Andrea here, putting together this month's Ask A Wench feature, which poses a particularly fun question from Wench reader Claire Phillips. (Thank you, Claire!): What are the best resources you've found for your research? What are the most fun ones?
Christina: For me, both the best and most fun resources have been seeing historical reconstructions and trying things out for myself – in my case, Viking longships and houses, and some of their implements. Being able to take a short trip in a longship and help with the rowing was invaluable as I would never have known exactly how it felt otherwise. I couldn’t possibly have imagined how smoothly the keel cut through the waves or how easy it was to use 
the oars – I would have thought it was much heavier. It was good to know that as a female, I could have played my part and taken turns at rowing. To sit and lie down on a fur-covered bench in a reconstructed Viking hall also added so much to my picture of life a thousand years ago. And having a go at turning a quern stone gave me huge respect for the poor thrall women who had to use those all the time – it was incredibly heavy! When you experience things first-hand your senses are assailed in every way and you gain a more complete understanding of what it was like. I’m always thrilled when I get to do anything like that!
Pat: Aw, c’mon now, the most fun research resources? TRAVEL. That’s just too easy, right? I know way back in the Jurassic, I wrote about what I knew, which was Kentucky, because I lived there and could see what I was writing about. When I had to get brave and venture outside my home ground, I’d have to find books in the library on geography and history and look for local maps from the time I was writing about and . . . My librarians hated me 
because all those books had to be borrowed from out of network. And even after all that research, if I grabbed an opportunity to visit, as I did one memorable occasion, I’d discover my heroine would have to jump off a cliff to reach the beach I wanted her on.
So now, if it is at all possible, I travel for research. I pick up books on the locale, take photos, talk to people, get some small grasp of the lingo and cultural habits. Even with Google Earth and everything available online, there simply isn’t any better resource than standing on the ground the characters will walk, seeing and smelling and hearing what they sense. How could I ever have understood the tufa caves beneath Orvieto or the medieval towns on top of hills had I not traveled to Umbria?
Nicola: I’m lucky enough to have accumulated a vast library of amazing research books, varying from the general to the gloriously specific. Titles include Beards through History, Beef, Bacon and Bag Pudding (which is about the English Civil War in Berkshire) and a History of Belly-Dancing. So if there is some aspect of life in the Regency period that I need to find out about, for example, it’s likely I’ll have a reference book about it somewhere. I’ve just inherited my parents’ books as well so a very big overhaul of the bookcases beckons and there are challenges in how I categorise them all! I also love the online site JSTOR which is a digital library of academic papers, books and primary sources, and the Dictionary of National Biography which gives so much detail on the lives of the famous and influential. They are both places I can get very distracted as one research query leads to another.
The research that’s the most fun, though, is the stuff I call “method research” like method acting. This could include trying out falconry or carriage driving or Regency dancing so that you understand exactly what your characters would have experienced when they were performing the quadrille. That sort of hands on experience is invaluable. My all-time favourite thing, though, is visiting the historic sites I write about. Not only do I love wandering through old houses or ancient stone circles but I love lapping up the atmosphere. You tread the same paths and stairs your characters walked on, see the same view and get as close to their lives as you can. You can even dress up in a lot of these houses and pretend you really are Lady Nicola in the 16th century! It’s a sort of time travel!
Mary Jo: Travel and first person experience are wonderful but not always possible My first and most fundamental research resource is books, which is why I have so many. I started writing pre-internet and finding books with good Regency information was a passion. We Regency writer cultists swapped information about what books were good and where to find them.
If you think this can result in an overabundance of books–you're right. <G> A primary reason for moving from my pleasant compact first house to this one was because the first house had run out of bookshelf space. Now this one has, too. Think maybe it's time I started thinning the herd?
Besides a solid foundation of general information research books, each new book requires more specific books. The inspiration for my newest novel, ONCE A LAIRD, came from visit Orkney, and buying every local guide book I could find there. But I bought still more books on Orkney when I returned home, including a book on Orkney cooking.
The more remote the setting for a book, the more research was required. This probably reached the pinnacle of book craziness with SILK AND SECRETS, an adventure romance set on a rescue mission to Bokhara in Central Asia. I relied heavily on the memoirs of a man who made the actual rescue mission that inspired my plot. I couldn't find a copy to buy, so I got the book from Inter Library Loan–and stood over my little photocopier and copied every page. (Somewhere between 200 and 300 pages, if I recall correctly.)
The I sat down with a highlighter and Post-It notes and went through the whole thing highlighting and flagging every bit that might be useful: Layout of caravansaries. Information on Bactrian camels. (No dromedaries allowed!) Entry in the walled city of Bokhara. Horrid details of the Black Well of Bokhara, the khan's version of a oubliette. I also drank cardamom tea with a native Afghan who lives near me and who was a seller of gorgeous rugs. (I fell in love with Central Asian rugs and they brighten my house to this day.)
If this sounds like the research equivalent of "In my day I had to walk five miles to school in the snow, uphill both ways!" you are not wrong. <G> But creating a vivid sense of place is important for my books so I did it. The internet made this a lot easier, but it's still serious work. And it still involves buying more research books for every project. <G>
Andrea: I love research and there are so many wonderful resources for authors these days. Many historical societies and museums have their collections online, so I can see a mind-boggling array of wonderful stuff around the world without changing out of my pajamas! Books—on most any obscure topic one can think of—also allow me to do deep dives in the subjects like the history of gunpowder or mechanical automata. So I read a lot and have accumulated a ton (literally) of really interesting books, like Poison: an Illustrated History; The London Sewers; The Humble Little Condom . . . I really get a kick out of learning about things that most people would find . . . weird.
I often find inspiration for my stories in the arcane little details that I discover when I’m actually looking for something else, so spending time in museums, especially the smaller specialty ones, just looking at all the elements of life in my chosen era of the Regency helps me craft a world for my characters that is accurate and authentic. Visiting the Horse Guards Museum so I can get a feeling for my military heroes . . . traipsing around the Dockland Museum and the old East India docks so I can picture the complex world of commerce along the Thames . . . hanging out in the Science Museum in Oxford so I can see what my hero, Lord Wrexford, would have in his laboratory . . .
You’ll notice that museums often go hand and hand with travel! Travel is of course the ultimate research fun, and museum are the first places I visit whenever I go to a new place. And then I just walk, walk, walk, soaking up all the sights and ambiance.
I never know when a special exhibit will spark some plot twist or ah-ha moment. One of my favorite examples is an exhibit the Metropolitan Museum in New York had several years ago on the pre-eminent gunsmiths of London during the Regency. The details and technical innovations were amazing, and I discovered Durs Egg and his beautiful but deadly pistols. (Honestly, how could I resist creating a cameo appearance in my stories for a fellow named Durs Egg! Look for him and some of his fascinating technical innovations in my September 2022 Wrexford & Sloane mystery, as well as my Lady Arianna mysteries!)
So what about you? Do you have a hobby pr passion that demands research? What are some of the fun resources or research experiences you have had? Please share!
Ah, this makes me wish I still had the stamina to travel. All the museums and landmarks mentioned and more. It would take a pretty big rabbit hole to satisfy me. But I’m happy with the travels I’ve had, and so grateful for ebooks where I can tap through to see what this castle looked like, where that town is located, or how a corset really fit. Even how those beautiful recent cover art pieces come together. What an age we live in!
Ah, this makes me wish I still had the stamina to travel. All the museums and landmarks mentioned and more. It would take a pretty big rabbit hole to satisfy me. But I’m happy with the travels I’ve had, and so grateful for ebooks where I can tap through to see what this castle looked like, where that town is located, or how a corset really fit. Even how those beautiful recent cover art pieces come together. What an age we live in!
Ah, this makes me wish I still had the stamina to travel. All the museums and landmarks mentioned and more. It would take a pretty big rabbit hole to satisfy me. But I’m happy with the travels I’ve had, and so grateful for ebooks where I can tap through to see what this castle looked like, where that town is located, or how a corset really fit. Even how those beautiful recent cover art pieces come together. What an age we live in!
Ah, this makes me wish I still had the stamina to travel. All the museums and landmarks mentioned and more. It would take a pretty big rabbit hole to satisfy me. But I’m happy with the travels I’ve had, and so grateful for ebooks where I can tap through to see what this castle looked like, where that town is located, or how a corset really fit. Even how those beautiful recent cover art pieces come together. What an age we live in!
Ah, this makes me wish I still had the stamina to travel. All the museums and landmarks mentioned and more. It would take a pretty big rabbit hole to satisfy me. But I’m happy with the travels I’ve had, and so grateful for ebooks where I can tap through to see what this castle looked like, where that town is located, or how a corset really fit. Even how those beautiful recent cover art pieces come together. What an age we live in!
SO true, Mary! International travel still feels uncertain, what with all the changing demands, so I’ve really missed getting to explore faraway places. But internet does offer amazing opportunities to experience some wonderful things. Not quite wonderful as being at the actual place, but still very stimulating.
SO true, Mary! International travel still feels uncertain, what with all the changing demands, so I’ve really missed getting to explore faraway places. But internet does offer amazing opportunities to experience some wonderful things. Not quite wonderful as being at the actual place, but still very stimulating.
SO true, Mary! International travel still feels uncertain, what with all the changing demands, so I’ve really missed getting to explore faraway places. But internet does offer amazing opportunities to experience some wonderful things. Not quite wonderful as being at the actual place, but still very stimulating.
SO true, Mary! International travel still feels uncertain, what with all the changing demands, so I’ve really missed getting to explore faraway places. But internet does offer amazing opportunities to experience some wonderful things. Not quite wonderful as being at the actual place, but still very stimulating.
SO true, Mary! International travel still feels uncertain, what with all the changing demands, so I’ve really missed getting to explore faraway places. But internet does offer amazing opportunities to experience some wonderful things. Not quite wonderful as being at the actual place, but still very stimulating.
My husband and I used to be Civil War Reenactors. We read everything we could put our hands on, especially about our Medical specialty. I learned how to make American Civil War era dresses, so I had to know all the layers that go under it. Our best resources were our fellow reenactors as they could point us in the right direction. Books, museums and battlefields are excellent sources. Eventually, the information became so internalized, we could go to events and not have to refer to notes when spectators asked questions.
My husband and I used to be Civil War Reenactors. We read everything we could put our hands on, especially about our Medical specialty. I learned how to make American Civil War era dresses, so I had to know all the layers that go under it. Our best resources were our fellow reenactors as they could point us in the right direction. Books, museums and battlefields are excellent sources. Eventually, the information became so internalized, we could go to events and not have to refer to notes when spectators asked questions.
My husband and I used to be Civil War Reenactors. We read everything we could put our hands on, especially about our Medical specialty. I learned how to make American Civil War era dresses, so I had to know all the layers that go under it. Our best resources were our fellow reenactors as they could point us in the right direction. Books, museums and battlefields are excellent sources. Eventually, the information became so internalized, we could go to events and not have to refer to notes when spectators asked questions.
My husband and I used to be Civil War Reenactors. We read everything we could put our hands on, especially about our Medical specialty. I learned how to make American Civil War era dresses, so I had to know all the layers that go under it. Our best resources were our fellow reenactors as they could point us in the right direction. Books, museums and battlefields are excellent sources. Eventually, the information became so internalized, we could go to events and not have to refer to notes when spectators asked questions.
My husband and I used to be Civil War Reenactors. We read everything we could put our hands on, especially about our Medical specialty. I learned how to make American Civil War era dresses, so I had to know all the layers that go under it. Our best resources were our fellow reenactors as they could point us in the right direction. Books, museums and battlefields are excellent sources. Eventually, the information became so internalized, we could go to events and not have to refer to notes when spectators asked questions.
Oh, how fascinating, Pamela. What a wonderful passion.It’s it great to vist the actual sites, and go to museums and see the actual dresses and weapons, etc. It really does make history come so alive!
I know exactly what you mean about becoming so familiar with your specialty that it’s easy to answer detailed questions right off the top of your head.
Oh, how fascinating, Pamela. What a wonderful passion.It’s it great to vist the actual sites, and go to museums and see the actual dresses and weapons, etc. It really does make history come so alive!
I know exactly what you mean about becoming so familiar with your specialty that it’s easy to answer detailed questions right off the top of your head.
Oh, how fascinating, Pamela. What a wonderful passion.It’s it great to vist the actual sites, and go to museums and see the actual dresses and weapons, etc. It really does make history come so alive!
I know exactly what you mean about becoming so familiar with your specialty that it’s easy to answer detailed questions right off the top of your head.
Oh, how fascinating, Pamela. What a wonderful passion.It’s it great to vist the actual sites, and go to museums and see the actual dresses and weapons, etc. It really does make history come so alive!
I know exactly what you mean about becoming so familiar with your specialty that it’s easy to answer detailed questions right off the top of your head.
Oh, how fascinating, Pamela. What a wonderful passion.It’s it great to vist the actual sites, and go to museums and see the actual dresses and weapons, etc. It really does make history come so alive!
I know exactly what you mean about becoming so familiar with your specialty that it’s easy to answer detailed questions right off the top of your head.
Since I’m not a creative person, I do research for fun. I started years ago, probably when I began reading Georgette Heyer; and went back to the Austin books. All the background I could find. I still love doing this.
I have mentioned before that I am interested in genealogy. I use the research techniques to get a feel for the history of the places my families have lived.
Since I’m not a creative person, I do research for fun. I started years ago, probably when I began reading Georgette Heyer; and went back to the Austin books. All the background I could find. I still love doing this.
I have mentioned before that I am interested in genealogy. I use the research techniques to get a feel for the history of the places my families have lived.
Since I’m not a creative person, I do research for fun. I started years ago, probably when I began reading Georgette Heyer; and went back to the Austin books. All the background I could find. I still love doing this.
I have mentioned before that I am interested in genealogy. I use the research techniques to get a feel for the history of the places my families have lived.
Since I’m not a creative person, I do research for fun. I started years ago, probably when I began reading Georgette Heyer; and went back to the Austin books. All the background I could find. I still love doing this.
I have mentioned before that I am interested in genealogy. I use the research techniques to get a feel for the history of the places my families have lived.
Since I’m not a creative person, I do research for fun. I started years ago, probably when I began reading Georgette Heyer; and went back to the Austin books. All the background I could find. I still love doing this.
I have mentioned before that I am interested in genealogy. I use the research techniques to get a feel for the history of the places my families have lived.
Sue, I’m so glad you think research is fun—because it truly is! I think it enriches our appreciation for most subjects. I wish more people understood that fun of discovery!
I know you love genealogy, and I can imagine how being able to picture the places where your past family lived is very interesting and enjoyable.
Sue, I’m so glad you think research is fun—because it truly is! I think it enriches our appreciation for most subjects. I wish more people understood that fun of discovery!
I know you love genealogy, and I can imagine how being able to picture the places where your past family lived is very interesting and enjoyable.
Sue, I’m so glad you think research is fun—because it truly is! I think it enriches our appreciation for most subjects. I wish more people understood that fun of discovery!
I know you love genealogy, and I can imagine how being able to picture the places where your past family lived is very interesting and enjoyable.
Sue, I’m so glad you think research is fun—because it truly is! I think it enriches our appreciation for most subjects. I wish more people understood that fun of discovery!
I know you love genealogy, and I can imagine how being able to picture the places where your past family lived is very interesting and enjoyable.
Sue, I’m so glad you think research is fun—because it truly is! I think it enriches our appreciation for most subjects. I wish more people understood that fun of discovery!
I know you love genealogy, and I can imagine how being able to picture the places where your past family lived is very interesting and enjoyable.
I used to travel quite a lot to conferences … interesting venues were usually chosen to maximise number of attendees and the travel was a perk of the job in my case. I can see that it is very important for a novelist though, and an excellent and enjoyable way to authenticate the setting. Does a personal interest in visiting a place influence the plot I wonder?
Since retiring I have taken more interest in fringe areas of science, away from the main stream, which don’t easily attract funding. Generally books and web sites are adequate. Current interests include consciousness and how panpsychism could help understand ‘the hard problem’ ie mechanism for generating consciousness from chemicals and also the nature of ‘dark matter’ … what if stars and galaxies possessed a level of consciousness?
I used to travel quite a lot to conferences … interesting venues were usually chosen to maximise number of attendees and the travel was a perk of the job in my case. I can see that it is very important for a novelist though, and an excellent and enjoyable way to authenticate the setting. Does a personal interest in visiting a place influence the plot I wonder?
Since retiring I have taken more interest in fringe areas of science, away from the main stream, which don’t easily attract funding. Generally books and web sites are adequate. Current interests include consciousness and how panpsychism could help understand ‘the hard problem’ ie mechanism for generating consciousness from chemicals and also the nature of ‘dark matter’ … what if stars and galaxies possessed a level of consciousness?
I used to travel quite a lot to conferences … interesting venues were usually chosen to maximise number of attendees and the travel was a perk of the job in my case. I can see that it is very important for a novelist though, and an excellent and enjoyable way to authenticate the setting. Does a personal interest in visiting a place influence the plot I wonder?
Since retiring I have taken more interest in fringe areas of science, away from the main stream, which don’t easily attract funding. Generally books and web sites are adequate. Current interests include consciousness and how panpsychism could help understand ‘the hard problem’ ie mechanism for generating consciousness from chemicals and also the nature of ‘dark matter’ … what if stars and galaxies possessed a level of consciousness?
I used to travel quite a lot to conferences … interesting venues were usually chosen to maximise number of attendees and the travel was a perk of the job in my case. I can see that it is very important for a novelist though, and an excellent and enjoyable way to authenticate the setting. Does a personal interest in visiting a place influence the plot I wonder?
Since retiring I have taken more interest in fringe areas of science, away from the main stream, which don’t easily attract funding. Generally books and web sites are adequate. Current interests include consciousness and how panpsychism could help understand ‘the hard problem’ ie mechanism for generating consciousness from chemicals and also the nature of ‘dark matter’ … what if stars and galaxies possessed a level of consciousness?
I used to travel quite a lot to conferences … interesting venues were usually chosen to maximise number of attendees and the travel was a perk of the job in my case. I can see that it is very important for a novelist though, and an excellent and enjoyable way to authenticate the setting. Does a personal interest in visiting a place influence the plot I wonder?
Since retiring I have taken more interest in fringe areas of science, away from the main stream, which don’t easily attract funding. Generally books and web sites are adequate. Current interests include consciousness and how panpsychism could help understand ‘the hard problem’ ie mechanism for generating consciousness from chemicals and also the nature of ‘dark matter’ … what if stars and galaxies possessed a level of consciousness?
It’s definitely the books for me as far as research goes. (I have to admit though, that traveling to London and Bath was a feast for the imagination.) I can definitely relate to the need for more shelf space, Mary Jo. At this point, my collection goes three books deep per shelf for the paperbacks, two for hardcovers. The gems of my collection though, are the ones that I acquired back in those ancient times when I wrote on my electric typewriter and thought myself to be on the cutting edge of technology. I don’t think I’ll ever feel the same way about curling up with my kindle as I do with a page that I can touch, turn and leave on my bedside table without the fear it will run out of power. I dip into my old tech often, but it’s still dangerous. All too frequently, I get caught up reading when I should be writing.
It’s definitely the books for me as far as research goes. (I have to admit though, that traveling to London and Bath was a feast for the imagination.) I can definitely relate to the need for more shelf space, Mary Jo. At this point, my collection goes three books deep per shelf for the paperbacks, two for hardcovers. The gems of my collection though, are the ones that I acquired back in those ancient times when I wrote on my electric typewriter and thought myself to be on the cutting edge of technology. I don’t think I’ll ever feel the same way about curling up with my kindle as I do with a page that I can touch, turn and leave on my bedside table without the fear it will run out of power. I dip into my old tech often, but it’s still dangerous. All too frequently, I get caught up reading when I should be writing.
It’s definitely the books for me as far as research goes. (I have to admit though, that traveling to London and Bath was a feast for the imagination.) I can definitely relate to the need for more shelf space, Mary Jo. At this point, my collection goes three books deep per shelf for the paperbacks, two for hardcovers. The gems of my collection though, are the ones that I acquired back in those ancient times when I wrote on my electric typewriter and thought myself to be on the cutting edge of technology. I don’t think I’ll ever feel the same way about curling up with my kindle as I do with a page that I can touch, turn and leave on my bedside table without the fear it will run out of power. I dip into my old tech often, but it’s still dangerous. All too frequently, I get caught up reading when I should be writing.
It’s definitely the books for me as far as research goes. (I have to admit though, that traveling to London and Bath was a feast for the imagination.) I can definitely relate to the need for more shelf space, Mary Jo. At this point, my collection goes three books deep per shelf for the paperbacks, two for hardcovers. The gems of my collection though, are the ones that I acquired back in those ancient times when I wrote on my electric typewriter and thought myself to be on the cutting edge of technology. I don’t think I’ll ever feel the same way about curling up with my kindle as I do with a page that I can touch, turn and leave on my bedside table without the fear it will run out of power. I dip into my old tech often, but it’s still dangerous. All too frequently, I get caught up reading when I should be writing.
It’s definitely the books for me as far as research goes. (I have to admit though, that traveling to London and Bath was a feast for the imagination.) I can definitely relate to the need for more shelf space, Mary Jo. At this point, my collection goes three books deep per shelf for the paperbacks, two for hardcovers. The gems of my collection though, are the ones that I acquired back in those ancient times when I wrote on my electric typewriter and thought myself to be on the cutting edge of technology. I don’t think I’ll ever feel the same way about curling up with my kindle as I do with a page that I can touch, turn and leave on my bedside table without the fear it will run out of power. I dip into my old tech often, but it’s still dangerous. All too frequently, I get caught up reading when I should be writing.
I don’t have a desire to research anything right now, but I definitely enjoy the fruits of your labors! Thank you for a fascinating post.
I don’t have a desire to research anything right now, but I definitely enjoy the fruits of your labors! Thank you for a fascinating post.
I don’t have a desire to research anything right now, but I definitely enjoy the fruits of your labors! Thank you for a fascinating post.
I don’t have a desire to research anything right now, but I definitely enjoy the fruits of your labors! Thank you for a fascinating post.
I don’t have a desire to research anything right now, but I definitely enjoy the fruits of your labors! Thank you for a fascinating post.
All of your book collections sound fascinating and engrossing, but I’m glad I don’t have to house them. There’s nothing like visiting a place in person though, to get a real feel for it.
All of your book collections sound fascinating and engrossing, but I’m glad I don’t have to house them. There’s nothing like visiting a place in person though, to get a real feel for it.
All of your book collections sound fascinating and engrossing, but I’m glad I don’t have to house them. There’s nothing like visiting a place in person though, to get a real feel for it.
All of your book collections sound fascinating and engrossing, but I’m glad I don’t have to house them. There’s nothing like visiting a place in person though, to get a real feel for it.
All of your book collections sound fascinating and engrossing, but I’m glad I don’t have to house them. There’s nothing like visiting a place in person though, to get a real feel for it.
Quantum, in answer to your question, yes, visiting a setting definitely trigger plot points. It can be small things—seeing the massive clock in one of the rooms in Kensington Palace and realizing its scale and dominance, and how it made for a perfect venue for cat-and-mouse conversation for my heroine and a potential villain as they slowly circled around it. On a larger scale, seeing the dockland area and recreation in the Docklands Museum of an alleyway and tiny shops made me really want to add the river area as a site for intrigue.
Your interests on consciousness are fascinating . . . hmmm, not quite sure how you would travel to get up close and personal with Dark Matter! (And please don’t try—we like having you here!)
Quantum, in answer to your question, yes, visiting a setting definitely trigger plot points. It can be small things—seeing the massive clock in one of the rooms in Kensington Palace and realizing its scale and dominance, and how it made for a perfect venue for cat-and-mouse conversation for my heroine and a potential villain as they slowly circled around it. On a larger scale, seeing the dockland area and recreation in the Docklands Museum of an alleyway and tiny shops made me really want to add the river area as a site for intrigue.
Your interests on consciousness are fascinating . . . hmmm, not quite sure how you would travel to get up close and personal with Dark Matter! (And please don’t try—we like having you here!)
Quantum, in answer to your question, yes, visiting a setting definitely trigger plot points. It can be small things—seeing the massive clock in one of the rooms in Kensington Palace and realizing its scale and dominance, and how it made for a perfect venue for cat-and-mouse conversation for my heroine and a potential villain as they slowly circled around it. On a larger scale, seeing the dockland area and recreation in the Docklands Museum of an alleyway and tiny shops made me really want to add the river area as a site for intrigue.
Your interests on consciousness are fascinating . . . hmmm, not quite sure how you would travel to get up close and personal with Dark Matter! (And please don’t try—we like having you here!)
Quantum, in answer to your question, yes, visiting a setting definitely trigger plot points. It can be small things—seeing the massive clock in one of the rooms in Kensington Palace and realizing its scale and dominance, and how it made for a perfect venue for cat-and-mouse conversation for my heroine and a potential villain as they slowly circled around it. On a larger scale, seeing the dockland area and recreation in the Docklands Museum of an alleyway and tiny shops made me really want to add the river area as a site for intrigue.
Your interests on consciousness are fascinating . . . hmmm, not quite sure how you would travel to get up close and personal with Dark Matter! (And please don’t try—we like having you here!)
Quantum, in answer to your question, yes, visiting a setting definitely trigger plot points. It can be small things—seeing the massive clock in one of the rooms in Kensington Palace and realizing its scale and dominance, and how it made for a perfect venue for cat-and-mouse conversation for my heroine and a potential villain as they slowly circled around it. On a larger scale, seeing the dockland area and recreation in the Docklands Museum of an alleyway and tiny shops made me really want to add the river area as a site for intrigue.
Your interests on consciousness are fascinating . . . hmmm, not quite sure how you would travel to get up close and personal with Dark Matter! (And please don’t try—we like having you here!)
Y’all have made me wish I were talented enough to write. then I would have an excuse to travel to exotic places.
Thanks for this terrific post. You have helped me understand that you are not just pretty faces. You have to be smart and talented too.
Hope everyone is well and safe and happy.
Y’all have made me wish I were talented enough to write. then I would have an excuse to travel to exotic places.
Thanks for this terrific post. You have helped me understand that you are not just pretty faces. You have to be smart and talented too.
Hope everyone is well and safe and happy.
Y’all have made me wish I were talented enough to write. then I would have an excuse to travel to exotic places.
Thanks for this terrific post. You have helped me understand that you are not just pretty faces. You have to be smart and talented too.
Hope everyone is well and safe and happy.
Y’all have made me wish I were talented enough to write. then I would have an excuse to travel to exotic places.
Thanks for this terrific post. You have helped me understand that you are not just pretty faces. You have to be smart and talented too.
Hope everyone is well and safe and happy.
Y’all have made me wish I were talented enough to write. then I would have an excuse to travel to exotic places.
Thanks for this terrific post. You have helped me understand that you are not just pretty faces. You have to be smart and talented too.
Hope everyone is well and safe and happy.
Fluttery sigh on the research books in paper! I totally agree about curling up with them and being able to turn pages back and forth, put in scraps of paper to mark places, etc. I mean, I prefer paper for all reading. (Though kindle is very useful for traveling.) However research books really are MUCH better as hard copies. I get so frustrated not being able to turn to a page (no page numbers drive me crazy, grrrr!)
Fluttery sigh on the research books in paper! I totally agree about curling up with them and being able to turn pages back and forth, put in scraps of paper to mark places, etc. I mean, I prefer paper for all reading. (Though kindle is very useful for traveling.) However research books really are MUCH better as hard copies. I get so frustrated not being able to turn to a page (no page numbers drive me crazy, grrrr!)
Fluttery sigh on the research books in paper! I totally agree about curling up with them and being able to turn pages back and forth, put in scraps of paper to mark places, etc. I mean, I prefer paper for all reading. (Though kindle is very useful for traveling.) However research books really are MUCH better as hard copies. I get so frustrated not being able to turn to a page (no page numbers drive me crazy, grrrr!)
Fluttery sigh on the research books in paper! I totally agree about curling up with them and being able to turn pages back and forth, put in scraps of paper to mark places, etc. I mean, I prefer paper for all reading. (Though kindle is very useful for traveling.) However research books really are MUCH better as hard copies. I get so frustrated not being able to turn to a page (no page numbers drive me crazy, grrrr!)
Fluttery sigh on the research books in paper! I totally agree about curling up with them and being able to turn pages back and forth, put in scraps of paper to mark places, etc. I mean, I prefer paper for all reading. (Though kindle is very useful for traveling.) However research books really are MUCH better as hard copies. I get so frustrated not being able to turn to a page (no page numbers drive me crazy, grrrr!)
Yes, travel is the best way! As for housing books, I love seeing them on my shelves . . . .the problem is I don’t have nearly enough shelves, so too many books are sitting in stacks all over the place. Sigh.
Yes, travel is the best way! As for housing books, I love seeing them on my shelves . . . .the problem is I don’t have nearly enough shelves, so too many books are sitting in stacks all over the place. Sigh.
Yes, travel is the best way! As for housing books, I love seeing them on my shelves . . . .the problem is I don’t have nearly enough shelves, so too many books are sitting in stacks all over the place. Sigh.
Yes, travel is the best way! As for housing books, I love seeing them on my shelves . . . .the problem is I don’t have nearly enough shelves, so too many books are sitting in stacks all over the place. Sigh.
Yes, travel is the best way! As for housing books, I love seeing them on my shelves . . . .the problem is I don’t have nearly enough shelves, so too many books are sitting in stacks all over the place. Sigh.
Glad you enjoyed the “vicarious” research!
Glad you enjoyed the “vicarious” research!
Glad you enjoyed the “vicarious” research!
Glad you enjoyed the “vicarious” research!
Glad you enjoyed the “vicarious” research!
Annette, you never need an excuse to travel to exotic place!
I think most of all, we Wenches all are very curious! We just love poking around in history and historical places and seeing what we find!
Annette, you never need an excuse to travel to exotic place!
I think most of all, we Wenches all are very curious! We just love poking around in history and historical places and seeing what we find!
Annette, you never need an excuse to travel to exotic place!
I think most of all, we Wenches all are very curious! We just love poking around in history and historical places and seeing what we find!
Annette, you never need an excuse to travel to exotic place!
I think most of all, we Wenches all are very curious! We just love poking around in history and historical places and seeing what we find!
Annette, you never need an excuse to travel to exotic place!
I think most of all, we Wenches all are very curious! We just love poking around in history and historical places and seeing what we find!
Now a great deal of information is on the internet. One can find Debrertts and Parliamentary reports and the archives of the meterological records of the weather in London going back 400 years. That is now but I still like my books and I have two rooms chock full of books. Even so, I don’t have all subjects covered. Have to leave some to others because I just do not have room. Travel is nice but travelling today can’t really give us the sense of what travel was like 200 years ago. Not that I wouldn’t love to be able to afford a research type trip back to England.
Now a great deal of information is on the internet. One can find Debrertts and Parliamentary reports and the archives of the meterological records of the weather in London going back 400 years. That is now but I still like my books and I have two rooms chock full of books. Even so, I don’t have all subjects covered. Have to leave some to others because I just do not have room. Travel is nice but travelling today can’t really give us the sense of what travel was like 200 years ago. Not that I wouldn’t love to be able to afford a research type trip back to England.
Now a great deal of information is on the internet. One can find Debrertts and Parliamentary reports and the archives of the meterological records of the weather in London going back 400 years. That is now but I still like my books and I have two rooms chock full of books. Even so, I don’t have all subjects covered. Have to leave some to others because I just do not have room. Travel is nice but travelling today can’t really give us the sense of what travel was like 200 years ago. Not that I wouldn’t love to be able to afford a research type trip back to England.
Now a great deal of information is on the internet. One can find Debrertts and Parliamentary reports and the archives of the meterological records of the weather in London going back 400 years. That is now but I still like my books and I have two rooms chock full of books. Even so, I don’t have all subjects covered. Have to leave some to others because I just do not have room. Travel is nice but travelling today can’t really give us the sense of what travel was like 200 years ago. Not that I wouldn’t love to be able to afford a research type trip back to England.
Now a great deal of information is on the internet. One can find Debrertts and Parliamentary reports and the archives of the meterological records of the weather in London going back 400 years. That is now but I still like my books and I have two rooms chock full of books. Even so, I don’t have all subjects covered. Have to leave some to others because I just do not have room. Travel is nice but travelling today can’t really give us the sense of what travel was like 200 years ago. Not that I wouldn’t love to be able to afford a research type trip back to England.
Nancy, it’s so true—if you are willing to do some digging it’s amazing what wonderful resources are out there these days on the internet. So many places are getting good about scanning their archives.
It’s true that we don’t get to experience “authentic” travel (not sure I want to!) but walking through historic buildings, even if they have changed somewhat does give you a sense of a place.
I would lOVE to see your library. I can imagine what fabulous resources you have!
Nancy, it’s so true—if you are willing to do some digging it’s amazing what wonderful resources are out there these days on the internet. So many places are getting good about scanning their archives.
It’s true that we don’t get to experience “authentic” travel (not sure I want to!) but walking through historic buildings, even if they have changed somewhat does give you a sense of a place.
I would lOVE to see your library. I can imagine what fabulous resources you have!
Nancy, it’s so true—if you are willing to do some digging it’s amazing what wonderful resources are out there these days on the internet. So many places are getting good about scanning their archives.
It’s true that we don’t get to experience “authentic” travel (not sure I want to!) but walking through historic buildings, even if they have changed somewhat does give you a sense of a place.
I would lOVE to see your library. I can imagine what fabulous resources you have!
Nancy, it’s so true—if you are willing to do some digging it’s amazing what wonderful resources are out there these days on the internet. So many places are getting good about scanning their archives.
It’s true that we don’t get to experience “authentic” travel (not sure I want to!) but walking through historic buildings, even if they have changed somewhat does give you a sense of a place.
I would lOVE to see your library. I can imagine what fabulous resources you have!
Nancy, it’s so true—if you are willing to do some digging it’s amazing what wonderful resources are out there these days on the internet. So many places are getting good about scanning their archives.
It’s true that we don’t get to experience “authentic” travel (not sure I want to!) but walking through historic buildings, even if they have changed somewhat does give you a sense of a place.
I would lOVE to see your library. I can imagine what fabulous resources you have!
Oh, for years we promised ourselves we would travel someday, after our son was in college and out on his own. Then it was later because of ‘this, or that…’ Then life happened, motor vehicle accidents, forced retirement for me, then deciding we needed to move ‘back home’ before we ran out of years to enjoy it. Then one health issue after the other. Rats. But so very much to be thankful for. So I travel vicariously through reading. I do occasionally purchase used books of info about the Regency, or related subject matters. But when we moved we had to down size and it was such a wrench to get rid of books. So when you mentioned thinning the herd Mary Jo, I got a definite pang. Sigh…
I love research, even though I’m convinced now that I have ADD. Most of it is done online and I do tend to get distracted. I love looking up parts of history I’m not familiar with when I’m reading a good historical romance, and the Wenches books have given me plenty of opportunities to do that. Of course the romance must have a happy ending, but I love the meaty historical references which makes it feel real to me.
This has been one of my favorite posts, Wenches! Thank you for a wonderfully enjoyable read.
Oh, for years we promised ourselves we would travel someday, after our son was in college and out on his own. Then it was later because of ‘this, or that…’ Then life happened, motor vehicle accidents, forced retirement for me, then deciding we needed to move ‘back home’ before we ran out of years to enjoy it. Then one health issue after the other. Rats. But so very much to be thankful for. So I travel vicariously through reading. I do occasionally purchase used books of info about the Regency, or related subject matters. But when we moved we had to down size and it was such a wrench to get rid of books. So when you mentioned thinning the herd Mary Jo, I got a definite pang. Sigh…
I love research, even though I’m convinced now that I have ADD. Most of it is done online and I do tend to get distracted. I love looking up parts of history I’m not familiar with when I’m reading a good historical romance, and the Wenches books have given me plenty of opportunities to do that. Of course the romance must have a happy ending, but I love the meaty historical references which makes it feel real to me.
This has been one of my favorite posts, Wenches! Thank you for a wonderfully enjoyable read.
Oh, for years we promised ourselves we would travel someday, after our son was in college and out on his own. Then it was later because of ‘this, or that…’ Then life happened, motor vehicle accidents, forced retirement for me, then deciding we needed to move ‘back home’ before we ran out of years to enjoy it. Then one health issue after the other. Rats. But so very much to be thankful for. So I travel vicariously through reading. I do occasionally purchase used books of info about the Regency, or related subject matters. But when we moved we had to down size and it was such a wrench to get rid of books. So when you mentioned thinning the herd Mary Jo, I got a definite pang. Sigh…
I love research, even though I’m convinced now that I have ADD. Most of it is done online and I do tend to get distracted. I love looking up parts of history I’m not familiar with when I’m reading a good historical romance, and the Wenches books have given me plenty of opportunities to do that. Of course the romance must have a happy ending, but I love the meaty historical references which makes it feel real to me.
This has been one of my favorite posts, Wenches! Thank you for a wonderfully enjoyable read.
Oh, for years we promised ourselves we would travel someday, after our son was in college and out on his own. Then it was later because of ‘this, or that…’ Then life happened, motor vehicle accidents, forced retirement for me, then deciding we needed to move ‘back home’ before we ran out of years to enjoy it. Then one health issue after the other. Rats. But so very much to be thankful for. So I travel vicariously through reading. I do occasionally purchase used books of info about the Regency, or related subject matters. But when we moved we had to down size and it was such a wrench to get rid of books. So when you mentioned thinning the herd Mary Jo, I got a definite pang. Sigh…
I love research, even though I’m convinced now that I have ADD. Most of it is done online and I do tend to get distracted. I love looking up parts of history I’m not familiar with when I’m reading a good historical romance, and the Wenches books have given me plenty of opportunities to do that. Of course the romance must have a happy ending, but I love the meaty historical references which makes it feel real to me.
This has been one of my favorite posts, Wenches! Thank you for a wonderfully enjoyable read.
Oh, for years we promised ourselves we would travel someday, after our son was in college and out on his own. Then it was later because of ‘this, or that…’ Then life happened, motor vehicle accidents, forced retirement for me, then deciding we needed to move ‘back home’ before we ran out of years to enjoy it. Then one health issue after the other. Rats. But so very much to be thankful for. So I travel vicariously through reading. I do occasionally purchase used books of info about the Regency, or related subject matters. But when we moved we had to down size and it was such a wrench to get rid of books. So when you mentioned thinning the herd Mary Jo, I got a definite pang. Sigh…
I love research, even though I’m convinced now that I have ADD. Most of it is done online and I do tend to get distracted. I love looking up parts of history I’m not familiar with when I’m reading a good historical romance, and the Wenches books have given me plenty of opportunities to do that. Of course the romance must have a happy ending, but I love the meaty historical references which makes it feel real to me.
This has been one of my favorite posts, Wenches! Thank you for a wonderfully enjoyable read.