Rather a Story

I missed the "random posting" day. Sorry.

Can anyone tell me how to put my friends "feed" back to the way I had it before LJ decided that imposing their new style on me was actually what I really wanted? I have googled and searched the FAQs, to no avail, and I really loathe the new look. I liked it the way I had it before, thanks!

( Also, I apologize for the lack of fic. )

Okay, fellow writers, I have a question.

How do you handle real-life settings with which you're not familiar? I've been reading (dangerous, I know), and many of the books on writing all agree that having a strong setting will add richness and depth to your story.

On the surface, I totally agree. I am a big fan of good world-building when it comes to sci fi and fantasy, for instance. I also love books in which I get a real feel for the setting, the stench of a city's underbelly or the stark beauty of the cityscape at night, the fragrant smells of farmland, etc. I can usually tell when an author is writing about a setting they've lived in or experienced first hand.

The few times I've used setting to good effect, it's been when I was familiar with the locale. In my long-abandoned zombie novel, I was able to follow the characters from street to street and describe in very accurate detail not only what they were seeing, but the kind of weather they were experiencing, the colour of the buildings, etc. In another story, The Built in a Day Job, to be precise, I used my recent trip to Rome in the springtime to evoke all the sights and sounds and smells of the city that were vital to what I was trying to accomplish in my story.

So what am I supposed to do when I need to set my story in one or more places with which I'm not at all familiar? Somewhere I've never been? I can give overall impressions of a place based on research, but I have no idea how to get the level of detail I would like to put into a story. Is there really a shop on that street corner in Memphis? Is that a one-way street? What bus routes should my characters be taking in Calgary? Is there even reliable public transit? What's the weather like in Colorado in March? What did Cambridge smell like in summer in the late 1800s?

So how do you handle it when you have to write in an unfamiliar setting? Any advice?

Does anyone local know someone in need of a cat? (By local I mean Montreal, Canada, and thereabouts)

Poor Smudge is not adjusting well to the dog.

Worse, the dog is not adjusting to Smudge either. The dog got into the spare room tonight where Smudge has been camping out, lunged up onto the furniture after him and tried to bite him. Or eat him, I honestly can't tell. He literally had his jaws around poor Smudge by the time I managed to intervene, and I nearly broke my finger getting them apart.

Since Sergent is here to stay and is fine with the other two cats, I think I need to re-home Smudge in a nice, calm place where there are no other cats or pets of any kind. He's a sweet, affectionate cat with people—it's just other animals he doesn't get along with. He hasn't had any behavioural issues in years: he always uses the litter box (even the whole time the dog was stressing him out, no less!), and cuddles with me and purrs whenever I go into the room.

As much as it breaks my heart, I think he would do better in a single cat household. Right now I feel like he's being punished for something that's not his fault or his doing.

Anyone in the area looking for a cat? Or do you know someone looking for a cat? If you do, point them my way, please. Smudge deserves a better life than the one he has now. If there's interest, I am happy to answer any and all questions about my kitty)

Hola, flist!

I am writing about Kono for the first time ever, and I know nothing about surfing. It's actually kind of important for my story.

Anyone got some good resources? I need to know the basics of how it works, and a primer on surfing etiquette would be most welcome.

Hola, folks!

I am in need of an intrepid beta for a quick-and-dirty look-see at about 15k of gen fic. It's an adventure-type case fic, written for an exchange. More details upon request, as I've been asked to keep identifying stuff to a minimum. :)

Anyone willing to help out? I need to give it one more pass tomorrow, and then I'd be sending it along. :)

Halp?

Hey folks!

Anyone know where I can get some logo-free high-quality downloads of Supernatural? I'm looking for all seasons, but I'll take what I can get. :)

Thanks!

Hey flist!

I have a little under 2,000 words of Novakfest that need beta-ing. It's Jimmy, Claire and alternate!vessel!Cas with Amelia in a supporting role. Anyone feel like helping out?

So, theoretically, if I were to go to Wincon next year, would anyone be willing to share a room with me? I am very low-maintenance. ;)

*bats eyelashes*

I can pretty much only afford one con next year, and it sounds like so much fun, I'd love to be able to go.

Okay, I am a little premature, since my story isn't finished, but is anyone willing to beta a roughly 4-5k H50 fic for me later this week? I just need a quick-and-dirty SPaG check and someone to tell me when my sentences don't make sense. It's for the h50_exchange.

I will be working on it tonight and hopefully will have it finished by tomorrow evening.

Anyone? Bueller?