How do you write something you have no experience about?

[Illysandaras]

How do you write/play about something you have no experience or knowledge about?

I guess this could include a different gender, sexual orientation, fictional species/race, etc. But in particular I'm asking about... for instace your writing as a Doctor, but your not a Doctor IRL; how do you get around those details? Do you constantly google and wikipedia answers and info?

In particular Mizahar's skill system rewards details when learning a skill so how do write those details? Please give me your advice on this issue. Discussion is also very welcome.

[Gossamer]

I used Beekeeping as a 2012 NaNo topic for my PC. I knew nothing about it. I read a few websites, talked to some irl beekeepers, and started writing. 100,000+ words later after that particular Nano and two years in the bag, I have about 300,000 honeybees on my property. And that being said, I also lead irl carveout crews throughout my county rescuing in dangered honeybees who are in human established buildings that are going to be torn down or whom the homeowners are going to spray.

Mizahar leads to life changing things.

[Raien Ironarm Pitrius]

Indeed, generally I do a whole lot of Googleing whenever I'm learning a new skill, IC and OOC. For example, before I started playing Miz I knew nothing about the Bastard Sword, of course I've been a boxer all my life. And thus, the basics were easier to grasp, but that's beside the point. It was still foreign to me, now however, I have many stances, flourishes, and small useless details about using and cleaning a sword locked in my head for future and current threads.

It all comes down to what your willing to put in really. Sure, you can advance a skill by just winging it, but is that really what you want to do? More importantly, is that what your partners want to read? Essentially, you don't have to be an expert on something, you just have to be competent when it comes to understanding the theory behind it. Could I use a bastard sword effectively in real life? Hae no! Can I write Raien doing it because I understand the basics? Most certainly.

As a final note, read the skill articles! I can not stress this enough, that is after all, what their there for. Not to mention the fact that most of them have been peer-reviewed to death, or otherwise written by the Founders themselves. And were made with Mizahar players needing information on the skill specifically in mind.

[Illysandaras]

Oh I know about the skill articles and I am reading them. I just thought peoples advice couldn't hurt and its an interesting thing to discuss.

[Khara]

I've written various characters that have jobs/lifestyles that I've known exactly nothing about (Doctor being a prime example!)

There's been a lot of googling/wiking/etc. Mostly in my spare time, keeping folders full of bookmarks with information I may want to reference for future things It's fun to learn as your character does, sometimes it leads to actual character quirks and thoughts about things you come across.

Basically all I can say is: research, research, research. Read factual boring stuff, read articles related to to it, so on and so forth as your interests are piqued and you find things. Most importantly I think is... don't be afraid to make mistakes. If you are corrected or find information later on that doesn't quite mesh with an assumption you made it's just a learning experience and if it really bugs you just remember: The edit button is just a click away.

As far as Miz in concerned, I can't say a lot as I'm still a newbie but I've found most of the Lore articles to be rather in depth and helpful with most of the basic information you may need to start your character off. I've certainly come back to read a few of them over and over, still picking up things I missed the first few times. Depending on the skill (especially the magic!) it certainly couldn't hurt to see if there's someone who is used to writing about it in the region you write in and see if they'd be willing to do a thread with you where their character mentors yours/teaches them. Worst they'll say is no

[Zhol]

I sort of cheat, I guess?

I use metaphors and comparisons a lot: my brain is sorta wired up to try and equate something unfamiliar with something I am familiar with. They're not necessarily the same, but it's a stepping stone that gets me closer to it. I am not a religious person, so on face value it's hard for me to empathise with what it must feel like to have someone trying to "disprove" my beliefs. But, I am very scientifically minded, and I do know the way I react to people with superstitions, to conspiracy theorists, to the History Channel aliens guy, and to people who quote "wrong science". I also know how I react to people who mistakenly believe that Batman is better than Green Arrow. I know what it's like to be so passionate about something that you can't understand why someone else believes different... so if I'm writing a devout religious character, I try and draw on those things. It's not a perfect comparison, but it gets me close enough that I can fake it the rest of the way.

I find that you can use that approach with most things. Maybe there isn't one single thing that is similar to all of it, but you might be able to draw on little bits and pieces of familiarity. Maybe you've never carved a chair out of wood before, but you've probably tried really really hard to get something perfectly lined up or perfectly in the middle of something. You've probably done that thing where you make a tiny change, you take a step back, then make another, step back, and so on. You probably know what the weight of a chair feels like; maybe you've had some wooden furniture where it's come a little loose, and you've had to whack the legs back on with the heel of your hand. The details that make a description really pop aren't necessarily knowing exactly the right name or term that you found in a google search; it's remembering that time you got rope burn playing tug-o-war as a kid, or that time you picked up a wooden crate and jammed a splinter into your hand, and channelling that while you're working on a ship or at the docks. Reading up on terminology and processes is the easy part: it's the rest of the sentence that makes it seem you know what you're talking about.

At least, that's the way I go about faking it.