Writing happened, in spite of ouch

[julesjones]

Why to do research... The current WIP started off being set in Cornwall. While I was writing the first chapter, the POV character decided to be a fossil-hunter rather than a birdwatcher as his excuse for puttering along the Cornish coast in a small boat he doesn't really know how to operate. Went to check on what fossils are to be found on the Cornish coast -- well, not a lot, really. Now given that my day job could lead people to believe that I should know what I'm talking about with regard to fine details of British geology, this could have been embarrassing. Oops. He's now pottering along the Devon/Dorset coast instead, finding fossils that in real life are indeed to be found there, and obeying the fossil collector's code. (Though Raven may make me take that last bit out if I'm not sufficiently subtle about it.) Better go and check whether the sort of coastline I'm describing is to be found in moderately uninhabited areas of Devon or Dorset... Google Maps and the satellite images might be useful here. :-) watervole, may need to pick your brains at some point.

Yesterday was 440 words on The Syndicate, and 700 on the new solo story. Today we didn't get anything done on TS4, but I did get 700 and some revision on the solo. I'd be happier if the word count was higher, but I also ricked my shoulder yesterday so was deliberately refraining from spending the entire day in front of the computer.

Comments

[watervole.livejournal.com]

THe Dorset Jurassic coast is wonderful for fossils. I've bits of ammonites and one complete one I've got from the beach.

If you want it without people, do what the really dedicated fossil hunters do and go along the beach in winter when there's no tourists. They know they'll find better stuff then, especially after a storm has brought down new stuff from the cliffs.

[julesjones]

Spring, I think, for internal story reasons. Oh yes - when are there likely to be bad storms that come up suddenly enough to cause problems for someone inexperienced with boats?

[watervole.livejournal.com]

I think you could get a bad storm any time of year and a lot of the cliffs have wave-cut platforms that make it dangerous for boats to venture too close.

How deserted do you want to be? There's some really good areas that are well walked, but are deserted in storms...

Try this page for pretty geology and offshore rocks... http://www.soton.ac.uk/~imw/durdle.htm

There are other good places for fossils as well. http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/Charmouth.htm

AGain, how deserted do you need to be? The worse the weather, the better the odds of no one their but fossil hunters.

[del-c.livejournal.com]

As you've doubtless found out by now, The Dorset coast is, in roughly west to east order, Jurassic limestone, Cretaceous chalk, and Tertiary clay. The Jurassic and Cretaceous is where you'll find your ammonites and dinosaurs.

There's a nice photo gallery of Dorset scenes linked to the geological map on the right. Click on the dots and up comes a photo taken on that spot.

[julesjones]

Thanks, Del. That looks very useful. :-)

Basic setup is that I need this guy to be pottering along the coast, get caught in a storm, and end up sheltering in an old smuggler's cave, with Ye Traditional Blocked Tunnel To Ruined House. Which is why it started in Cornwall (sigh). If all else fails he can go back to being a birdwatcher, but the fossil-collecting thing is turning out to be useful to the main thread of the story.