I love research. I could do it forever. It’s a great procrastination technique. While trolling Facebook or Pinterest is hard to justify during my writing hours, researching art nouveau Paris Metro signs is much easier to rationalize.
I usually do my research through the library and the Internet, but I now have a new favorite sub-set of the research phase: the research trip.
I’ve just returned from a short research trip to Paris. I’m working on Deceptive, the third book in the On The Run series, which features suspense, mystery, international destinations, and a dash of romance.
I’d already roughed out the Paris section of the book, and it was interesting to see what changed after a first-hand look at the city. I’d been lucky enough to visit Paris once before several years ago, so I’d relied on memory, guidebooks, and my photos.
I’d described my main character, Zoe, holding onto a ceiling strap during a ride on the crowded Metro. The Metro was indeed packed, and the basics of the transportation lines were right, but I had one thing off. Turns out that the Metro trains I used (which my main character will also be on) don’t have straps.
I’d also described Zoe getting her first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower when she emerged from the École Militaire station, which should have been possible according to the map, but when I surfaced from that station all I could see where five- and six-story buildings, a tangle of roads converging, and several sidewalk cafes. The sound of a jackhammer echoed over the whole scene from a nearby building under renovation. Not very romantic, but realistic. However, I did find a Metro with a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower, the Alma Marceau.Some things I had spot-on, like the twin beams of light that shine from the Eiffel Tower at night as well as the delicious food. Much sampling was necessary on the Rue Cler to ensure I had the food part just right. :)
Deceptive is about a search for a missing Monet painting, so I spent time at the Musée d’Orsay, taking in everything I could: the thickness of the brushstrokes, the size of the canvases, and the size, shape, placement (and sometimes absence) of Monet’s signature.
My favorite paintings are from the Impressionist, and I have to say that seeing them first-hand is a completely different experience than looking at them in a book or on-line. I was amazed at the difference a few feet made in the viewing experience. Up close, the brushstrokes dominated in splats or dots of color; a few steps back and—viola!—the cathedral had depth and detail. It was amazing, almost like a hologram.
The Louvre makes a brief appearance in my book, but only the exterior courtyard with the glass pyramid, so I really didn’t have to spend a whole day inside.
But I did.
What can I say? I love museums almost as much as I love research.
I’m sure I can use it in a book someday…
~ Sara
Read the book inspired by my research trip to Paris, Deceptive, the third book in the On the Run series.
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