I’m right into the thick of plotting and building a really big novel. Consequently, there are a lot of non-fiction research titles plugging up my readers.
Let’s see:
A Brief History of the Vikings: The Last Pagans or the First Modern Europeans?
Jonathan Clements
This is a great book for research, because it skims over the top of a sprawling, complex culture, giving you exactly the “cut to the chase” information you need.
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English-Old Norse Dictionary
Compiled by Ross G. Arthur
I found this book freely available on-line. It’s not on Amazon. But it should be – it’s amazingly useful!
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Handbook of Norse Mythology
John Lidow
Just one of the current references. The Norse gods were as numerous and in-bred as the Greeks and Romans gods were….
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The Viking World
Stefan Brink, Neil Price
Normal every-day Norse culture, rather than the childish antics of their gods….
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The Once and Future King
T.H. White
I’m listening to this one mostly on Audible, as I was offered the audio files cheap when I bought the book. I have an ancient print copy at home, that is falling apart – the glue has dried out and the pages fall out if you even look at them. Nevertheless, this is one of my well-thumbed favourites of all time.
So the audio book is a real treat – especially as the narrator has exactly the right rich English accent. He also does characterizations instead of just reading it. So Merlin sounds wise and measured, while Ector blusters. It’s marvellous.
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Rock Your Plot: A Simple System for Plotting Your Novel
Cathy Yardley
It seems odd that after writing and releasing so many stories, I still don’t have a formalized system for outlining and plotting novels, but I really don’t. I think this is one of the last areas of unconscious effort left in my process of developing books. The method I’ve used to date to outline is very messy, organic and follow-my-nose.
I’ve read a lot of plotting how-to books lately, trying to find a formal process that suits me and matches my current ad-hoc system as closely as possible. Yardley’s is very close to how I work (it might help that she’s a fellow romance writer, too). I’m consciously formalizing my own process using her steps to fill in the gaps and give a structure to a process that didn’t have one. Much.
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Demystifying Bra Fitting and Construction
Norma Loehr
This is one of the two sewing how-to’s I’m currently flipping between. This one is research for upcoming garments. Lingerie construction — especially bras – is a new area for me and I’m easing into it.
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Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket
This is the other sewing how-to. It’s living on my tablet at the moment, permanently open. The tablet is living on my sewing table, and I consult the book for each step as I work through the current project.
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