Anybody who thinks that being in hospitals once in a while as a patient or visitor qualifies them to speak on what routinely goes on in hospitals is…what’s the right word? Deluded? Stupid?
She’s writing something. If I wanted to know something about an environment I’m not an expert in, I’d come here too and hopefully get the experts to tell me some stories or weigh in. That would by no means be the bulk of my research, but I’d be gathering all I could from people whose expertise in a field might give me a perspective I had not considered.
Not only that, but there is no hospital that’s just going to let you come in and hang around. Hell, the ones in my neck of the woods have all kinds of security procedures in place that keep people who are not patients OUT.
What about a mental hospital? I get the impression they would be quite happy to let her in…
Ha! It’s an easy task to get IN. It’s getting back OUT that’s the difficult thing!
Yay, another tourmaline fan! One of my favorite necklaces has some polished tourmaline pebbles strung on it – they aren’t gemstone quality, but the colors are still gorgeous. (Their place of origin is a bit fuzzy, though they were purchased in Maine.) Sorry about your ring problems…the stone is still okay, right?
No, if she was writing something she’d actually, you know, be writing it. Right now she has a vague idea and wants everyone to fill in the blanks.
“I have a magical gubbin and I want my character to benefit from it. Oh, someone tell me how I can do that despite that it’s my magic gubbin and I make up all the rules. Also tell me what goes on in these places that are well-documented locations where a wealth of information can be found about them - plus general common sense. Oh and if you could name my character for me, that would be swell! Oh gee. I’m a writer. I should write something I guess. Teehee”
Ok, well, that’s different then. Guess I didn’t know about the tone of the request. Carry on. 
Holy shit, I missed this bit:
You’re the fucking writer, you silly bint, you fucking make it up.
No shit. “She was in a car crash. What are some usual injuries?” Oh, I don’t know - AIDS? Diabetes? Holy crap, are you this unaware of how the human body works?
Indeed, but if one were to be going there specifically to do research, that’s another matter entirely. Especially since she was asking about banter, or what sort of things were going on – we’re not even talking about anything coming close to the lofty levels of medical precision displayed in your average sitcom…
I’ve had no problems slipping into multiple hospitals in different large cities with no problems. Granted, I was there as a legitimate patient or visitor in each case, but aside from when I actually checked in for my procedure, I was never challenged at all. Just act like you belong and like you know where you’re going and you’ll be fine.
Silver Tyger doesn’t want to be a writer; she wants to be a ‘writer’ - she wants people to think she’s artistic and creative without doing any of the imagining, plotting, and, you know, actual writing that goes into it. Because that would require genuine hard work, and cannot be accomplished by whining on the internet.
Precisely: she doesn’t actually want to write, she just wants to have written. As with anything she halfheartedly turns her hand to - be it art, or graphic design, or writing, or coding - she wants to be able to tell people O I WRITE YOU KNOW without any of the tedious creativity, talent, or sheer drudgery and hard work that’s required beforehand. Most of us grow out of this by the age of 17; she is still in her 30s and still striking the poses of a particularly callow and irritating teenager.
Not dumb. Dealing with it in the way you can right now. You’ll get there soon, and then you can grab the broom. In the meantime, don’t be so darn hard on yourself.
Well, I must admit I’ve asked the SDMB masses for some assistance or ideas to push me in the right direction, researchwise, when my Google-fu has been weak or downright flaccid. Usually it happens when the info is particularly specific – such as technical specs on wind-up Victrolas (a thread that led me to some great patent docs), or names of obscure streets in East London that suited the particular geographical/fictional needs of my characters (a link to a census-like survey from precisely the era I needed was perfect), or any significant opera premieres that might have been attended in 1892. Stuff like that can elude me even though I’m not a slouch at research. Also, sometimes the discussion itself led me to the correct keywords that I hadn’t been considering, and was interesting besides.
Also, you just never know when someone’s profession will come to the rescue. IIRC I asked attorneys here what some of the pitfalls might occur from advising a friend, or the possible ethics involving psychiatrists encouraging a patient to call them by their first name if it’s more comfortable for them, etc. The anecdotes were definitely of value and helped with verisimilitude, no question.
I think the question closest to the ones currently under contention here involved my needing a set of injuries that would keep someone in the hospital for a month or more. That one I think I should’ve found on my own, but I admit I really did want some brainstorming help with the plot. Nothing wrong with a good brainstorm now and then. It helps to get out of your own head now and then.
BUT. Possible injuries from a car crash? Standard ER medical procedures? That kinda shit is all over the web, not to mention documentaries and, like… books. (Remember those?) It takes only a slight amount of initiative to think where one might find such info. For a storyline involving an arson, I looked up news articles on suspicious fires and subsequent legal procedings, as well as sought various insurance company policies relating to fire insurance payouts. But the most useful source was a terrific book called Fire Cops with first-hand accounts of such investigations.
I think it’s okay to seek help from the SDMB, which does have a wealth of varied professionals and hobbyists who might help guide you to the right resource. But in the end we have to do our own resource-hunting as well. It will teach you vital skills, feeds your knowledge, and triggers ideas of your own if you’re temporarily blank.
For basic story ideas such as the ones in contention here (reason for a car crash?!), you gotta come up with the majority on your own. Otherwise… why the heck are you writing the story?
(Sorry for the non-pitty response.)
That’s the whole point. Asking for one or two pieces of information, or a prompt to help you search in the right direction (e.g. the census/survey information from your East London streets question) is one thing.
Crowd-sourcing your whole fucking story is another thing entirely.
Lupus?
Also, why are there eight fucking US political threads on the front page of the Pit, when we have a perfectly good forum for all that boring shit?
I used to watch his show, The Victory Garden Saturday mornings on PBS (right before the Frugal Gourmet.
I’m guessing it’s lolcatz for “humans.”
Crap crap crap, I feel like I getting a scratchy throat. I can’t get sick right now! I’m going camping on Friday, the plan is lots of booze and friends and fun, my one weekend away kid free.
Not allowed to happen! Time to dig out the cold FX.
It’s never lupus. A writing tip!