Road Trip Wednesday is hosted by YA Highway.This Week's Topic: What is the strangest/weirdest thing you've ever researched?
I visited my grandmother in Ontario the other weekend, and she asked me if I had any experience with people who use wheelchairs.
Well, not with real people. I have, however, become attached to a fictional wheelchair user over the past year. So, I know a fair bit about wheelchairs (and specifically people with paraplegia), but it's taken a few awkward trips to Google to gain that knowledge.
My search history includes:
- Sex and paraplegia
- Paraplegia and boners (though I didn't use that term)
- Paraplegia sexual function (Are you sensing a theme? All of this research was totally necessary, though. It led to one of my favourite scenes in the novel)
- How do people in wheelchairs bathe
- How to help a paraplegic bathe
- How do paraplegic people use the bathroom
- How to date a guy in a wheelchair (I didn't actually want an answer to this question, but to see how people would answer this question)
What is the strangest/weirdest thing you've ever researched?
9 comments:
If I had no idea you were a writer and looked through your search history ... I think I'd be very worried or very amused. Probs the latter. My main question would be "Are you planning on becoming a paraplegia-ophile?" and then I'd probably laugh like a maniac.
I think the strangest thing I've ever researched was for Dealbreaker - I had to do a tonne of background stuff on demons, so I was on this demonology (yeah, it's a term) website, and it told me not to say any of the names aloud, but I said the name of this weird cannibal to freak myself out (cos I'm cool like that). ANYWAY, the next day (and this is true, I swear) a guy on the train - some crazy hobo, probs - BIT ME. BIT. ME. ON THE ARM. I freaked, thinking it was the demon coming to zombify me, but nothing else happened after that, BUT STILL.
So there you have it, folks. Never say a cannibal demon's name aloud or people WILL bite you.
Whoa, you are seriously brave to google anything sex-related! Half the innocent stuff I look for comes up totally alarming.
Also, I cannot stop laughing at Caitlin's comment. I just read it aloud to the husband and he's cracking up too.
This is hilarious. Your search history is an absolute gem. Mostly when I have to research the weird things, I have to be discreet about it, cos once I was researching teen pregnancy which my mum got to see, so that kind of freaked her out.
I do a lot of drug related research, about the technicalities of you know, snorting coke and stuff..and um, it's scary if you have your family around.
Btw, even your partial participation in the Championing Contemporary YA movement would be appreciated :)
I think I've read the scene you mentioned, and I remember it being funny and awkward and sweet all at the same time.
I can see that even if you know someone in a wheelchair, there are certain questions you might be embarrassed to ask! Thank goodness for the internet and people's forthcomingness.
And Caitlin's comment is too funny! Good thing you didn't include the actual name, or Kate would be in trouble after reading the post aloud to her husband . . .
Those are all the first questions that would come into my mind about someone in a wheelchair, I won't lie. And I agree with Kate, you're brave to google search them!
Caitlin - You don't even know, I'm starting to develop a thing for guys in wheelchairs. A paraplegia-ophile may be an accurate term :P Dude, that is actually so sketchy. Definitely dedicated to your research!
Kate - Heh, I've definitely seen a couple questionable links, but I know which ones to click on and which to avoid lol. I NEVER do an image search, though.
Bee - Oh man, I wrote a pregnant teen once and searched all that fun stuff. Glad my dad never saw it! And I also had a character addicated to cocaine, so I've done that fun research as well :) Yay, I'm excited for this movement!
Angelica - I think you have as well, thank you! lol Yes, I love how open people are on the internet.
Sarah - lol, Glad someone else sees them as important questions!
Most of my research adventures are pretty tame. I *am* planning to take flying lessons in preparation for my next book, about barnstormers in the 1920s, though. Looking forward to that!
K.M. - Whoa, that's really cool! I'm sure you'll have fun with that :)
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