I am a writer. Occasionally this leads me into strange questions such as ‘how much rainfall does Ireland get on average’ or ‘how long does it take the human body to metabolize a sedative’?
NaNo’s project has proven no different, so today we have a list of some of my favorite random search topics, done in the name of research. In no particular order and from a variety of projects:
- Switchblade invention. The actual date on when switchblades were invented are very, very fuzzy. Although they become increasingly popular throughout the 20th century, they were actually invented somewhere in the early 1800’s.
- American Kestrel. Small but fierce, this little bird of prey often ends up as meals for larger raptors. They’re also agile flyers capable of using their wings and tail to remain in one particular place while aloft.
- Average Illinois weather; July. Being so used to Arizona weather which is pretty uniform across the state, I was really surprised to see how much variation occurs between cities.
- Decomposition time. A number of factors can affect this, such as temperature, humidity and even the material surrounding a corpse. Figuring this out takes a lot of other little factors.
- Huldra. According to Scandinavian folklore huldra are enchantingly beautiful young women often disguised as simple dairy or farm maids, and only distinguished by the sight of a tail peeking from below their skirts or their hollowed out backs.
Though far from a complete list of the things I’ve looked up in the name of research, these are still some of the things that stand out to me. What are some of the things you’ve researched for a story?
The Written Vixen 