Young Writers Society

Well I like to get the story flowing first. That doesn't mean even a whole chapter, just so long as I can feel it before I start reserch. But then ... all my stories are set in the middle ages, and I know instictivly how that goes because I've been reading books about, and set in those times since before I could read (mum read me stories ever since I could remember until I could read the story faster in my head).
But if you ask me ... the reserch has to be fun too, otherwise the love of writing is just going to dry up and die. I like finding stuff out, but only about things I want to know about. Example: mythology and history. I don't find sci-fi at all interesting, so I don't reserch into it and don't write it. But I think it's best to start the story first. I must say I reserch as I go, but it works for me. As soon as I find something I've written or plan to write that seems just a littel bit off, I reserch it. If there's something I need to know, I find it out. Even the stuff I don't need to put in my story, I still find it out so I have the background knowlege, but I don't find out everything, and then write. That, for me, is the best way to kill a story.

I know wht you mean with stuff that just is not right. I read a book, it was really well written, I loved the story, but there were just a few things that didn't work. Like some people had cannons and old, basic guns, but the others had bows, arrows and swords. I mean, maybe one lot might not be as advanced as the other, but they would be trying to catch up, and they would have plundered some stuff too. And Vikikgs had sabres. I know for a fact they didn't have sabres, I think the author just thought sabre was another word for sword. In the same book sheilds repelled bullets. Well, I don't know myself if this could happen, but it doesn't seem likely because sheilds were phased out at about the same time guns were used, and I doubt people would chuck away their sheilds if they could repell bullets. A sheild would be highly usful if that was the case. I mean, REALLY! I'm fifteen and I know more about this off the top of my head then this grown up author! REALLY!

*cough*Shield's are still use - however, they're only really useful if they cover all (or at least the majority) of your body. Unlike with a swordblade, you can't see the bullet coming towards and bloke it aproriatly. And these large shields cause movement, visibilty and weight issues and can only be used with single handed guns - so no machine guns - which is why they're not really used all that much.

Also, swords and guns were both used at the same time. The japanese army finally lost to the American's, simply cos the American's had guns and cannons and all the Japanese had were swords. Swords were still used long into the use of guns.

Also, old fighting stlyes die hard - for example, horses were used in WWI. As was the old tactic of 'lining up and marching slowly forwards'. While this worked fine against people with single shot guns and swords, this was basically lining up to get shot with the introduction of machine guns...*cough*

Yes, that's one long cough .

Anyways, I personally agree that research is needed. I remember, with one of my stories I didn't do proper research... and had lower gravity slowing down bullets (slightly). This was all good and fine until a science type came and told me that a lower gravity wouldn't do that .

You need to read the story to understand.

EDIT *fidgets* Ok, I can't stand not to continue this ... Well, I said I wasn't sure on the sheild thing. But these people using them, they were riding horses. None of the horses were shot, even though it was only the riders with little arm sheild things, not protecting the horses at all. That still sounds a bit off to me.

Yes, I know that swords and guns were used at the same time, but there's a key thing in that Japanese war thing that you mentioned (well, I don't know any Japanese history, so I'm just going by what you said) ... they lost. In this book, the guns didn't even give the other side an advantage. And, if I were in the situation of the little country with the swords, I would be thinking "hmmm, how could I steal some of their cannons?" not completely ignoring the fact that they have superior weapons and we're all going to die because of it.

I still think it could have been reserched more.
(btw, I bow to your certain knowledge of all that stuff, I learnt it all ages ago and am rather vague )


... we've gone way off topic, haven't we?
To bring it back I do agree with those starting things that were mentioned as wrong in the very start ... almost. The one where we didn't care for him ... you see the him doesn't have to be the main character! *gets crazy story writing light in her eyes* it could be the baddie! So we wouldn't want to care about him then!
Ok, bad try at getting back on topic.

What a coincidence, I have a character named Griff Silver...