in which i am probably doomed

[ontology]

I have come to the conclusion that writing is really only an excellent excuse to learn about things I am fascinated by, and my subconscious takes advantage of this by subtly sneaking in especially interesting things into my story. (That, and I have a tendency to think, "THAT IS AWESOME AND I NEED TO PUT IT IN MY STORY NOW.") So, things I have to pursue knowledge of: 19th century drugs and their affect on human psychology; underground cities and the catacombs of London; the worldwide political situation that led to the Great War (sociology ftw!); mental illness and the human mind; the Industrial Revolution; libraries in the modern and ancient world; any and all arcane bookmaking; linguistics; how cultures develop (the vampires, separated from their formerly human state); poker; early twentieth century insults in British; race and culture in 1912 England; why colonialism sucks and leads to Bad Things; literature in 1912; vintage clothing and hairstyles; turn-of-the-century music; cultural understanding of vampire lore (VAMPIRE PUMPKINS FTW!); the three sisters archetype in literature and folklore; Tam-Lin and related ballads; turn-of-the-century food; British Christmas traditions; street-fighting techniques; sword-canes; whether or not they had fish and chips back then and if they were wrapped in newspaper... And I keep digging up more as I write, dear me.

Also, this guy needs to make it into my story somehow. Somehow. Possibly as one of the bureaucratic Department of the Supernatural types. (One primary thing I aim to work on in Draft the Second: making the Department blokes less flat, stock Stupidly Evil Bureaucrats, because... that's senseless and boring. There is no reason for them all to be out of touch and too enamoured of their own power, and I hated it while I was writing it. Bah. That does not mean they can't have silly moustaches, however.)