174 replies to this topic

[XxXAbsolutZeroXxX]

I've been following Brandon Sanderson on twitter.

https://twitter.com/BrandSanderson

Seems he writes about 1,000 words per day.

Who are good authors to follow on twitter?

[Mister Blastman]

Brandon Sanderson is great but I must admit I never pay any attention to twitter.

[Mister Blastman]

Sometimes I'll hit a snag, like a couple of days ago, in the middle of Chapter 20, went back and forth through three or four scenes and ended up with the first scene I wrote being the second one and so on. Writing shuffleboard I call it sometimes. The stuff just fits together... until a snag shows up.

This time it was science. Those are the worst kind of snags at first, when you have that sinking feeling you might of done something wrong in the novel so far, or misrepresented something, and then you panic. I did. I sat in front of my keyboard for two nights, four hours at a time, piddling with words here and there. But last night it got bad, the science woes kicked into overdrive. And it haunted me all day today, too.

Then I stumbled across a brilliant site like this one:

http://www.projectrh...ificialgrav.php

All of a sudden things I had calculated and envisioned in my mind over the last twenty-four hours were there, to be seen and explored! Studies! Research! Examples!

Tonight I wrote again. It is 1:55 AM and I stopped twenty minutes ago. I am happy once more.

[Mister Blastman]

Hmm interesting ideas. One question: What if they end up making an error after perfecting the genome, there's some sort of freak war or disease that wipes out most of the population, and the folks who could correct the error end up dead?

Just something to think about. I love sci-fi that explores new territory like yours.

[Mister Blastman]

My second novel is coming along. This has got to be the best site on the internet:

http://www.projectrh...ic_html/rocket/

(click to show topics at the top)

I've been deep into physics calculations the past week. The problem with near-modern levels of tech means relativistic spaceflight, which becomes hypercomplicated. We're so damn fragile and crazy stuff starts happening when you approach C, above and beyond the standard relativity stuff, that dramatically influences starship design and what folks onboard experience.

But I'm having fun with it. Since it is a character-driven novel, I've enjoyed imagining the diverging perspectives of folks on the ground versus folks on the ship and how it both changes them and how they perceive things and in the order that they perceive them. This is some serious tear-jerking stuff (I hope, may take several attempts but I'm working at it).

[Mister Blastman]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 29 August 2016 - 06:42 PM, said:

Today I managed to write 15 pages of my book. I am more than happy with that. It is the most progress I have managed to get done in quite a while now.

Edit-

I just finished what might be my favorite chapter I have written. One of my characters just killed his own mother. And he is quite joyous in doing it. I also just had the first big battle in my book too. It is going to get quite a few revisions, but I am happy with this first draft of it. A few beta readers are going over it for me.

Also question:

What is your opinion on swearing in a book? Like cussing.

This is for anyone really.

I personally use swearing in a novel a bit because well... people swear a lot in real life. Just curious what you guys think.

It depends on the book. My first book I limited swearing to lower-tier ones for most of it by using damn and crap a lot, and then towards the very end I broke out a few of the big ones so they stood out for effect.

In the one I'm writing now I swear liberally. Even the narrator swears, though not often--maybe a ******* here or there. But the characters, they use quite a few expletives and even have one situation where one is using some extremely unusual combo-swears and he gets made fun of for it.

[Mister Blastman]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 01 September 2016 - 08:15 PM, said:

Also just got into some awesome quantum physics: Quantum Entanglement. I am dealing with creating an artificial Wormhole in my book and found that it theoretically could be done by creating two black holes which occupy the same space (called superposition) and then tearing them apart. This would theoretically form a gravitational tunnel, and thereby linking the two black holes together creating a Wormhole.

I love physics.

Ah. I come from a Christian family also and my Dad swore like a sailor. He actually got mad at me when I came back from college not swearing and threatened to throw me out of the house if I didn't start swearing again. Oh, and he really was a sailor, too.

As for the wormhole, don't forget you can't create one without obscene amounts of energy or mass, as well. Quantum entanglement alone will not create one and superposition is well... I've been studying this stuff a long time:

Imagine a coin with two sides. In binary it can be heads or tails and never both--and either/or depicts one state. In quantum mechanics, a state of superposition is where it is both heads, tails and every degree of heads or tails in between one another all at the same time, in one state.

Now, if you observe said state of superposition, you achieve decoherence which essentially results in the wave function collapse creating an eigenstate--which is the interrupted state that now exists as only a single disturbed value.

That may or may not make sense.

See Shroedinger's Cat, which Shroedinger came up as a protest to what he and Einstein at the time, perceived as an absurdity of quantum mechanics (as Einstein once said, God doesn't roll dice):



But the reason quantum mechanics is based on statistics is because stuff at the quantum level is unable to be observed without disturbing its state.

Entanglement is when two photons of light are bound by one another using (as Einstein called it) spooky action at a distance. These photons are both in a state of spin that are opposite one another. If photon A's spin reverses to the opposite direction, photon B will, too, no matter how far apart they are (thus violating causality of the speed of light limit). Nobody knows why...


I have theories that I won't go into here about that why.



I'm curious how you go about creating your wormholes, and btw, I hope the above is helpful.

Edited by Mister Blastman, 02 September 2016 - 05:09 PM.

[Mister Blastman]

So I have a question, something that has been steeping in my mind for the last two weeks since I attended a writer's workshop at Dragon Con. What do you think about the narrator asking the reader questions in the narrative?

I bring this up because several stories we workshopped by folks who attended used this technique. In all the literature I read, I don't see it. (I mostly read true literature, Science Fiction and well... some horror).

For example:
"Maura was hurt. She didn't like how John was treating her--it wasn't like him. He was always so laid back. Why was he doing this?"

Over the course of five pages, I saw maybe three or four questions asked by the narrator. It was striking. It didn't feel bad, but it definitely stuck out as it is something I'm not used to seeing. I don't use it myself, either, and instead defer to the characters asking questions in their own thoughts.

What do ya'll think?

[Mister Blastman]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 17 September 2016 - 12:59 PM, said:

I actually do that in my book a bit. I find asking questions can help the reader think about certain things. I don't do it very often, but once every five or so chapters it can happen.

Hmm. Do you see this question asking thing used much in books you read and if so, what genres?

[Mister Blastman]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 19 September 2016 - 07:54 PM, said:

Quite often in older Science fiction (not as much in new, Michael Crichton did though particularly in Timeline if I recall), and also I read it a bit in fantasy too (many times in Game of Thrones and it is also in Lord of the Rings).

Hmm, I can't say I've noticed it until now. I'll have to pay closer attention when I read. I notice way more about style than I did years ago, ever since I started writing.

[Mister Blastman]

Well, my latest novel just turned seventeen degrees of effed up. It started out all nice and suspenseful. But, alas, it's time to get on with the killing. I only hope folks can make it through the last chapters. They're going to be rough. Probably harder for me to write... so many characters I like... hard job, swinging the butcher's blade, it is.

[Mister Blastman]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 21 September 2016 - 05:11 AM, said:

I personally enjoy slaughtering my characters. I take pride in ending their lives abruptly and in bad ways lol.

There is only one character that is going to be difficult to kill, only because he has basically been one I have had since I was like 10 years old.

Actually many of these characters are recycled from a previous set of works of mine and have basically been my imaginary buddies since a young kid. Just one in particular I am attached to.

Well, the trick is making their deaths mean something to the reader. You can kill someone for the sake of doing it... but when they mean something--or the characters feel real, then it hurts.

[Mister Blastman]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 21 September 2016 - 08:41 AM, said:

I never create a character without a purpose or kill them without purpose either. I have omitted 15 characters already I didn't think served enough to warrant having them.

Most of my beta readers have said I am doing a good job so far.

My problem is having so many.

Yeah too many characters is a problem.

I have eight active ones(in a group) at the moment and it is pissing me off. So I'm going to try something a little different the next few chapters and alternate POV every single scene as I split them up here and there. So far I've only truly hopped inside the head of two characters the entire novel--mainly because it is the story of one man, but maybe it'll be fun to hop inside another's for a scene or two.

I'm thinking the idiot's head might be the most fun--moreso than the doctor or the lawyer or the pilot. I'll try it and see if it works, as the next few chapters, lots of folks die and I have to keep the intensity up.

[Mister Blastman]

Hmm. Interesting. So do you manage one POV per scene, or do you dedicate chapters to one char? And if chapters... they must be short?

[Mister Blastman]

This novel is growing... 133k words now. I hope I'll finish at around 150 - 155k words. We'll see. Intensity is building... **** is going down. The horror begins.

[Mister Blastman]

Fast is relative when I sit down diligently every single night, six days a week for three to five hours a night (average four to four and a half). I'm treating it like a job and frankly some nights it's damn hard, especially when I get stuck in kinks.

Tonight, for instance, I peppered some stuff throughout several earlier chapters to reinforce a particularly important plot point I'd left lingering (think conspiracy theory) before I continued where I left off last night.

[Mister Blastman]

So as this novel is shaping up, it is hard sci-fi meets touching drama with strong elements of conspiracy theory, thriller and a twist of horror for extra flavor. Lots of elements in this stew, I hope it is tasty.

Edited by Mister Blastman, 01 October 2016 - 08:54 PM.

[XxXAbsolutZeroXxX]

I'm thinking about writing a book on global warming.

Said no one ever.

But seriously, I am thinking about it. o.o

Mainstream media is giving zero attention to any of the real issues surrounding it.

[Mister Blastman]

I Zeratul I, on 02 October 2016 - 12:20 PM, said:

I'm thinking about writing a book on global warming.

Said no one ever.

But seriously, I am thinking about it. o.o

Mainstream media is giving zero attention to any of the real issues surrounding it.

A fiction novel? That might be interesting, but make damn sure you try to be objective in it and provide multiple points of view--fair ones, from many sides of the issue so it doesn't sound preachy. Unless you're trying to be preachy, and if so, go all out. Throw copious hyperbole in there and let your imagination run wild.

Edited by Mister Blastman, 02 October 2016 - 01:48 PM.

[XxXAbsolutZeroXxX]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 02 October 2016 - 01:27 PM, said:

That's because it got all of the attention for like 4 years straight already. It is old news. Plus there is evidence to show that much of what is happening is also part of a cycle of events that happens. We saw very similar conditions happen every now and then throughout the development of this planet.

Climate change is like cancer where the media only publicizes "treatments" that are profitable or serve a certain agenda.

There are cost effective ways to deal with climate change and none of them are being pursued.

There is also evidence that the media, "experts" and scientists deliberately misinform and mislead the public on the topic.

Looking at books on climate change/global warming, I haven't seen a single one that contained real facts on the topic.

Mister Blastman, on 02 October 2016 - 01:48 PM, said:

A fiction novel? That might be interesting, but make damn sure you try to be objective in it and provide multiple points of view--fair ones, from many sides of the issue so it doesn't sound preachy. Unless you're trying to be preachy, and if so, go all out. Throw copious hyperbole in there and let your imagination run wild.

Non fiction.

That's a good point about not sounding preachy. A major mistake many make with battering people over the heads with facts/figures rather than going for subtlety.

Being informative could be utterly pointless. However it happened, our culture seems to revolve around anti intellectualism and the idea that a person doesn't need to know facts or be informed to speak intelligently on any topic. Look at the elections everyone and their dog feels compelled to speak as if they represent the one true faith of which candidate is best despite many being utterly inadequate to the task.

So I guess in this era anyone who actually does take the time to figure out what the facts are, and think critically on any topic is "preachy" via default simply because the majority of us disapprove of knowledge and the idea that a person has to be informed or educated to know things.