Thursday 30 April 2009

Research


eeeek! Just realised I haven't posted here for over a week. Sorry about that, but this has been a very eventful week. I can't go into detail but there has been some movement on the agent front and hopefully I will have some news to give you in the not too distant future.

Meanwhile I'm having fun researching the witchcraft aspect of WIP. I recently purchased some new tarot cards (I dabbled once before many moons ago but let it lapse) and joined some Wicca forums. The cards have been giving me some startlingly accurate predictions and I've discovered that Wiccans are lovely people who contrary to popular mythology wouldn't hurt a fly never mind turn anyone into a toad. They've been only too happy to give me advice. I'm wondering how they ever came to be so reviled and burned, but then people do the strangest things!

Research is one of the things I really love about writing a story. It gives me a chance to dip into another world, to live the experiences of my characters. Mind you it has its dangers. I have a tendency to get sucked in and then it's hard to pull back and use the information in the story. Or worse, get an idea for a whole different book that takes me away from the original project. Argh! Discipline, woman! It's self-indulgence, pure and simple. You'd think I'd know better at my age.

To close here is a link to another new agency looking for clients which I spotted on my surfing travels.

Toodle-oo the noo!

4 comments:

Clare said...

Following on from your cryptic comment I hope we can look forward to hearing positive news from you in the near future?

Your research sounds fascinating. Aren't Wiccans more akin to the wise-women and herbalists of the past (often wrongly termed "witches") rather than those people who cast curses and dabbled in black magic?

BTW - was that you I saw stirring a cauldron in the woods last night? ;)

Sandra Patterson said...

Hi Clare (are you CC from Talkback, by any chance?)
Yes, certainly modern witchcraft (or Wicca as it's called) is very New Age and from what I can see harmless. Fascinating subject.

Belle Sorcière said...

Hi Sandra,

I was just surfing the net for interesting blogs and came across yours I hope that you don't mind that I am respectfully butting in so to speak!
I just felt that since you'd been doing research, you may be interested in knowing that Wicca is a religion, and is not another word for witchcraft. In fact, there are Wiccans who do not even practice magick at all =) One can be a Witch and not be Wiccan, and one can be Wiccan and not practice magick. Wicca is simply a religion, one that I happen to love! I'm happy to see that your experiences in our community have been positive. If ever I can be of help, please let me know. Keep up the great blogging!

Blessed Be,

Belle

Sandra Patterson said...

Hello Belle and welcome to my blog. Thanks for correcting me - might have known I'd get it wrong! And thanks for the offer, I may take you up on it!