If you’ve seen those clips of cats chasing a laser light, you know what I mean. Oh look! It’s shiny. No matter what is in front of them, they will chase the shiny thing. That’s me.
I write historical romance, and research is a given. In my case the dollop of history is a bit heavier than in some romance writers’ playbooks, but that may be an excuse. I begin to pursue information for a particular situation, to understand, for example, the government of East India Company and the territories they controlled in India. Once I begin, though, and when faced with piles of interesting facts, I will chase first one thing, then another, then another, wandering farther and farther from my original question, until I look up and hours have passed. When it comes to productivity, this is a big weakness.
Sigh. Back to work. Oh look—did you know intermarriage declined sharply in Bengal in the 1830s? I wonder why? (Wanders off muttering to herself)
You might find William Dalrymple’s book “The white Mughals” extremely informative on this point as well as a fascinating read.
I did!
Great take on this week’s topic, Caroline! And I’m now heading over to Amazon to check out William Dalrymple’s book!
IT is well worth a read.
Distractions. They come in many forms.
Squirrel! I swear I spend half a day every day muttering that to myself by how often I get distracted by the little shiny things. Great post!
Not a weakness at all. That’s the fun of research. That fact that you are curious and want to understand every detail, every road traveled, and every connection I think is a real strength. It helps build worlds, and think through all the connections we need to make when crafting a story. Cool post.
I don’t know why intermarriage declined sharply in Bengal in the 1830s, but I know why marriage and childbirth declined in the 1840s. Everyone was too busy researching the mysteries of the previous decade.
You’re funny Ed!
Remember the days when you had to *shudder* actually go to a library to research? I was the one surrounded with tall stacks of books on a variety of topics, so I feel your pain. Love of learning is never a weakness!
Oh my dear, I love to go to the library! Of course I’m a recovering librarian . . .