Researching for Writing Home

Guest post by Amy R. Anguish

A lot of writers joke that they hope the FBI never looks at their internet search history. After all, especially for those who write mysteries, the searches they do could be incriminating.

One of the reasons I say I’ll never be a historical author is because of all the research it takes. It’s funny, because I love to read it, but I’m always afraid I’ll get something wrong if I tried it myself.

So, here I am, a Contemporary Romance girl. Shouldn’t need much research, right? You’d think. So, I sat down and thought back to some of the quirkier things I had to look up in writing my latest novel, Writing Home. It may not be incriminating, but maybe it will give you an idea of the inner workings that go on behind the scenes.

Do scrubs have pockets? (The answer is yes! But that you can’t hide a ring box in them.)
Are there apartments out there made like the one in my head where you enter through the kitchen and then go to the other rooms? Yes!
How far is it from Shreveport, LA to Nashville, TN?
When does deer season open and close in Louisiana? Including bow season.
What’s that thingy called that doctors use to look inside ears? An otoscope.
How long does it take to become a nurse practitioner?
What does a certain color of rose mean?
What kinds of restaurants might one find in Huntsville, AL?
Is the rocket center open on Saturday morning?

Needless to say, I didn’t have to do any crazy research. Most of this is done by simply typing in the question and skimming until I find a legitimate website that can tell me what I need to know. But I do need to do it because before I looked up the deer hunting season, I had it happening later than it really did. And anyone in that area would probably notice it.

Have you ever read a book where something stuck out like a sore thumb because the author hadn’t researched enough?

I hope I’ll never be one of those. And I hope my research has enriched the story I tell about Christiana and Jordan as they write letters to each other from Alabama to Louisiana.

Did any of my research questions intrigue you about my story

About Amy R. Anguish

Amy R. Anguish grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good.

Follow her at http://abitofanguish.weebly.com or http://www.facebook.com/amyanguishauthor
Or https://twitter.com/amy_r_anguish

Learn more about her books at https://www.pinterest.com/msguish/my-books/

And check out the YouTube channel she does with two other authors, Once Upon a Page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEiu-jq-KE-VMIjbtmGLbJA)