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Reference Desk

The Reference Desk is the primary NaNoWriMo forum designed for Wrimos to ask and answer questions about realism, facts, and figures in their stories. It is one of the most popular forums on the site, and during the NaNo season, threads can fall down the page in less than an hour.

The posts in the reference desk forum are as varied as the plots of the respective writers. Some writers look for character perspectives that they lack. Others look for advice on how to do something to their characters realistically. Still others are looking for a device that does something they need for their novels.

Posts that belong in the Story Development, Worldbuilding, or Writing 101 forums are occasionally posted to this forum. These posts are moved to the appropriate forum. Tip: If your post is about working out a plot problem, post it to Story Development. If you need a name for something, post it to Appellation Station. If your post contains a question about grammar, style, or anything mechanics-related, post it to Writing 101. If your post involves characterization, post it to Character Cafe. If your post is requesting facts, it belongs in Reference Desk.

The questions in the forum description also change each year, a source of amusement for returning Wrimos. Some of them are based on questions from the previous year's thread. In September 2010 Dragonchilde sought out questions from the community for the forum description. The three resulting questions in the 2010 forum description were contributed by Lais, sushimustwrite, and Leo Fair, respectively. One of the first posts in the reference desk forum typically attempts to answers these questions.

In 2010, the name of the forum was changed from Character and Plot Realism to Reference Desk in an attempt to reduce the number of misplaced plot/characterization threads accidentally posted there, thus requiring a move.

In September 2019, the Reference Desk became a top-level forum with two subforums: Personal Experience for seeking out research questions where personal experience is more valuable than factual answers, and Experts for Wrimos to offer their expertise.

Forum Descriptions

2002-2003: What kind of shoes do mailmen wear? What eye affliction could completely erase my character's short-term memory, then kill her in a dramatic fashion 15,000 words later? Could a pregnant black bear overtake and eat a family in a slow-moving golf cart? You have a question. Someone out there has an answer.

2005: Could a dog accidentally hotwire a go-kart? How much does a Singapore Sling cost in Malaysia? How might a murderous beautician immobilize her clients using only hair-care products? And how many bats can you fit in a breadbox? You have a question. Someone out there has an answer.

2006: What color paper do TPS report covers go on? Do pregnant whales get morning sickness? What sort of mayhem could a clown create using only balloons? Could a hero hide his broadsword in a wombat? You have a question. Someone out there has an answer.

2007: What sort of beer does a hedge fund manager drink? How and when did we start burying people six feet under? How many wallabies could you fit into a Tokyo subway car? You have a question. Someone out there has an answer.

2008: How does a post office in Quebec handle power outages? What sort of rations did a British soldier carry in 1821? How many wallabies could you fit in a Tokyo subway car? You have a question. Someone out there has an answer.

2009: Researching facts, figures, real world experiences and details. How much Jello does it take to completely fill the White House? How many times are beans refried to make refried beans? What does green sound like? You have a question. Someone out there has an answer.

2010: Researching facts, figures, real world experiences and details. If the entire population of Europe jumped into the ocean at the same time on the same beach how big a wave would they create? How much yarn does it take to knit a sweater for a giraffe? How many pangolins would it take to construct a pangolin scale breastplate? You have a question. Someone out there has an answer.

2011: Researching facts, figures, real world experiences and details. How do you kill someone with a peach? Can you have a swimming pool on a space ship? Can you do anything in international waters? You have a question. Someone out there has an answer.

2012: Researching facts, figures, real world experiences and details. Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the car-pool lane? Why doesn't the hair on your arms grow as fast as the hair on your head? Can dolphins be trained to hunt torpedos? You have a question. Someone out there has an answer.

2013-2014: Researching facts, figures, real world experiences and details. How many languages can a five year old learn at once? What planetary configuration is most conducive to life-bearing conditions? How many beavers does it take to build a dam? You have a question. Someone out there has an answer.

2015: What kind of armor would a war pig wear? What’s the most popular smartphone in Russia? How long would it take to walk every road in America? You have a research question. Someone in here has an answer.

2016: What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? What is it like to fall from a tall building? Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle? You have a research question. Someone in here has an answer.

2017-2018: What actually does relate to the price of cheese in China? How many cats can you fit in a coffin? Why does the ABC song and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star have the same tune? You have a research question. Someone in here has an answer.

2019: Facts, figures, and personal experiences. Experience the Reference Desk with Subfora! Do woodpeckers get headaches? How far does a hot dog travel on a gas station roller? How many butterflies would it take to make a pig fly? You have a research question. Someone in here has an answer.

Popular Threads

  • A sticky post explaining how to handle sensitive content
  • There is often a topic dedicated to discussing the questions featured in the forum description.

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