It’s time for the second Read Around the Rainbow post! The theme this time is internet searches. Countless times, I’ve been chatting with author friends, and we’ve all been muttering about how we hope the police won’t ever check our search history, so I know I’m not alone in thinking that LOL Shall we dive in?
Weird Internet Searches
Everyone googles… I bet those who write historical stories google a lot of legit things. I’m so in awe of those authors because I would never have the patience to fact check. And I’ll let you in on a little secret. The reason I often write paranormal is that I make the rules. I create a world; I set the rules, and no one can tell me I’ve got my facts wrong. The main reason is of course that I like it, but I would lie if I said the freedom and the minimal research weren’t part of it.
But, when you have rampant werewolves running around, strewing bodies left and right, you need to know a little about what’s happening to those bodies. Even when werewolves rule the story, some things have to match our world or the reader would feel lost.
Some time back, A.L. Lester and I were talking about bodies, so I sent her the link to a blog post I wrote many years ago. I had a quick glance at it now, and I was a little confused because I researched how long someone would survive in an air-tight room, the signs of suffocation and so on, but I don’t mention that in the blog post, so it must’ve been at another occasion.
Anyway, the internet searches… Have you ever looked at body farms?? They bury bodies or parts of bodies and research what happens. Some are left in the open, some a buried, and the scientists dig them up at different stages of death to have a look.
I’m so glad that’s not my job!
The blog post I wrote is a cheat sheet of the different stages of death. It took me to several weird sites around the internet. Several.
Last summer, there was a run-over magpie on the road outside the church in the village. It was a sweltering day and the smell… I walked past and thought to myself that I should memorise it so I could add it to a story if I’ll ever need the stench of a dead magpie – weird writer brain, I know – but it’s impossible to put words on. I hurried along, holding my breath because yuck! Also, where are the foxes when you need them? They hunt my hens, so why can’t they clean up the dead birds? Normally, they do a pretty good job of that, so it must’ve been that there had been too many people around for them to get close.
Anyway, let’s leave death behind us and see what the others have been googling:
Ofelia Grand 
You’re going to be EXTREMELY useful when the Zombie Apocalypse happens and we need to keep track of who got eaten when, that’s all I have to say 🙂
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I don’t want that job! LOL
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Also considering Holly’s blog post on the topic, Ofelia is doubly useful in the Zombie Apocalypse, because GOD I NEED BOOZE before a zombie eats my brain 😀
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Yeah, fair point!
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LOL
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Yeah, I watched a documentary about body farms a long time ago. Horrifying and exciting all at once!! 😀 And ofc you walked by a dead magpie in the name of research. LOL
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I did, and while doing it I was telling myself that I was insane because how could you ever describe that smell?! 😀
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Your description of the magpie made me shudder and I wasn’t even there! I guess this is why I don’t write much real horror… 😉
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Yeah, makes you question your own sanity 😆
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I can imagine. I’m really squeamish so… eww!
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Have you ever looked at body farms?? They bury bodies or parts of bodies and research what happens. Some are left in the open, some a buried, and the scientists dig them up at different stages of death to have a look. — Oh, fascinating! And the results would vary depending upon the season, local climate, type of soil. A long list of factors.
Imagine going on a first date with one of these workers! “So what do you do for a living?” “Oh, uh…” *cough* “Well…”
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I would run away! LOL
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I don’t know, think about how helpful they’d been for writing!!!
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LOL
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I’m officially freaked out now. Where’s the moonshine?
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LOL
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And yeah, I was trying to remember why the dead body stuff too, when I was writing my post. Cold Fingers was just a lot of reading about how long it takes to decompose, and what environmental factors can come into play.
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There is science there 😀
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