Some of us loathe research (and I’m sure it shows when I’m in that sort of mood). Lately, though, I’ve loved it. Loved it so much, that I tend to dawdle and linger around these resources longer than I should at the expense of the manuscript I’m editing.*Le sigh*
Narrowing down topics in the Middle Ages is nearly fruitless—it covers everything from the 5th through the 15th centuries, and I’m pretty sure there were big changes going on in between those dots on the timeline.
For me, however, it gets easier when I pick a date. For my Highlander series, it starts in 1214. Well, now we’re going somewhere, right? I can locate the monarchs of the time (Bad King John of England and King William the Lyon of Scotland). Both of those are heavy with material, and John is such an interesting character, it’s hard not to dream up plots and subplots with the man.
The most surprising thing, however, is the fantastic number of blogs I’ve found dedicated solely to the Middle Ages. These blogs live, breath, and eat the Middle Ages and the random facts you can pick up at them are endless. Here are a few of my favorites: Got Medieval: looks at the frequency with which the medieval shows up in pop culture. It’s even got a feature that highlights a “person” of the day and their role in medieval society. Ever wonder what a semperidem was? Yeah, me too!
Unlocked Wordhoard: is written by a professor medieval lit at Troy University. His posts often contain those odd little facts that have me thinking all day…like, why would they sacrifice children born on Friday. (Answer: To some, Friday was considered an unlucky day. Ick.)
Medieval Research with Joyce: the author here shares her favorite books and tidbits as she finds them. She does some great book reviews.
In the Middle: covers all aspects of Medieval Studies (in the academic sense).
Medieval News: Just what you think. News updates of interest to medievalists. (Can I consider myself a medievalist yet? I tended to skip those lit courses in college, but whatever, right?)
The Ruminate: Larry Swain's "place to report news, calls for papers, news items, and other things of interest to the Late Antique, Patristic, Early Medieval, and Book Arts folk and to just chat about things medieval."
What about you? Are you lucky enough in your research t o find blogs dedicated solely to your area? Do you utilize them as springboards into new materials?
Happy writing!
h.
2 comments:
Hello to a fellow medieval writer! Thanks for a great post. I love these paintings.
I was lucky to find a couple of wonderful museum websites that were very helpful, including one for the London Bridge.
Margaret
Hi Harper! I enjoyed your post. Love the medieval pictures too. Where on earth did you find them? How great you can find so many sites to help with your research. Hi Harper! I enjoyed your post. Love the medieval pictures too. Where on earth did you find them? How great you can find so many sites to help with your research. I find no lack of Celtic sites when I'm researching. Whether these specific areas are multiplying or the internet itself abounds with info on everything, it's wonderful that so much knowledge is available. Good luck with your writing!
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