by valeriedavisson | Nov 3, 2021 | Research, Writer's Life, Writing Process
THE THING ABOUT RESEARCH is the unexpected tidbit you learn along the way. Take my recent trip to the Cascade Raptor Center in Eugene, OR while researching a storyline for Book 8. The Executive Director, Louise Shimmel, arranged for me to spend time with several...
by valeriedavisson | Dec 27, 2020 | Research, Writing Process
IN THE MIDST OF LOGAN’S NEW WORLD UP HERE ON THE OREGON COAST, I’m having a great time with background research for her ever-evolving story in Book 7. I am continuing to learn about mushrooms, of course, that were introduced in the last book. So far,...
by valeriedavisson | Nov 13, 2020 | Research, Writer's Life, Writing Process
I DIDN’T PLAN IT THIS WAY, but moving to the Oregon coast meant moving Logan with me. As I explored my new neighborhood, which includes miles of paths through an old growth forest and a walking path along a rocky ocean cliff, new story lines and characters...
by valeriedavisson | Jan 7, 2020 | Writer's Life, Writing Process
TODAY WAS ANOTHER JOYFUL DAY in my life as a writer! I spent the day with a violinist who shared her love of music, her instrument and many of the ins and outs of being a musician and how individual and unique each musician is. Some compose, some play, some struggle,...
by valeriedavisson | Jul 20, 2019 | Research, Writer's Life, Writing Process
MEMORIES FORMED AT PIVOTAL TIMES IN MY LIFE often pop up as I’m imagining Logan’s next adventure. FOREST PARK is a good example. When I returned to school as an adult, part of my Anthropology coursework involved collecting the life histories of Vietnamese refugees,...
by valeriedavisson | Jul 14, 2019 | Research, Writing Process
ALMOST AS MUCH AS I LOVE WRITING, I love research. Every time I sit down to write a new Logan McKenna novel—actually, long before that, when the story first starts stirring—obscure bits of knowledge or experiences pop into my head that spark story elements, plot...
A self-admitted book addict, Valerie was the kid with the flashlight under her pillow. A life of travel with exposure to many different cultures led to a pervasive interest in people, with degrees & teaching credentials in Cultural Anthropology & English.