ATTN JMS: Writters Question?

[B5JMS Poster]

Subject: ATTN JMS: Writters Question?
-----+-------------+--------------------------------------------------
 No. | DATE        |  FROM
-----+-------------+--------------------------------------------------
+  1: Aug 25, 1996: bkbragg at mindspring.com (Brian K. Bragg)
+  2: Aug 26, 1996: jrholmes at execpc.com (Mary Jean Holmes)
*  3: Aug 26, 1996: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

From: bkbragg at mindspring.com (Brian K. Bragg)
Lines: 37

I know you get hounded for writing tips all the time, and I'm sure
most days it probably drives you kind of nuts, but being the
insensitive oaf I am, and, in addition to that, being down right
desperate, I would like to ask you two questions.

1.  How do you go about finding relatively obscure records for
researching a story?  I have tried every resource I know of short of
packing up and traveling a 500+ miles to the city in question just to
go to the library.  And is there a newspaper archive you know of that
has all of the newspapers online?  (It use to be story ideas that were
my problem, now it is finding the research material to flesh out the
stories.)

The second one is really an opinion type question, but I thought as
long as I had your attention I might as well ask and save myself the
trouble later.

2.  As someone who has written both science fiction and horror, do you
think one is easier than the other to work in.

P. S.  I do really hate to trouble you, but none of the writers I know
have ever done a period piece and most of them could afford to have
the library do the research for them.  Kinda leaves me out in the
cold.


********************************************************************
Let us eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we shall have hangovers!
http://www.boondock.com/inkwell                      Brian K. Bragg
Note:  The author of this message accepts no responsibility for any
cerebral flatulence occurring here in.  Thank you and have a nice day.
***********************************************************************






=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

From: jrholmes at execpc.com (Mary Jean Holmes)
Lines: 30

bkbragg at mindspring.com (Brian K. Bragg) wrote:

>1.  How do you go about finding relatively obscure records for
>researching a story?  I have tried every resource I know of short of
>packing up and traveling a 500+ miles to the city in question just to
>go to the library.  And is there a newspaper archive you know of that
>has all of the newspapers online?  (It use to be story ideas that were
>my problem, now it is finding the research material to flesh out the
>stories.)
>
I'm not JMS, but I've done a lot of research for writing (in
about half a dozen genres).  One of my favorite sources is
universities/colleges.  Often, if you can't find what you need in
their libraries, they can find it for you through their contacts
with other libraries in a much wider area (in some cases,
internationally).  Also, speaking to professors in the specific
departments can be very useful, and sometimes provides a bounty
of info you may not have anticipated.  You don't need to be a
student to avail yourself of this help (though you probably won't
be able to take out books).  I've been out of college for 20
years, and I have no trouble when I go to the research department
or ask to talk with faculty.  If you tell them you're a writer
doing research, they're often quite happy to help.

Also, have you just come out and asked on-line in appropriate
areas of the net?  People you don't even know may have access to
the information you want, and could also be of great help.

MJ


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Lines: 25

"1.  How do you go about finding relatively obscure records for
researching a story?  I have tried every resource I know of short of
packing up and traveling a 500+ miles to the city in question just to go
to the library.  And is there a newspaper archive you know of that has all
of the newspapers online? "

I don't know the online databases well enough to comment here; when I did
this sort of thing, I generally just went down to City Hall Records and
started there, and the local newpaper morgue.

"2.  As someone who has written both science fiction and horror, do you
think one is easier than the other to work in."

Horror, only nominallyl, because you don't have to be quite as rigorous
about the science (though the supernatural aspect must be consistent), and
because it's an easier thing for me...I like scaring people.





 jms



-***
-*** B5JMS SUBSCRIBERS: Replies to messages in this list go to the list
-*** maintainer, <b5jms-owner at cs.columbia.edu>.  If you want to reply
-*** elsewhere, adjust the "To" field.  The best way to reach JMS is to post
-*** to rastb5m, which can be done by sending email to <rastb5 at solon.com>.