Attention to detail...

I read somewhere during/before the releases of the Lord of the Rings trilogy that Peter Jackson was utterly obsessed with attention to detail. To the extent where, when Gandulf went off to do his research at Minas Tirith and he sat in the library there, going through all those scrolls and maps, practically all of those untouched scrolls and parchments in the background had text on it - eventhough it was not to be used in the scene.

I am finding myself doing that at the moment. Being obsessed with making sure I have the correct formulae for my young exorcist/paranormal investigator to use when confronted with a ghost, the right language, turn of phrase, locations. It is hard work. I know, in the end that it would help, once I sit down and write the blasted novel to have all this information at my fingertips but...I am scared.

I am scared of using too much of it - if I do, I will be a bit of an anorak, showing off all my learned knowledge (a la Dan Brown), if I don't, it might seem that I am doing my "magic" on the wing. Conundrum. Where do you draw the line, where do you see the balance. I know wordweaver will pipe up and say "shutup with the whining already and just write it, fix it up later.." and I know where she is coming from but! being the procrastinator that I am, I am wasting my time googling every phrase I find interesting, doing research on Milton quotes, checking out Dante...Catholic saints...and it is vastly interesting. I am thinking of selling my services to the Beeb even!

Grin, but this Sunday, I think will be the big day when I will start at page 20 in the existing novel and rewriting and start showing - not telling - my research and dropping my poor young character into a whole load of trouble.

SNH SNH SNH