I didn't get much new writing done on Mags's story. Instead, I began
some research for it and fell headlong down the rabbit hole. It's a problem I
have. At first I thought the thrill of chasing knowledge and facts was confined
to historical research. I've always been passionate about history and it made
sense that I could easily get lost in it. Apparently, I thoroughly enjoy
research of any type and slip down the slope of information with ease. Worse, I
have little desire to climb back up and get down to the task of writing.
Mags is starting Fashion and Design at college. I know nothing about
it, and since it's going to be part of the world she inhabits during the space
of the novel, I figured I should get a sense of what it might be like. Many
videos, multiple fashion blogs and numerous articles later, I can say I know a
little somethin' somethin' about it now. And it's so stinking interesting.
I know the basics of fashion sketching and rendering. I can rhyme off
the list of materials needed to create a pattern from scratch and I can
describe the purpose and essence of a mood board. From the basics of what stitch
for what seam to how to pad a mannequin, I have watched it all, or read about
it. Colleges provide video glimpses into their classrooms. I can see Mags
standing in the middle of those rooms, sitting at one of the industrial sewing
machines or drafting a design at one of a series of long tables filled with
students as diverse as the designs they dream of presenting to the world.
This information will now percolate in the back of my mind and pop up
in the writing, sometimes planned, sometimes unexpectedly. That's the added joy
of researching. It allows me to embed authenticity within exposition and dialogue.
I always fall further down the hole than I anticipate but, inevitably, a choice
piece of information found unexpectedly in one of my tangential tunnels will prove
to be a gem. There is nothing more satisfying than that.
Oh, did I mention that I now want a sewing machine? J
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