I've never taken a writing related field trip before yesterday. Not really anyway. I highly recommend it. It took time away from my work, but it really inspired me.
We saw a planetarium show -- and then came home and looked at the same things in the sky above the house. I couldn't remember where everything I wanted to see was located, and I was too tired to set up the telescope (that'll be tonight). But we found Orion's Belt, the Big Dipper, Polaris (the North Star) and Sirius (the Dog Star, aka the brightest star in the sky). I've got my borrowed 'scope set up and I'm going to see if I can find the Orion Nebula and Saturn tonight.
We also were able to view the sun (safely) at the observatory. If you are ever in the Concord, NH area, the McAuliffe-Shepard Planetarium is reasonably priced, and a really cool place. The food court is tasty for lunch, too.
It was good for writer's block as well. I have some great ideas of where I want to take my book that I wouldn't have had otherwise. Very cool indeed.
2 comments:
I was doing research for my MG novel at our planetarium in Boston, until they CLOSED it for a year of renovations. So sad. Now I have to just go outside and star gaze! What are you working on that has you looking upward?
Thanks Heather - I'm a member of the Boston MOS and was bummed too that they closed the planetarium for the year! The McAuliffe-Shepard is a pretty good alternative though and only about an hour from Metro-West. I'm working on two astronomy titles (work-for-hire) for an educational publisher. Hopefully they'll be done at the end of the month and I can get back to revisions on my novel - trying to figure out if I get some stargazing into it - after all this research... ;) Is your middle grade about the Stars?
Kris
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