#on learning

[not-poignant]

Potentially an odd question, but is there a specific site or method you use for research for your writings? Researching medical/legal/similar procedures is the bane of my existence because I can never seem to find an explanation I understand well enough to then write about.

I recently caught up to Stain, and while reading it struck me how you put a lot of detail into a wide variety of topics (the medical part of Alex’s injury at the start, therapy, Alex’s eye examination, Sebastian talking about his boss trying to underpay him, among other topics) (HUGE kudos about that by the way, it adds another layer of realism) and it feels like there’s no way one person can have firsthand experience/knowledge in ALL these things unless you’ve lived an extremely varied life.

I was just hoping you might have some pointers about how to go about researching basically anything because I feel like I’ve GOT to be missing something.

No worries if you can’t/don’t want to/don’t have an answer, I just thought shooting an ask your way is worth a shot haha.

Hi anon,

Researching is its own skillset, like writing or editing, there's no one specific site to go to, to make it easier, it's more like...taking the time to learn the constellation of ever-changing sites, books, and more in order to best learn how to learn. Because that's really what it is about: Learning how to learn.

On learning how to learn (I should say, I'm not very good at teaching, so some of this stuff might not be helpful to you, please ignore it if it isn't!):

But I do have some things that I do which might help. And some that might not.

The first thing that won't really help is I have led a varied life in a way that is convenient for the content I write, lol. The medical part of Alex's injury - I've been badly injured. The eye examination - I have astigmatism and was diagnosed late and blamed for my own eyesight issues which I didn't realise were eyesight issues. I've seen over 19 therapists in over 25 years. I've talked to bosses about pay and I've had lots of friends that have too.

Tbh the things I've had to research the most in Stardew Valley have been:

The intersection of astigmatism/myopia/dyslexia treatment and the best order in which these things should happen.

Stardew Valley - literally the calendar, the schedule, liked gifts, disliked gifts, favourite meals etc. Some I know off by heart, others I don't really remember at all.

The best way to clean a house (though my mother was a professional cleaner for most of my childhood, I just wanted to revise and see if anything had changed since then)

Cleaning standards for home laboratories

The colours that sweetpea flowers come in etc.

It's always random stuff. And to be honest, a lot of this doesn't happen in much detail in the story. The colour of sweetpea flowers was for the bouquet, and I think it was one line. The best way to clean a house has accounted for very little actual writing.

Now for actual helpful stuff:

Wikipedia is your friend. My browser search bar goes straight to Wikipedia, not google. It's amazing how much Wikipedia will explain a ton of different things these days. It's true some concepts might be hard to understand, you might need to spend more time Wiki-ing / googling / using a dictionary to start understanding those concepts.

When it comes to writing trauma, for example, I've read upwards of 20+ academic books (i.e. the kind psychologists study at university or after university in postgrad) about trauma. I wouldn't expect other people to go that deep, but other folks aren't writing trauma like I am in every single story, and it's a special interest of mine. But it kind oh illustrates that I'm not going to a single site about something.

But you could get a deeper understanding by just looking at the PTSD and C-PTSD and trauma articles on Wikipedia, and slowly reading them.

The second is that medical sites can also be your friend.

The third is that Reddit is amazing for lived experiences, with a grain of salt that some people are lying for clout. But 'what treatments helped best with your dyslexia reddit' as a search phrase is going to be way more helpful than whatever AI bullshit the google search line will give you otherwise. Deep diving into reddit threads can be super helpful for stuff that I used to find out previously on personal blogs (it's amazing how much 'what's life on an oil rig like blog' used to turn up a ton of lived experiences from firsthand encounters for example). I don't use my Reddit account for anything other than research, lmao. It's a hidden gem for lived experience and human interpretation of complex issues. It can be especially helpful for legal / economic matters, but honestly, I mostly just handwave legal stuff with caveats/disclaimers. You can do an undergraduate degree in law, and a lawyer is still going to painstakingly point out all the ways you're wrong about something. It's just better to tell the lawyers in advance that you know you can't compete with their knowledge base lmao.

(Though it can be worth looking up regional differences, because if I see another Australian writing Australian legal procedures into US law (or vice versa) I will scream - like no, Aussies, we do not have BOLOs here, we have KL04, LOTBKF and BOLF depending on your state).

A good way to start learning how to learn is to actually start outside of your stories and start with things you already love. Plug your favourite movie into Wikipedia and learn about how it was made, or what the production was like. And when you find something mildly interesting, say, about film lighting, open up those Wiki articles or plug 'film lighting process for (insert movie here)' on google, and have a look at some of the results. Learn how to learn, how to go deeper, what seems to be helpful, and what isn't. Consider making a list of articles you really enjoy - I love a website that aggregates all the different odours and flavours in the world and their chemical compounds which has been incredibly helpful for Palmarosa. The website is a bit hard to navigate, but if you plug something like 'spearmint' into the search, it'll help.

If you don't already have it, put Wikipedia on your phone. It's free / ad-free. I have my own personal server on Discord that I use to house a lot of resources (for everything, from my business, to health records, to writing resources). If you use Discord already, I highly recommend the 'private server' as a great way to aggregate everything together.

If the article formatting of online articles doesn't feel good, you can do text-to-speech, or use the little 'reader' symbol to make it more reader-friendly.

Books are also not to be underestimated for how helpful they can be (I find too many people are website focused these days, but actually, not everything can be found on websites, a lot of the best niche knowledge is still in books when it's not in lived experience tellings). Find out about your local and online libraries. A lot of people (especially younger folks) don't realise just how much information they can get access to, for free. Librarians themselves are gifts from god, who will literally help you find the books you need for whatever subject you want to learn more about, and if they don't know, they will often personally take it upon themselves to look further for you. 'I want to learn more about German composers' is - for many librarians - a very exciting question that they will want to help you with.

Outside of that, niche websites (like the odours one I mentioned), sometimes just finding sites where asking research questions gets answered. For example the free blogging site (with no ads), Dreamwidth, has a community called little_details where you can ask your niche question and people will answer and say what their expertise is in that subject. It's incredible and active enough to be super helpful. In some cases it's completely changed the course of a story.

Over time you'll also learn what's less helpful. Some articles are clearly ChatGPT written or written for ads and not accurate - so if you can get the same information corroborated at multiple sources, that will help.

And don't forget the value of just listening to people online and irl regarding their experiences. As a writer, I feel like an 'experience collector.' I like asking friends, strangers, family, etc. all kinds of questions because I think a part of my brain is always aware that something they're sharing could be a vitally grounding element in a story and it's also just interesting and people like sharing about their lives. Whether I'm asking my roommate about the process of getting a government evaluation approved, my architect friend about drug use in Australian architecture, or a friend from Bali what sort of foods he grew up with and what his comfort meal was when he felt sick, etc. Writers collect experiences, not just their own, but those of others. The greatest tools a writer can have in their toolbelt are knowing how to listen, learning how to learn (and how to love learning), and knowing what the right questions are.

None of those things can be gained with one or two websites. But they can be gained with time and curiosity, and well, that helps with your whole entire life, and not just writing. :D

[positivelyruined]

Protect your peace.

I think I’m finally learning that it’s okay unfollow people, to block people. For whatever reason.

I am a secondary people pleaser. I was not always. I worked at a job that required me to learn people pleasing behavior. That required me to learn how to need everyone to like me.

Strangely, that job taught me grace and humility; as much as it taught me to stand up for myself when appropriate.

Two steps forward, one step back.

In my life, I have chosen to believe that you grow through what you go through and you live with what you learn; but not everyone abides by this.

A lot of people use Tumblr to vent their anger or release the worst parts of themselves that they can’t put other places.

I think I’m finally beginning go understand this, but I am also understanding that it doesn’t have to be something I absorb or tolerate.

I don’t have to be mutuals with an entire fanbase, or read everyone’s writing to spread enough kindness. Fandom is not a requirement or a necessity. It’s a social circle.

Socially, some people understand and connect, better than others. It’s okay to have your crowd.

Success isn’t in the statistics.

Success is in the smiles. The small comments. The people you get to know. The time you share with them. Even the ones you get to know and say goodbye to later. Friendship isn’t always lasting. Sometimes it isn’t the time that matters, it’s the person.

We all do what we can, when we can, how we can — and that is enough.

You are enough — if no one told you. If no one agreed with you. If no one liked the post which you put so much effort into.

I hope you can remember that.

[wysteir]

Good practice today so far

Mostly just fundamentals and building muscle memory and getting used to the rhythm of things

I used to never be able to play to a metronome but I can kinda sorta do that now!!!

Working on improving rhythm in general, that's been really bad for me all my life and I got by without trying to hone it at all

Can always just start with the bare bones basics and go from there, and I want to make a write-up at some point

[toodeeptobeshowerthoughts]

“you have to keep learning” They say, “it never stops ,not after school,not after college not after you’ve got your PhD” .like a warning. Like it’s bad news. Like it’s the most terrible, terrifying thing . Maybe it is for them. To me that’s the most comforting five words ever. More than “we can be friends again” in seventh grade . It’s the one thing I’m sure of. And to hear someone confirm it. It’s relief. Honestly what would I do If I don’t have anything to learn.

[gentleoverdrive]

[捌] We the people have spoken against our endless war

I need whoever happens to read this dumb journal entry to realize something: Individuals can be stupid and to hold them up in any sort of pedestal is going to, more often than not, do more harm than good, both for them and to yourself. ---- And this isn't just because the default "Ignore celebrities" tool that I've grown more and more accustomed to deploying now that I'm on my mid-to-late 30's, but maybe just realize that artists, celebrities, influencers, etc are also human, and we humans can be really dumb. ---- Sure, humans being... well, human (in this specific case, meaning "kinda dumb"), can also be charming and make you go "Oh they just like me frfr!" and like that's fine. It's fine: You can still stan and/or enjoy whoever you like, just never become so incurious that you take what anybody recognizable says as gospel. ---- That's the whole idea behind the phrase "stay woke" that african-americans have been saying since the 1930's: Stay alert of racial-prejudice + racial discrimination. "Alert" being the opposite of incurious and ignorant. Be aware. Be awake. ---- Sure, I know that the term (mostly the word woke, in this case) has come to mean something else entirely in the 2010's and 2020's because language changes all the time, and I know that change can feel like it sucks, but it doesn't have to. Humans are all about being stubborn bastards who refuse to remain in obsolescence. ---- When something sucks, we don't just go "it is what it is". Fuck that shit. We work hard to make it stop sucking. Or to give way to people so that they can make it better. Anyway, keep yourselves safe out there and read ya' later!

[elexuscal]

"what did students do before chatgpt?" well one time i forgot i had a history essay due at my 10am class the morning of so over the course of my 30 minute bus ride to school i awkwardly used by backpack as a desk, sped wrote the essay, and got an A on it.

six months later i re-read the essay prior to the final exam, went 'ohhhh yeah i remember this', got a question on that topic, and aced it.

point being that actually doing the work is how you learn the material and internalize it. ChatGPT can give you a short cut but it won't build you the the muscles.

[catmask]

i dont consider myself a 'fashion guru' by any means but one thing i will say is guys you dont need to know the specific brand an item you like is - you need to know what the item is called. very rarely does a brand matter, but knowing that pair of pants is called 'cargo' vs 'boot cut' or the names of dress styles is going to help you find clothes you like WAAAYYYY faster than brand shopping

[minicy]

I love talking to kids about disability bc

1. they often just Get It, and

2. they have 0 concept of disability as a tragedy or something pitiable.

I've watched kids get into an argument with a teacher bc they thought wheelchairs were cool. I told a kid that I can't stand for too long sometimes and they replied, "That's okay, I can't do cartwheels sometimes, but I just do other stuff then. You can sit down with me if you want". Today a girl asked me what the headphones on a classmate's desk were for and I told her that headphones are important for some kids because noises bother them, and she said she wished she had headphones at home, because her baby brothers make a lot of noise and it makes it hard to think. The idea that different people could use tools at different times is intuitive and simple and when accessibility aids are explained neutrally, kids don't see them as bad or unfortunate, they're just things that are useful.

Even mental disability!! In Kindergarten the other day one of the kids asked me why his table partner got stickers when nobody else did. I started off by saying, "Well, when you do your work well, it feels good, right? That's your brain giving you a reward," and the kid just right away went, "Oh, and the stickers are like his reward?" YES! You are 5 and have a better grasp on ADHD than most adults! Kids blow me away every day.

[ryderdire]

Really interesting thing I glimpsed on rednote today

I think We- we’re developing international class consciousness 

[an-na-ko]

Lyra, my beloved cat of 13 years, passed away this year on Father's Day. She's been by my side through very difficult times and was my little rock of steady and unrelenting love. I struggled a lot drawing this, and struggled a lot posting it, but I know I would've wanted to read a comic like this that validated my grief for her when I lost her.

Wherever you are, Lyra my little summer star, I love you always! Thank you for being the best thing in my life.

[dullanyan]

a few weeks ago i needed worcestershire sauce for a recipe but i didnt have any so i had to leave it out.

u are never gonna believe what i found in the cabinet today, unopened, probably has been there for months,

[destiel-news-network]

(Source)

[murderouswidowsmatter]

The problem with “senseless violence” narrative around the UnitedHealthcare CEO is that it ignores the inherent violence of the insurance industry. Denying someone lifesaving care is violence. Subjecting someone to drawn out periods of pain before treatment is violent. The industry is made up of millions of acts of violence everyday, with the CEO at the helm guiding it all. This is not unprovoked and it’s not an overreaction; it is just harder to ignore

[wysteir]

Wisteria's FG Journal

May 30, Season 2 (2/3)

Hit a critical point in my journey today!!! All the work I've put in is really paying off. Majority of my goals are more technical things and detail oriented and I'm piloting Nagoriyuki with a bit more expertise now

Being encouraged by all my friends has helped me more than anything in my journey- if you've ever even offered one but of encouragement or kind advice, thank you. The words it much easier to keep climbing upward and forward

There is so, so much more to learn, but that's the beauty of it all isn't it?

I can focus a bit on matchup knowledge now, and start doing more technical combos with Nagoriyuki/using Roman Cancels to even greater effect

I can also focus more on reading my opponent and trying to figure out what they might be up to and build that skill as well!!!

I feel really good honestly!

This is a level of skill I never thought I'd reach in my life, and certainly not this quickly. Mindset first approach too OP and so is Nagoriyuki, they need to nerf him

It's also nice to learn and grow with others, and even keep up to date with the latest goings on at the top circuit. I understand Sports Enjoyment now and everything

There's just so, so much community in it and I can't wait to improve more

[inkskinned]

i love you vaccines i love you research i love you reading the book instead of having chatgpt summarize it i love you critically thinking rather than reacting to a headline i love you investigating the source material i love you science i love you math even though you are personally my enemy (math/yn slowburn) i love you writing even though you try to stab me a lot i love you Experts in Your Field i love you Using The Brain