Story help wanted: Aussie Rules Football

[Graeme]

I know this is not the normal place to ask for a beta-reader, but I checked with the admin team first to get permission. This is not your typical beta-reader request

 

I've started a new story that's set in a fictitious Australian Rules Football club. Unfortunately, my knowledge of Aussie Rules is woefully out of date, based on what I can find online. I'm therefore looking for a beta-reader who can tell me when I've got the terminology wrong, and who has some idea of how an Aussie Rules club works. District or state level is fine -- I'm looking for help with making sure I have the details of a semi-professional team correct. The fictitious team is in the VFL, but someone with a good knowledge of a district team or the equivalent in another state would also be great.

 

Anyone who is interested can contact me via PM or Email (graeme@gayauthors.org). I need someone who's not afraid to tell me when I've done something wrong

 

As a more general question, how do other authors deal with subjects in which they don't have a detailed personal knowledge?

 

I've done a lot of online research on existing VFL clubs for this story. I've also checked out links to aussie rules coaching sites, and that's when I found out my knowledge of the game was out of date, and hence my request for help. Certain mechanical things, like the rules, etc, are easy to find on the Internet, but more esoteric details, such as the internal workings of the clubs, are much more difficult to locate. I've written what I feel is right, but I know I'm making a lot of assumptions and guesses and I've probably got some details wrong.

 

How do other authors deal with this sort of thing?

[Former Member]

I have no knowledge on Aussie Rules Football, but I can offer some help (hopefully) with the other part!

 

When I'm out of my depth, I normally ask someone who has intimate knowledge about the subject I'm working in.  If I want to write about Wallstreet or anything economical, I need some help.  And I do a lot of research.  But I research everything anyway.

[Graeme]

I try to do as much research as I can, but I'm very much aware that online research doesn't cover everything. It's good for facts, but it's not good for things that are usually just assumed the reader will know, or the reader doesn't need to know. In my case, it's the internal workings for a football club that I'm after, and they don't put that sort of detail on the Internet (at least as far as I can find).

 

Finding someone who knows is certainly the best approach (I knew a towie for Falls Creek Lessons and a cattle farmer for Heart of The Tree) but finding that person can sometimes be a challenge

[scotty94]

I love beta reading other authors work but my knowledge of Australian sports is of minimal proportion, I do have relatives in Australia who could help me out but contacting them from the UK is hard due to the different times so im not your man on this one. But if you need any help in the future im always available.