I love to learn. I was one of those freak-children who would do elementary school homework early. My senior year in high school, I took four AP classes. I studied biology at two different colleges before graduating from Massage Therapy School.
When I had to have my shoulder re-constructed two years ago, I knew massage therapy might not be a feasible career option anymore. I was disappointed. But at the same time, I was excited. With massage no longer an option, the whole world of opportunities opened up before me. I now had an excuse to go back to school again! (for Russian translation, for those who are curious)
This morning, I was getting all my ducks in a row concerning starting school again when it hit me: this is part of why I love writing! With each book I write, I learn more and more. Even better–with each new book, I learn an abundance of stuff I probably would not learn in a traditional classroom (unless I just went to school for every subject under the sun–if only I had the time and money). For instance, while researching for my books so far, I have learned about:
- Medieval mythology of Incubi, Succubi, Cambions, and Nephilim
- History of Charleston, SC–particularly its cemeteries
- Battle of New Bern (civil war)
- Physical and emotional damage of rape (this was tough reading)
- Architecture of old plantation homes
- Ninjitsu (the theory, not the practice)
- Dostoevsky, Dostoevsky, Dostoevsky!!
Okay, that last one will definitely be covered in a traditional classroom as I study Russian. I have learned countless other things while researching for my books, but this little list shows what I have learned more in-depth. What a wide range of studies!
Writing is the perfect thing for someone who likes to learn as much as I do. With each book I write, I have an excuse to spend time digging, searching, and reading about a wide assortment of topics. I learn things I had never even thought about before the book idea hit me. I learn things many people will probably never think about. And, as a bonus, much of my research spawns ideas for new books to write!
Oh, and another brilliant side-effect of all this research? I now know even more random trivia, which should help secure my position as Queen-of-Trivial-Pursuit.
