Weirdest Thing You've Researched?

[StillStunned]

Does browsing thesaurus, looking for synonyms to "hard," "hot" and "wet" count? If so, then I do research all the time.

Write about tropical storms a lot, do you?

 

[Bamagan]

I hate being literate sometimes.

You could try to induce some kind of aphasia.

 

[MrPixel]

I've read that asparagus is the one thing you really want to stay away from.

Absolutely. I personally think asparagus is disgusting, but my wife likes it. It seems like I empty half a can of air "freshener" in the john after she has enjoyed a meal with asparagus. The lingering smell is strong - skunk strong!

 

[RejectReality]

I don't necessarily consider it weird, but I spent quite a bit of time researching the serum run for my second Laresa chapter, which is set at the same time and in the same general area. Finding a transcript of a written account by one of the mushers was what made the story eventually. The tone and vocabulary of "The Blinding White" flowed from that one document.

What a young photographer working out of a strip mall in a mid-size town might reasonably charge for his services, pay for models to do a somewhat risqué photoshoot for a personal project, and pay for models to do a solo adult photoshoot/film for "A Sale of Two Titties".

 

[lovecraft68]

That was Morgan Freeman, but now I really want to see the alternate universe version with Sam Jackson.

Yeah, I get them mixed up sometimes. I have to try and remember which one's acting ability doesn't depend on yelling F-bombs.

 

[RejectReality]

Yeah, I get them mixed up sometimes. I have to try and remember which one's acting ability doesn't depend on yelling F-bombs.

Well, it's not entirely defendant on F-bombs. He's got Star Wars and Marvel in the ol' portfolio where he wasn't allowed to, and got that same energy across without them. No doubt Morgan Freeman has a much wider range, but that could be a result of type-casting and SJs willingness to just go with it and jump into about anything they hand him. I have little doubt he enjoys being that character as well. Hardly been a losing career choice for him. LOL

 

[SimonDoom]

Well, it's not entirely defendant on F-bombs. He's got Star Wars and Marvel in the ol' portfolio where he wasn't allowed to, and got that same energy across without them. No doubt Morgan Freeman has a much wider range, but that could be a result of type-casting and SJs willingness to just go with it and jump into about anything they hand him. I have little doubt he enjoys being that character as well. Hardly been a losing career choice for him. LOL

SJS is, I believe, the number one actor of all time ranked by the total gross of all his films. And who can forget the surprise scene involving him in Deep Blue Sea?

 

[lovecraft68]

Well, it's not entirely defendant on F-bombs. He's got Star Wars and Marvel in the ol' portfolio where he wasn't allowed to, and got that same energy across without them. No doubt Morgan Freeman has a much wider range, but that could be a result of type-casting and SJs willingness to just go with it and jump into about anything they hand him. I have little doubt he enjoys being that character as well. Hardly been a losing career choice for him. LOL

He's hit or miss with me. I think he's a great Nick Fury-and trust me, the way comic movies are going, he'll be f-bombing in them as well- I think my favorite movie with him in it is before he really broke huge and that was in The Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis, great femme fatale type flick.

But for the most part, he's the same brash cursing obnoxious over the top persona. If it works for him, great, but that type annoys me. His unexpected death in Deep Blue Sea was well done, and hilarious.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I try to make my occasional period story be as accurate as possible so this is from memory on a couple of stories over the past few years:

Bras -- invented in the mid-1870s, improved over the next 30 years, but not very common until 1900s.
Belt loops -- despite all of the marshals, sheriffs, gunmen, robbers, and cattle herders having them in western movies, not commercially available until early 1920s.
Zipper flies -- Not commercially available until the late 1930s.

and

Side saddles -- Ancient versions are depicted in art but their workings are largely unknown. The early known version dates from the Middle Ages, but the modern side saddle was reinvented in the 1830s.

Gun belts weren't worn through belt loops.

 

[SimonDoom]

He's hit or miss with me. I think he's a great Nick Fury-and trust me, the way comic movies are going, he'll be f-bombing in them as well- I think my favorite movie with him in it is before he really broke huge and that was in The Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis, great femme fatale type flick.

But for the most part, he's the same brash cursing obnoxious over the top persona. If it works for him, great, but that type annoys me. His unexpected death in Deep Blue Sea was well done, and hilarious.

One of his greatest performances is his recorded narration of the "children's" story Go The Fuck To Sleep. His voice is perfect.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I spent sometime trying to determine the size of a grizzly bears penis.

There's quite a bit of research on the size of their testicles, not so much for the penis.
Quite a few articles talking about polar bears penis size decreasing but no references to size before or after.

 

[Comshaw]

I don't lie. I prevaricate. And I don't prevaricate.

Since you do, I think you rate one of these:



Comshaw

 

[RejectReality]

SJS is, I believe, the number one actor of all time ranked by the total gross of all his films. And who can forget the surprise scene involving him in Deep Blue Sea?

He's been wrestling Harrison Ford for that position for years. The last flip-flops I remember was when Force Awakens came out and Harrison took the top spot again. Then came Infinity War and Endgame, which put Jackson back on top.

I can forget the scene in Deep Blue Sea, because I've never seen it. LOL

 

[Bramblethorn]

1920s Boston slang; I think I only used one word.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I spent sometime trying to determine the size of a grizzly bears penis.

There's quite a bit of research on the size of their testicles, not so much for the penis.
Quite a few articles talking about polar bears penis size decreasing but no references to size before or after.

For the win. I’m unsure whether I should be in awe or just appalled.

 

[NoTalentHack]

I'm currently researching forms, causes, and treatment of PTSD. Super fun stuff.

 

[Erozetta]

I'm currently researching forms, causes, and treatment of PTSD. Super fun stuff.

Depending on what you're going for there, I have some in insight on that.

 

[Comshaw]

I'm currently researching forms, causes, and treatment of PTSD. Super fun stuff.

Treatment for PTSD: have you checked into Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation? My wife just went through it for depression and it did wonders for her. They told her it was also used for PTSD by the VA.

Comshaw

 

[Kelliezgirl]

For the win. I’m unsure whether I should be in awe or just appalled.

Probably both.

 

[intim8]

I can't think of a specific strange one, but in combination... google and the NSA must have me on several lists by now.

 

[intim8]

Quite a few articles talking about polar bears penis size decreasing

Hey, it's cold up there. Give them a break.

 

[Baztrachian]

What is the weirdest thing you've had to research for a story here? I don't necessarily mean anything sex related, but I sometimes find myself in the flow and needing to look up something super niche. I had to do that a few stories back when I needed a really solid description of shoes in the 1920s. Is there anything really strange you felt like you needed to learn to make a story work?

Check out my stories and you'll see I do a lot of research on my stories. "Father Goose" led me down some interesting rabbit holes about 1930's boats, Japanese exit visa policies in the 1930's, WW2 battles in and around the Bismarck Sea, and more. I wrote the story over a period of about two or three months and the details are pretty spot on.

The weirdest thing that's come to me from my research is I did an information request through a particular state's Public Records law and I was sent the non-public and unredacted police report for a particular case.

I got a hell of a lot more detail in that than I had expected. Little of the stuff in that report was ever discussed in public.

I shredded the report and have since sworn off delving into such things in the future.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Hey, it's cold up there. Give them a break.

Shrinkage!!!

 

[MillieDynamite]

Death by self-gratification. The dangerous BDSM solo breath control technique that killed David Carradine. Turns out, it's not as uncommon a death as one might expect. Rare, but not unheard of. One shouldn't do such things alone. I was to have a murder disguised as self-inflicted death by misadventure. But if it is described as it happens, I'm not sure I can get it published. Snuffing that way is still snuff. HUM.

 

[ImpishSeraph]

What it means if you attract spiders.