Research, investigations, searching. It’s all part and parcel of being a writer. Even if it’s nothing more than going to some baby name sites to pick a character’s name.

I like doing research. It’s fun to learn how something works, or where a thing comes from, or how something was made. History too. It’s fascinating to me to look at the background of a country. I’m working on a novel now that had me look up the history of Demre, Turkey, Vikings and ancient religions. What a hoot!

Of course, I loved going to the library and doing research when I was in school too. There’s something very restful about being in a library. Now of course, I can do my investigating from my computer desk with a cup of tea in hand. And, get more information. We’re no longer limited to what’s on the shelves at our local library. The bad part is the ease of research now means that it’s easy to get distracted by the linked information. I often have to remember what I’m actually looking for and get back on track.

So how do you research?

The Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour is sponsored by the website Forward Motion (http://www.fmwriters.com). The tour is you, the reader, travelling the world from author’s blog to author’s blog. There are all sorts of writers at all stages in their writing career, so there’s always something new and different to enjoy. If you want to get to know the nearly thirty other writers check out the rest of the tour at http://merrygoroundtour.blogspot.com!  Up next: Jean Schara!