My Google Search History

Like all writers, my Google search history could probably get me arrested. I research some seriously weird stuff, and not all of it is for what I’m writing. Sometimes I just get distracted. Or sometimes I really wonder if I can make a bomb out of dishwashing liquid and baking soda. You can’t, but you can make slime.

Every now and then I surf back through my search history looking for something I forgot to bookmark. This is both fun and time consuming, because I often get distracted (again) by interesting looking links. I’m going to share some of the most fascinating ones. But be warned: if you’ve only got a minute to spare, you might want to bookmark this post for later!

Wikipedia’s list of potentially habitable exoplanets

This is one of my favourite pages on the internet. I visit here a lot, and not only because I write science fiction. I like to browse this list simply for the sake of imagining what Kepler 452b might be like. I also use this list—and the measurements involved—when creating planets of my own.

List of English terms of venery

Collective nouns, people! I love this page. It’s another Wikipedia staple for me and I use it a lot.

Behind the Name

I have a rule when I’m picking names. If the character is important (read: lives to see the end of the book), I will choose their name carefully—exploring both the history and meaning. If the character is probably going to die, I just pick something. Usually the kid from school who pushed me off the fence, or stole my pencil, or was just really snotty and unattractive. If I’m writing something speculative, then I use Rinkworks’ awesome name generator. I used it to name Qek from the Chaos Station books, and to pick the names of several planets. Sometimes I will swap a letter or two to make it sound even more exotic.

Unique Combinations

Yesterday’s searches were all to do with current writing project and included: men’s sport shirts from Brooks Brothers (a certain someone dresses very well), New York’s East River, the exact definition of light speed (which has absolutely nothing to do with the contemporary romance novel I’m currently writing), several visits to Merriam Webster to check spellings, balsamic glazed pork chops (dinner) and inheritance law. So…I guess you could surmise I planned to knock off someone who wears good suits by tossing them in the East River. I would then escape using my, um, space ship that can travel faster than the speed of light and be home in time for a pork dinner.

I also spelled everything correctly along the way.

I don’t think any of my searches could actually get me arrested, but there are a number I’d hate for my husband or daughter to see. You see, in addition to creating alien worlds, I write romance. Gay romance. So there are usually two dudes in my books and at some point, they’re going to get it on. Seeing as I am not a guy, I sometimes have to look a couple things up. Just to make sure I’m getting it right. Then I might linger, just to make sure…

Ahem.

I’m not going to list those links here, y’all can fill your own Google histories with that one. I do have an excellent list of resources for anyone who’s interested, though—and I’m not talking porn. There are some awesome websites filled with Q&A just for folks like me, or for the super curious.

The colour of snot

The list of links for writers is endless and I’m sure even non writers could find themselves in the position of having an interesting Google history. One of the wonders of the internet is information at our fingertips. Stuff we need to know, stuff we’d like to know and the things we wished we’d never looked up. Like what colour snot is. Yes, I linked that one, it’s totally gross and I shouldn’t have to bear that scar alone.

Tumblr

And when we’re tired of just the plain old internet, there’s Tumblr, where the weird can get weirder with every click and scroll.

Leaving you with a link to my Tumblr, appropriately titled: There Is No Plan. It’s mostly SFW, unless you consider naked bums NSFW, which I suppose most folks would. They’re few and far between and not on the first page, though. ;) Mostly, I collect pictures of pretty things. Men, landscapes, art and books. In fact, my Tumblr is a lot like my search history and a pretty good indication of what we all get up to online.

~*~*~*~

About Kelly

If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.

Kelly is the author of a number of novels, novellas and short stories, including the Chaos Station series, co-written with Jenn Burke. A lot of what she writes is speculative in nature, but sometimes it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.

Visit Kelly Online:

Twitter | Facebook | Website