So one of the fun things about writing sci-fi and fantasy is making stuff up. And one of the annoying things about writing sci-fi and fantasy is making stuff up…! because stuff must be based in realism. I always write with browser windows open on Google, Etymology Online and Thesaurus.com – and I’m constantly checking things.
I kept track of a few of the searches I made while writing Rukan… gives you an idea of what weird & wonderful stuff I have read about!
- How soon after death should someone be buried (ugh, right?)
- Climate where forest fires are common
- Words that end in -mancy
- How does police corruption typically start
- Composition of bronze
- When do linden trees flower
- Symbols and colours of death
- How fast do pigeons fly
- End of summer harvest crops
- Harvest seasons of ancient Israel
- How ceramic stoves work
- Economic sanctions
- Animal symbols and totems
- How long do moths live
- How long does it take to sail Sydney to Auckland (to gauge relative distances between my book’s countries)
- Climate types
- Who cleans up a crime scene
- How do you make yellow laundry soap
- History of traffic control
- History of kohl
- Metals in meteorites
- Yams (apparently most of the world call a sweet potato a yam…?! what I call a yam is actually an “oca” from South America…)
- Early mail systems
