Research

I've read a lot about the Victorian era over the years, so I'm familiar with most of the events and personalities from that age.  But every time I write one of the India novels, I have to bone up on certain specific topics.  A good starting point is this website, which has a wealth of material available.

The internet in general is a great source of information.  I can't believe how much material has been uploaded in the last ten years.  It takes my breath away.  Who knew you'd be able to find pictures of Victorian-era bombs and directions on how to make them?  Or photos of India's Webley Bulldog revolver?  Or the rate at which horses and carriages could travel?  It's a cornucopia of data you probably don't need to know, but it sure is fun reading this stuff.  Sometimes, it's too much fun.  I have to remind myself that all good research must come to an end and the writing has to begin.

The Penny Farthing

Here's a gent from India's era, with his penny farthing bicycle:

I feel the urge to get India up on one of these.  Per Wikipedia, the name comes from the British coins 'penny' and 'farthing' (duh).  From the side, the bicycle looks like a penny leading a farthing.  

You'd think these are just a quaint reminder of our past, but some people still dig 'em.

Outlines

This is fun - photos of authors' outlines.

Work, Work, Work

I've been doing quite a bit of that lately.  TC and I have decided to do all the maintenance projects around the house that we have put off for five years.  That's bad enough, but the people who lived here before us did nothing around here, so we have their maintenance to do, as well.  This week, I have used a cool product called "Howard's" which makes oak cabinets and trim look brand new.  I've done the stairs and the kitchen cabinets.  We've painted one bathroom and we've prepped a second for painting.

In the middle of this burst of domesticity, I took a day off to visit my mother.  I've also written 8,000 words this week.  And I've edited the digital novella India Black in the City of Light.  That was an easy task; I seem to have done a rather thorough job of cleaning up the ms before sending it off to my publisher last May.  I did have to remind the copy editor that in previous India stories we have used "Bulldog" rather than "Bull Dog" for India's revolver.  Either seems to be correct, but for the sake of consistency, we should stick with one.  And to my horror I discovered that I had used the word "memorandums."  Sheesh.  What was I thinking?

Next week:  At least 10,000 words, paint the second bathroom, prep TC's office for painting.  Yikes.

This picture is a total fake.  It would be more realistic if they were covered in paint and shouting at each other.

The Power of the Pen

The Power of the Pen

Another Master Gone

Another of the greats has passed.  It was announced today that Elmore Leonard has died, aged 87.

He was a prolific author and an exceptional prose stylist.  If you're a writer, it's worth revisiting his "10 Rules for Writing" on a frequent basis.

India vs. Carol: Who is Smarter?'

Apparently, India.  From HuffPo, this article says:

"Our technology may be getting smarter, but a provocative new study suggests human intelligence is on the decline. In fact, it indicates that "Westerners have lost 14 I.Q. points on average since the Victorian Era."

And the reason for this:

"...the fact that women of high intelligence tend to have fewer children than do women of lower intelligence."