I need stuff for background

[rgraham666]

The story I'm currently working on is set in chapters five years apart. The chapters are 1983, '88, '93 and '98.

I want to put stuff in that helps set the date; music, clothes, cars, TV shows etc.

Unfortunately, my brain often doesn't connect things and dates. I still can't remember exactly what year(s) I was married, for example.

So, if anyone can give me stuff that helps set the background, I would be very grateful.

 

[Liar]

Location? The references could be quite different, depending on the place, also the charactrs' age.

#L

 

[cloudy]

Tell me what, exactly, you're looking for and maybe I can help........those are close to my hell-raising years, so my memory's not that clear on those times either, but will try.......

 

[Guest]

Do you know those little cards that are made so that people can know what happened the year that they were born? I am sure if they have those cards that they probably have a website dedicated to the same thing. If you cannot find it I will give a look later today and see if I can find it for you.

good luck on your story.

 

[neonlyte]

rgraham

Try www.bbc.co.uk use their search engine by typing in the years, it usually comes back with a synopsis of main events for the year and links to things like 'news', 'tv', music etc. (and not just for UK)

NL

 

[rgraham666]

Thanks all.

Especially for pointing out that I should have been more specific.

The story is set in North America. New York for the '83 and '98 chapters, and LA for the '88 and '93 chapters.

The story is told from the female protaganist's point of view. She's 25, 30, 35 and 40 in the respective chapters.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the link neonlyte.

 

[CharleyH]

Thanks all.

Especially for pointing out that I should have been more specific.

The story is set in North America. New York for the '83 and '98 chapters, and LA for the '88 and '93 chapters.

The story is told from the female protaganist's point of view. She's 25, 30, 35 and 40 in the respective chapters.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the link neonlyte.

L.A. May - Spetember 1988: It was hot, often 90F, but dry, so you didn't feel it. The smog hung over the beach until maybe noon. Big hair was still the rage, and the blonder the better. There was a writer's strike that year, and many in the business were at odds with each other, directors were pissed because they couldn't get work during the off-tv season. Guns and Roses, Robbie Robertson and Samantha Fox played incessantly on the radio. There was a first annual celebrity gold tournament, and a baseball charity game. The jeans were cut off mid-thigh, otherwise beige cotton shorts, black biker shorts, pastel shirts or jersey type things. Golden girls was big. There was still a lot of coke . . . small fires, but nothing major, a huge car accident on the Ventura highway, and unless there are more specific questions, that's about all I can recall. Beamers were all the rage, but I drove a mazda ZX, and also a pulsar not as much kick. Bruce Willis was in a band that did the circuit. The freetrade agreement was a huge issue, but no one in L.A had a clue 'cuz the L.A Times sucks. Two big spots downtown were Gorky's Cafe, which served REAL RUSSIAN beer ( found that amusingly contradictory) and BIG AL's. When you went downtown at that time, when you had to strategically park, know where the front door was, and then RUN.

WEll, there is much more, but hope this does the trick.

 

[cloudy]

LA I might can help with.

I was part of the beach crowd - Zuma mostly.

Venice Beach was beginning to become world-reknowned, and therefore more crowded than it usually is. Inline skates were big, and hip-hop was starting to be listened to by more than black kids.

No one went downtown unless you absolutely HAD to, and then, like Charley said, you ran.

 

[Guest]

I lived in L.A. from '83 to '89. In '88 or '89 there was a big earthquake. I was at a stop light when it hit. First thing I noticed was the hanging traffic light starting swaying, then my car began bouncing up and down.

The Lakers had their dream team then (Kareem, Magic, etc.), even I watched them on TV.

Every other block had a mini-mall, a car-wash, a party store, and a nail salon.

No one walked anywhere, really.

I know the area Ch. and Cloud mean, but there really is no downtown L.A. It's way too spread out.

Best Mexican food was from a variety of corner taco stands.

"Pool guy" is a profession there.

The cemetaries are hidden.

Good jazz clubs.

When the smog was bad it was really bad, but weeks could go by without smog.

Except for one good bookstore I found Venice Beach dull.

Listening to a classical music concert at night 'under the stars' at the Hollywood Bowl is worth it to live there.

A couple dozen (maybe more) Nobel Laureates live there.

There is an old, established Russian emigre community; many Russian performing artists.

Somewhere on Ventura Blvd. I went to the best Jewish deli in California.

anon, Perdita

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Thanks all.

Especially for pointing out that I should have been more specific.

The story is set in North America. New York for the '83 and '98 chapters, and LA for the '88 and '93 chapters.

The story is told from the female protaganist's point of view. She's 25, 30, 35 and 40 in the respective chapters.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the link neonlyte.

rgraham,

Get thee to the internet and the library. Check for bestseller lists, get movie and TV listings, music lists, books on the different years, and old newspapers. Old magazines are especially helpful for advertisements and fashion.

Here's the link to one site that should really help.

http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/

This place has a collection of over 30K US network newscasts beginning around 1965. These include CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, and ABC Nightline (though only since 1989). You'll still need newspapers for local info, but for the type of research you're into, the Vanderbilt site is priceless.

Good luck.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[dr_mabeuse]

When I was working on my Haight-Ashbury story I just googled on "Popular music 1969" or something like that. It gives you a list of all ths songs released.

For 1983, try this one:

http://www.multied.com/20th/1983.html

Gives the top songs and headlines of the year.

---dr.M.

 

[rgraham666]

Arigato gozimashita everyone.

I'm having a mild case of writer's block. Mostly because I'm waiting for my first story to show up here.

Luckily, my mind is still working on it. I'll probably be doing the story under 'Novels and Novellas'. It looks like this is going to be a long one.

 

[cloudy]

The Lakers had their dream team then (Kareem, Magic, etc.), even I watched them on TV.

No one walked anywhere, really.

I know the area Ch. and Cloud mean, but there really is no downtown L.A. It's way too spread out.

Best Mexican food was from a variety of corner taco stands.

"Pool guy" is a profession there.

anon, Perdita

How could I forget the Lakers??? And the tacos????

Best food in the world was bought on a corner, was greasy, and the people making it spoke little or no english.

Makes my mouth water thinking about it!

The South just doesn't get ethnic food, although, bless their hearts, they try.

I miss it.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

1983......remember it well, had big hair, wild outfits, danced like crazy, scared a lot of people, fashions were fabulous, art was exciting, shopping at the Salvation Army to put together "the Look", not giving a shit what anyone thought about expressing myself.........if I could only go back to those carefree days.......sigh.

Arigato Grahamsan, for giving me the flashback, going to listen to some punk rock and put a razorblade earring in......
~A~