Hunting Down Details
~ self-portrait project by PJ Schnyder
Authors go hunting for details in a wide range of places. Some research, a reader might think perfectly logical, and other research…
Well, that might earn an author a red flag from one government intelligence agency or another. 
But really, there are levels of detail I go after that might never make it into a book. Still, I needed to know in order to have the feel of the scene right. What does it feel like to hold a hand gun? How hard is it to find the safety on a gun I'm not familiar with and how hard is it to flip off the safety one handed? I asked these questions. Luckily, I had the opportunity to find out. In fact, I had several Air Force soldiers take me out and show me how to shoot hand guns, semi-automatics, rifles and shotguns. Now I know and it gives me a clearer idea of what my character will feel as she's learning to shoot (she tends to prefer sharp edged weapons).
Another pet peeve of mine is setting. I write urban fantasy. Often I find my story set in a real city, layering supernatural elements over the reality and tucking mystical places in with real locations. I love to get the feel of a city if I can and am lucky enough to travel and do so (mostly in a few hours nabbed during a business trip for the day job). But sometimes authors can't, so what do they do?
In this day and age, there's plenty of online resources. Delving into maps, tourist sites and yes, even satellite pictures, help supplement the information I have.
Blogs are hit or miss but can give some insight. Believe it or not, shows on the Food Channel introduce me to hidden gems in a city or even better, outside the city and harder to find.
As a reader, I love to check out places in a particular book. I want to try it out, know if it's real. For example, Patricia Briggs describes this incredibly comfortable hotel that puts a goldfish in the room so you're not alone. I'd love that on my business trips. You've no idea. She also describes an awesome place to eat ribs and I'm thinking I could fall in love with a place like that.
But how to remember what I've seen? And how the heck do I capture the plot bunny I find in my travels? Well, aside from my self-portrait projects, I also take photos of places that inspire me. For example, the photos I took below are for another story. I found the plot bunny during a special weekend and since it IS the Year of the Dragon and I am a Dragon, how could I let those moments get away?
