For the first time in my whole life, I am making a spreadsheet. I am old, guys. I have never done this before.
At this point I have read like 20 non-fics about the people and the historical context, (and religion, and wealth, and spy-sneaks, and dungeons, and theater stuff.)
I have found that looking up Shakespeare makes it easier. There are more S-centric books out there. He may or may not come into my story, but learning about him helps. He and Marlowe were exactly the same age, came from similar families too. (Dad S made gloves, Dad M made boots. Both ran shops out of home. both had big piles of leather lying everywhere and awls and toxic goop for improving leather. both families had little ones not live to grow up, but the fact that kids survived speaks to the awesome power of their baby-proofing.)
Marlowe went to college on scholarship, Shakespeare did not.(Neither did Kyd, who was a little older than the other two.) But still, I figure, the words, the sights, sounds, clothes, frustrations, all quite similar. They even went on to live in the same part of town, at the same time. They were like two bridge and tunnel commuters, working in Manhattan. Even in different office buildings, the experience carries.
Of course I realize that there are dangers in taking it too far. S was married. M was not. M had training in religion and much more Latin, and also Greek.
So, in short, this is fun.
