Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Research Takes Over

I couldn't understand my historical writer friends who said they would get so caught up in the research, it would put a major crimp in their daily writing.  One friend said she spent about three hours in research for every one hour of writing.

Now I get it. It's been happening to me.

We are so lucky to be living in the digital age, where things are available with the click of a button (or two). We get impatient with sites that aren't intuitive, and we leave, because there are ten others we could use as a resource. If a web page doesn't load in three seconds, we're off to the next one that will.

I've been doing lots of research on Navy SEALs for my series. I've subscribed to some loops for families of military, as well as some facebook pages that post information, and great pictures. I've made the mistake of reading some of the comments. And it distresses me a little.

Is it just me, or is everyone going bonkers all of a sudden? Or was it always this way, and I'm just now sensitive because of the election? Regardless of what side of the spectrum we are, there are some really mean, hateful people haunting certain groups or pages. And, like driving past a bad accident, I sometimes have a hard time not reading the comments. There are some seriously disturbed people out there. And the rumors! Yesterday someone commented that the government had killed the entire SEAL Team  6 in a secret helicopter crash. There's a novel in there somewhere...

I guess there will always be conspiracy theorists. Men and women fought and died for our freedom to express ourselves, to live the open and wonderful lifestyle we now have. So I guess we all have to put up with the crazies. God forbid anyone would label me such.

I have no problem turning off the TV or the radio. None whatsoever. For me, the ads are what I cannot handle any longer. I listen to Sirrius Satellite as much as possible.

That's why I like to write fiction, romance in particular. Fantasy. Make believe. Where everything has a  happily ever after, and I can clip or trim the dialogue of my characters to my own choosing without causing a stir. The opinions expressed are entirely my own. Heaven help us if I would get to be Queen of the World. Now that is truly a dangerous thought!

What about you? Do you get sucked into doing too much research, or reading too many "other" opinions it interferes with your real life? Your writing life? How do you cut it off?

Some great research books on the Teams below. Amazon spiders must have found me out!


Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 
by Marcus Luttrell, Patrick Robinson 

Price: $8.99 
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Service: A Navy SEAL at WarService: A Navy SEAL at War 
by Marcus Luttrell, James D. Hornfischer 

List Price: $27.99 
Price: $16.59 
You Save: $11.40 (41%) 
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The Red Circle: My Life in the Navy SEAL Sniper Corps and How I Trained America's Deadliest MarksmenThe Red Circle: My Life in the Navy SEAL Sniper Corps and How I Trained America's Deadliest Marksmen 
by Brandon Webb, John David Mann, Marcus Luttrell 

List Price: $26.99 
Price: $15.33 
You Save: $11.66 (43%) 
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Seal of Honor: Operation Red Wings and the Life of Lt Michael P. Murphy, UsnSeal of Honor: Operation Red Wings and the Life of Lt Michael P. Murphy, Usn 
by Gary Williams 

List Price: $18.95 
Price: $10.98 
You Save: $7.97 (42%) 
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The Warrior Elite: The Forging of SEAL Class 228The Warrior Elite: The Forging of SEAL Class 228 
by Dick Couch 

List Price: $15.00 
Price: $10.20 
You Save: $4.80 (32%) 
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SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL SniperSEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper 
by Howard E. Wasdin, Stephen Templin 

List Price: $15.99 
Price: $10.87 
You Save: $5.12 (32%) 
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Warrior Soul: The Memoir of a Navy SealWarrior Soul: The Memoir of a Navy Seal 
by Chuck Pfarrer 

Price: $7.99 
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Happy reading. Happy commenting. Happy reviewing.
And thank you!
Sharon Hamilton


Life is one fool thing after another.
Love is two fool things after each other.
Accidental SEAL   SEAL Encounter    all at Amazon