Thursday, October 29, 2009

Warning: Nudity

I’m going with a theme this week with blogging. Nudist resorts. Ever been to one? Want to? Would you if it was essential for research (or some other aspect of your life)?

I’ve been to a nudist resort, all in the name of research. See, in the currently-being-written third book in the Lola Cruz Mystery Series, Bare Naked Lola, Lola must go to a nudist resort to solve the case she’s working on. The question I’m faced with is: Will she, or won’t she--get naked, that is? Now, if you’ve read Living the Vida, Lola, you might be able to give an opinion on this. I know what my gut says, but I haven’t been faced with writing that particular scene yet so I can’t say for sure which way I’ll go with it.

I sort of imagine it as a Lucy and Ethel scene from I Love Lucy...all darting behind bushes and holding big leaves up!

But before I could write a single scene about a nudist resort, I had to go there and visit. And go I did. It was October, so the place was actually pretty quiet. People walked around with their shoes on and a towel slung over their shoulders (the towels are to sit on where ever you go, something I wouldn’t have known about had I not visited). Women are allowed to cover their bottom half during a certain time of month, but otherwise, if you are there, you are expected to be unclothed.

As I mentioned over at Good Girls Who Kill For Money Club on Monday, one of the most hilarious aspects was Nudestock (ala Woodstock)--and no, the bands didn’t have to be nude, although it was encouraged. Maybe Nudestock isn’t so different from the free-loving original, but still, it is something to see.

In book two of the my series, Hasta la Vista, Lola! (coming out in just 3 short months!), Lola didn’t have to do anything outrageous (other than breaking and entering, babysitting two nephews and a niece, and keeping her hands off Jack Callaghan), but there’s something so fun about putting your characters through something you’d never in a million years do. It tests you and your own boundaries and it can definitely make for hilarious scenes.

So here’s my question. What outrageous things have you done (in the name of research, or otherwise)? Would you visit a nudist resort? Just how daring are you?!

XO Misa

15 comments:

  1. Ohh...first comment!

    I actually visited a swingers club in the name of research. I was writing a book about a private eye investigating a series of murders where the only connection was the club. I had no idea how to write about a swingers club, so I contacted a friend of mine who dabbles and had her take me.

    Definitely not what I invisioned. *lol* I imagined mass orgies out in the open, crazy dirty stuff...um, no, not so much. Actually, pretty tame. If you didn't go behind the dark curtain, you'd never know what people did there. It looked like any other club.

    We'll have to see if my version stays as tame. *grin*

    Love the nudest story, Misa! And it makes me wonder...did You?

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  2. Jeez, I haven't left my attic in five years! I've got to get out more! The only thing I've done in the name of research is call up every cop I know and get my questions answered. Oh, I had lunch with one once, but my dad was there, too. Does that count as crazy? Maggie (PS, and no, Lola wouldn't get naked. Just a guess.)

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  3. If Lola can get her belly button pierced, she can go naked. I'm not a big fan of physical pain so to me, nudity is easier than body piercing.

    I visited a swingers club too, made my husband go with me. Like Mary, not at all what I expected- except for the guy wearing the "I shaved my balls for this" t-shirt.

    Tracy

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  4. I asked Dan Hale to take me to an upscale (if that's the right word!) strip club in Dallas so I could accurately depict a real place in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEB. Not surprisingly, he was game! He kept warning me how embarrassed I was going to be and how we could leave quickly if need be. So we went there, valet parked (as everyone does), and ordered drinks once we were seated. Instead of blushing and running, I sat there open-mouthed and kept going, "Oh, my, look at that...and that...and that!" He turned red-cheeked and slumped down into his chair, looking miserable. It was pretty funny! He wouldn't allow me to take notes inside, not even on a napkin, so I had to scribble furiously when I got back into the car. Needless to say, the bachelor party scene in the gentleman's club opens LIVING DEB (and there's a scene in there as well where Andy--my Deb Dropout--is at a Chippendale's show with the bride-to-be, which was another bit of research entirely!).

    Very fun post, Misa! :-)

    Cheers,
    Susan

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  5. Wow, I'm impressed by all the daring women out there and what you will do in the name of research! Swingers and Strippers, oh my!

    Guess we'll have to wait and see as to whether or not Lola does it. As for me, well, I'll never tell!

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  6. Years ago, and I mean years, I was a young mom with a toddler. One of my best friend's family were nudists and they invited me to go with them.
    I went and took my little girl. Undressing with the worst part. Once everyone was nude, it was quite interesting.

    The mom of the family I went to was quite chubby, the father--old--my friend who wasn't married and her siblings younger looked great. However, most of the people didn't.

    No men got thoughts they shouldn't have because it would have been too apparent. Watching the volleyball game was hilarious. (Didn't dare laugh though.)

    When it got cool, everyone dressed. That's about all I remember. Never put it in a book. And looking back, can't believe I did it.

    Marilyn
    http://fictionforyou.com

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  7. That's hilarious, Marilyn! I have a friend who was going with a gay friend of hers. The resort wouldn't let her in since they weren't married and she was married to her husband and it was a 'family' nudist resort. So she called her husband. He came and brought their small children and they all went in! I can't believe she did that!

    I used get my eyebrows waxed by a woman who waxed a lady who went to the nudist resort. My aesthetician would tell me how nervous it made her because it was the only client she had who advertised her work for all to see!!!

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  8. That's funny about advertising her work. *lol*

    And I have a guess...I think you did, and I think Lola will. *wink*

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  9. Well, I have been to an upscale adult entertainment venue in Dallas, too. More on a dare from a friend (man) who went to work there after we both left the daily journalism field. I've ridden in a van with gang members for a news story, photographed another group of gang members with their arsenal for another story, flown in an old Russian turbo prop with no seat-belts from one end of Cuba to the other when Pope John Paul II visited, slept in cars while waiting for key moments in other stories to happen, have had to hit the floor in fear of shots being fired on other stories, chased tornadoes for yet other stories -- but I have never, ever visited a nudist colony!!! Now how did I miss that golden opportunity? I bet Lola could, and would, and maybe should, take it off in the name of doing her job. Me? I would love to visit a nudist colony one day, but I can assure you I will NEVER partake! I find that scarier than anything I've ever done!

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  10. Sorry, Beatriz, they won't let you in unless you take off your clothes.

    What about a nudist beach? They do that all over the place, even a few in California.

    Marilyn
    http://fictionforyou.com

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  11. Been to the nudist beach. Accidentally! Didn't realize why there were so few people on that lovely warm sand until I saw a guy lying there and I thought, "Oh, that's funny, he looks as if he's not wearing trunks. Oh, that's because he isn't!"

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  12. And actually, for Misa: So, did you have to bare it all in order to visit? That would be great fodder for how Lola feels having to do this.

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  13. Thanks for stopping by today, y'all!

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  14. No way would I go to a Nudist camp, even if I had my 40 years ago body!

    Morgan Mandel
    http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

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