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13 Things I've Done in the Name of "Research"

31/3/2011

Hello, all! Welcome to this week's Thursday Thirteen!

As some of you may have noticed, last week, I missed posting. The reason for this is pretty simple: I was working on one of my WiPs. I've finally found myself "back in the groove" as it were, and nearly have one project finished, while another project is slightly less complete but approaching the story's peak, from whence it should all be downhilll from there (almost literally, in this case. Heh).

Anyway, in the process of wrangling these stories toward the goal of completion, I've had some time to think about the things writers do to research their stories. And I've been watching Castle reruns, which prompted my thoughts about research.

Anyhoo... I thought I'd share something on the subject of research this week. So please, allow me to present to you

13 Things I've Done in the Name of "Research"

1) When I was working on Ask Me if I'm Happy, I went back through train schedules from two years prior, to be sure they ran at the times I said they did.

2) I also did my best to be sure that the types of trains I mentioned were running at those times, on those days.

It's still up for sale, by the way. Wonder why?

3) I used real estate sites to help me envision the settings, too. The exterior of Jacopo's house in "Alternate Rialto" is based on this house in Venice, although I embellished it quite a bit. (For example, this house isn't on the Grand Canal, but the other side Jacopo's house is.)

4) Although the story was mostly completed by the time I took this picture, I did go to Bologna and take photos of the area for prompts in adding more detail to some scenes. This corner is very much the sort of place where Davide's home in Ask Me if I'm Happy would be.

Capesante. Scallops. Ick.

5) I exhaustively researched what the typical foods are in Venice for a single scene in "Alternate Rialto". I didn't sample them, however, because I'm not a big fan of seafood (and I recently learned that I'm mildly allergic to shellfish).

Thanks to Felyx at Wikimedia Commons for this photo.

6) I also spent quite a lot of time finding the right words in the Venet (Venetian) dialect for describing that meal and even the name of the restaurant. However, in the interest of research, I'm doing my best to find someone who speaks/understands Venet to ensure I got it right before I publish the book.

My current primary project, 27 Stages, has led me down quite the merry path, research-wise, too. For example:

7) I have actually been known to sit at my desk wearing a cycling cap. Of course, by writing this publically, I have just outed myself to my husband, whose cycling caps I have been wearing. Oops.

8) In much the same vein, I have this object close at hand all the time. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what this is, I should tell you it's a bottle cage, which is normally mounted on the bike frame.

9) Another cycling fetish (in the concrete sense) on my desk is this number, which is from a small, local race my hubby rode before we met.

10) In order to learn more about how cyclists think and prepare for different disciplines, I purchased the above video for information about time trialling. Lucky for me, it features my favorite cyclist (and current muse), time triallist extraordinaire Fabian Cancellara.

This made me so happy. The rubdown beforehand made me borderline hysterical.

11) Since this is the start of cycling season, I've been watching races every weekend on my computer or on the television and taking notes or writing scenes which come to mind while I watch. Some races have been more exciting than others, and some had me jumping around the house and laughing giddily afterwards. This summer, like last year and the year before, while I'm in the US, I'll be watching Le Tour de France every day in July from start to finish.

It's such a sacrifice, I tell you what... Heh.

12) My husband - who has got to be the most understanding and indulgent hubby EVER - bought me a two-year subscription to this magazine so I could have research come right to my door! I start getting anxious at the beginning of the month if it doesn't arrive on time. I mean, hey, I've got research to do, dammit!

Fabian's tweets are especially popular. Squee.

13) And finally, in the name of research, I got a Twitter account so I could stalk - er, follow cyclists who tweet as well as industry insiders, journalists and photographers. Which is why - to anyone who doesn't follow those same folks but does follow me - my tweets likely make absolutely no sense.

BONUS!

14) Another thing I've done in the name of research is to sit with a cycling jersey in my hands, considering the weight, the feel of the fabric, the sound it makes when it's zipped up, and so on and on.

And then I let my hubby go for his ride. LOL!

And there you go, 13 Things I've Done in the Name of "Research".

So I think I can say with confidence that I'll go to some lengths to be sure my stories are rich with realistic detail.

And also that they're as accurate as it's possible for me to make them.

I do try, anyway. Besides, most writers will agree that the devil is in the details.

Indeed.

Nicholas Roche, Irish cyclist.

Ciao for now!

17 Comments

Buy These Books! Oli Johns' Ljubljana Witch and Charcoal

25/3/2011

2 Comments

I had the pleasure of meeting the rather charming Oli Johns when I participated in the Into the Desert Event at Oxford Castle last November. There I was fortunate enough to find a copy of Gupter Puncher, Oli's magazine, for free. And since we'd chatted about so many things in a short span of time - mostly about travel, publishing and such things - I was sure I would enjoy reading his work at my leisure.

I was right.

And now, I'd like to suggest a couple of books to you, both of them written by this talented young gentleman. (I can call him this because I'm older than he is. So there. Nyah-nyah.)

So, anyway. I'd be ever-so-pleased if everyone who reads this would take a hop over to whichever Amazon site suits them best - US or UK, it doesn't matter - and see if you'd be interested in Oli's books. I'd be even more pleased if you actually bought them, of course.

They're bargain priced, and if you can appreciate a sometimes slightly unconventional style of writing, you might just find that you've grabbed a fantastic deal. I honestly think you'll be pleased, and there shall be no regrets.

Charcoal

'Apparently there are three popular ways to kill yourself in Hong Kong.

Throw yourself off a building.
Hang yourself.
Burn charcoal in a sealed room.'

Oli doesn't want to die. He wants to live. And he wants other people to live too, even if they don't.
All they have to do is follow his plan: Make dolls. Live in an art commune. Love him.
There's just one problem.
The one he wants to save...what if she's already dead?

[Note: The answer to the problem is time travel. Possibly.]

Available for Kindle on Amazon US and UK.

Ljubljana Witch

‘Come to Ljubljana. Stay with me forever.

D’

Bermondsey, London: Building sites not building anything, ill-looking grass, five muggings in the same tunnel in the last month. Billy wants out. But how? All he has is a zine that no one reads, and his best friend Jay telling him the harsh reality of things.

But then…an e-mail. From Ljubljana, a place he can’t even spell. ‘Come stay with me forever,’ it tells him.

Weird, but okay, thinks Billy. Why not?

With Jay along for the ride, and others picked up along the way, Billy arrives in Ljubljana and quickly finds that things are a lot stranger than he could’ve possibly imagined. An art commune run by a man in a bear costume. A castle surrounded by continual snow, with ancient gods and 80s board games, famous writers and forbidden rooms.

And Daisy…his beautiful, unpredictable host.

Who is this woman? Why won’t she let him go outside? What’s inside the room at the top of the spiral stairs? And what happens when he can no longer write for her?

Available in Kindle format on Amazon US and UK.

If nothing else, I hope the visitors to my blog (all three of them) will come away with the idea to read these books planted firmly in their heads.

'Cause that'd be great.

2 Comments

Mail Call! New Guest Blog Is Up!

22/3/2011

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My guest blog for Book After Book is up for the month. This time around, I'm sharing my experiences with the Italian postal service. Won't you drop by and share your thoughts on the blog?

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13 Random Facts About Italy - 150th Anniversary Edition

17/3/2011

14 Comments

Hello again and welcome to this week's Thursday Thirteen!

I know, just about everyone is doing a St. Patrick's Day-themed post this week, but I thought I'd do something a little different. As it happens, today is also the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, which means many Italians are enjoying a day off. Some will have Friday off too, savoring a "ponte" or bridge holiday - joining a day off to a weekend for extra time away from work.

So, I thought I'd go with the flow and share

13 Random Facts About Italy

Okay, so they tinkered with it a little more after this...

1) The Italian tri-color flag - Il Tricolore - was originally the herald of the Cispadane Republic under Napoleon in 1797. It was later adopted as the flag for the newly-formed nation of Italy.

Not the original David.

2) The era of Il Rinascimento -- better known to many as the Renaissance -- spanned roughly from the 14th to the 17th century, and is believed by many to have begun in Florence, Italy before reaching the rest of Europe.

3) For all its impact on the arts and sciences through the years, Italy is a small country, geographically speaking. It covers roughly 116,304 square miles.

To put that in perspective, the state of Arizona covers 113, 998 square miles (approximately).

And from the looks of it, they're all on the road at the same time, too.

4) Italy fits more people in that square mileage, though. Compared to Arizona's 6,595,778 people, Italy is home to 60,221,211 people.

5) The Italian alphabet has only 21 letters. The letters ‹ j, k, w, x, y › are excluded, appearing only in words adopted from other languages (such as jeans, taxi, weekend and so on).

Just the tip of the, uh, toe, really.

6) Many Italians speak not only standard Italian, but also their local, regional dialect. As a general rule, these dialects are frequently quite difficult to understand if you are not from the area where it is commonly spoken. Some are more familiar to outsiders -- Roman or Tuscan dialects among them -- but most are not.

7) If you're a musician, you're surely aware of all the musical terms which come from Italian, for example:
Cantata - Sung
Coda - Tail
Libretto- Little book
Intermezzo- Interval
Alto- High
Tempo - Time
Adagio- At ease
Fortissimo- Very strong

Just to name a few!

8) As I said at the beginning, Italy has only existed as a unified nation for 150 years, having united in 1861.

9) However, the Republic of Italy has only been around since 1946.

10) While today the capital city is Rome, the original capital of Italy was Torino - Turin - at the foot of the Alps. Florence also had a brief spell as the capital as well, before Rome became the official capital of the nation in 1871.

11) There are twenty separate regions in Italy:

1. Valle d'Aosta
2. Trentino-Alto Adige
3. Friuli-Venezia Giulia
4. Piemonte
5. Lombardia
6. Veneto
7. Liguria
8. Emilia-Romagna
9. Marche
10. Toscana
11. Umbria
12. Lazio
13. Abruzzo
14. Molise
15. Campania
16. Basilicata
17. Puglia
18. Calabria
19. Sicilia
20. Sardegna

12) Italy has a public health care system which ranks as the world's 2nd best.

13) According to The Economist, Italy has the 8th highest quality of life in the world.

And there you have them - 13 Random Facts About Italy!

Think of it as antidote to all the St. Patrick's Day celebration, if you like.

Not that there's anything wrong with St. Patrick's Day, mind.

In fact, I encourage you to pinch someone who isn't wearing green, today.

Like this guy!

Mirco Bergamasco. Italian rugby player. Not wearing green. Pinch-pinch-pinch!!!

Ciao for now!

14 Comments

13 "Do You Know That...?" Factoids

10/3/2011

19 Comments

So. You thought the slogan "Have a happy period" was bad? It used to annoy me, too, until I got to Italy and was confronted by the rather patronizing tone of the marketing of feminine products here.

Not content with using a simplistic slogan to make their point, the LINES (pronounced "LEE-nez") product line includes a series of "Lo sai che?" - "Do you know that...?" - factoids on the packaging of some of their items.

Since last Tuesday was International Women's Day, I thought I'd share with you some of the factoids that LINES thinks women need to know about our bodies. Here now, I'd like to present:

13 'Do You Know That...?' Factoids

(I'll take the first quotes directly from the item pictured.)

1) Do you know that 60% of women suffer from premenstrual syndrome?

Well, hurrrrr....Durrrr... Really? Not exactly a newsflash, is it?

2) Do you know that... in the premenstrual phase even positive effects may occur, such as increased sex drive and creativity?

Well, that explains a lot for me. We'll pretend I hadn't noticed that on my own. Like most women I know.

3) Do you know that a herbal tea such as calendula (marigold) is a good remedy against water retention?

Or, you know, just drinking a healthy amount of water. Like we're supposed to, anyway.

4) Did you know that the cycle can be influenced by factors outside of nature?

This is one of the quotes which made me say "Well, duh!" out loud when I read it.

5) Do you know that during the cycle a very common behavior is a desire for sweet foods?

*Headdesk*

Do you know it's a common need to want a sweet treat during the menstrual period?

What, you mean... Like chocolate or something? Which you mention several times in other "factoids", such as:

Did you know that chocolate stimulates the production of serotonin, the hormone of happiness, which is lacking during the cycle?

I reckon that answers that. Although chocolate generally has that effect any time - not just during menstruation.

6) Did you know that a thorough and proper genital hygiene is essential during the menstrual cycle?

This one is so important - I guess Italian women don't know this basic fact? - they actually repeat it with some rewording:

Do you know it's good practice to enhance the normal hygienic practices during menstruation? (emphasis mine)

(Here, the website goes on to add: "Menstruation is an event with the potential for polluting the presence of stagnant blood and secretions, it is necessary to increase the frequency of daily washing underwear and use of strong acid cleaners.")

'Cause, you know, you wouldn't have figured out that you needed to clean yourself up on your own. And hey, don't forget to use "strong acid cleaners" to make sure your clothes are clean too*, okay?

*Edited to add this note: Evidently, I went a little astray while interpreting this one. The "strong acid cleaners" was not referring to detergents to clean clothes, but rather to feminine cleansers - which is to say, douches. Yeah. I didn't think that one could get worse, but it did. (Thanks to my brave hubby for not being afraid to point that one out.)

So, be sure to clean your nasty hoochies, y'all! Aren't you glad LINES was here to remind you to do this?

7) Do you know that a cold compress on the eyes relieves menstrual syndrome headaches?

Did you know that dropping a brick on your toe hurts?

8) Do you know that with a simple hot water bottle you can relieve pain in the belly?

Did you know that a simple warm bath can relieve menstrual cramps?

That's right up there with number seven, no?

9) Do you know that nuts can give you a natural relaxing effect?

Okay, they meant nuts like almonds, walnuts and peanuts - but I couldn't help laughing at that one.

10) Do you know the term 'lunatic' referring to a woman comes from the beliefs that a woman's life is influenced by the moon?

Yeah, I think most of us know that now. And thanks for bringing that up, by the way.

11) Did you know that during the menstrual cycle it is recommended to wear comfortable and breathable clothing?

Aw, geez. Why didn't I think of that? That's where I've been going wrong my whole life.

12) Do you know that pre-menstrual syndrome can also be affected by stress?

Oh. My. God. Why has no-one told me this before? ALERT THE MEDIA!!! Or, you know... Dig yourself out from the rock you've been living under.

13) Do you know that, statistically, premenstrual syndrome affects mainly women who work outside the home? (emphasis mine)

This is the one which sent me raving (post-menstrually, thank you very much) to my husband, and inspired this post. I found this one particularly insulting. Why?

Because a) I know plenty of women who were/are affected by PMS who were stay-at-home mothers and wives, and b) I found the underlying message here to be that working "outside the home" (and how many women really have a choice in the matter, especially if they're not married?) was a bad thing. As in "You bring the stress on yourself, woman, by not staying where you should be."

I won't say I wasn't being a tad oversensitive. There's just something in the tone of that "fact" which seems to me to be incredibly condescending.

For what it's worth, my husband agreed after he read it for himself.

Yes, I know there are more than thirteen factoids collected up there.

But some of them were too hard to resist sharing.

And I'm never terribly good at resisting impulses, I guess.

But you know me...

That's just how I am.

Woo-hooo!

Ciao for now!

19 Comments

It's International Women's Day!

8/3/2011

0 Comments

No, I didn't make that up. It's International Women's Day, so why don't the ladies go out and celebrate? In the meantime, why not support women's sports, women's charities and honor the many amazing women you know and love? Think about the sacrifices women have had to make throughout history, and the incredible achievements we've made.

And then, when you're done, you might want to take in a show if you can.

This advert was posted at the nearby gas station.

I'm not sure what he's doing with that blanket. I'm not sure I really care.

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13 Things I'll Probably Never Do

3/3/2011

14 Comments

I had this blog done once. Completely. It was ready to go and all I needed to do was hit the "Publish" button. Instead, I hit something else and it went "poof".

Argh.

Anyway, here it is. Again.

The idea for this week's Thursday Thirteen came while I was up in the middle of the night with the cat (she insisted on having attention, along with fresh gooshy food) and a bad cold. I found myself thinking "I'll never sleep again," followed shortly by "I'll never breathe clearly again." (Give me a break - I'm sick and haven't rested well for a long time. I tend toward melodrama in these moments.) It occurred to me that there are things which I'm really not going to do, in any likelihood, and so I started jotting them down until the cat knocked the pen out of my hand. (Both hands for scritches, mm'kay?)

So now I'd like to share with you

13 Things I'll Probably Never Do

Sooooo not happening. (Quick and Dirty pic.)

1) Win an Academy Award.

I'm not saying it's totally impossible - writers do win them, of course - it's just not terribly likely.

It is unlikely the event would look anything like this picture. Worst hair in Oscars history, though. I'd be kinda proud of that. Too bad my body wouldn't be as nice in that dress.

Nope. Not happening.

2) Walk on the Moon.

Just sayin' - it's not likely to happen, ya know? Although it'd be nice to be somewhere I could weigh what I did in high school. Heh.

3) Windsurf.

I hate the beach. I'm not keen on swimming in the ocean. The sun and I have an understanding: I avoid it and it doesn't cause me to get skin rashes.

And then I'd probably knock myself out with the sail on the board or something and drown.

Not gonna happen.

My first-ever flight in an airplane was in this model of Cessna. Fact!

4) Learn to fly a plane.

I actually almost did this. Then life took me in a different direction. Grrr... Again, it's not impossible - just not likely at this point in time.

5) Own a muscle car.

When I was in high school, I wanted this kind of car so much I could taste it! (Ick.)

Now? Not so much. So I probably won't go out and get one now.

6) Receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

With my temper? Are you kidding? I'll probably never do that.

Nope. This won't convince me.

7) Wear high heels.

I'm not a fashion fiend, so since I find heels uncomfortable, impractical and damaging to the body, I'll pass on them from here on out.

Besides, if I even wear house slippers with a slight wedge to 'em, my back goes out.

Not good.

Further reasons why I won't wear 'em.

My hubby holding Sophie's tail so she can eat. Seriously.

8) Understand my cat's behavior.

Neuroticism taken to a whole new level. Sophie (a.k.a. Doodlebug) has a list of issues as long as my arm. Among them are these gems:
a) No one can sleep in if she's awake.
b) She must be kept company for no less than half an hour in the middle of the night - or no-one sleeps. (She's big on the whole sleep-deprivation thing, can you tell?)
c) If someone is home and she wants to eat/snack, that someone must hold her tail so she can do so.
d) Her tail is stalking her and must be destroyed.
e) She attacks my hubby as he goes into the shower and closes the shower stall door. Every. Morning. No exceptions!
f) Something in the sewing machine cabinet (it's empty, btw) is out to get us all - and she will defend us - but only at Midnight. Or later.
g) She randomly decides that we are about to do her harm and we must be stopped. At. All. Costs. Especially if we've opened a door to let her into a room she's been whining to be let into (i.e., my office). This is an unforgivable infraction of some unwritten law. Apparently.

Nope. I'll probably never understand her, but I'll take my cuddles when I can get 'em.

9) Drive a car in Italy.

Just, uhm... No.

I'll drive in the US, but not here. I don't have the right stuff.

10) Go to India.

At one point in my life, this was actually quite likely to happen. Not now. I kinda think it'd be neat to do, still, but I lack the impetus at the moment to attempt it.

So, yeah. Probably not gonna do it.

11) Use a compound bow.

(How's that for random?)

I was once an archery enthusiast. (Target shooting only, thanks. I don't want to kill anything.) I preferred the simple bow at the time.

Then I thought I'd like to try a compound bow. As soon as I held one in my hand, I changed my mind. Not my thing.

I'll probably never use one.

Don't try this at, uh, home...?

12) Ride a bike up l'Alpe d'Huez.

I'll probably never ride a bike up the hill my mother's house is on, much less up this gorgeous road. I'll leave it to the professionals, thanks. I'm not entirely sure I'd be averse to a couple of days in a camper waiting for the pros to do it, though. Heh. (It slows 'em down a bit... *pinch-pinch*)

This is NOT my office.

13) Get my office completely organized.

I'm messy by nature. I admit it. But I generally know where everything is, so it isn't usually a problem. (Usually.)

Still, I dream of having an office like the one in the photo, here, or like they show in the IKEA catalogs.

Literally. I dream of that.

But I have to resign myself to lower ambitions, because I know I'll probably never manage total organization.

So there we have them: 13 Things I'll Probably Never Do.

But nothing's impossible. I know that.

So I dare to dream on a regular basis.

I could even argue it's what I do - not exactly for a living, but still...

It's what I'm good at.

Oh, yeah.

I find stuff like this, too.

Haari Haatainen - Javelin thrower

Ciao for now!

14 Comments

13 Things I've Done in the Name of "Research"

13 Things I've Done in the Name of "Research"

Buy These Books! Oli Johns' Ljubljana Witch and Charcoal

Mail Call! New Guest Blog Is Up!

13 Random Facts About Italy - 150th Anniversary Edition

13 Random Facts About Italy

13 "Do You Know That...?" Factoids

13 'Do You Know That...?' Factoids

It's International Women's Day!

13 Things I'll Probably Never Do

13 Things I'll Probably Never Do

Kimberly Menozzi

Please note: Thanks to an increase in spam comments, I'll be approving the comments before they post. Sorry!

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