<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr">Hi Vejas: <br><br>I've been following this post about writing experiences. Just caught my breath and wanted to add a few comments on this. Every novel I write pushes my envelope and I end up making new friends and learning more. Every story I write has something I know and the things I don't know make me read books or articles and then get some practical advice from people in the field. When I write about trains I consult my railroad guys. I've written two novels surrounding airplanes and I've gone to people for advice. Right now I'm working on a story surrounding baseball and believe me I have found a gold mine here. I've even gone to people and said here give me a practical lesson. Show me how something works. Now, I'm sure that in any of my novels I will have forgotten something or will not explain something fully. My stories are about the people in and not always the practical or technical aspects but I try to cover them. When I wrote about pilots I had some practical lessons with a flight instructor for which I paid of course (he didn't do it for free) and then I would have them read the parts that pertained to the technical aspects of the story. I had a locomotive engineer look at some work. When I needed some physical therapy advice a pt who is our church organist made a page of exercises for me to look at and try. The point is when I want to get some expertise I go to the experts. I find this to be the best part of my writing because I get to meet new people or ask people I know in a casual way about their jobs or lives. I have always found people willing to give advice. I suppose one can take this as far as they want to. When I write I use my imagination, elbow grease and pick people's brains. It's all fun. And they get their names in my work. </div><br><br><div dir="ltr">Shelley, Queen of Bells <span style="font-size: 13pt;"> Out! </span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> President, NFB Writers’ Division </span><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Editor, Slate and Style </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Email: <a href="mailto:Queenofbells@outlook.com">Queenofbells@outlook.com</a> with submissions </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;">List of Self-published Books </span><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Christ Crush: Poems and a Story </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Angel Hug </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Brave Pilot </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Trespasser</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Purchase E-books on iBooks </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Purchase Angel Hug, Brave Pilot and Christ Crush as paperbacks at <a href="http://www.amazon.com">http://www.amazon.com</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Purchase Trespasser</span><div><a href="Http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Queenofbells712">Http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Queenofbells712</a> </div></div></div><div><br></div><div>Visit my Facebook page </div><div><a href="Http://www.facebook.com/shelley.alongi">Http://www.facebook.com/shelley.alongi</a> </div></div></body></html>