Research and Development--Lenora Worth

I'm working hard on a suspense but I keep stopping to do fascinating research. This book involves a lot of things--animals (including two alligators named Boudreaux and Bobby Wayne), Texas Rangers and all the duties and protocol and procedure of these larger than life heroes, an animal rescue/rehabilation expert (my heroine) and a whole slew of really bad guys out to take over the world--or at least Texas.

This had made my writing slow going, but once I get a good piece of detailed research out of the way, I get right back into the story and become involved with my characters--especially their developing love story which had taken on a life of its own. This is way too much fun and I get paid to do this! What more could a girl ask for? More time to research, of course!

But that did get me wondering--do writers love research? Do readers even notice the research (the details, the description, the layers of story and place that we try to put in there to make everything seem so real?)So what do you say, people? Love it or hate it or just tolerate it but research and its friend development both have a place in a suspenseful story. It's one thing to explain how an alligator can run at about forty miles per hour. It's quite another to name that gator Broudreaux and give him a personality. That's research and development. And that's one of the fun parts of this job. Tell us what you think. We also like to take polls now and then.