WIP! Mine is a YA Dystopian with zombies. I've researched guns- how to load and clean one-, how to kill zombies-I found some great You Tube videos on this-,brains and brain death, disabling a bomb, what kind of an engine a cruise ship has, types of rope...

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Angela Scott link
1/7/2012 12:07:26 pm

A YA zombie Dystopian? I'd totally be interested in reading THAT :) Keep me in mind when you finish. Seriously.

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Kathleen S. Allen link
2/19/2012 04:38:02 am

It's currently entered in the ABNA (Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award), if it gets past the third round, an excerpt will be posted on their site. *Fingers crossed*

Gretchen C. Hohmeyer link
1/7/2012 12:17:08 am

One of the best/worst things about all these strange things is how Google saves your prior searches. I'll be typing in something new and it'll remind me of something I've searched ages ago...and I won't even remember why. You find yourself disturbed with your own mind. :P

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Angela Scott link
1/7/2012 12:08:54 pm

Oh yeah! The prior searches. That is funny and could get some weird looks should you be around anyone else who might see.

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Kari Marie link
1/7/2012 07:57:46 am

Oh research. I've researched demonology, witchcraft, hyrdogeologists (to learn about really really old water) and how long it takes a body to decompose.

Nothing too frightening...

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Angela Scott link
1/7/2012 12:09:39 pm

Yeah, that stuff is totally normal and innocent :)

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Wendy S. Russo link
1/8/2012 04:25:59 am

I once looked into the history of sewer systems.

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Nancy M. Popovich link
1/8/2012 04:33:56 am

This post made me smile! I thought something similar when I did research for brainwashing. The thought crossed my mind that some of the sites I arrived at could be monitored and clicked away asap!

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Sierra Gardner link
1/8/2012 07:29:30 am

Yeah - if the police ever come looking I'm pretty sure I'm in a lot of trouble. I'm working on two WIP's right now. One involves terrorism, government conspiracy and paranormal experimentation in the 70's. The other involves bioweapons, a dystopian society and weaponry. I'd hate to see the case they'd have against me based on all of that =)

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Michael Offutt link
1/9/2012 06:59:19 am

What a great topic to talk about. I may have to steal this topic for a future blog post on my blog.

Okay...as for what I have researched:

1) How long does it take to freeze to death in -140 degree Farenheit weather without proper protection.

2) Like you...different information and specifications on guns.

3) How to grow flesh in a laboratory.

4) How to smoke meth.

5) How to create powerful X-Rays using a supercollider.

6) How sharp are hockey skates (answer really f'in sharp. People have almost bled to death by getting knicked by them).

Yeah...it's interesting being an author.

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Lisal McCombs link
1/15/2012 04:25:22 am

Research items: robbing an animal shelter, nursing home wheelchair races, multiple sclerosis and time travel, cutting

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This Side of 30 link
1/19/2012 04:29:46 am

I can't even begin to imagine all the pictures that pop up as you are searching all those gruesome topics. Ew. I can't even handle watching them stick a basic needle in someone's arm on Grey's Anatomy, so I certainly wouldn't be able to handle seeing a picture of skinning a rabbit or a knife in someone's jaw.

And I love, love, love the elephant photo! So hilarious! I wonder if the person who designed that is still laughing about it and giggling that he got that past someone.

Thanks for sharing these! :)

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LH Thomson link
1/19/2012 05:13:13 am

Poisons! How quickly they kill, in what doses, physiological symptoms, how quickly those symptoms strike, delivery methods.

I'm really starting to wish I'd paid more attention in chemistry.

Plus, huge scads of info on ancient Egypt for another book, and Spanish history and culture up the wazoo.

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ScottTheWriter link
2/4/2012 04:20:57 am

If the Internet had been around two hundred years ago or so, I might be arrested for researching witchcraft, Gnostic beliefs and practices, ancient gods of various cultures and sexual practices in pre-Christian eastern Europe.

Sounds great even now!

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Alex link
1/23/2014 06:49:07 am

It’s hard to sort the good from the bad sometimes, but I think you’ve nailed it. You write very well which is amazing. I really impressed by your post

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