Ask, you may be surprised

[Karlin]

I sometimes contact authors, museum curators, podcasters, university professors and the like, with questions relating to my writing. I get helpful responses more often than you might think. Recently I asked about the wording on a Renaissance tomb, and got a very detailed response.

Moral of the story: Don't be shy.

 

[skip.knox]

I echo that, with this addition. Back when I had a good deal of historical content online (1990s-2010s), I would get queries. Mostly from students, but sometimes from teachers or just general interest.

The questions that got the least helpful responses from me were the ones that were obviously a school assignment. Please tell me three reasons for the fall fo the Roman Empire. That sort of thing.

The ones that got the most helpful responses from me were the ones where the questioner had obviously already done some research. Something like, I've read A and B, and I understand This and That, but I am still wondering about This Other. I was always delighted to help someone who was actually interested in the topic and had questions that were clear and specific. Oh, and sometimes the correspondent was obviously a writer. Them I always helped. <smile>

 

[RoccO]

I like the idea of going walk about, say in a kind of Morrowind dilemma, asking shop keepers, deans, people on the street. I have had forays into such a world however it can become cagey in the end. I looked too far.

Somewhat more of a tool is making reservations online with pen pals, school friends were over achieving with that as I grew up, but I have a remedial acquaintance with most of the folk I am in contact with.

There is the life of curiosity killed the cat, and continues to do so with its remaining eight lives. Just joking of course, I am no zoosadist.

 

[Prince of Spires]

People want to talk about their passions. Especially if you run into more obscure passions, then they can't share those with many people. If you're interested in sports, there's always someone to talk to. However, not that many people care about the specifics of social structures in 17th century Venice and how they impacted the architecture of the place. So if you get someone asking you about that stuff (and they show they're interested in it and have already done some research), then people generally will want to share as much as possible.

And I can't imagine someone becoming a museum curator or professor or the like without being passionate about your subject.

 

[RoccO]

However, not that many people care about the specifics of social structures in 17th century Venice and how they impacted the architecture of the place.

I used to be very interested in stuff like that, researching as much as I could about how society worked, and then I hit a stand still. I still am interested in how everything works, it is just I am more interested in how I work.

Writing was a curiosity for me when I grew up, and I was interested in day dreaming and the like. I was a future carpenter, with tools under my belt, for a rainy day. Then I hit it big with a dealership and I made my way with more money than I could hope for.

The lights went out somewhere along the track, and I settled with part time work, and had a family grow up around me. There was the reason to write, but more of a reason to read, and like a glutton I have been straying towards the classics more of late.

So if you want to read a story about your cat staring at the fireplace I might just be that cat.

 

[Karlin]

I echo that, with this addition. Back when I had a good deal of historical content online (1990s-2010s), I would get queries. Mostly from students, but sometimes from teachers or just general interest.

The questions that got the least helpful responses from me were the ones that were obviously a school assignment. Please tell me three reasons for the fall fo the Roman Empire. That sort of thing.

The ones that got the most helpful responses from me were the ones where the questioner had obviously already done some research. Something like, I've read A and B, and I understand This and That, but I am still wondering about This Other. I was always delighted to help someone who was actually interested in the topic and had questions that were clear and specific. Oh, and sometimes the correspondent was obviously a writer. Them I always helped.

My inquiry was about the wording on Michelangelo's tomb. I introduced myself as a writer.

 

[xena]

I think this is some really good encouragement. Sometimes the best knowledge you can get is straight from the source and you wont know till you ask!