Recommend a specialist?

ThomasI

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Good Morning (and forgive me please if this is posted in the wrong place -- I checked but cannot find the best forum, so I will try this one)

Five years ago, I wrote a novel.

I thought it would be a best seller.

It failed. Hehehe.

Fortunately, I have a day job and I now write for fun (for myself -- mostly ;-)

So, finally, I have begun another. It will likely fail too, but I will choose to harbor my delusions :)

So, in this story, I have a battle scene in a war. It goes on for two pages (about 600 words of what will be about 90,000 which I will write).

Does anyone know of a consultant who can take such a scene and make it sound real-slang, lingo, etc.?

Do people do things like this? Hire consultants? Yes, I have the luxury because of my day job, so I will.

But where would I turn? Any suggestions?
 
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Kat M

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Welcome to the forums! :hi:

I don't know if this is a common practice for unpublished novelists, but here are some similar resources here on AW:

You can run specific questions by people in the Research forum (https://absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?66-Research). This is good if you have large-scale or specific questions. It's not a place to post for critiques.

If you want to keep your ideas under password protection or brainstorm how the battle will go, the Brainstorming Sandbox is a better spot (https://absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?180-Brainstorming-Sandbox, password = vista).

Once you've written your scene, you can post it in the Share Your Work forum with details of what sort of feedback you're looking for. Note that you won't be able to post here until you have 50 substantive posts. The general board recommendation is to take your time getting to 50 posts and not to rush there. A great way to get there is to offer critiques on the SYW forum. (https://absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?26-Share-Your-Work, password = vista).

Or, if you're hoping to have someone with this expertise in your back pocket to run things by, you might look for a critique partner on this forum (which also requires 50 substantive posts): (https://absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?30-Beta-Readers-Mentors-and-Writing-Buddies)

Reciprocity is one of this forum's core values, so if you have expertise to share, be sure to let us know and slide in where you can help out! (You don't happen to have any skills in lutherie, specifically in the violin family, do you? :)) And if not, then dive in, crit some work, hang out in the Office Party forum, and have fun with us. It's a great place to be.
 

Chase

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Thomas, depending on when in history your battles take place, I have some combat experience in jungle conditions and along rivers--plus, I've taught English and edited for years and years.

I don't mind consulting on 600 words for no charge. Plenty of people here at AW have helped me again and again, and I'd like to pay a bit of it forward. If you'd like, get hold of me via private message. :greenie
 
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Maryn

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(Chase knows his stuff. He's my go-to guy for weird grammar questions.)