Squawk Radio

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Liz Goes in Search of Heroic Underwear (since obviously, some heroes don’t think of this stuff themselves)

I love starting a new book, which is what I did yesterday. Not just because it’s so much fun getting to know new characters. And not just because of the limitless possibilities for where the story might go. And not just because starting a new book means I must have recently finished another one--though, granted, that part is pretty sketchy on account of how quickly I forget the dregs of despair into which I am forced to descend before I can finish the...

Where was I? I forgot...

Oh, right. Why I love starting a new book. One of the main reasons I love doing that is because of all the Googling I get to do to uncover the things I need to uncover about my characters’ jobs and working environments and the places where they live and all that stuff.

Hello, my name is Elizabeth B., and I am a Google-holic.

I’ll Google pretty much anything. Often just for the hell of it. There is no better way to procrastinate writ-- Uh, I mean, there is no better way to flesh out a story with vivid detail than to Google every last aspect of it. For instance, yesterday, as I was writing about my new hero for the first time, I realized I needed to know what brand of underwear he wears. Yes, there is actually a relevant reason for knowing this, something that’s an integral part of both his character and the scene. Really. There is. I mean it. It’s true. It IS. So off to Google I go, to look at men’s underwear. Two words, and two words alone can describe my journey.

Oh. Baby.

If you’ve never gone to Google images and entered the words, “men’s underwear,” I encourage you to do so now. Go ahead. I’ll wait. I’ll hum “Stairway to Heaven.” No, really. Go have a quick look. Hmm, hmm, hmm... La la la... Buy-ing the stair-way to Hea-eh-vun. Are you back yet? No? Oh, right, you got hung up on the turquoise and black number from metroplex.typepad.com. Yeah, that one gave me pause, too. Okay, finish up. Remember, you can always go back on your lunch hour. Or later tonight, when you’re home alone. With a nice, um, snifter of brandy.

And me? Well, I think the next thing I need to know about my hero is where he spent his last vacation. Knowing him (and his underwear, which I do now, intimately), it was probably some nude beach in South America. Guess I better get Googling.

Okay, your turn. ‘Fess up. What’s your favorite way to procrastinate while you’re at work? What weird/fun/disturbing things have you discovered by Googling something you were sure would be totally innocent? What else can we Google for fun and profit? I, ah, I need some vivid details to help me flesh out this new book, ya know...
Elizabeth Bevarly, 7:24 AM
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