Wednesday, March 14, 2012

But It's Research!!!

I had some free time today, knowing full well that I had this blog article due (life-long procrastinator, here), and did I spend that free time writing? Heck, no. I spent it watching, I kid you not, "Haunted Collector" on Sci-Fi. Or SyFy, as they stylize themselves now. There was a "Haunted Collector" mini-marathon on today.

My husband rolls his eyes at my taste in recreational TV, but I honestly love this stuff and I watch almost all of these shows. "Haunted Collector," like "Ghost Hunters" and "Ghost Hunters, International" provides a great way to get a ghost story fix without freaking out too badly. Sometimes there's a lot of history involved, too, so that's a good thing.

If I seriously want history and the paranormal, though, I like "Haunted History." That's not so scary either, because those ghosts are all located in places I'm not, so they don't bother me much. This is a good point to remember because my husband travels out of town a lot and I don't enjoy lying alone in my bed listening to all the new noises my house has added to its repertoire.

But there are other shows that scare the bejesus out of me, to put it mildly. "Celebrity Ghost Stories", with its fairly cheesy reenactments, always creeps me out, just because most actors and actresses are very good story tellers, and also, if this show is for real, some of them have had experiences that would have turned my hair white at the ripe old age of 12. I don't even touch Paranormal State because demonic possession is someplace I don't ever go. Fairly frightening but still eminently watchable would include "My Ghost Story," "Ghostly Encounters," and "A Haunting." Except that I've seen every "A Haunting" episode ever made, so I don't watch that one anymore. The mystery freak in me watches "Psychic Investigators" and the YA writer in me watches "Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal."

Do you know, I think there are nearly as many supernatural/paranormal shows on TV as there are cooking shows? Okay, maybe not, but I didn't even mention some of the others that are out there. ("Ghost Adventurers" fans, you know who you are!)

At any event, because I write supernatural stories, I tend to gravitate to shows like this and boy, I enjoy the heck out of them. Complete waste of time? No doubt. But good for the imagination? Take a gander at some of my stuff (shameless plug!) and you tell me!

3 comments:

  1. I don't know that watching shows is wasted time. Think of all the ideas and characters you might discover.

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  2. Ok, when I wrote CROSSED OUT, I watched TONS of paranormals. I even watched Psychic Kids(loved this show as it showed how the whole family is affected if their child sees ghosts), PARANORMAL STATE, GHOST ADVENTURES(this one scared the crap out of me!), and even the Ghost Hunter shows(I didn't like these as I thought they were too cheesy).

    I also watched GHOST WHISPERER, MEDIUM, and JOAN OF ARCADIA.

    For my upcoming book NO GODDESSES I watched almost all of Audrey Hepburn movies. Plus I read the books, bios too.

    And for the sequel? I've been immersing self in everything French/Parisian.

    Yes, it's research.

    **Oh, when I got stuck in my sekrit project, I went on a Roswell TV series marathon. The slow building love between Max and Liz helped me be able to dig deeper into my main character's own relationship.

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  3. I loved that show Joan of Arcadia. I also watch Psychic Kids - but mostly I enjoy it because the kids are psychic and there is a difference between just seeing ghosts and being able to communicate with them and some of them are empaths as well as healers.

    "Ghost Whisperer" is based on Sandra Brown's real life experiences.

    And who couldn't use some good research shows - like everyone says - think of the fodder you get for your own stories. I'm about to embark on some research for the Asian area (I have to narrow down my city to Bangkok, Beijing, or Shainghai - those are the three that are hitting my mind but I know nothing of any of the areas). This novel will not be a YA but hopefully I can gear it towards the upper YA group and above. Just have to see what comes from my research.

    Keep up with the research and don't let those new noises get to you too much - they are friendly if they haven't done anything yet. E :)

    Elysabeth Eldering
    Author of Finally Home, a YA paranormal mystery
    "The Proposal" (an April Fools Day story), a humorous romance ebook
    "The Tulip Kiss", a paranormal (ghost) romance ebook
    "Bride-and-Seek", a paranormal (ghost) romance ebook
    working on Imogene: Innocense Lost
    http://elysabethsstories.blogspot.com
    http://eeldering.weebly.com

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