Ancient hair dyes--gave up and just made something up before six clicks.
Greek names for a tutor/teacher character
Greek word for mother
Greek word for father
Greek word for teacher (no dice because it only came up IN greek, and I needed and english translation)
The name of Helen's sister (spellcheck purposes. I had it right. remind me not to listen to my husband when he second guesses my spelling)
Things I additionally looked up:
the name for the armor that is strapped over the shin (Greaves)
Mirrors in ancient times
Did anyone else take a moment to look up similar minutiae? Or is it just me?
----------
Sometimes I blog.
http://hellia.blogspot.com/
Other times I contribute.
http://www.geekachicas.com/
But I really just want to novel :)
84,519 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2009 - 20 26
I can't believe we're all writing historical fiction, and nobody is following the six click rule and throwing a bone to goodsearch while they look up random minutiae. But if I am alone, I am going to say it loud and proud!
Today I goodsearched:
Papyrus and Scissors!
To make sure they had been invented before my book takes place :) Then I promptly ended up not using the papyrus, so that was kind of a waste of time, but at least I goodsearched, so Nano got a couple pennies!
----------Sometimes I blog.
http://hellia.blogspot.com/
Other times I contribute.
http://www.geekachicas.com/
But I really just want to novel :)
15,266 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 21 32
Just found this thread and couldn't help but laugh.
Yesterday:
--Wood burning vs. Coal burning stoves and bayou recipes (Made me hungry for Gumbo while Hubs wanted Chinese food. We settled on Pizza. Hubs then told me that my characters wouldn't have a stove, they'd fire pit everything so moset my research went out the window.)
-- Fashion of 19th century slaves and Native Americans (not what you'd expect)
Today:
Trade routes of the Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole Nations. Routes taken by laid and boat during the Trail of tears. (Probably won't use any of this, but I wanted to know it anyhow.)
Most of last week:
Herbs indigenous to the Northern Alabama area and their medicinal, magical, and cooking uses. (Large number of them were poisonous, so most of those didn't have any cooking uses. Yes, I did say most. Found some interesting ways to cook poisonous plants.)
There is a joke going around that NaNo and I won't go well together because I like researching far too much.
84,519 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 06 30
Last night (before I dropped from exhaustion so quickly I did not even have the energy to post here) I goodsearched:
Candles and Oil lamps.
I was honestly shocked to find out that Oil lamps came MUCH much earlier than Candles--which are apparently not old enough for use in my book. Who knew!
----------Sometimes I blog.
http://hellia.blogspot.com/
Other times I contribute.
http://www.geekachicas.com/
But I really just want to novel :)
84,519 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 19 26
Today I goodsearched:
----------Wooden Barrels (not invented yet)
pens and inks (dubious. technically invented, but people in Greece were still carving things in clay tablets, so it didn't seem like it was something I could use)
The Curtsey (Wiki doesn't say when it was invented :( )
Sacrifice Rituals in the Iliad
Sometimes I blog.
http://hellia.blogspot.com/
Other times I contribute.
http://www.geekachicas.com/
But I really just want to novel :)
84,519 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 21 30
only had to look up one thing today! New record!
It was the Rape of Cassandra though, so that was kind of less than exciting to read about.
----------Sometimes I blog.
http://hellia.blogspot.com/
Other times I contribute.
http://www.geekachicas.com/
But I really just want to novel :)
84,519 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 10 17
Last night:
The sons of Theseus, Acamas and Delephon
Today:
----------Tea.
Sometimes I blog.
http://hellia.blogspot.com/
Other times I contribute.
http://www.geekachicas.com/
But I really just want to novel :)
39,159 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 10 41
Yesterday I goodsearched information about the ways certain holidays were celebrated in medieval times. Nothing about my novel today, though.
43,113 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 15 09
I've poked about for medieval canon law and bishops in Bergen.
----------Yes the pic is a stavechurch, in case anyone wondered!
50,028 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 15 22
What's GoodSearch?
----------"The only limits we have are those we place on ourselves." - Alan Bean
46,259 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 21 21
Goodsearch is the way to donate to the Nanowrimo without spending any cash. www.goodsearch.com You select your charity--in our case Office of Letters and Light (Oakland) [the official nano name]--and verify it. Then for every search, they donate one penny to your charity. More information here on the how to donate when you're broke page: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/donatingwhenbroke
So 5 searches a day means you're donating 5 cents. 30 days = $1.50. Not a lot; but when you consider how many of us there are writing, if we all goodsearched, we'd be donating a considerable amount.
I goodsearched: mustang cars, mechanic issues, and other things I"ve now forgotten! (And I'm missing historical fiction which is why I stopped by.)
Saipanwriter
----------http://saipanwriter.blogspot.com
Saipanwriter
http://saipanwriter.blogspot.com
0 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 00 27
Alchemy-counterfeiting colored gems
84,519 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 11 24
YAY! people are finally responding! I was talking to myself for a while there! haha.
I keep having to goodsearch Theseus. I should probably bookmark his Wiki page at some point...
----------Sometimes I blog.
http://hellia.blogspot.com/
Other times I contribute.
http://www.geekachicas.com/
But I really just want to novel :)
15,266 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 21 32
The phrase "Ibos pend' car'a yo" (Haitian saying. Translated to mean, "Igbo hang themselves") and the history of the slave trade involving the Igbo people of Nigeria in the Southern US states.
43,514 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 23 23
history of beeswax vs. synthetic candles. Ha! I've finally found a timeline for when beeswax candles were replaced with paraffin. This is important stuff.
84,519 / 50,000
Nov 11, 2009 - 14 28
I was actually shocked by how late candles came into use. I mean, it blew my mind that oil lamp type things came first!
Yesterday I goodsearched Looms. again. I never can remember the warp/weft business. well, except I do now, FINALLY!
I also had to goodsearch Pirithous, Theseus's partner in crime when he abducted Helen.
----------Sometimes I blog.
http://hellia.blogspot.com/
Other times I contribute.
http://www.geekachicas.com/
But I really just want to novel :)
15,266 / 50,000
Nov 11, 2009 - 22 14
Yesterday I goodsearched Looms. again. I never can remember the warp/weft business. well, except I do now, FINALLY!
I also had to goodsearch Pirithous, Theseus's partner in crime when he abducted Helen.
Amalia, somewhere in my house is a fabulous dictionary / encyclopedia of Greco--Roman figures and there place in history and mythos (as well as the references they are mentioned in!) I think about it when I see one of you GoodSearches.
Then again, I got Perseus and Jason of the Argonauts mixed up in conversation the other day. My old prof would have been so disgusted with me.
84,519 / 50,000
Nov 12, 2009 - 17 26
haha. Awesome. I have a huuuuuge encyclopedia of mythology, and a zillion others-- my husband and I are both huge history nerds.
I also dropped a box of encyclopedias of mythology on my big toe when I worked at the bookstore :( Believe me when I say I was not thrilled.
Also: Today I goodsearched Glass! Which did exist! Woo!
----------Sometimes I blog.
http://hellia.blogspot.com/
Other times I contribute.
http://www.geekachicas.com/
But I really just want to novel :)
50,580 / 50,000
Nov 14, 2009 - 09 54
Today I looked up a wonderful old song called "I live not where I love."
http://www.folkalley.com/openmic/song.php?id=9115
It is really old, and although there might be some historical problems including it in my novel, it is nothing a little plot contrivance can't take care of. ;).
Anyway it will definitely be in my novel, and will up the word count by about 120 words. Actually, I think I will use it twice and make it a kind of theme song for one of my mcs.
15,266 / 50,000
Nov 14, 2009 - 13 53
So far today I goodsearched:
Perfume
Then I got lost searching the origins of nursery rhymes which had nothing to do with my story. It was quite interesting, though. I knew about the Ring around the Rosies concept (though not how many variations and countries it was prominent in.) I'd never read the theories behind Mary, Mary Quite Contrary. By the time I was about to start reading up on Humpty Dumpty, I realized I was wasting time. Oh well, I'll look it up in December.
20,360 / 50,000
Nov 15, 2009 - 08 08
14 minutes spent on the history of pajamas.
Allow me to share a few facts about the humble pajama:
----------1.) In South Africa, pj's are commonly referred to as "Night Suits"
2.) Until the Middle Ages, most people slept naked
3.) It is widely rumored that Queen Victoria accepted her crown whilst "commando" (side-quest search on
the history of underwear)
4.) pajamas were not introduced into America until the late 1880s
5.) when confronted with an imminent writing deadline, I will research almost anything to avoid writing
6.) when confronted with said looming deadline, I will also organize canned food items in my pantry according to label colors and
degree of like/dislike for that item
I am but mad north, north-east. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.
15,266 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2009 - 10 28
So far today I have searched:
The creation, history, and use of Laudanum, a.k.a. Tincture of Opium.
I also searched for variations of Poppies.
At least my searches have been related so far. I'm sure I'll mess that up later today.
84,519 / 50,000
Nov 19, 2009 - 09 22
I haven't had to look stuff up for a while! Feeling pretty good about that!
still goodsearching other stuff though!
----------Sometimes I blog.
http://hellia.blogspot.com/
Other times I contribute.
http://www.geekachicas.com/
But I really just want to novel :)
84,519 / 50,000
Nov 21, 2009 - 19 01
Goodsearched Odysseus and the list of Suitors who came to seek Helen's hand.
Goodsearch for the Win!
----------Sometimes I blog.
http://hellia.blogspot.com/
Other times I contribute.
http://www.geekachicas.com/
But I really just want to novel :)