Category Archives: research

Women Nurses in War

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

A reader, Sarah, brought this site to my attention. It has quite a lot of information on women nurses in wartime, from the American Revolution through Vietnam. It includes links to a number of other online resources.

Posted in research, wwi | Tagged | Comments Off on Women Nurses in War

Some Recent Research Reading – Late Victorian & Edwardian

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

Over the last few months, I’ve focused my research reading a little more onto the late Victorian and Edwardian periods in English history. First, I highly recommend King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa … Continue reading →

Posted in nonfiction, reading, research | Tagged , | Comments Off on Some Recent Research Reading – Late Victorian & Edwardian

Imaginary Alleys

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

London 1900: The Imperial Metropolis got me to thinking. How accurate does a historical writer have to be about the tiny details of place? Does it only matter about the major landmarks, or do the side streets count as well? … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, moonlight mistress, research, writing craft | 9 Comments

A Moment of Geek

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

We interrupt this blog for an important moment of Geek. ‘We Brought Succour to Belgium’, novelist May Sinclair’s brief memoir of 23 September – 25 October 13, 1914, when she was a nurse at Ostend and Antwerp. The coolest part? … Continue reading →

Posted in research, sinclair, wwi | Comments Off on A Moment of Geek

World War One Linkgasm

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

New links! African-Americans in the Great War at Edwardian Promenade. Last U.S. WWI veteran dies at 110. Old Links! This rest of this linkgasm is primarily for my own convenience, to replace a bookmarking site that’s closing down, but I … Continue reading →

Posted in links, research, wwi | Comments Off on World War One Linkgasm

Five Thoughts on Historical Worldbuilding

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

1. I definitely prefer when I can spend a lot of time with the historical background of a story, maybe not overtly by making notes but organically, letting my thoughts come together slowly as I read about different aspects of … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, research | 5 Comments

Linkgasm: Cool Writing Stuff

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

It’s been a while since I’ve posted links, and they’re starting to pile up! I have interesting friends. Some of these links came to me through them. WriteWords Phrase Frequency Counter. Enter a number of words in the phrase (2 … Continue reading →

Posted in links, research, writing | Comments Off on Linkgasm: Cool Writing Stuff

Thousands of Stories Are Waiting For You…

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

…in The Agony Column of the Times, 1800-1870, collected by Alice Clay, at the Internet Archive. If you were lacking in story ideas, you lack no more! Tuesday, November 10, 1850: E.R.C.—CONSENTS. Saturday, January 4, 1851: P.P.P. is implored, for … Continue reading →

Posted in links, research, writing process | Comments Off on Thousands of Stories Are Waiting For You…

Life in the Freezer

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I really love David Attenborough. He’s so interested in everything, and he communicates his interest through a television screen. Which is a writing lesson–putting yourself and your interests into what you’re saying or writing gives those words more energy. I … Continue reading →

Posted in dvd, research | Comments Off on Life in the Freezer

Best 3 Books I Read in 2010

Posted on December 30, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

Ask me tomorrow and I might change my mind, but at the moment, these are my three favorite books that I read in 2010. I chose each one for a different reason. 1. A Madness of Angels: Or The Resurrection … Continue reading →

Posted in nonfiction, reading, research, sf/f | Comments Off on Best 3 Books I Read in 2010