(A picture of a really hot guy was supposed to go here, but Blogger REFUSES to let me upload any pictures...arrrrgh!)
Yesterday's post was not only funny and entertaining, but it also brought back some great school memories. Unfortunately, it also brought back one I'd like to forget.
"People can't make money writing."
A teacher told me this once a long time ago, someone I respected so much I took her at her word and started looking at other careers. I found one, but eventually, once I went off to college, I discovered this was untrue. Even at that time when there were no cell phones and Internet access was limited to a paid service only nerdlings invested in so that they could access the best research resources while shutting down the local utility company, there were jobs in the field of "writing" that paid: advertising copy writer, journalist, fortune cookie fortune writer (yes, they hire freelancers to do that), greeting card writer, test passage writer, etc.
What my teacher was saying is that SHE couldn't make any money writing because she didn't know how. She didn't know enough about it except she'd tried to get published and failed. What she should have said was that it is really difficult to make money writing, but if you pick the right degree and enter certain career fields, you can make a living wage or at least a nice supplement to your regular employment.
This is why I'm thrilled with the World Wide Web as a writer and a reader. The vast amount of information available at least gives us--and young writers--the opportunity see that if you like to write, there are ways to turn that skill in to cash, if you so choose. I love the amount of resources and support floating around in cyberspace, especially the support of writer and reader friends on social networking sites. I get great advice on writing, wonderful book recommendations, and most of all, the support of people going through the same joys and turmoils I do. As a writer, I get to share my successes and failures, and as a reader, I get to talk about the great books I get to read, as well as the clunkers. lol
So what's your favorite writer/reader resource? Is it a book? A website? A person? Please share where you go to get book recommendations, writing advice, etc.
Happy Reading!
Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
Squaring Off With Research
I’ve done a lot of research over the years, some fall-asleep-at-your-desk boring, some pull-your-hair-out frustrating, and some so enthralling you-spend-more-time-researching-than-writing.
What I want to talk about today is sport research—specifically MMA (Mixed Martial Arts for those of you unfamiliar with the acronym). I recently completed a manuscript (that is making the rounds, so keep your fingers crossed for me) about a hero who is a cage fighter. Number one, I adore this sport anyway so this research quickly fell into the spend-more-time-researching-than-writing category. But not only did my research increase my respect for the sport, it also gave me a whole new understanding of what these men go through. And added to the complexity of my hero, making him well rounded and oh-so-very yummy.
These men are not barbarians who simply jump into a cage and beat the crap out of each other. Yes, they do get paid to fight, but there is a science to entering the octagon. The training is intense (sometimes up to eight hours a day) and painful, the mind games real, the focus crucial, the strategy and studying of their game plan vital. When a fighter is training for a match, their life is consumed with each of these things. I learned so much through writing this story, I now consider MMA extreme fighters some of the top athletes in the world.
Did you know that hitting a bag in speed drills is painful? I should know. As part of my research, I took part in one these “drills.” Now mind you I only did a minute instead of the usual three these guys do. Let me tell you, sixty seconds is a LONG time. By the time my buzzer sounded, my arms were on fire and wet-noodle weak. Then I found myself shocked to learn these men feel this way each time they do a burn out session. How exciting. I was also informed that most fighters dread bag work because it is so painful. I was able to use this in one of my scenes:
“Burn out!”
In quick short punches, Dante hit the bag, over and over again. In less than a minute, burning seared his arms up into his shoulders.
“Two to go. Faster!”
He increased his speed, pounding in swift repetition. The burning deep in his muscles intensified until he yelled. Pummeling faster, he refused to let the strong sting daunt him. Sweat coated his arms and dripped off his elbows. Still he continued.
A loud buzz rang. “Time.”
Dante bounced back, hopping from foot to foot as he shook out his arms.
Not only did I participate in a drill, I watched a training session. All I can say is wow. Hours of Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and a plethora of other Martial Arts came into play. Now each of these men is not specialized in every aspect of Marital Arts. You have some who are black belts in Jiu Jistsu, some masters of Brazilian boxing, others who are All-American wrestlers, a wide range of different techniques.
What I want to talk about today is sport research—specifically MMA (Mixed Martial Arts for those of you unfamiliar with the acronym). I recently completed a manuscript (that is making the rounds, so keep your fingers crossed for me) about a hero who is a cage fighter. Number one, I adore this sport anyway so this research quickly fell into the spend-more-time-researching-than-writing category. But not only did my research increase my respect for the sport, it also gave me a whole new understanding of what these men go through. And added to the complexity of my hero, making him well rounded and oh-so-very yummy.
These men are not barbarians who simply jump into a cage and beat the crap out of each other. Yes, they do get paid to fight, but there is a science to entering the octagon. The training is intense (sometimes up to eight hours a day) and painful, the mind games real, the focus crucial, the strategy and studying of their game plan vital. When a fighter is training for a match, their life is consumed with each of these things. I learned so much through writing this story, I now consider MMA extreme fighters some of the top athletes in the world.
Did you know that hitting a bag in speed drills is painful? I should know. As part of my research, I took part in one these “drills.” Now mind you I only did a minute instead of the usual three these guys do. Let me tell you, sixty seconds is a LONG time. By the time my buzzer sounded, my arms were on fire and wet-noodle weak. Then I found myself shocked to learn these men feel this way each time they do a burn out session. How exciting. I was also informed that most fighters dread bag work because it is so painful. I was able to use this in one of my scenes:
“Burn out!”
In quick short punches, Dante hit the bag, over and over again. In less than a minute, burning seared his arms up into his shoulders.
“Two to go. Faster!”
He increased his speed, pounding in swift repetition. The burning deep in his muscles intensified until he yelled. Pummeling faster, he refused to let the strong sting daunt him. Sweat coated his arms and dripped off his elbows. Still he continued.
A loud buzz rang. “Time.”
Dante bounced back, hopping from foot to foot as he shook out his arms.
Not only did I participate in a drill, I watched a training session. All I can say is wow. Hours of Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and a plethora of other Martial Arts came into play. Now each of these men is not specialized in every aspect of Marital Arts. You have some who are black belts in Jiu Jistsu, some masters of Brazilian boxing, others who are All-American wrestlers, a wide range of different techniques.
In my story, my hero is an undefeated stand up fighter with a punch that has knocked out countless men. His opponent is an undefeated ground fighter with a chokehold that will render an opponent unconscious in seconds. I couldn’t have asked for two very different men. So what happens when a standup fighter (boxers) takes on a black belt in martial arts?
Train, train, train. Study, study, study.
Each man will spend hours studying previous fights to watch their opponent for their strengths and weaknesses. Then they will train on how to take advantage of these things. A boxer will have to learn how avoid being taken to the mat by a seasoned ground fighter and if he is how to wiggle out of a triangle hold before a submission occurs while a ground fighter will have to learn how to dodge the punches aimed for his head and look for that opening to take his opponent down. Each have an agenda, and each is trying to keep the other from reaching it. Every move has to be calculated, intentional. One false step and the game plan goes up in smoke.
I could go on and on about the sport that has stolen my heart. The research I did throughout the months I wrote Dante and Cait’s story will stay with me forever. It’s the first time I have been impacted and understood how very important learning what your writing about is crucial to portraying realistic characters. Without immersing myself into the MMA world, I would have written extreme fighting all wrong and the story would have lacked a certain luster. But because I did the opposite and researched my little heart out, I was able to bring a spark to Dante’s conflict that otherwise would not have been there. So the morale of the story is: Research helps enrich your writing, don’t forsake it. :)
Esme
www.esmereldabishop.com
Train, train, train. Study, study, study.
Each man will spend hours studying previous fights to watch their opponent for their strengths and weaknesses. Then they will train on how to take advantage of these things. A boxer will have to learn how avoid being taken to the mat by a seasoned ground fighter and if he is how to wiggle out of a triangle hold before a submission occurs while a ground fighter will have to learn how to dodge the punches aimed for his head and look for that opening to take his opponent down. Each have an agenda, and each is trying to keep the other from reaching it. Every move has to be calculated, intentional. One false step and the game plan goes up in smoke.
I could go on and on about the sport that has stolen my heart. The research I did throughout the months I wrote Dante and Cait’s story will stay with me forever. It’s the first time I have been impacted and understood how very important learning what your writing about is crucial to portraying realistic characters. Without immersing myself into the MMA world, I would have written extreme fighting all wrong and the story would have lacked a certain luster. But because I did the opposite and researched my little heart out, I was able to bring a spark to Dante’s conflict that otherwise would not have been there. So the morale of the story is: Research helps enrich your writing, don’t forsake it. :)
Esme
www.esmereldabishop.com
The Passion-Minded Professor - in print April 28th
Can passion be found in a bottle?
Roxy Morgan is finally in control of her life. After working in the family diner to put her now ex-husband through law school, she’s getting her own chance at a college education. She doesn’t need any distractions in her life right now, especially men. The strong magnetic pull she feels toward chemistry professor Dr. Daniel Jennings is more than just an annoyance—it’s threatening her GPA. Yet she can’t seem to keep her mind on her studies, or her hands off him.
Driven, lonely Daniel has been working to perfect an attraction elixir so he can finally find what’s been missing in his life: passion. Sassy, outgoing Roxy wasn’t supposed to be part of his experiment. It was purely an accident. Now his elixir has given him an unexpected side effect—he’s fallen in love. But his sense of honor nags him to tell her the truth about the “love potion”.
Even if it means risking the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
I loved writing this story. Actually the research for this story was pretty easy. There was a local diner I ate in often that was the model for Sandy's Diner. My daughter was a waitress during college. I went to college...a long time ago...although I certainly never ran across a sexy professor like Daniel. :) I set the story in a small town much like the one in which I live.
I did go online and check out what was necessary for a degree in Communications. Almost none of it appears on the page. But I've found it's like that with most research. We can spend hours and hours in research learning about something that we end up only using a fraction of. But that's okay. As writers we need to know anyway. In order to make it real. And you know, maybe more of that research ends up on the page than we realize. In the background. In the attitude. In the voice of the characters. And the voice of the story.
I'm excited that Roxy and Daniel's story will now be available both as a download and in print. That way readers have a choice which version they would rather read. One way or the other, I hope you'll give The Passion-Minded Professor a try.
Natasha
Romance with more...sizzle
www.natashamoore.com
Workshop: The Castles of England & France
Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Academy is proud to announce an upcoming online workshop for April. 
Workshop Title: The Castles of England & France 1100 - 1500
Presenter: Sharron Gunn
Date: April 3 - May 13
Description: Castles! Romantic? Yes! Shrouded in mystery? Yes, but this course will help you lift the veil a bit and take a peek at medieval life. Castles still dominate the landscape of England and France from the magnificent ruins of Chinon to the more humble Hever Castle. The number of people in a medieval household varied from about a 100 to over 500 for the monarch. The kings and the most powerful nobles had several residences and moved through the medieval countryside from one to the other to eat up their food rents and impress all with their wealth and power. Castles were centres of government and justice, but also the good life. Learn about their evolution and the people who lived in them; learn how knights, originally not free or noble, improved their status until knighthood became the epitome of chivalry. Enrich your writing with detailed descriptions of castles and biographies of the Middle Ages.
Discussion and questions are encouraged, and there will be handouts and assignments.
Course Outline:
Society:
1. Kings and Magnates
2. Queens and Ladies
3. Knights
4. Daily Life: Hunts, Tournaments, Feasts & War
5. Daily Life: Servers, Attendants & Artisans
The Castles:
6. The Norman Tradition: The Motte and Bailey
7. The Great Age of Castles - 13th & 14th centuries
8. Tower Houses & Fortified Manors
9. Castles in a Changing World: Gunpowder
10. Palaces
About the Presenter:
Sharron Gunn lives in British Columbia, and teaches Gaelic as a non-credit university course, and French in high school. Of Scottish, French and Irish origin, she was born on the east coast of Canada where there are many people of the same background. Some knowledge of the Gaelic and French languages and cultures was inevitable.
While living over eight years in Europe, she studied the languages and history of Great Britain and France. She has a diplôme from the University of Nancy, France, a B.A. in French and a masters degree (2nd first degree) in Scottish History and Celtic Studies from the University of Glasgow. She has just finished her first novel, an historical fantasy set in Scotland.
Deadline to register: March 31
Fee: $10 CHRW members; $15 non-members. RWA Membership isn't required; anyone can take our courses. Celtic Hearts members receive 2 free workshops a year.
Where to sign up: http://www.celtichearts.org/chwksp.html
Please fill out the online form.
Thank you for considering our workshops!!
Vonda Sinclair
VP & Education Coordinator
Workshop Title: The Castles of England & France 1100 - 1500
Presenter: Sharron Gunn
Date: April 3 - May 13
Description: Castles! Romantic? Yes! Shrouded in mystery? Yes, but this course will help you lift the veil a bit and take a peek at medieval life. Castles still dominate the landscape of England and France from the magnificent ruins of Chinon to the more humble Hever Castle. The number of people in a medieval household varied from about a 100 to over 500 for the monarch. The kings and the most powerful nobles had several residences and moved through the medieval countryside from one to the other to eat up their food rents and impress all with their wealth and power. Castles were centres of government and justice, but also the good life. Learn about their evolution and the people who lived in them; learn how knights, originally not free or noble, improved their status until knighthood became the epitome of chivalry. Enrich your writing with detailed descriptions of castles and biographies of the Middle Ages.
Discussion and questions are encouraged, and there will be handouts and assignments.
Course Outline:
Society:
1. Kings and Magnates
2. Queens and Ladies
3. Knights
4. Daily Life: Hunts, Tournaments, Feasts & War
5. Daily Life: Servers, Attendants & Artisans
The Castles:
6. The Norman Tradition: The Motte and Bailey
7. The Great Age of Castles - 13th & 14th centuries
8. Tower Houses & Fortified Manors
9. Castles in a Changing World: Gunpowder
10. Palaces
About the Presenter:
Sharron Gunn lives in British Columbia, and teaches Gaelic as a non-credit university course, and French in high school. Of Scottish, French and Irish origin, she was born on the east coast of Canada where there are many people of the same background. Some knowledge of the Gaelic and French languages and cultures was inevitable.
While living over eight years in Europe, she studied the languages and history of Great Britain and France. She has a diplôme from the University of Nancy, France, a B.A. in French and a masters degree (2nd first degree) in Scottish History and Celtic Studies from the University of Glasgow. She has just finished her first novel, an historical fantasy set in Scotland.
Deadline to register: March 31
Fee: $10 CHRW members; $15 non-members. RWA Membership isn't required; anyone can take our courses. Celtic Hearts members receive 2 free workshops a year.
Where to sign up: http://www.celtichearts.org/chwksp.html
Please fill out the online form.
Thank you for considering our workshops!!
Vonda Sinclair
VP & Education Coordinator
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