Virtual Travel Writing Hazards

So I am still in the middle of my character-based edit, and I realised I needed to rewrite another of few location scenes.

When I started this project, only a few of the places had I seen in person.  Slowly but surely, I've been able to see many of them - but I still have quite a few which I have only seen via video, travel show or online.

In some ways, it's beyond wonderful that I can bring in so much realism to these places without having visited.  However, because my book has so much real history, real folklore, real mythological links to places I have the added pressure to getting things as close to accurate as possible. 

Once or twice I had to take creative license, but this book makes you want to learn more about the places and stories I discuss.  I know, assuming I get published (we'll save the self v. traditional publishing issue for another post), that there will be a notable percentage of readers who in their eagerness to learn more, will in essence be fact checking.

No pressure though. :-)

On the other hand - I have be exposed to so many wonderful places and things!  So I thought I would share some of the online sources and references I have found along the way to help me to beef up scenes or get another perspective:

Exploring Gop Cave and Gop Hill in Wales - the second largest prehistoric mound in Britain and the possible location of the Celtic Queen Boudicca's final battle against the Romans:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yP7u8_xFLo&feature=related

I love it when Weston (he's the person who made the video) climbs the top of the cairn and opens his arms screaming "wooooo".  My husband did something very similar when he climbed his first cairn in Ireland.

I also wanted to revisit the Druid's Circle, located above Penmaenmawr Wales.  Thank goodness for the person Tim Prevett, the Shropshire Traveller, or else much of my virtual explorations would have been from a person (whom I will not name) who put up on YouTube video of himself smoking pot in the middle of the Stone Circle!  I have found decent video, but incredible photos from the Shropshire Traveller:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzFJNcOj9K8
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=350

I hope I am not giving the impression that all of my sources are online.  This is far from the case.  My copy of A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany by Aubrey Burl has been indispensable when it comes to stone circles, let alone the dozens of books I have collected on everything from mythology to New England stone mysteries to traditional songs to neo-pagan books on Wicca, Celtic Reconstructionism and modern Druidry.

But for places I have to describe, I found that combining the written word with visual elements has given me the clearest understanding of places I have yet seen for myself.

OK - well I thought it would be fun to blog as I write - but it's pulling me too many directions.  So I'm going to go back to writing and blogging afterwards.

Please let me know if you want me to keep including links to relevant video of these amazing places to visit!