Adventures in Research

And my bad memory

So, tonight, as part of editing my latest short story, I spent at least an hour, likely closer to two, trying to look up a name that was refusing to register in my brain.

You see, the action takes place on a world that is almost entirely water. Thus, my brain said ‘name it after that greek guy chained in the water and unable to drink. ‘

Me: Great idea! What was his name again?

My brain: Beats me, you're on your own. Water, water, everywhere, not a drop to drink!

Me: Thank you SO much.

Why did it take me two hours to answer the question of what was his name, and what poem is that line from?

Well, instead of reaching for my phone and Google and getting the answers in about two minutes, I decided to do it the hard way. I grabbed my copy of Bullfinch's Mythology off the shelf. The contents are pretty detailed, but none of the names sounded right for what I wanted. So, I reached for the index to my World Book. Neither water nor Greek Mythology had specific references to what I was after. Ok, Brittanica time. Lots more information, and a lot better indexing. Seriously way better. But nothing that actually triggered my nrain, nor answered either question.

Back to Bullfinch, and skimming through 20 plus chapters. Finally, I hit a comment about Tantalus ignoring his thirst to listen to the lament of whoever's story it was as they travel the underworld. BINGO!

Tantalus, BTW, does have his own article in the Britannica, but is not listed by name in any chapter headings by Bullfinch.

The line of poetry? That I had to search on the web, and found instantly. It is from The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere by Samuel Coleridge, published in 1798. I first read it in elementary school, and of course that line is famously misquoted everywhere.

The actual verse:

Water, water, every where,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, every where,

Nor any drop to drink.

Interestingly, the verse right after is also very… apropos to my story, and I think might make an appearance as well:

The very deep did rot: Oh Christ!

That ever this should be!

Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs

Upon the slimy sea.

So, was it worth torturing myself trying to hunt down things that went missing from my brain? Probably yes. I feel like the effort means I am more likely to remember it in the future. Was it slower than just asking Jeeves? Yes. By a LOT. Primarily because the bits I remembered were not the type of thing found easily in an encyclopedias index. The information was there, but finding it was an issue. Was it fun? Also yes. It gave me an excuse to skim a bunch of Greek Mythology, and to dust off my rusty research skills.

Is there a moral to this story? Nope. Just an experience I felt like sharing.