Random Ramblings

Lightbulb Moments

How far do you go when it comes to researching a story?

I find that taking the time to craft some foundation or add some hidden details really helps the creative process. You might stumble across a bizarre tidbit that becomes a plot point. You might find a new direction to take the narrative, or add some realism. Hell, just adding some flavor can take a generic outline to a whole 'nother level.

Yesterday I was trying to find a word in an ancient language. It was a bit tricky, seeing as not many places hold information on Assyrian. I had to crawl through a 300 page PDF to find what I was looking for. But the journey gave me time to think and stew over the story I was working on, giving me a great idea.

I love it when it all comes together. When people read it, I'll go 'yeah I meant to do that the whole time'. Was it the Muse? Or just plain luck? Who knows.

The only thing to do is to keep moving forward and try to recreate that moment once more.