Research is not a dirty word. Or: A story about an elk, an eagle, and two-hearted women
Bull elk on Lookout Mountain in snowstorm Writing is not just about what we already know. It's also about what we wish we knew. At this juncture, where facts and experience meet curiosity, inspiration takes root. Passion and our emotional connection to a story may form the heart, but research gives a story legs; it keeps the story moving forward and keeps writer and reader engaged. Research is exploration. It is venturing into unknown territory, and the tension created between knowing, and not knowing, like a taut rubber band, can catapult us into someplace new. Take this elk, for instance. Large antlers serve bull elk well during the rut, when they're sparring to test strength and endurance and hopefully gather up a harem of cows. But twice this winter, my neighbors and I have seen big bulls tangle with the orange plastic mesh fencing used on construction sites. This particular bull is...