Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Research Geekiness

Okay, one of the things I adore about research is how I always find these great serendipitous connections, and I had to share this latest one.

I’m currently working on the third Nathaniel Fludd book, The Wyvern’s Treasure, which takes place in Wales. And one of the fun, geeky things I’m doing in each book is weaving Fludd ancestors into the history and culture of this different geographic areas. So, I was researching Wales, where Nate and Phil Fludd go to deal with rampaging wyverns, working on creating my fictional history of how Fludds came to have a covenant with these wyverns. And what do I find? In one of the earliest myths about a Welshmen taming a dragon, the Welshman’s name is . . . Lludd. Which is EXACTLY how I was going to Welshify Fludd (that double L thing just screams Welsh). And the name already exists historically, exactly where I need it to!

God, I love my job!

Edited to Add: And the winner of this months drawing is ASPIRING WRITER. The random number was generated in a most scientific fashion, one that involved me calling out to my husband, Pick a number between 1 and 59, and he said 17, which was AA. Email me with your snail mail address AA, and I will get a copy of Character and Viewpoint out to you ASAP.

6 comments:

Aspiring Author said...

Oh geeze, that;s just too perfect!
Mmm, Wales.Love it.

Sherrie Petersen said...

That's very cool. Sometimes I just love how the universe works :)

Anonymous said...

Robin, when does this series come out? And what age would you point it to? Sounds like something my son might be really interested in!

And congrats on the research synchronicity. :)

Robin L said...

Becky, it comes out Sept 28, but if your son is reading Pratchett, alas he's probably too old. It's a younger middle grade series...

Dave Johnson said...

I'm working on an historical fiction about the Medici dynasty. The more I research, the less I have to make stuff up. Truth is truly stranger than fiction.

Robin L said...

So true, Dave! And in yet another "stranger than fiction" moment, the son of my antagonist in my French medieval YA ended up marrying one of the Medici's! That must be the research equivalent of six degrees of separation, or something.