Ever wonder what goes on in an author’s search history?
Fair warning before we get into it: I don’t google things during my first draft. That version looks something like: [Insert Elephant Weight Here]. If I stopped to research every detail mid-scene, I’d never finish the book. Which is probably why my editing takes forever.
Anyway. Here’s the list. (This is specifically for “Mayhem: A Girl’s Guide to Supervillainy Book 4”)
1. “How long does a tranquilizer dart take to work on a human?” Then I remembered Thunderbolt is a superhero. Rules no longer apply. Thirty seconds of research, completely irrelevant. Classic.
2. “Average Asian elephant weight” I figured I needed something more specific than they are big. Turns out I was right.
3. “How do you pick an apartment door lock?” I don’t know why I bothered. My husband used to do this for a living. No joke. I could have just asked him. I did not ask him.
4. “What romance beats do I have to hit in a novel?” I wanted something more than: they meet, they make googly eyes, they kiss, they get married. Nessa deserved better than a checklist.
5. “What flavor is Superman ice cream?” I knew it was Nessa’s favorite. I just couldn’t remember what was actually in it. Blue moon? Vanilla? Something involving the color blue and questionable food dye? Turns out it’s blue moon, vanilla, and strawberry — or depending on your region, whatever the ice cream gods decided that day. Iconic, honestly.
6. “Would someone survive falling through a warehouse floor into a basement?” This is where Nessa became mostly invincible. You’re welcome, Nessa.
7. “When was Dance Dance Revolution popular?” Then I decided it didn’t matter. It’s a vintage arcade room. Thunderbolt looks ridiculous on it regardless of the decade.
8. “Can you actually eat ten-year-old chocolate?” I never did mention how white and waxy it would be. Or that it would have lost its snap entirely. The romance needed the chocolate to be good and I stand by that decision.
9. “Tiny home average build time with a crew” Too long. Way too long. Thank goodness for superhero intervention and the liberties of fiction.
10. “Roller rink name ideas” You Spin Me Right Round was briefly a contender. I eventually landed on Cosmic Adventures, which felt appropriately frozen-in-1987. It earned its name.
Bonus — the one that tells you everything about this book:
“What do you call it when you fall for someone you’re supposed to be manipulating?”
Immediately followed by: “Is that a real psychological term or just a movie thing?”
Madison and Matthew (Book 3: Rebel) already had the Stockholm syndrome adjacent situation covered. Nessa (book 4: Mayhem) needed her own thing. Turns out there may not be a clean clinical term for it. Which honestly tracks — Nessa never did anything the straightforward way.
You should see my search history when I write something with higher stakes. Ways to poison someone slowly. How long before a body is discovered. Can you survive a fall from a helicopter. Okay, maybe I haven’t googled that last one…yet.
My browser history is a liability and I’ve made peace with that.
If you want to read Mayhem and spend the whole time picturing me googling elephant weights at 4am — grab it here. (Disclosure: Mayhem is Book 4 in the “A Girl’s Guide to Supervillainy” Series.
Or start the series with book 1.