Most writers will warn you of the seductiveness of research - that it can easily draw you away from the real work of writing. But research is not only usually enjoyable but also vital for certain genres and I certainly couldn't write my Dr Midas books without doing a lot of study on the places and time periods my hero visits.
I have shelves full of useful books and old National Geographic magazines which are great for learning basic facts but there is only so much you can get off a page. Unfortunately I've not been able to travel to Madagascar, Peru or Cambodia - although I am saving up - so another source I like is TV documentaries which give you a good feel for a place - two of the senses are helped best of course sight and sound and I scribble down notes and even paragraphs of story if something pops into my head.
I also like to try to imagine what things smell and feel like - and for that I have to be a bit more creative. Luckily when wanting to write about animals I can visit zoos and aquariums, even museums. I have been lucky enough to see lots of lemurs - I even got to feed some at one zoo - which really helped me describe their calls and movements. Seeing for myself also helped when books gave differing descriptions of what colour Greater Vasa Parrots are - after studying them at Chester Zoo I knew exactly what they looked like and again how they sound and move.
Likewise I have never been in a rainforest but I have been in several tropical gardens which gave me a better idea of how the foliage feels and smells and a bit more of an idea about the heat.
Last weekend I visited The Palms Tropical Oasis at Stapeley Water Gardens just off Junction 16 of the M6. My friends on ZooBeatForum have been helping me track down some of Madagascar's smaller creatures so I can photograph them for my website.
I was thrilled to discover they have a small hedgehog-like creature called a tenrec - the Malagasy people believe you'll get lost if you see one - but luckily I found my way home ok. They also have giant Madagascan hissing cockroaches - their name really suits them they are the biggest cockroach I've ever seen and the noise they make is really loud and Imperial Scorpions which glow in the dark. Both play a small role in my Pirates book.
They also have four different types of geckos which you might have seen on David Attenborough's fantastic Life in Cold Blood Series. Two of the species I've seen before the other two were hiding - which is typical, generally whenever I go to research a particular species that's the one hiding. They also had the Tomato Frog, a Madagascan Praying Mantis and two types of Malagasy fish and there were lots of rainforest plants to examine.
I also visited The Palms when I was working on Dr Midas and the Incas to see their amazing Giant Amazon Water Lilies and the Angel Trumpet flower which is used by Amazonian Indian Shaman's for its ability to induce visionary dreams. They also have poison dart frogs, coati, parrots and piranahas.
I'd be interested to hear where your research has taken you so post a comment below.
Of course there are lots of other animals to see at The Palms Tropical Oasis too including Tunnel of Underwater Life, Tamarin Monkeys, Meerkats, The Jungle Floor and much more. It is currently open from 10am - 6pm (till 5pm Sundays.) Admission is £4.95 for adults and £2.95 for children.
Don't miss Meet the Keeper - the best talk I've ever heard on snakes, spiders and other minibeasts - usually Saturday 1pm-3pm. More details available at www.stapeleywg.com
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