READ BEFORE POSTING: Not reading the RULES does NOT excuse you from following them.

Welcome to the Reference Desk of NaNo2011!

CONTENTS

1. The Rules


2. What Belongs in the Reference Desk


3. What DOESN'T Belong in the Reference Desk


4. The Players


5. Frequently Asked Questions

1. THE RULES

1. 
   Only post questions here that actually belong.
   See points two and three for details on what does and does not belong in the Reference Desk. If you post in the wrong location, the moderator will usually move it to the correct forum.


2. 
   Be respectful of others.
   This means don't call people names, don't use vulgar language unless absolutely necessary (I promise, it rarely is), don't make fun of people's questions or responses, and try to include a warning in your subject header if your post might contain explicit, profane, or triggering (e.g., cutting, suicide, PTSD) material.
   
   
   • Pursuant to this, if you spot someone being rude or otherwise inappropriate in the forum, press the "Report" button on their post. If someone posts erroneous information, it's okay to say that they're wrong, but don't call them names or anything like that. If you say someone got their facts wrong and they respond by attacking you, press the "Report" button on their post. The "Report" button is magic and will let the admins know that something untoward is going on. Then they can decide what the appropriate action is to take in the given situation.
   
   
   • In addition, if you disagree with something one of the moderators decides or asks of you, please do not do so publicly. Disagreements with moderators belong in NaNoMail.
   
   
   
   


3. 
   Use descriptive subject headers for your posts.
   Good subject header: Adopting from third-world country? Poor subject header: I need help.
   
   
   • If your subject line is not descriptive enough, sometimes a moderator will edit it for you. We will always leave a note at the end of the original post to let you know we did so.
   
   
   • It can also be helpful to put the main topic of your post as the first word of the subject line. If you do that, it will be easier for people to locate your post.
   
   
   • Just as important as having a good subject header is having lots of detail in your actual post. In particular, including location and/or a specific year (in both the subject header and the body of the post) can really help you get accurate information.
   
   
   • Only post one subject per thread. This will help people answer you more easily. You can ask more than one question in your post, but don't post questions about more than one topic.
   
   
   
   (This is not an enforceable rule, but following it will make your life - and everyone else's - much easier.)
   


4. 
   Look for posts that cover your subject before you post.
   You might find the information you're looking for has already been provided in an older post, and if you add your question to the thread, the post will be brought forward to the first page of the forum. Some of the most popular topics will be listed at the bottom of this rules post, and it is always a good idea to have a look at it!
   
   
   • If you make a post that is covered elsewhere, you may find your topic locked later on. When this happens, the moderator will always try to provide a link to a post that covers your topic. Follow that link and you will be fine.
   
   
   
   (This is not an enforceable rule, but following it will make your life - and everyone else's - much easier.)
   


5. 
   Please try to do some research before you post here!
   We know this isn't always possible, but trust me, Google is your friend. So is Wikipedia. We've even got a whole post that's full of links to web sites that could be helpful for you in your research.
   • If someone posts a question that you think they could have answered with a simple Google or Wikipedia search, please remember that people are free to post their questions regardless of how much research they have done so far. In addition, sometimes a Google search gives so many results that it is overwhelming, and people can't figure out where to start. So treat such questions as if the person is asking "Where do I start?" rather than saying "I don't know how to do a Google search."
   
   (This is not an enforceable rule, but following it will make your life - and everyone else's - much easier.)
   

2. WHAT BELONGS IN THE REFERENCE DESK

Every year, we get a lot of posts in this forum that don't belong here. We also end up having posts moved here from other forums. Before you post, please check this section and the next to be sure that you're asking your question in the right place.

1. 
   Requests for facts and/or figures.
   These could be about a location, about math problems, about what certain types of people are like (e.g., children at particular ages, people who have particular disorders or disabilities), and/or about statistics.


2. 
   Requests for anecdotes.
   These could be stories about firsts, about things children have said, and/or about experiences people have had.


3. 
   Requests for stories and/or help with fantastic creatures.
   These could be about superstitions from certain cultures or about legends regarding creatures like vampires, dragons, and werewolves.
   • Note: If you are looking for information about particular worlds or characters (i.e., those which were created by someone else, such as Marvel Comics or JRR Tolkein's work), you can post here, but your post may be moved elsewhere if it seems that it would receive more and/or better replies elsewhere.
   
   


4. 
   Requests for help with languages and/or dialects.
   These could be about actually translating phrases from one language into another, about regional accents, and/or about the structure of different dialects.

Basically, if you need actual facts, the question belongs in here.

3. WHAT DOESN'T BELONG IN THE REFERENCE DESK

The moderators are able to move your posts, but it is not something we enjoy having to do. Please double-check this list to ensure that your post doesn't belong elsewhere.

1. 
   Questions about fantastic creatures that are not specifically about cultural beliefs, superstitions, or legends.
   If you want to know what kinds of magical powers a dragon has, or how big a fairy is, you really need to go ask your question in the Fantasy genre forum.


2. 
   Characterization posts.
   If you are asking what your character should do, you need to post that in Plot Doctoring.


3. 
   Names.
   If you need a name for your character, city, country, or animal, please ask in Plot Doctoring.


4. 
   Copyright questions.
   If you want to know what you are allowed to use in your novels (e.g., quotes from songs, movies, or books; titles of movies, books, or songs), please post in Writing 101.


5. 
   Vocabulary questions.
   If you need a synonym for a word or want to make sure you're using it correctly, please post in Writing 101.


6. 
   Excerpts.
   Please do not post excerpts from your novel to this forum. They belong in your profile.


7. 
   Posts about making your goal.
   If you are worried or excited about reaching your goal word count, please check out Reaching 50,000! There are tons of people over there who want to share your despair or triumph!


8. 
   Questions about whether or not it's okay to write this or that (please go to Rules, Regulations, and Other Minutiae for that) and anything else that is looking for information but not related to a story you are writing (take it to Off Topic, please). For example, if you want to write your memoirs for NaNoWriMo, you should ask about that in Rules, and if you are looking for information about a movie you watched ten years ago, there's an entire thread for that in Off Topic.

Basically, if you aren't looking for facts to help with your writing, you need to find the right forum for your question.

If your post gets moved from this forum, or if it gets locked and we refer you elsewhere, it is because we think you will get more and better responses in the new location.

4. THE PLAYERS

We are your moderators. We keep things running smoothly. Our goal is for everyone participating in NaNoWriMo to have a good time and learn what they need to know for their novels.

Dragonchilde - Head moderator, in charge of all of the forums on the site.

karalianne - Senior moderator of the Reference Desk (since 2006).

essbee - Second in command (since 2010).

fshk - New kid on the block (since 2011), but not new to moderating!

If you have any questions about the Reference Desk, please do not hesitate to send one of us a NaNoMail. We are all friendly sorts, and don't mind helping you out. In fact, sending a NaNoMail is a much better way to get hold of us than posting to the forum. We do read all of the posts, but we only do so every few hours, which means that if you post a question for us to the forums, we may not see it for a long time. karalianne, in particular, is likely to get a NaNoMail almost immediately, unless she is actually away from her computer (which is a very rare occurrence).

5. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Where did my post go?
A: It may have moved to another page in the forum (things move fast in here!) or it might have been moved to a whole other forum (or, if you posted before October 7, it is gone because of the site wipe).
Please try searching for your post before re-posting your question. People may have already answered you, and they probably won't want to retype all their information for you.
Note: Reposting your question when your original post has had no replies is frowned upon and will get your second post locked. If you need replies to your original post and it has fallen off the first page of the forum, you are perfectly welcome (and encouraged!) to reply to it so that it moves back to the first page.

Q: I'm an expert in my field. How do I let people know about that?
A: Look for posts that ask about your topic of expertise. Your best bet is going to be to run a search of the forum or go through the unanswered posts to see if you can find anyone you can help. You can also post to the I'm an expert in thread, and people can look for their topic there. When you reply to the original post, please change the Subject line to list the topics you are an expert in.

Q: Can I post photos in my post?
A: Sure! Just be sure that the pictures realy do help illustrate your response, and ensure that they are no larger than 500px wide by 300px tall.

We have a thread for answering the questions in the forum description!

It is here. Thanks!