Research for stories

[Serafina1210]

Sometimes you've got to cut your losses. Writing one of my first stories, I wanted to know the train fare from New Brunswick to New Haven in 1972. I wasted hours of my life on "History of Amtrak" websites and the like, and finally just made it up.

Nobody called me on it. But nobody read the story either.

 

[Swilly]

A legal ban on smoking strikes me as being 'Unconstitutional'

Smoke is a tangible, physical thing that has been proven to be harmful and irritating. Subjecting others to your smoke is a physical violation of their rights. It's rude too. As I wrote above, the addiction people have trumps reason. Smokers rationalize and often get downright nasty about their "right to smoke".

If I throw baseballs into a crowd of people, I can't really claim that my constitutional right to throw a ball is being violated if I get arrested for doing so, and I can't really blame the people who got hit for having the audacity to be there, where I wanted to throw a baseball.

As someone who smoked and then didn't, I'm pretty horrified of what I've subjected other people to. When you're a smoker, you don't really know or care. When you're not, you get it.

As is Venus above, I'm in NYC. It is ridiculous that you can't walk down a street without having to dodge clouds of smoke left and right, especially midtown around office buildings. Smokers need to stop pretending their addiction doesn't affect anyone but themselves. It does, and that is well before we even consider the effect on health care costs. At a minimum, smokers should pay higher premiums for medical insurance.

 

[glynndah]

To the Original Poster:

If smoking in the stadium is a necessary and essential part of the plot of your story, you could add a disclaimer of sorts to the beginning of your story. I've done similar things to mine when I had to.

 

[sr71plt]

You could meet the issue head on and have the character smoke anyway--and not get caught. Even make a point he/she is doing so. If it's absolutely necessary for the character to be smoking in the story, you can establish the conditions in which that happens. You're going to lose the approval of a certain number readers anyway if you are going to highlight a character--and particularly the protagonist--smoking anywhere under any conditions.

 

[R. Richard]

[Threadjack]

I have a friend that when the no-smoking laws went into place refused to follow them. He will light up where ever the hell he pleases. I think in about what 15-20 years since they really started getting ridiculous he has been fined twice.

He calls it his non-violent protest of unjust laws.

Some time back, I worked in a government facility that was considering designating a 'smoking room.' I then told then that I didn't smoke, but if they were catering to vices, I wanted a 'ladies of the evening' room. I didn't get my 'ladies of the evening' room. Neither did the smokers get their 'smoking room.'
[/Threadjack]

 

[sr71plt]

Chances are good that there already was a "Ladies of the Evening" room or two tucked around in that government facility.

 

[loquere]

I have a fact checking, research addiction problem.

I do so much research, that sometimes it pacifies my creativity, then I can't come about accomplishing diddly squat.

In a story I hope to write by 2055, fingers crossed. I simply decided to change the name of the real University it's set at because the issues that arose would have made me feel uncomfortable writing the story as is.

You see the story is taking place at the University of Michigan Ann Arbour. The location, the school everything is a brilliant perfect fit, for the multiple stories I've been researching.

Then I came across a federal case at UM, where one of UM's students Jake Baker wrote snuff/rape/murder/fuckedup stories about his classmates, supposedly set at UM I guess, then put them on the internet.
(A history of the case)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Baker

This was a huge problem since my incest story idea, included an element where a student writes a (his eyes only lock & key, journal entry) series of stories about his stepsister, later turned out to be his blood sister. No it's not snuff/rape etc, but I did not want to be associated in anyway with the Jake Baker incident. At first I was just going to have another character contrast my main characters legal actions with Jake bakers illegal actions.

I then decided the research & the compromise in narrative, when using the UM name would be too ridiculous. Eventually I took the simple step of changing the University name from the University of Michigan Ann Arbour, to the simpler Ann Arbour University "AAU."

This also allows me to makeup building names lakes hallways handouts etc. Might still keep the Wolverine sports team, or I could go with Wombats. Well I digress, Research is necessary but you need to know when to put it to rest. I clearly have not gotten a handle on my research addiction as of yet. WHY THE HELL DO I KNOW THAT THERES A TOWN IN KANSAS CALLED MANHATTAN????????????????

 

[sr71plt]

The point is that it's an incest story, not a rape/snuff story. Unless there are a significant number of your close relatives also going to UM and you are writing stories that suggest a physical threat against them, there's really no connection to UM here--and certainly not one connected to the legal case.

 

[loquere]

The point is that it's an incest story, not a rape/snuff story. Unless there are a significant number of your close relatives also going to UM and you are writing stories that suggest a physical threat against them, there's really no connection to UM here--and certainly not one connected to the legal case.

I'm not an idiot, no need too condescend, could have been a bit more respectful friend.

I said the problem was the way I felt about it.
If I don't feel settled about something I can't commit time & effort to it.
Also the idea of using an institutions name so bluntly didn't sit well with my belly either.

 

[sr71plt]

OK, how would you have worded pointing out that your reasoning doesn't hold water? I think I was as straightforward and polite as your post warranted. Your irritation is of your own making. If you think I called you an idiot, this must have just been "the way you felt about it."

 

[JKendallDane]

It depends on the intended plot whether I delve too deeply into researching details.

With one off, stroker stories I figure action and dialog takes precedence over being anal retentative with making sure any background is 101% accurate.

OTOH, when I am doing a series where the big goal is to have the readers end up knowing the main characters so well that they bond with them, then Google becomes my best friend. My current series includes a med student and I believe that by the time I eventually get his ass marching across the stage to receive his doctorate, I should be getting one also for the amount of research I am having to do.

There is also a nasty downside to doing research called: getting distracted. In another series, I needed to see if a restaurant called "Pufferbelly" was still in existence near Kent State University. A quick Google gave me the answer, but it also spurred a question about an old business associate that lived there...and that led to checking for a few others...which soon had me Googling other names from my past. Before I knew it, an hour had gone by and I was looking at photos on Facebook of my boy scout troop at summer camp from nearly fifty years ago instead of working on the story!

Then there is the problem of research squirting out plot bunnies.

 

[DonnaBeck]

Don't go there.

Years ago a snake got loose in our bedroom, and being wise to the ways of women, I locked the bedroom door and went looking for Sneaky Snake. And about the time I have the bedroom dismantled the wife wants in. She says UNLOCK THE DOOR! I reply NO! She says WHAT IN HELL ARE YOU DOING? I said YOU DONT WANNA KNOW. SO JUST GO AWAY. That, of course, was a klaxon blast to her and our 3 daughters. They got the door open, got excited about the wreckage, demanded to know what was going on, I told them, and all fled to a motel.

Sometimes its just better to not go places.

This is a very interesting story and could be a metaphor.....the only problem is the "ways of women" are not always predictable. I happen to be very interested in snakes, but nothing is more curious than a man saying "You dont want to know." ...."Snake" was all you need to say, but you used 8 words to rile them up. Have you since become wiser or was it your intent to send them packing?...Snakes are very interesting and symbolic. I think a story about a cheating husband using a snake to scare the wife out of the house is ....well, not for me. I am interested in snakes and especially interested in locked doors an dismissive men. (My daddy ignored me. I have issues.)

 

[sr71plt]

I think he could have just told her he was beating his snake.

 

[loquere]

OK, how would you have worded pointing out that your reasoning doesn't hold water? I think I was as straightforward and polite as your post warranted. Your irritation is of your own making. If you think I called you an idiot, this must have just been "the way you felt about it."

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi9y5-Vo61w

 

[sr71plt]

No, I didn't think you had a more straightforward and polite way to express that your reasoning was off the beam, Loquere.

 

[Swilly]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi9y5-Vo61w

There you have it. I think whatever it is in his make up that causes him to be so condescending to people is the same thing that makes him blind to doing it. And the same thing that causes him to continue with sixteen additional posts arguing that he didn't do anything. He's clueless.

At least when someone like JBJ gives you shit, he knows what he's doing, and you know he's doing it. This dude...clueless. No point even discussing it with him. He will never see it. Pathetic, really.

 

[sr71plt]

Ah, the jackals are out again.

If there is embarrassment in this UM issue, it's loquere's not mine. Neither am I the one highlighting it.

Swilly? Just an LC wannabe. Or maybe an LC replacement(?) LC hasn't been around for a while and wasn't batting 500 here anyway. Maybe it was just time for a change in the bottomfeeder ranks. I answered loquere's post with substance. Since then, neither loquere nor swilly have posted any substance--just pissy backbiting.

 

[R. Richard]

Chances are good that there already was a "Ladies of the Evening" room or two tucked around in that government facility.

No, as a matter of fact, there was not. It was also a military facility and I used to work out with the Marine guards. They would have known. They did endorse my suggestion for a ladies of the evening room.

 

[loquere]

There you have it. I think whatever it is in his make up that causes him to be so condescending to people is the same thing that makes him blind to doing it. And the same thing that causes him to continue with sixteen additional posts arguing that he didn't do anything. He's clueless.

At least when someone like JBJ gives you shit, he knows what he's doing, and you know he's doing it. This dude...clueless. No point even discussing it with him. He will never see it. Pathetic, really.

Thank you I appreciate your support.

 

[Swilly]

He will never see it.

Like I said...

Don't worry. I'm finished with you, because I really do believe you just don't get it, and never will. My previous posts sums it up. Calling you out is pointless, because you'll go on forever repeating that you weren't doing anything. And believing it. You won't change, because you can't see that you need to.

 

[loquere]

Ah, the jackals are out again.

If there is embarrassment in this UM issue, it's loquere's not mine. Neither am I the one highlighting it.

Swilly? Just an LC wannabe. Or maybe an LC replacement(?) LC hasn't been around for a while and wasn't batting 500 here anyway. Maybe it was just time for a change in the bottomfeeder ranks. I answered loquere's post with substance. Since then, neither loquere nor swilly have posted any substance--just pissy backbiting.

Sr71plt I like you well enough and I respect you as a writer, so relax. You edited stories for one of my other profiles a long time ago. You did a great job. In-depth insight and top notch recommendations, overall a very good job. From that point I've had immense respect for you. I had'nt said anything, so there I said it now, so let’s stop the fighting.

 

[StrangeLife]

Sure I do research.

Though most of my stories take place in relatively "normal" settings and deal with marital life - a subject which I'm quite familiar with - I did use the Amundsen-Scott Station in one. And since I've never actually been there, a fair bit of research was required in order to get the details right. For a few stories I needed to research specific fetishes - a task for which the internet is excellently suited. If you can imagine a fetish, there's a website for it. Even girls withhairy forearms, which I ended up using for the story (the original plan was a balloon fetish story, but that was too far out - even for me ).

I've also done field research. Before writing my master-slave story I visited the local BDSM club, watched a show and talked to some people. It was... interesting... and afterwards wifey informed me that she will drag my Harley out into the garden, douse it with gas and set it on fire if I ever even attempt to take her to a place like that again. I guess I kinda forgot to warn her where we were going, when I invited her out that night...

 

[beeshaver]

.....

 

[loquere]

Sure I do research.

Though most of my stories take place in relatively "normal" settings and deal with marital life - a subject which I'm quite familiar with - I did use the Amundsen-Scott Station in one. And since I've never actually been there, a fair bit of research was required in order to get the details right. For a few stories I needed to research specific fetishes - a task for which the internet is excellently suited. If you can imagine a fetish, there's a website for it. Even girls withhairy forearms, which I ended up using for the story (the original plan was a balloon fetish story, but that was too far out - even for me ).

I've also done field research. Before writing my master-slave story I visited the local BDSM club, watched a show and talked to some people. It was... interesting... and afterwards wifey informed me that she will drag my Harley out into the garden, douse it with gas and set it on fire if I ever even attempt to take her to a place like that again. I guess I kinda forgot to warn her where we were going, when I invited her out that night...

But do you put an emphasis on location research, or is it all just generalised?

 

[Aynmair]

Sure I do research.

Though most of my stories take place in relatively "normal" settings and deal with marital life - a subject which I'm quite familiar with - I did use the Amundsen-Scott Station in one. And since I've never actually been there, a fair bit of research was required in order to get the details right. For a few stories I needed to research specific fetishes - a task for which the internet is excellently suited. If you can imagine a fetish, there's a website for it. Even girls withhairy forearms, which I ended up using for the story (the original plan was a balloon fetish story, but that was too far out - even for me ).

I've also done field research. Before writing my master-slave story I visited the local BDSM club, watched a show and talked to some people. It was... interesting... and afterwards wifey informed me that she will drag my Harley out into the garden, douse it with gas and set it on fire if I ever even attempt to take her to a place like that again. I guess I kinda forgot to warn her where we were going, when I invited her out that night...

Funny!