Christine Feehan's Blog - Posts Tagged "research"
Research and Writer’s Block
Research to me is a huge, fun aspect of writing. I like to learn things. The danger of research, for me, is that I get carried away. I can read for hours about crazy or interesting subjects. I read, I watch videos, I look online, I talk to primary sources and I become consumed. And in reality, with all of that research, maybe four lines will actually make it into my book.
I love doing research so much it becomes distracting. So now, what I do is limit the research. Now I’ll have any online research done by someone on my team and ask them to send maybe just the top 5 articles on something and I keep my primary resources, which are people who have expertise or experience on a topic, to just two or three people.
I love learning, so research can be my most distracting things and I have to make myself not go crazy with it.
Of the research I’ve done I became extremely interested and intrigued by computers and how to keep people from hacking them, and how people could hack them. Technology isn’t my forte and it was shocking to me the number of people who did understand it.
For Covert Game I had to do a lot of that kind of research and it fascinated me. I’m sure I spent way too much time on the research. I had a primary resource who used to work in the defense department and I spent so much time asking questions that I knew would never make it into the book, but I just couldn’t stop myself.
Finding primary sources happens often in person, at conventions or traveling. I’ve just fallen into meeting experts and interesting people and asked if I could talk to them. Sometimes what they did and knew inspired an idea I could use in a book and I’d ask that person if I could contact them later.
I remember that, in the case of the Shibari I used in Shadow Reaper, many years ago I had seen a stage performance of a husband and wife doing Shibari and I thought it was stunningly beautiful and wanted to know more about it. I later bought books about it, not realizing I’d put it in a book, but when I decided where I could use it I did reach out to some riggers and experts in Shibari.
What was the most challenging for me was finding out about the music business. I am not musically inclined whatsoever, which was particularly difficult with Jolie’s book in Turbulent Sea. I tried to get in contact with Gloria Estefan, but in the end that didn’t work out. I had to rely on roadies and some acquaintances.
It happens sometimes that your resource isn’t what you’d hoped, or doesn’t show up.
Oddly, the expert I thought would be the best for Shibari ended up not being helpful at all and the man that I thought would be the least helpful ended up being amazing. So, don’t be discouraged if the person you think is going to be the one to help you doesn’t, it could be the one you least think will help, or get back to you, that comes through.
WRITER’S BLOCK
It’s not like I’ve never had a time when I’m not sure what I’m going to write, of course I’ve had that, but I have a personal policy that, if I can’t figure it out in 2 hours I figure one of two things have happened.
WHAT MAY HAVE GONE WRONG
1. I’ve inserted MY reaction into the story. Every writer has to step back and everything you’re thinking or feeling, how YOU would do something has to take a back seat. You have to consider what the character would do. Ask yourself what motivates them, why they act the way they do. And the reader doesn’t have to understand that, but you, the writer, must do. The character has to live and breathe. They have to have real reactions and they may act different from you.
For example, if you have a character that’s submissive, but you yourself are not a submissive person and someone says something to them and they do it, you may think to “No way in hell am I doing that!” and then you have them react like YOU instead of like them, your story stops dead in the water and the story can’t go forward. So you have to backtrack and identify where you went off the line. It could be several pages back or a chapter back or it could be your favorite part of the whole story, probably because he reacted the way you would react, but you have to take it out of there.
You have to know your characters. What motivates them, what they would do in any situation? Don’t write the same character over and over and over as you start a new book with new characters. The world is very diversified and everyone reacts differently to various things, and your characters have to as well. Really know your characters and keep them fresh.
2. You can have writer’s block when you have a scene in your head that you don’t want to give up. It’s an amazing scene and you’re trying to force your story to go down this path, to get to the place so you can write this amazing scene, or to tie it to a scene that you’ve written earlier, but you can’t get there because your story has taken a turn on its own. And it can. And you have to re-calculate.
WHEN CHARACTERS TAKE OVER
My characters often take on the story beyond what I thought it would be. I remember one time that I thought I knew which couple I was going to write about. I told my publisher. I wrote the entire first chapter. And then, the girl entered and she’s like…that’s not my lifemate, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I argued with her, because as writers we can do that, but she assured me that my choice was the wrong one and I had to change it. And since then I never announced the names of my characters until the book is written because the characters always take on a life of their own and start dictating to me. That’s the way it should be.
THE WONDERFUL CHALLENGES OF GETTING STUCK
I’ve written myself into a corner before, but believe it or not I like that. I like the feeling that I’m reading a book and don’t know where it’s going. I love the challenge.
When I read a book I want to be fascinated with the story and feel like I’m on an adventure. If I don’t feel that way when I write, I figure my readers won’t either. I’m willing to do some research for just a few words in order for my readers to feel that. I’m willing to work at a tough scene, or even re-write a scene or a chapter in order to give that feeling to my readers.
Don’t spend too much time on research or on writer’s block. Spend your time moving your story forward.
I love doing research so much it becomes distracting. So now, what I do is limit the research. Now I’ll have any online research done by someone on my team and ask them to send maybe just the top 5 articles on something and I keep my primary resources, which are people who have expertise or experience on a topic, to just two or three people.
I love learning, so research can be my most distracting things and I have to make myself not go crazy with it.
Of the research I’ve done I became extremely interested and intrigued by computers and how to keep people from hacking them, and how people could hack them. Technology isn’t my forte and it was shocking to me the number of people who did understand it.
For Covert Game I had to do a lot of that kind of research and it fascinated me. I’m sure I spent way too much time on the research. I had a primary resource who used to work in the defense department and I spent so much time asking questions that I knew would never make it into the book, but I just couldn’t stop myself.
Finding primary sources happens often in person, at conventions or traveling. I’ve just fallen into meeting experts and interesting people and asked if I could talk to them. Sometimes what they did and knew inspired an idea I could use in a book and I’d ask that person if I could contact them later.
I remember that, in the case of the Shibari I used in Shadow Reaper, many years ago I had seen a stage performance of a husband and wife doing Shibari and I thought it was stunningly beautiful and wanted to know more about it. I later bought books about it, not realizing I’d put it in a book, but when I decided where I could use it I did reach out to some riggers and experts in Shibari.
What was the most challenging for me was finding out about the music business. I am not musically inclined whatsoever, which was particularly difficult with Jolie’s book in Turbulent Sea. I tried to get in contact with Gloria Estefan, but in the end that didn’t work out. I had to rely on roadies and some acquaintances.
It happens sometimes that your resource isn’t what you’d hoped, or doesn’t show up.
Oddly, the expert I thought would be the best for Shibari ended up not being helpful at all and the man that I thought would be the least helpful ended up being amazing. So, don’t be discouraged if the person you think is going to be the one to help you doesn’t, it could be the one you least think will help, or get back to you, that comes through.
WRITER’S BLOCK
It’s not like I’ve never had a time when I’m not sure what I’m going to write, of course I’ve had that, but I have a personal policy that, if I can’t figure it out in 2 hours I figure one of two things have happened.
WHAT MAY HAVE GONE WRONG
1. I’ve inserted MY reaction into the story. Every writer has to step back and everything you’re thinking or feeling, how YOU would do something has to take a back seat. You have to consider what the character would do. Ask yourself what motivates them, why they act the way they do. And the reader doesn’t have to understand that, but you, the writer, must do. The character has to live and breathe. They have to have real reactions and they may act different from you.
For example, if you have a character that’s submissive, but you yourself are not a submissive person and someone says something to them and they do it, you may think to “No way in hell am I doing that!” and then you have them react like YOU instead of like them, your story stops dead in the water and the story can’t go forward. So you have to backtrack and identify where you went off the line. It could be several pages back or a chapter back or it could be your favorite part of the whole story, probably because he reacted the way you would react, but you have to take it out of there.
You have to know your characters. What motivates them, what they would do in any situation? Don’t write the same character over and over and over as you start a new book with new characters. The world is very diversified and everyone reacts differently to various things, and your characters have to as well. Really know your characters and keep them fresh.
2. You can have writer’s block when you have a scene in your head that you don’t want to give up. It’s an amazing scene and you’re trying to force your story to go down this path, to get to the place so you can write this amazing scene, or to tie it to a scene that you’ve written earlier, but you can’t get there because your story has taken a turn on its own. And it can. And you have to re-calculate.
WHEN CHARACTERS TAKE OVER
My characters often take on the story beyond what I thought it would be. I remember one time that I thought I knew which couple I was going to write about. I told my publisher. I wrote the entire first chapter. And then, the girl entered and she’s like…that’s not my lifemate, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I argued with her, because as writers we can do that, but she assured me that my choice was the wrong one and I had to change it. And since then I never announced the names of my characters until the book is written because the characters always take on a life of their own and start dictating to me. That’s the way it should be.
THE WONDERFUL CHALLENGES OF GETTING STUCK
I’ve written myself into a corner before, but believe it or not I like that. I like the feeling that I’m reading a book and don’t know where it’s going. I love the challenge.
When I read a book I want to be fascinated with the story and feel like I’m on an adventure. If I don’t feel that way when I write, I figure my readers won’t either. I’m willing to do some research for just a few words in order for my readers to feel that. I’m willing to work at a tough scene, or even re-write a scene or a chapter in order to give that feeling to my readers.
Don’t spend too much time on research or on writer’s block. Spend your time moving your story forward.
GhostWalker Research and How It Fits In With The Stories Part 1 of 4
I’m often asked how much of my GhostWalker series is based on true science and how much is entirely in my imagination. Toxic Game will be out March 12th so I wanted to spend time on discussing some of the interesting and unbelievable research I’ve discovered.
Whether or not the information was solid science or speculation I do delve into as much as I can so that my stories are as solid as science fiction can be. Some of the research will be familiar and some may surprise you.
From autism to superconductors and from locations to weapons I hope you’ll enjoy learning more about the world of GhostWalkers and GhostWalker research.
AUTISM
Autism is a form of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) that affects the functioning of the brain. This disorder typically shows up in the first three years of life and people afflicted with autism have difficulty communicating and interacting with others. Approximately 1 in 250 children are diagnosed with autism, with a four times greater incidence in boys than girls. It is estimated that 1.5 million Americans suffer from some form of this disease and this number is increasing annually. Treatment for autism is very individualized depending on severity and symptoms. The ultimate goal is to provide highly organized structure to allow the child to communicate better and interact socially with others.
For more information visit:
• http://www.autism-society.org/
• https://www.autism.com/
I’ve addressed autism in other series as well. The topic is something I know a great deal about because I’ve research it, but also because I have friends and family members on the spectrum.
An example of how I’ve included this in the GhostWalker series can be seen in Spider Game. Trap Dawkins has Asperger’s. He has difficulties interacting with others socially. He’s a very logical and matter-of-fact guy and this can sometimes lead to the appearance of apathy. Trap is brilliant and comfortable with what he does. When he meets Cayenne and falls in love it’s very profound for him. Cayenne realizes what Trap needs to function and to be in a relationship and because she loves him, she gives him what he needs.
TELEKINESIS
The ability to affect the physical world with your mind. Several of the GhostWalkers have this ability to varying degrees. There’s a great deal of research available on telekinesis and it’s fun to go online and see videos about it.
Telekinesis, also referred to as psychokinesis or pk, is ability to affect the property of things or to move them. Some may also refer to this ability as mind over matter. The actual mechanisms of this extraordinary gift are unknown at this point to the scientific world. Some hypothesize that it is a physical manifestation of the brain on the physical world. There is a lot of speculation on telekinesis without much data at this point.
For more information visit:
• What You Need to Know About... Telekinesis
This type of gift can be found in Conspiracy Game with Jack Norton, in Shadow Game including Lily Whitney and Ryland Miller, Predatory Game, Deadly Game’s Ken Norton, Sam Johnson in Samurai Game has this ability as does Tucker Addison who we meet in Shadow Game. I’m sure there are others that I’m forgetting, but you can see that it ends up being fairly prevalent with the GhostWalkers.
Of course a big part of the GhostWalker mythology has to do with genetic enhancements. We know about the psychic enhancements, but there is also genetic manipulation that includes enhancements of existing abilities, but also splicing and merging of DNA, which was done a great deal by Whitney.
GENETIC ENHANCEMENT
Genetic enhancement is a term normally used to describe alterations of genes not related to disease. In other words genetic enhancement is the modification of genes to create better than normal results. For instance, scientists have been able to enhance a cow to overdevelop muscle and produce nearly zero fat. The implications of gene enhancement are huge.
Theoretically we may be able to create athletes that can jump farther, run faster, last longer or develop animals that grow more quickly than normal with higher body weight for quicker butchering. The possibilities are limitless and a little scary.
For more information visit:
• http://www.genome.gov/10004767
• http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/?newsid=5949
If I were to name all of the GhostWalker books that has this I’d likely be naming ALL the GhostWalker books. But, some abilities really stand out that include the genetic manipulation such as the ability to easily climb up walls or adhere to the ceiling. Spinning spider webs or killing with venom is an extreme bit of science fiction, but fun just the same.
I’d love to know what abilities you’d like to have if you were a GhostWalker!
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GhostWalker Research Part 2 of 4: From Psychics to Superconductors
How much paranormal is real? How much fiction turns to non-fiction when an author’s imagination takes over while reading science magazines? You might be surprised!
I am always reading science journals or online articles. I check out any new science news as well as researching old experiments.
Using psychic abilities for military purposes is not new. It’s been researched. There have been experiments. I think there always will be because there’s some fact to it. Enough to keep governments interested. So it was easy to make that part of my GhostWalker mythology.
PSYCHIC ABILITY IN WARFARE
The possibility of psychic ability has been around for ages. But during the cold war and WWII it is thought that even the government became a believer. In 1995 an experiment called Operation Stargate was de-classified and released to the public. In this experiment the CIA and the US military allegedly used soldiers with psychic propensities to train as remote viewers. They were trained to "see" war bunkers and other secret information from great distances. At the program's peak in the late 70's there were six of these "remote" viewers, also known as The Naturals, working for the United States.
I had a lot of fun researching superconductors when I started writing the GhostWalker series.
SUPERCONDUCTOR
In Shadow Game there is reference to a superconductor. According to http://www.superconductors.org, a superconductor is an element, compound, or alloy that will conduct electricity below a certain temperature without resistance. The key term here is "without resistance", because this means a superconductor can create a virtual seamless flow of electrical current. Superconductivity was first observed in 1911 by Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes of Leiden University. He noticed the phenomenon of superconductivity in Mercury and won a Nobel Prize in 1913 for his research into this field. The possibilities for uses of superconductivity are virtually limitless. There are already great advances into transportation, medical technologies (such as MRI's) and more efficient electrical generators.
For more information visit:
• superconductors.org
• The Superconductor Collection
I thought that a laser glass cutter was the coolest thing and was so happy I was able to use it in Mind Game!
LASER GLASS CUTTERS
A laser glass cutter is a tool that uses light to cut through glass. It focuses light to vaporize material; similar to the way a magnifying glass can be focused to start a fire. These tools are commonly used industrially. Glass cutters can also be portable and subsequently used in cutting through windows to gain access to a building or vehicle.
In Night Game I introduced an interesting weapon that uses sound. People don’t realize how many uses sound has or what a strong sonic wave can do.
SOUND AS A WEAPON
Sound is a powerful thing. The human ear is capable of hearing only a small range of the available known sound. In fact we are only able to hear between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. Anything below this range is infrasonic and anything above is ultrasonic. It is possible to use this infrasonic and ultrasonic sound as a weapon. A focused sound wave can be used to strike an object. If infrasound hits a human, depending on its concentration and strength it can cause symptoms ranging from mild nausea, dizziness to heart failure and death. There are many sites on the internet with interesting articles on this subject.
For more information visit:
• Fortean Times: Sonic Weapons
You just never know what real science will inspire for science fiction. As someone who loves research and who loves to include as much fact as possible in the stories I write, the GhostWalker series is like a playground for my mind.
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GhostWalker Research Part 3 of 4: From Gene Therapy to Bio Warfare
Have you ever watched an old movie and realized that the futuristic looking weapon, communication device, clothing or whatever, now existed? How many of those James Bond weapons or spy gear that was completely made up by the author ended up being made by a government or other agency or company?
I think science fiction helps us to imagine the future. If someone can think it up, someone can make it happen.
That’s part of the reason I like to research real science and then re-imagine it for my own purposes. It’s always possible that, one day, whatever crazy thing I made up might actually come into being. Scary thought, right? LOL At least it’s fun to think about.
Below are several science topics I found fascinating and included in one or more of my books in some way.
When I studied gene therapy many years ago I didn’t realize just how often I’d refer to it in the GhostWalker series. From DNA splicing to creating a hot virus this topic continues to fascinate me.
Gene Therapy
Gene therapy is a procedure used to correct the genes that cause disease. There are many approaches that can be used to alter genes. The most common approach is the use of a neutralized virus to insert DNA into the genome. Currently the F.D.A. has not approved any gene therapy for sale, but it does exist experimentally.
For more information visit:
ORNL Gov
FDA Gov
I researched bio weapons and warfare a great deal for Toxic Game. I was surprised to find how long bio warfare has been used.
Bio Warfare
Biological warfare isn’t something I made up nor is it new. History has recorded the use of infectious disease as a weapon as far back as 600 BC. Bio weapons utilize living organisms to spread dangerous infections and create a pandemic in order to cause harm to an enemy. The use of such weapons and the fact that the spread cannot be controlled makes the use of bio weapons a war crime.
NIH Gov
Wikipedia: Bio Warfare
I use remote viewing in a few of my books. ESP has always interested me and the Stargate Project was inspiring to learn about.
Remote Viewing
Remote viewing is sometimes called ESP or extrasensory perception. I researched all I could about the Stargate Project which happened in 1978. It was a study done by the US military to find out what potential there was for psychic ability. When the CIA took over the review of the results of the project they did determine that ESP exists. But, because the use of it hadn’t gained enough military intelligence the project was dropped. Psychic ability outside of the military continues to be of interest.
Remote viewing
Stargate Project
I have had a few books that talk about characters that can walk on walls and ceilings. In my mind many of the GhostWalkers have this trait though I may not have named them all. The ability to climb on nearly any surface would be very handy in a great deal of situations.
Setae
Geckos have an amazing ability to climb on just about any surface. They’re able to do this because their toes are covered in these microscopic hairs called setae. Scientists have studied the Gecko which has helped with new discoveries and inventions including ways to “glue” wounds.
I have several books in which a character has the ability to climb walls, ceilings or buildings. The ability has to do with setae on the person’s hands and feet.
LiveScience
There are many other topics I’ve researched over the years for my GhostWalker series. Artificial intelligence, poisonous creatures, psychic healing and so on. It’s hard to say what I might find out there in the world of science, but I’m always on the hunt for something unusual and interesting.
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GhostWalker Research Part 4 of 4: Where in the World?
From California to Montana and from the Bayou to the jungle I’ve set my GhostWalker novels in a variety of locations. Since I don’t do a great deal of travel anymore I research these locations in several ways. Sometimes I am fortunate enough to still go there myself such as with the Louisiana Bayou and San Francisco. Often I will send someone from my team, usually my daughter, to gather information first hand. I’ll research online, but it’s good to know what a certain area feels like on your skin, smells like or what it looks like during certain times of the day or certain seasons. I buy books about an area to learn about flora and fauna as well as the people, landscape, homes and legends. I may know people who live in that area and I’ll contact them to get their ideas, opinions and information. Videos and virtual reality can also give amazing aid.
I continue to expand the areas in which I set these stories. Recently, I’ve sent them to China and to Indonesia. I’ve been writing Team 4 stories recently so I’ve done a great deal of research in the bayous of Louisiana, China and Indonesia specifically.
Montana (Team One and Team Two)
Team Two is in the mountains of Montana. I love the wide open space of Montana and thought it would be a perfect place for one of my GhostWalker teams. And where better to place them than the beautiful mountains? Montana is the 4th largest state in the US and there are 2991 mountains with names in Montana.
When I was researching houses in Montana I found one that was completely self-sufficient. They used the wood from the logs in the forest on their property. They were totally off the grid. I loved how it was set up and had that in mind as I wrote.
Montana Mountains
California (Team Three)
Team 3 is based in San Francisco, California and have been together since childhood. They specialize in Urban Warfare. I live in Northern California and love the area so much. It is helpful that I’ve been to San Francisco so many times in my life. San Francisco is the 13th most populated city in the US. And I love that it’s near mountains, ocean, rivers and has such a diverse population.
More on San Francisco
Team Four
~LOUISIANA BAYOU~
The word bayou has its origins in the word "bayuk", which is the Louisiana French word for a small stream. The definition of a bayou is "a swampy arm or a slow moving outlet of a lake". A bayou is "a sluggish or stagnant creek, frequently flowing through swamp terrain. The term is used mainly when referring to areas in the delta region (the area near the mouth) of the Mississippi River. In comparison, a swamp is low-lying, marshy wetland, and is usually forested and seasonally flooded." The wildlife that can be found in the bayous of Louisiana is abundant. It is not uncommon to see alligators, raccoons, rats, crawfish, crabs or peeps. It is said that the insect and plant species of these areas could fill up a large phone book in and of themselves!
For more information visit:
Swamps
Louisiana
Sunset
On The Bayou
Shrimp Boat
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One of my favorite cities in the world, I go there as often as I can, which isn’t often enough for me. I love the people, the history, the atmosphere, the food! There’s so much to do that I always find something new each time I go there.
~NEW ORLEANS~
New Orleans is a beautiful and historically rich city located in Louisiana, on the Mississippi River, approximately 110 miles upstream from the Gulf of Mexico. The city was originally named Nouvelle Orleans in honor of Phillippe II, Duc d'Orleans, who was the regent of France under French King Louis XV.
New Orleans, also known as the crescent city (because of its shape), was founded in 1718 by France and is the only U.S. city where French was the predominant language for more than one hundred years. In fact, there are many unique characteristics to New Orleans. For instance, it is the American city occupied longest by enemy troops during the Civil War. Also it houses the oldest continuosly active Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States, St. Louis Cathedral. The New Orleans Streetcar line is the oldest continuosly operating rail system in the world. And to top it off this city is known as the birthplace of jazz.
On top of the amazing history of New Orleans, this city is a great place to visit. With multiple festivals, including Mardi Gras, great Cajun food, and abundant attractions, New Orleans is definitely a city not to be missed!
Larcos Bridge
French Market
Grand Island
For more information visit:
New OrleansCity of New Orleans
I have utilized Pearl Eco River tour to see the swamps in the Bayou on several occasions. I’ve learned a great deal through those tours, perhaps more that way than any other.
It’s important to me to see, hear and smell the environment first hand when I can. I was able to meet the people of the Bayou and get personal stories of the area.
Pearl Eco River Tours
________________________________________
~COTTONMOUTH SNAKE~
Cottonmouth snakes, also known as water moccasins, are commonly found in the south and like to inhabit marshy areas in particular. They are the only poisonous water snake in North America. These highly venomous snakes are black in color and reach lengths from 3 ½ to 6 feet. Water moccasins are very aggressive and will defend their territory; they will even approach intruding human beings!
For more information visit:
Cottonmouth
Cottonmouths
________________________________________
~ALLIGATORS~
Alligators are large reptiles that can be found in the southeastern United States and China. Unlike their cousin, the crocodile, alligators have blunt snouts and are relatively unaggressive. Between 1978 and 2003, there were only 2 alligator attacks in Louisiana, neither of which was fatal, and 13 fatal attacks in Florida. Typically alligators live between thirty five and fifty years and rarely grow larger than thirteen feet in length and six hundred pounds in weight. The largest alligator ever captures was caught in the early 1900's in Louisiana, and measured nineteen feet, two inches!
For further reading on alligators, please follow the links below:
A Comparison of Shark Attacks and Fatalities with the American Alligator
Indonesia
Finding information on Sumatra was much more challenging than I thought it would be. It took several days and many hours of research to get the information I needed for Toxic Game. Palembang is one of the larger cities, but beyond that there’s relatively little information. I found personal blogs, travel guides, travel blogs and some news and photos that helped give me an overall view of the area.
Not even 20% of the research ended up in the book, but I wanted people to feel they were really experiencing the area.
