Wow. Such Research.

I know some writers hate it, but for me, research is one of the most interesting parts of the job. I think it adds a lot to a story's credibility and immersiveness when the details all check out, and it's often easy to tell when a writer has really done their homework and when they're just phoning it in.

It can be a lot of fun, too! Daniel picks up a gun in Redemption Song -- trust me, he has his reasons -- so on my last trip I paid a visit to Battlefield Vegas with a small list of possible candidates. By the end of the session I'd found the perfect tool for the job as well as gotten some hands-on experience with every other weapon that shows up in the book. I can't say for certain if that translates into more dynamic storytelling, but knowing what those guns sound, feel and even smell like certainly gave me the sense that I was in a stronger position to write some exciting scenes.

(And yes, while it wasn't the point of the post, consider this a spontaneous plug for Battlefield Vegas. Great and knowledgeable staff, amazing arsenal, ridiculous fun. Check 'em out.)

Sometimes, though, you find something you just can't use. I've been doing a lot of research on Renaissance Italy (why? I'll tell ya later), mostly getting a sense of daily life, food and fashions of the era. Politics, though...well, there's a problem. You know what they called the big cheese in Venice, the guy calling the shots?

The Doge.

Wow. Much republic. Very city-state.

Now, maybe in another few years the doge meme will have run its course and be dead as the Harlem Shake, but right now? There's no way I can use that. I tried writing part of a scene where some very serious characters petition to meet with the Doge, and couldn't get through it without giggling.

So while I'm a fan of authenticity and using original-language titles and such, sparingly, for spice...now he's the Duke. Sorry, just how it has to be.

Basement Cat made me do it.