The Research

Hi,


Again, sorry for my absence. My inability to multitask is astonishing. I've spent the past few weeks buried in rewrites, notes, and some other very exciting things regarding both Stalking and Silencing Sapphire. My lips are sealed for now. Not because I can't say anything, but I've always been a bit of a sucker for the jinxing rule.

Another thing I've also been working on for the past few days was research for Silencing Sapphire.
For anyone who isn't a writer, I'll have you know that researching is usually about as much fun as a pimple.
Granted, there are aspects of it that I do enjoy, like fieldwork. But most of the time, these days, research will be done in front of the computer, using a magical thing called Google. Snoooze.

I'm very much looking forward to the research I have to do for the third Sapphire book. I'm going to spend a couple of days sitting in on cases in court to learn some legal lingo, pick up the atmosphere, and all that good stuff.

Some of the research I'm doing right now is luckily the non-pimply kind; the fieldwork.

I was trying to get a hold of some cops, to answer a few of my best selected questions, but had no until yesterday when I stumbled into a Sergeant, and an Officer at my job.
I'd been making small talk with them when they told me they were cops. (Off duty, obviously.)

"Oh great!" I said and started firing away questions about serial killers, victims, and proper police procedures.
They were kind enough to answer my questions, giving me all the good inside scoops.
After my 20th question, the Sergeant looked at me.
"Why are you so interested in police procedure on serial killers?" he asked.
"Oh, I just want to know what I can get away with," I said absentmindedly, my mind on my manuscript.
I took me awhile to notice their alert and horrified faces.
"No! No!" I laughed hysterically, probably fueling their assumption . "For my book. I'm a writer. Did I not mention that?"
I don't think they were completely convinced, because they left two minutes later, giving me a couple suspicious over-the-shoulder glances.
I thought about desperately shouting: "I'm a writer, I swear! Google meeee!" But realized I didn't want to bring them the burden of having to do research as well.

Lesson learned. Next time, I will lead with "I'm a writer" and hope to make a less homicidal impression.


Xoxo,
Mia