Research Trip to Scotland
Donation protected
The Man
Greetings! My name is Jeroen van Baardwijk, fiction author by trade, and residing in that tiny-speck-of-dust-on-the-globe called The Netherlands (or Holland, for those of you who insist on using the wrong name for said speck of dust).
The Complexity of My Scribblings
I love a good challenge, and it shows. I'm working on three different series, each in their own genre (mainstream, thriller, and supernatural), but they're all set in the same world. The result of that is that characters jump series—a character from a thriller might for example also play a role in a supernatural story. Trust me, maintaining a single timeline across multiple genres and stories is... well... let's just call it 'fun and interesting.' :-)
Of Ghouls & Ghosts
The protagonist of my ghost stories is a young, Scottish lad called Richard Quinn. Like myself, Richard has a thing with history, medieval times, (haunted) castles, and ghosts. Why a Scottish character running around in Scotland? Because if you need medieval, haunted castles, the 'place to be' is of course Scotland. Well, duh! :-)
Field Research
If you want your writing to be believable, you need to do your research—especially if locations in your stories are based on real, existing ones. But as useful as Google Maps and travel blogs may be, their usefulness is limited. They give you the sights, but not the sounds, smells, and overall 'feel' of the place. To get that, you'll need to go out there and do some field research. In this particular case, the location is the bustling market town of Dingwall (way up in the Scottish Highlands, a bit north-west of Inverness) and its local and reportedly haunted castle, Tulloch Castle .
Support The Arts, Support The Author
And that, dear reader, is where you come in. Research trips cost money, and that's not exactly something I have in abundance, so I could use a bit of community support.
Between transportation, lodging, and food, the total cost of this expedition will be approximately € 1,200 (at the current exchange rate, that's roughly $1,300 or £1,000).
No Good Deed...
One good deed deserves an other, so yes, There Be Perks! Check the column to the right to see what you get for your generosity. Any funds remaining after the trip will go to publishing costs and (if there's still anything left after that), future research trips.
Thank you very much for making this possible, and thank you for supporting the arts!
Greetings! My name is Jeroen van Baardwijk, fiction author by trade, and residing in that tiny-speck-of-dust-on-the-globe called The Netherlands (or Holland, for those of you who insist on using the wrong name for said speck of dust).
The Complexity of My Scribblings
I love a good challenge, and it shows. I'm working on three different series, each in their own genre (mainstream, thriller, and supernatural), but they're all set in the same world. The result of that is that characters jump series—a character from a thriller might for example also play a role in a supernatural story. Trust me, maintaining a single timeline across multiple genres and stories is... well... let's just call it 'fun and interesting.' :-)
Of Ghouls & Ghosts
The protagonist of my ghost stories is a young, Scottish lad called Richard Quinn. Like myself, Richard has a thing with history, medieval times, (haunted) castles, and ghosts. Why a Scottish character running around in Scotland? Because if you need medieval, haunted castles, the 'place to be' is of course Scotland. Well, duh! :-)
Field Research
If you want your writing to be believable, you need to do your research—especially if locations in your stories are based on real, existing ones. But as useful as Google Maps and travel blogs may be, their usefulness is limited. They give you the sights, but not the sounds, smells, and overall 'feel' of the place. To get that, you'll need to go out there and do some field research. In this particular case, the location is the bustling market town of Dingwall (way up in the Scottish Highlands, a bit north-west of Inverness) and its local and reportedly haunted castle, Tulloch Castle .
Support The Arts, Support The Author
And that, dear reader, is where you come in. Research trips cost money, and that's not exactly something I have in abundance, so I could use a bit of community support.
Between transportation, lodging, and food, the total cost of this expedition will be approximately € 1,200 (at the current exchange rate, that's roughly $1,300 or £1,000).
No Good Deed...
One good deed deserves an other, so yes, There Be Perks! Check the column to the right to see what you get for your generosity. Any funds remaining after the trip will go to publishing costs and (if there's still anything left after that), future research trips.
Thank you very much for making this possible, and thank you for supporting the arts!
Organizer
Jeroen van Baardwijk
Organizer
Eindhoven, NL
