Research…

There’s one thing I’ve found out in my writing of novels and that is, researching your story can take you to the most unexpected places, without stepping one foot out of your computer room or abandoning your typewriter…

For instance, in one of my novels I had to research New York in depth as one of my characters had been seconded to the FBI there. The FBI had a serial killer on the loose whom they couldn’t catch, despite having profilers and a Behavioural Analysis Unit. So, they had to call in my character (naturally) as a last resort…

I had to describe, in minute detail, a killing ground as well as other areas of the city. In the good old pre-internet days, I would probably have had to travel to New York in person, taking months probably. Very nice if you had the money but adding ages to the production of the book.

And… it’s not just places your research might take you to! You might have to research things that you had no previous knowledge of whatever. Such an occasion has arisen for me over the last few weeks, as characters have dragged me, kicking and screaming, to Satanic Rituals…

My novel did not set out to go into such depth into the occult, the original idea being a love story with a religious twist, however, my characters insisted that where there is religion there is also the devil to take into consideration… So, I have spent the last few weeks researching and writing about Satanic Rituals…

I have to admit that I’m very pleased that the characters took charge and insisted on a climactic Satanic Ritual ending.

In the most unexpected, and safest place, my heroes and his friends are in mortal (and immortal) danger…

Just the last few pages to do… I’m agog to find out if any of them survive the evil sacrificial ritual…