Talking about blood spatter has renewed my faith in the goodness of people.

Let me put a little background behind that.

Two kind-hearted people with experiences that range from emergency medical care and thriller writing to crime scene forensics and police work have answered so many questions for me about a violent crime scene in my book. How the blood spills, when it coagulates, where the spatter hits the wall, whether the bones in question would break on the first blow or endure longer, etc. Their help has made it possible for me to visualize this and begin describing the scene in vivid detail.

They’ve given me the generous gift of their time and expertise, explaining scenarios in layman’s terms to a curious stranger like me. I would list their names here, but I haven’t asked their permission yet. This is just a word of thanks from a very, very grateful writer.

I think some people are just born teachers. When their time is treated respectfully, they enjoy sharing their knowledge.

Just a forewarning for my blog: I may be a bit spotty about writing for my blog this week and next, as I’m juggling my work on my book with my duties as the mother of a college-bound high school senior and the leader of my younger daughter’s Junior Girl Scout troop. Oh, and the day job is always there. And in the spare time I have, I plan to be WRITING! :o)

Technorati Tags: forensics, subject matter experts, crime scene, blood spatter

Just got off the phone with a VERY nice guy who took some time — on his day off — to explain a concept I needed to know for my day job. He was an “explainer,” though — the guy who wants you to know the history and concepts first, as well as the alternative scenarios that were explored and ultimately rejected before creating the range of options that are currently available. I at first tried to re-direct him so we could use the time more efficiently, but eventually I just listened patiently because he has a set way he likes to explain things. Took about an hour and 15 minutes for me to tease out the answers to eight questions, but he was happy to give me the time and I wanted him to stay happy for our future interactions.

I’m grateful for his help, but *whew* I see why he’s taking calls on his days off if he’s that chatty.

I described it to a co-worker as, “I asked him how to make scrambled eggs, and his story started with the rooster mounting the chicken.”

And I liked the analogy so much I wanted to share it with you.  :)

Technorati Tags: work anecdote,  chatty sources

Some writers seem to enjoy the process of discovering their novels as they go along, rather than plotting it to pieces. Diana Abu-Jaber is one such author. On the 8/14/07 podcast of Writers on Writing, Diana quoted another writer about letting go of the death-grip on the creative process and just seeing where your imagination takes you. Cool. So today’s quote of the week is:

“One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”
~ Andre Gide

I’m not sure where I fall on the plotter/seat-of-the-pantser continuum. I guess I’m still exploring.

Technorati Tags: Plotting, pantser