I'm with Julia Glass and I generally do the research after the first draft. For The Clover House, I'd never been in Patras for Carnival until after the book was sold and in edits (so I could make one important change: that the music plays ALL night and day long). For Terra Nova, I'd never been to Antarctica (I will get there one year after the publication of the book). For my most recent manuscript, I didn't go to Los Alamos until after I'd finished an umpteenth draft.
But I also like Zadie Smith's comment she made once somewhere: "I'm a novelist. I don't do research." Research was what I had to do as a Ph.D. student, and I did it but knew it was not my favorite part. When I quit academia, I was so pleased to be able to make things up on purpose.
I'm usually attracted to substack titles that beckon my slice of interest--so if books, writing, etc will be your focus, perhaps NOVEL CURIOUSITY or something akin?
The Curious Kat is great fun on par with SubMakk as a title, but consider the consequences--are you cool with strangers calling you Kat moving forward? If yes, then cool! But if Kat is a beloved nickname for the inner circle, the Curious Kat will widen that circle more than you might expect or want.
The Inciting Incident, The Catalyst (Katalyst????)
I'm with Julia Glass and I generally do the research after the first draft. For The Clover House, I'd never been in Patras for Carnival until after the book was sold and in edits (so I could make one important change: that the music plays ALL night and day long). For Terra Nova, I'd never been to Antarctica (I will get there one year after the publication of the book). For my most recent manuscript, I didn't go to Los Alamos until after I'd finished an umpteenth draft.
But I also like Zadie Smith's comment she made once somewhere: "I'm a novelist. I don't do research." Research was what I had to do as a Ph.D. student, and I did it but knew it was not my favorite part. When I quit academia, I was so pleased to be able to make things up on purpose.
I remember that band!! Too funny.
I didn't even realize how famous they became. I feel honored that he hobnobbed with the likes of me. I honestly think it all lasted a week.
I'm usually attracted to substack titles that beckon my slice of interest--so if books, writing, etc will be your focus, perhaps NOVEL CURIOUSITY or something akin?
Also a great suggestion (this is highlighting that I really am not good at titles, lol)!
The Curious Kat is great fun on par with SubMakk as a title, but consider the consequences--are you cool with strangers calling you Kat moving forward? If yes, then cool! But if Kat is a beloved nickname for the inner circle, the Curious Kat will widen that circle more than you might expect or want.
Good point! My best friend calls me Kat. I've always kind of liked it bc I never had a nickname as a kid.
Titles are so hard and I have never been good at them, not as a magazine editor and not as a novelist, either!
Writing headlines is not my talent.
It's so hard!