Thank God For Wikipedia

Last night's research was the pin-tumbler lock. Which it turns out wasn't developed until the 1800s, so the reference got changed.

Wikipedia is so much easier than devoting an entire shelf to the Encyclopaedia Brittanica.

I admit I have gotten totally thrown out of a historical novel, set pre-Industrial Revolution, referring to an item as hand-sewn. Um, DUH. Sewing machines weren't invented yet! So a certain level of verisimilitude and research is requisite. However, given that Queen's Choice is a fantasy novel, I reserve the right to get irked at classmates who make comments like "Did they have paper back then?" One, FANTASY means there is no "back then." It's all made up! But two, yes, humans have had paper for the last 1800 years or so.

Therefore, fact-checking.

*hefts machete*

Stopping for the night at page 319/616. Yes, I am officially past the halfway mark! Word count is 123,799 so I'm actually down 271 words tonight! Unfortunately, I'm stopping because the next scene is seven pages of dragon enclave meeting, which I will probably end up cutting out, or at least cutting down. I worry, among other things, about it being too much influenced by Tamora Pierce's The Realm Of The Gods. Also, does it move the story forward &/or does it feed into something in Field of Stars? I've hinted at it happening, but does it need to? And all this is something I want to tackle with a fresh mind.