Friday 11 September 2015

Fuelling the Writing Process



Surprise has been expressed in some quarters at the amount of coffee that I drink while writing my Victorian Detective series. Lest it be thought that I spend all day sitting in front of a laptop, mainlining caffeine, I probably need to point out that the coffee cup: word count ratio also includes other writing-related activities that may take place at different times of the day and in different places but can include coffee as part of the journey.

For a start, there is thinking/planning coffee, which happens while counting the fish in the pond, re-arranging various drawers, reading the paper, de-frosting the fridge or moving objects upon the desk. Okay, I call it thinking/planning coffee, but let's be gut-honest, you know, and I know you know exactly what it is.

There is also research coffee. Research is something most writers do, especially those who write historical fiction, because every little detail has to be absolutely accurate. You can wing it, but sod's law dictates that if you do, your book will fall into the reviewing hands of the one and only world-expert in the winged area, and they will take great delight in exposing your ignorance to the wider reading public.

I use two sources for research: the internet, which is brilliant for very specific information: Victorian funerary practices, the acceptable length of mourning for different family members etc. However I also like to get out and use the local library, because there is something about the serendipity of working along the shelves and discovering something you didn't know you needed until you came across it. It's a bit like Topshop, but with books. I once found a whole page on how the Victorians decorated their Christmas trees in a book on Celebrations - and used the information in Diamonds & Dust.


Both research sources involve copious amounts of coffee naturally, although the best thing about extra-mural research coffee is that it is usually accompanied by research cake. Victoria sponge cake, of course.

10 comments:

  1. I don't understand people's puzzlement, writing just cannot be done without regular injections of coffee. Or reading, watching TV, and definitely thinking!

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  2. The perfect blog:- historical research, writing and copious coffee!

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  3. Cake would definitely sweeten the research. Have to try that!

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  4. Hashtag Hail the humble bean... [insert underscores if using other social media] Where would we be without it ?

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    1. Have large mug on desk as am replying to comments!

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  5. Some time in the next day or so I shall be walking up to a tiny coffee plantation when a family is dependent on people like us drinking at much as we can. I shall give them your love, Carol!

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  6. Ah yes...coffeee...without which life is not livable, not for me anyway. I need it to even get out of bed every day, and like you, it is the fuel on which I have run when writing everything, including my thesis! A great tribute to a very necessary part of life!

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  7. I kind of get the feeling you have a coffee addiction, have you joined a help group yet? Or are you just fighting fire with fire and consuming more coffee!

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    1. Ever since I read somewhere that it can help fight Dementia, I have been mainlining the stuff!

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