Darn That Research
I began writing a short story for this anthology . Not too far into the story, which tends to happen, I need to do some research. Mind you, this is a Halloween themed anthology. Naturally, I am penning a ghost story. Before the plot gets too “technical,” I decided to research ghosts. Now, when I research, I do research. I take a subject and attack it from all angles. This approach leads me to reading—a lot. I even take notes. Most of what I read does not make it into the finished product. However, it helps my mind wrap around what I am creating. I have also found that the tiny details make a subject interesting. Sometimes, it takes many a long hour to reach those interesting tidbits. For this story (still nameless), I dove into the subject of ghosts. History of ghosts. Ghost hunting. Hauntings. Sightings. Et cetera. After flicking through photo galleries o...