Expert Needed

[stlgoddessfreya]

After reading the recent thread on non-erotic story details that challenge your ability to suspend disbelief long enough to enjoy a story, I was thinking about how Lit writers can use each others' real life expertise to clean up the details of stories. By nature, I'm a researcher, but I know I always risking still getting it wrong because what I read might be out of date or incorrect for where my story is set, or a language translation that works literally sounds stilted or ridiculous in place of a better, more idiomatic phrase.

The challenge, of course, is that authors on Lit want to keep their private lives private and don't want everyone who's ever thought it might be cool to write a Firefly fan fic bother them about dialogue in Mandarin because they posted on a thread that they speak it. Seemed the better way was for authors looking for a resource to request it, then anyone willing to help could PM them to see what they needed. There's also a big difference in needing help with a couple lines of dialogue and needing help with landmarks, events, clothing, etc. for an entire setting in a five chapter story, and before offering to help, that should be up front, as should the hoped-for turnaround time on the request. If you need help with a detail on your Halloween story and it's October 28, the person who PMs you to help needs to know that, too. I'll start.

Need: Magyar speaker

Scope: a few lines of dialogue

Turnaround: More than a month

 

[Bramblethorn]

This seems like a good idea! I will be astonished if anybody (other than myself) ever feels the need to invoke my areas of knowledge in an erotic story, but I'll keep an eye on the thread just in case.

One resource that might be useful if people don't get answers here: http://little-details.livejournal.com/ See profile page for instructions on how to submit questions.

 

[redzinger]

I enjoy the research, but my current novel has a lot of Afrikaaner slang in it, so I've had to ask for help with that. Luckily, had quite a few offers already.

 

[Swilly]

Thanks again for your help!

This is a great idea. There's nothing wrong with researching stuff, but a knowledgeable person can provide certain information in minutes.

 

[stlgoddessfreya]

I enjoy the research, but my current novel has a lot of Afrikaaner slang in it, so I've had to ask for help with that. Luckily, had quite a few offers already.

You getting Afrikaaner help gives me hope for my Magyar request. Come on, somebody had a Hungarian grandma around here.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Excellent idea.

I read so many stories that are hopelessly flawed because the facts are wrong. One writer threatened to sue me when I complained about his story setting, it was in my home town when I was in high school. I have photos!

 

[stlgoddessfreya]

Need: Good recommendation for a non-fiction Houdini biography

Scope: Minimal, I just need the title or author

Turnaround: More than a month

 

[redzinger]

You getting Afrikaaner help gives me hope for my Magyar request. Come on, somebody had a Hungarian grandma around here.

I asked on Twitter and Fb, had five names in no time. Perhaps you could try there?

 

[Bramblethorn]

You getting Afrikaaner help gives me hope for my Magyar request. Come on, somebody had a Hungarian grandma around here.

Was it fire_breeze?

http://forum.literotica.com/showpost.php?p=61046551&postcount=11

 

[BuckyDuckman]

Need: Good recommendation for a non-fiction Houdini biography

Scope: Minimal, I just need the title or author

Turnaround: More than a month

Great idea in general, stlgoddessfreya!

As for Houdini - I'll out myself as a former professional magician who will take a stab at answer sincere PM's from authors.

As for finding a good Houdini biography to read, that will be tough. There have been a couple recent ones (in the last few years) that were suspect. The History Channel recently aired an auction of Houdini artifacts that did a wonderful job at tracing Houdini's life. When Harry was busy debunking spiritualists, he earned quite a few enemies - including an author you may have heard about Sir Author Conan Doyle. While they were friends, their friendship became more "friend-enemy" due to Doyle's fervent belief in the spirit world and Harry's lack of belief.

Anyway, this isn't a book, but it appears to be a decent website for debunking H.H. myths: http://houdinimuseum.wordpress.com/

Hope that helps!

 

[stlgoddessfreya]

Was it fire_breeze?

http://forum.literotica.com/showpost.php?p=61046551&postcount=11

Whoa! I was speaking rhetorically/statistically rather than saying I thought there was someone but I didn't remember who they were, but damn, B, good eye! I'll reach out to her.

See, this is why a thread like this works, every eye that sees it is connected to an organic computer with access to a different intranet than my own.

 

[stlgoddessfreya]

Great idea in general, stlgoddessfreya!

As for Houdini - I'll out myself as a former professional magician who will take a stab at answer sincere PM's from authors.

As for finding a good Houdini biography to read, that will be tough. There have been a couple recent ones (in the last few years) that were suspect. The History Channel recently aired an auction of Houdini artifacts that did a wonderful job at tracing Houdini's life. When Harry was busy debunking spiritualists, he earned quite a few enemies - including an author you may have heard about Sir Author Conan Doyle. While they were friends, their friendship became more "friend-enemy" due to Doyle's fervent belief in the spirit world and Harry's lack of belief.

Anyway, this isn't a book, but it appears to be a decent website for debunking H.H. myths: http://houdinimuseum.wordpress.com/

Hope that helps!

Most definitely, that's a great website. What I guess I'm really looking for is some information on Houdini's brother, Theo Hardeen aka Dash, and their relationship. I have these interesting data points without some of the connecting details. Dash originally courted Houdini's wife, Bess, before Harry swept in and married her; Bess replaced Dash in Houdini's act, so he had to go solo; Harry and Dash toured together but would book into separate theaters with similar acts to monopolize the audience; Dash left magic to run the film processing company Harry started, which was apparently a pain in the ass; Dash was the one with Harry when he died; Dash inherited all of Harry's equipment and started touring as a magician again with it after Harry died.

 

[BuckyDuckman]

Most definitely, that's a great website. What I guess I'm really looking for is some information on Houdini's brother, Theo Hardeen aka Dash, and their relationship. I have these interesting data points without some of the connecting details. Dash originally courted Houdini's wife, Bess, before Harry swept in and married her; Bess replaced Dash in Houdini's act, so he had to go solo; Harry and Dash toured together but would book into separate theaters with similar acts to monopolize the audience; Dash left magic to run the film processing company Harry started, which was apparently a pain in the ass; Dash was the one with Harry when he died; Dash inherited all of Harry's equipment and started touring as a magician again with it after Harry died.

I didn't know Dash had courted Bess first. As best as I understand, H & B's romance was very deep. I know Harry and Theo quite often appeared as rivals to the public, but I believe that was more stagecraft than an actual sibling rivalry. Interesting side note: Theo was first to perform the straight jacket escape in full view of the audience and quickly told Harry that was a better performance.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Whoa! I was speaking rhetorically/statistically rather than saying I thought there was someone but I didn't remember who they were, but damn, B, good eye! I'll reach out to her.

That would be my tendency to take things over-literally!

 

[Blind_Justice]

Hi guys, long time no see and all.

@Freya: This is an awesome thread idea, thanks for opening it.

Okay, here's my quandry:

I need some idea of how camels behave in various circumstances. No in-depth scientific analysis of panic reflexes or the like, just some "typical" behaviour patterns for annoyance, boredom and fright/outright panic. Anyone got sources or experience in this regard?

Turnaround: A few days would be good, but I can wait a week or two if neccessary.

Thanks!