*kicks stupid internet websites*

[legoline]

What I hate about writing fanfiction as a German is that omnipresent feeling of not having a clue about what you're doing.

Like...writing about Stanford. What does it look like? Does it have dormitories? What do they look like? Is there a bloody difference between a dorm and a house? How do you get into one of them? Are they on campus or somewhere else? IS WHAT I'M WRITING AT ALL LIKELY?

Then you go to google and try the university website and at some point end up on a website specifically designed for all the dorms and houses WHICH DOESN'T HELP AT ALL because it's only more confusing than it is helping.

And then, you weep.

ETA: *hugs her flist* You guys rock.

Comments

[unhobbityhobbit.livejournal.com]

As a non-American, I, too, have this trouble. Which is why you can find in a large portion of my stories:

Story story story conversation story
*INSERT HERE VAGUEST POSSIBLE DESCRIPTION BECAUSE I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT IT'S ACTUALLY LIKE*
story story story conversation story.

The End.

[mariaalejandra.livejournal.com]

What exactly do you need help with *tries to be helpful* Questions, plz?

[chaotic4life.livejournal.com]

Check out thecultureclash, it's an international writer's reference comm. I used to live there :D

I know exactly how you feel though ... LOL. I wrote a J2 fic last year, where Jared went to Yale. Should I ever finish that fic, its tag line will be "all I know about Yale I learned from Rory Gilmore!" ... :D Sad, but true.

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Story story story conversation story
*INSERT HERE VAGUEST POSSIBLE DESCRIPTION BECAUSE I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT IT'S ACTUALLY LIKE*
story story story conversation story.


HAHA same here :D

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Whee!

I'm just trying to find out whether there are dorms on campus at Stanford. And if you get sorted into them or have to apply or whatever...'cause looking at the websites it seems they're themed? O_O

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Oooh, whhe! I only know of little_details ...

Should I ever finish that fic, its tag line will be "all I know about Yale I learned from Rory Gilmore!" ... :D Sad, but true.

Hey, all I know about the Civil War I learned from "North & South" :D

[mariaalejandra.livejournal.com]

There are as far as I know, and there's a registry you get sorted into but if you don't like your housing assignment you can get it changed [of course this depends entirely upon your years there but when you're a freshman I don't think you can - some colleges have the themed housing sorted by major preference or the years there.] Make sense, I don't necessarily know what Stanford is sorted by though.

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Whee, thank you!

"On campus" -- does that mean they're individual houses or are they connected to the main buildings (with the classrooms) somehow?

[lierina.livejournal.com]

I think there's a comm where you can ask things like that. It's still difficult to write about places you don't know at all because there are so many details but perhaps it could be helpful to check this comm and to ask? It's thecultureclash.

[mariaalejandra.livejournal.com]

It's, uhm, more like they're on their own [it;'s not like houses usually dorms are usually a few big buildings hat are in walking distance to the classrooms] outside campus is usually apartments and such no where near the classrooms or dorms - the only way the cdorms are connected is through walking distance to classrooms.

[embroiderama]

In my head, I tend to base Stanford's campus on that of Duke University, even though it's on the opposite side of the country, just because I visited it a couple of times and it's on the same "level" as Stanford. On their campus, there is a difference between a dorm and a house. A dorm is a larger building (the one my friend lived in as a freshman had previously been a hospital) where basically random students live. A house is a smaller building where people choose to live based on an interest. My friend's house was like a stone row-home in the middle of a line of other student houses. And yeah, they're on campus.

On the other hand, many fraternity houses (not sure about Duke in particular but at other schools) are off-campus but very close to campus.

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I tend to ask at little_details but I'm always a bit hesitant about bothering people I don't know :-)...

[legoline.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU! (No honestly, thank you!) It all begins to make sense now...

(And randomly, your icon makes me want to do naughty things to Sammy...)

[legoline.livejournal.com]

it;'s not like houses usually dorms are usually a few big buildings hat are in walking distance to the classrooms

Uhm...I don't get that...? The dorms are not in walking distance?

But they're different buildings?

[mariaalejandra.livejournal.com]

dorms are in walking distance - apartments are not.

yes

[legoline.livejournal.com]

*squishes* (I'm a bit slow sometimes, sorry about that ;-) )

Thank you so much!

Also, cause of uni stuff and general weather-related ickiness I haven't yet watched "it", but it's not forgotten--it's here on my desktop waiting to be watched!

[mariaalejandra.livejournal.com]

you're welcome.

*smish*

[legoline.livejournal.com]

*hugs you*

[mariaalejandra.livejournal.com]

Oh don't even worry - Ihaven't even done anything but unii stuff these last few days see here but don't worry I'm sure you'll watch 'it' - I have but I always end up distracted so I need to actually sit and pay attention to it but there's a line in it that he says "who are you working for?" and I just crack up

[mariaalejandra.livejournal.com]

:D

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Hee, I just commented on that :)

See, same here--I want to actually sit down and watch it and that's been a bit tricky recently :D

Aaaw, Jared ♥

[legoline.livejournal.com]

:)

[mariaalejandra.livejournal.com]

Lack of sleep clearly makes me wacky and I haven't written all week and I'm getting annoyed because 'Jared' (my Jared anyway) has decided he wants to move and then I get emailed more homework. ;/

Indeed naww but I laugh because it was done funny and then . . . I think of the mandroid. LOL.

[the-muppet.livejournal.com]

Actually, you rock =)

heffa hugs*

[ongiara.livejournal.com]

What does it look like? Does it have dormitories? What do they look like? Is there a bloody difference between a dorm and a house?
Yeah, especially since there's already HUGE differences between dorms in different places of Germany. Like compare dorms in Halle/Saale with those in Magdeburg? Like TWO DIFFERENT SOCIAL CLASSES O_o

*hands tissue* *pats*

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Hehe, definitely :D

Btw randomly, I counted words today. Monster is already at 37,000 O_O

[legoline.livejournal.com]

The feeling is mutual :D

*hugs*

[legoline.livejournal.com]

:-/

WE'RE NOT WORKING FOR THE MANDROID! :D

[mariaalejandra.livejournal.com]

;/

INDEED. hehehe. :D

[ongiara.livejournal.com]

Monster is already at 37,000 O_O
Eeep, and a sweeping 37,000 at that. *craves more*

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Hee :D

[ewanspotter.livejournal.com]

I was actually thinking about this the other day. I don't know how you guys do it, but most of the time you fake it pretty darn well.

Well, you seem to have your answer already... but your LJ is a pretty good place for info. I love that crap. :D

[annj-g80.livejournal.com]

Okay, this is spooky. I know what you mean, dear fellow german *biggrin*. Right now, I'm trying to find out stuff about the library(s) in NY. It's a disaster. I should be writing about the holy grail and it'd be more realistic *shakes head*

[legoline.livejournal.com]

I was actually thinking about this the other day. I don't know how you guys do it, but most of the time you fake it pretty darn well.


We're acing at fakin' it, w00t! :D (When I have to describe landscapes I either keep it pretty vague or I google for pictures...I'm a nerd :) )

your LJ is a pretty good place for info. I love that crap. :D

My flist is full of awesome people :)

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Haha, true.

little_details might help :)

[ewanspotter.livejournal.com]

I can just imagine me trying to write a story that takes place in Germany. You'd read it and then look over at your friend like, "Do we have giant duck-shaped water fountains on every street corner? That squirt Gatorade?"

[legoline.livejournal.com]

You'd read it and then look over at your friend like, "Do we have giant duck-shaped water fountains on every street corner? That squirt Gatorade?"


*laughs* Probably :) "I didn't know they had the alps up in Hamburg..."

Isn't it getting late/early in the US? ;-)

[ewanspotter.livejournal.com]

No. No, it is not 4:33 a.m.

>.>

[legoline.livejournal.com]

O_O

You should be in bed! :)

[ewanspotter.livejournal.com]

See, but now I'm waiting for your comments.

YOU'RE DOING THIS TO ME. AGAIN.

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Okay.Sorry.

NO MORE COMMENTS FROM ME FOR TONIGHT.

[ewanspotter.livejournal.com]

:(

4:59 a.m.

I think I shall sleep now. I just wasn't tired earlier. But I'm not doing anything productive (and too tired to DO anything productive).

Good night for me, good day for you. (What time IS it for you, anyway?)

[legoline.livejournal.com]

I guess 5AM for you would be 12PM for me...

Whoa. Sleep well, hon.

[annj-g80.livejournal.com]

Thanks a lot. Will keep it in mind and in my flist :-D

Have a nice day *winks*