Friday 28 January 2011

RESEARCH

I didn't always research my novels. In one of them, I decided Antwerp was in Holland and made one of my main characters Dutch. (It's in Belgium). Now I'm writing science fiction, I often think I ought to pay some attention to science.

I started out by reading the first paragraph - or possibly sentence - of a Wikipedia article on quantum physics. Then I read a really excellent book on the history of science, and forgot most of it instantly.

I made the mistake of mentioning my in-depth scientific researches to my husband. He pulled himself up straighter, looked me in the eye and said, so what is a quantum then? The pause went on too long, as I held his eye ('gaze' not eyeball). And then it came to me. 'Quanta are bits. Of stuff,' I added triumphantly. He gave me one of his dark, withering looks. 'Yes,' he said. 'Yes, I suppose so.'

More about Research...

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