One of the exciting things about being a writer is the adventures you get to have while doing research for a book.  I was having difficulty finding needed information for one of the children’s book manuscripts I’m working on and decided I needed to talk to a park ranger at the coast.  I ended up going to the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area Interpretative Center near Newport, Oregon.

I had my manuscript with me and scheduled a meeting with one of the park rangers. She was very familiar with natural attractions, as well as man-made attractions, along the Oregon coast. She reviewed my information and was able to point out things that needed to be corrected.  She also opened up several maps and showed me areas I hadn’t considered for my project.

She was very accommodating and seemed happy to help. Afterwards, a friend went with me to walk around the lighthouse there and we soaked in all the goodness the sea has to offer.

While you are researching a writing project, don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and go to the locations you are referencing.  Talk to people who are knowledgeable about your topics. Seek out additional information that may not be found online.  But most of all, have fun in the process and make it an adventure!