A discussion thread with that title was something I became very addicted on AQC. It was location where any writer could ask a technical (or in one case I know of) or historic question in hopes that other members of the forum would have some expertise. I still remember vividly some of the discussions I was engaged in.
Someone was trying to write a novel set on a small farm during the 1950's, and I was old enough to remember some vivid imagery from my Grandfather's rye grass operation in the Willamette Valley.
Another writer asked for some details about what an epileptic fit felt like. I'd never had one, but one of the most moving experiences of my life was when a dog asked me with his twitching body and his eyes to comfort him while he had one.
As a veteran I've answered lots of questions about military rank and weaponry.
I note that one of our latest folks has written books about rock climbing and considers himself a horticultural person while writing his first fiction.
No only am I am combat veteran but I have vast only occasionally useful expertise about the Department of Veterans Affairs (after a 30 year career.
All of this is by way of saying I think similar thread might have real value here.
You can now find a dedicated space for this here! Please feel free to populate it with your areas of expertise.
I'll figure out where we can house this thread over the next few days and get it set up. Great suggestion!
I'd forgotten about that section! I used to love it Glad you suggested it, Tom. As for some of my areas of expertise, I've got a wealth of baseball knowledge. I've even written a few encyclopedia entries related to the Irish and Irish-Americans in baseball. As a longtime journalist, I have a fair amount of experience as a reporter and in conducting interviews. I've been covering nonprofits and philanthropy for most of the past quarter century, too, so I've learned a fair amount about that world, as well. I should know more about the New York City subway system, but for some reason I don't seem to keep that stuff in my head. I don't know why.
Agreed. I think it could be something quite beneficial. And everyone should remember that they can always have something to contribute to it. I have expertise in the animal field, particularly in regards to captive wildlife, but it's not just about the job you have. By the time I was twelve I had lived in four different countries, so maybe you're writing a story about a kid who moves a lot and want to know how that kid might feel, and I'm your gal for that. Or maybe you're writing some historical fiction, and you know your history really well, but when it comes to your heroine sitting and doing your embroidery you have no idea, but someone here does embroidery as a hobby and offer you all the terms you'll need. No one should discount themselves when it comes to information, because you never know exactly what someone might need to know for their book.