Friday Forays In Fiction: Research

moar funny pictures

Well, unlike the previous two, this past week wasn't a complete bust for my Mobile Hopes WIP. I took a lot of notes throughout the Inauguration 2009 week from lead up through this evening. It was thanks to the immersion in inauguration week news that I began dabbling fingers and toes into Mobile Hopes again.

I'm thinking that my self-imposed moratorium on news reading and watching contributed to my loosing connection with my story world. Because immersing myself in news coverage stimulated thoughts about my characters observing or learning the same things and how each of them might react in thought or deed. Picturing Gerta's reaction to the Obama family moving into the White House was especially entertaining--though disturbing. Click on Gerta's name to see a snippet and an explaination of how the novel's theme and plot is entwined with the current events of 2008-- especially the election and economic news.

So, I guess it wasn't such a good idea to cut myself off from the news cycle entirely. But returning to the five or more hours per day of reading and watching news that was typical before I came to stay with my Mom and sister to help in Mom's post-surgery care, is not an option. But neither is complete abstinence. Must find a balance.