Research

Never underestimate the importance of research. I've learned to love doing research. It helps add realism to any story, plus you can find just about anything you want to know on the internet these days. Sometimes I get so side-tracked by research that I have to pull myself away.

I plan for A Christmas Dream to be somewhere in the 15,000 to 20,000 word range, which isn't a whole lot. For those unfamiliar with that unit of measurement, in comparison a full-length novel averages about 80,000 words. So this will be a short story. I've hit nearly 7,000 words, but I've already researched 'Sandman,' quotes, spiders, dreams, different words for dream, including 'dream' in other languages, Cayden's boots, and pics for Cayden and Noelle.

I originally wanted to name Cayden Dream, but Neil Gaiman's Sandman is already named Dream, so I wanted something different. I thought perhaps I'd choose something in a different language that still meant dream, but I didn't really like my choices, so I settled on Cayden, and I'm glad I did. I love the name.

Yesterday and today I spent some time learning about spiders. I absolutely hate spiders. Too many legs, too many eyes, blech! But I wanted to write: The spider's mandibles clicked together, so I wanted to make sure I got it right. Turns out that what I thought were mandibles are actually called chelicerae--something completely different. So I thought: what else am I mistaken about? I learned that most spiders have eight eyes and their sounds are usually inaudible to the human ear. Interesting stuff. I also had to suffer through lots of ugly spider pictures. *shudder* I might never be the same. Not a pleasant research experience, but necessary nonetheless.