check-in day 27

[lilly_c]

I will be getting around to replying to comments in the next couple of days. My internet is a bit temperamental today :(

How's today going for everyone?

Poll #8910

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 8

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Today has been...

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Yay
5 (62.5%)

Meh
1 (12.5%)

Nope
2 (25.0%)

What have you done?

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Writing
4 (50.0%)

Editing
2 (25.0%)

Off to beta
0 (0.0%)

Posting
1 (12.5%)

Research
2 (25.0%)

Took a break
2 (25.0%)

Discussion topic: doing research.
When it comes to doing research for your fic (or anything else) what do you do? Use google, wikipedia, books, friends, DVDs, other sources.
A couple of examples from my own research today was to find out driving distances from Camborne to Reading and from Camborne to Essex and to also find out about an area in Reading. All were very specific but they're all mentioned in the canon I'm working with.

What would you do if your internet blocked you from accessing websites?
My internet has been a bit awkward today giving me 'bloxx: access denied' messages on some of my searches. I have the options of using my phone internet and when it's open using the local library but I don't always want to be doing my research in those ways.

Comments

[jagnikjen]

Yesterday afternoon, last evening and this morning were very productive. I was able to insert some scenes that had been written/saved in a different doc into the official, full text doc. Transitions were written, etc.

Today I was able to read my fic aloud and smooth awkward wordings and fill in minor gaps. I'm really pleased with what I've been able to accomplish. I just need to keep on.

Discussion topic...I use google, wiki, and canon, primarily. If I couldn't access the Internet, I'd have a bigger issue on my hands than not being able to do research. We do not go without Internet access--ever. :)

[celestinenox]

*waves*

Hi, I'm new, and not technically signed up, but I noticed in a comment somewhere else that this is not necessarily a bad thing, so here I am. :D

I've been making progress on my fic for the Aurors Fest, hosted on AO3. I'm not sure I like it, but at this point I just want something that's post-worthy, and for that, I need words. And I am getting them! Whoo!!!

[taelle]

I have been playing the '3 things I know about my characters' game with myself. For all the characters, including ones in the story-I-m-not-writing.

Otherwise, I've been panicking quietly (or not very quietly - this is the third time I mention this online) about my Yuletide recipient not commenting.

Research: primarily google, because it's more specific than using books (yes, I try to only research for specific issues, otherwise I'll get lost in research and spend all my time researching instead of writing.

[lacygrey]

Ive been brainstorming the January prompts for 31 days. I really like this batch and might actually post fic to the community next month. There's one prompt for each day and the rule is that you can only post fic for a prompt on its day. No one is obliged to post everyday, but the challenge provides deadlines gallore, which may be what I need right now.

For the research, I use anything I can lay my hands on as Ive never been to Japan (where most of my fics are set). I do use internet, particularly for places, names and history, but what I like the most are 'coffee table' books with lots of photos. Also, Manga themselves have plenty of pictures.

BTWlilly_c I used to live in Reading, although it was a while back.

[littlebutfierce]

Editing two ficlets today. I really wanted to post them, but I spent a lot of time today looking for titles for them & was having really rotten luck. I think I may have one now, & getting closer to what I want for the other, but I'm also really sleepy so posting will have to wait until at least tomorrow.

Research: I use Google & various other online sources (I finally got some academic journal access again, through the uni where I take language classes, & there have been some really useful articles that I've managed to find!). & occasionally actual hard copies of books. I also ask my friends lots of questions if they've got an area of specialty that touches on a fic. I've been lucky in that they've been really patient. :) I also ask on factfinding or check the little_details archives.

Ugh, I haven't run into an internet blocker except for at a really crappy temp job I had several years ago, thankfully. I am worried about the impact of SOPA on internet content (even though I don't live in the US). I guess I would just keep trying to find places to access the internet that hopefully wouldn't censor things.

[krait]

Confusing question is confusing... I presume you mean, "if it blocked me from accessing some websites"; because if it blocked me from accessing websites I would effectively not have the internet. (And thus would switch providers, because "the internet" doesn't block sites; providers do. Or, y'know, cease-and-desist letters sent to content providers; but that's beyond my power to affect.)

I suppose it would very much depend on which sites were blocked, too; I can live without Google (I use a scraper, Scroogle) and Wikipedia, and certainly without news sites; but anyone blocking Dreamwidth or AO3 had better prepare to face my wrath! :D

Edit: Aaaaaand I forgot to answer the first question! *facepalm* Which is indicative of how my ficwriting is going, really -- of 5 fics for the Bingo I need to write, I have written precisely none of them. *squinchyface* I need an overseer, clearly.

[linaewen]

Finally got some writing in! I've got about 500 words down so far, and that's a nice start. I may try for more later in the day, it depends on how the rest of the day goes in RL. ;-)

I use lots of different sources for research, but rely most heavily on books and Google. I have some excellent reference works that tie in to Lord of the Rings as well as a very good working knowledge of the books that allows me to look things up easily) so I don't need the internet as much for that. But sometimes it's faster to just google it! For other things, I'll watch anime episodes that apply to the story in question or discuss things with people who know what I'm talking about.

Once I needed to know how fast something floating would travel in a fast current, so I did an experiment with a stick and stream and timed the movement of the stick. It was great fun and also provided me with just the helpful information I needed to make that plot point believable.

[xpaperplanex]

Your stick experiment is fantastic! Sometimes it really helps to actually go out and do it rather than just reading about it.

[xpaperplanex]

I failed completely at writing yesterday, though I did open a doc, so I guess that's something.

Discussion: I use google, library databases, that sort of thing for my research. I've also used books on occasion, which honestly, can be way faster than trying to google something as long as you have the right book. (I'm in library information technology, and a bunch of our assignments require us to ask a librarian a random question to see how they go about answering it. I always pick stuff I need to research for fic, because hey, killing two birds with one stone.)

I had very limited internet access while I was in Japan (it wasn't blocked, it just wasn't), which made research extremely difficult. I would make lists of things I needed to research or make notes in red in my fics so I could go back and do the research when I had internets. I also had my beta help me out with researching stuff.