174 replies to this topic

[Ano]

Good lord, an extra 3 pages since I posted? You can tell this is a writers' thread!

Blastman: Word 2001? As in the Mac classic version?!

[Atlai]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 02 June 2016 - 07:10 PM, said:

I think as in Microsoft Word 2001.

Update: Burned out ugh. Finding things to really help motivate me.

Whenever I feel burned out I just get up, go outside and pick up one of the many swords strewn across my yard and practice...

Annnnd that's not helping in the slightest.

I have found physical exercise to be a good source of motivation, but on top of that I think the best thing is playing a musical instrument. If I remember correctly you play some instruments yourself no? I'll typically just get out my guitar or bass and just play for about an hour or so, that typically helps inspire me.

If you want to just listen to music I wholeheartedly recommend God Is An Astronaut, especially this album, just pure post-rock instrumental music that works wonders for motivation.

Sorry if this is no help at all, I just thought I would share some of the things that help me when I'm out of juice.

[Atlai]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 02 June 2016 - 08:10 PM, said:

Good idea. Music does usually help me.

And yeah I do play an array of instruments actually (way to many).

No such thing, I play a plethora of instruments and I always want to learn more. I believe with music there can never be enough.

[Atlai]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 02 June 2016 - 08:41 PM, said:

lol I have 8 guitars, 2 Violins, a trumpet, a drum set, 15 hand percussion instruments, a piano, a mandolin, and 2 Bass guitars.

I think I have to much. I really don't need 8 guitars lol.

I really need to start playing again though. What I need is to find some really good inspiring soundtracks from Sci-Fi films.

Haha I think you have me beat, I own 7 guitars, 1 violin, 1 bass, 1 Ukulele, and 2 Pianos (one electric one regular). I used to sing too but I kinda destroyed my vocal cords lol.

Never got into drums even though I would like too.

And honestly you can never have too many guitars, I own one for each genre I like to play that way I can always pull out the one I want depending on my mood.

So yeah let the music consume you my friend, it's a cure for every problem (probably an exaggeration but I don't care)

Failure, The life and times..., God Is An Astronaut, let the space rock consume you too.

[Mister Blastman]

Ano, on 02 June 2016 - 06:59 PM, said:

Good lord, an extra 3 pages since I posted? You can tell this is a writers' thread!

Blastman: Word 2001? As in the Mac classic version?!

I worked at a computer store a couple of decades ago and reps would hand out all sorts of free stuff--I snagged a legit copy of Microsoft Word 2001 while working there and still use it. I hate all the ribbon junk Microsoft switched to in either Word 2003 or 2005--don't know when they did but I can't use it, it is terrible.

So yeah, still old Word and no, I don't have a Mac. Believe it or not the laptop I write on is over a decade old with lines running through the screen, but it has a full sized keyboard and a nice wide display so it is perfect for fitting two pages on the screen at once and fits my hands perfectly. Oh, and that laptop never sees the internet. It serves only one purpose--to write. I guess it is my modern typewriter.

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 02 June 2016 - 07:10 PM, said:

I think as in Microsoft Word 2001.

Update: Burned out ugh. Finding things to really help motivate me.

Don't stop! You can't stop! Set a schedule, do it every day and work it, baby!

Edited by Mister Blastman, 03 June 2016 - 09:08 AM.

[Atlai]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 02 June 2016 - 11:14 PM, said:

Yeah music will be my friend. Would love to be able to sleep right now lol (3AM in Michigan) but for some reason I have been unable to. Been having really bad insomnia lately. That could be part of my problem too. I should really see a doctor about all my physical issues I have been having lately.

Anyways, I managed to write a couple pages of a short story that is going to be compiled with 2 others to make up my "Historical Novel" --a companion to my main novel.

Edit- btw you need a new Help Cancer Victims link in your Sig. That old link is broken sadly.

Yeah insomnia sucks, I've been suffering from that for years. I used to have depression hardcore so that's why I couldn't sleep, but I haven't had an episode in a good year now... guess no one ever told the insomnia lol >.>

Is it broken? I checked it on this web browser and another, plus I also checked a few other accounts of mine and it always takes me to correct site. Its supposed to take you to BeTheMatch.org for a blood/bone marrow donation site... and for me it still does that. Maybe its on your side? Can somebody else check? I'd like to know if for some reason it only works for me lol.

[Helene de Montfort]

the link works for me...

[Mister Blastman]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 03 June 2016 - 09:34 AM, said:

I have a desktop that serves the same purpose. Only writing, no internet etc.

And I found inspiration and am writing again *got about 2000 words in a little bit ago* . Just really tired (I never did sleep last night). I have also never found that schedules work for me. I originally set a schedule to finish Part 1 by July of last year but I ended up expanding the plot to much and the schedule couldn't be met.

Also I just dug out my original copies of the Robotech TV series... so corny. And yet I am hooked on it again. Probably because Marauder and Ost mechs lol.

Ah I find sticking to a daily schedule as the greatest thing I've ever done for my craft. I follow a process every session. I start with re-reading what I wrote the day before (often out loud and in character), correcting and adjusting as I go along. When I'm done with that I'll sit and ponder what I'm going to write next--or start right away (I try and stop in the middle of a scene or sequence with full knowledge of how the story continues), and if I'm stuck I'll check my soft outline for the immediate chapter or, if needed, write one out (five or six lines of the sequence of events), and then hopefully by then, I'll write, with the intention of creating somewhere around 1000 - 2000 words in content, though I'll keep going until I feel that it is time to stop.

As for Robotech, it is awesome--and after you're done with that, check out Star Blazers and Captain Harlock. I love late 70s/early 80s anime.

[XxXAbsolutZeroXxX]

Karl Streiger, on 01 June 2016 - 11:08 PM, said:

funny wanted to say the same about English, but for my part, I do the same in German either - guessing for the most part - and for the other use a programme to deal with it.

---

Back to my questions about invasion:

Given your suggestions, I may have a plot.

• * first it is about people
  
  • 
    
    the flotilla commander of the "invading" force was promoted and given a backwater job at the same time
    
  • 
    
    same could be said about the general for the expedition force planetary forces
    
  • 
    
    the mission is not supposed to be a military mission at first, it was supposed to be a "show of force" and "training" run
    
  • 
    
    they may accept any evidence to justify an invasion to boost their rank
• about the Union -
  
  • it is purely human, with a bigoted attitude towards nonhumans
    
  • on the planet, there are bigger nonhuman settlements
    
    • (liberate the humans)
      
    • (destroy possible terrorist threads)
• about the business
  
  • mines and stations may need supplies
    
  • it is cheaper to fly them in from a planet rather than create them in a greenhouse habitat
    
  • holiday trips on a real surface rather than in a thread mill
    
  • cheap workers can be recruited fro the surface
• about security
  
  • an inhabited planet is a great place to hide - anti-orbital missiles
    
  • its cheaper and simpler to have garrison forces rather than to blockade the planet with war ships

Ok do you think there are enough reasons to justify a all out invasion - even without "valuable" things on the planet.

Sounds great.

If you get bored make an appeal to humor and say they invaded the planet due to macrohard doors 3040 edition software giving their fleet the wrong coordinates of the planet to invade.

[Mister Blastman]

Saw Pandorum last night--I'm surprised I missed it. In fact, I think I had intended to see it when it was released but life got in the way. There are some minor plot issues and at least one contrived device but beyond that, it was a very enjoyable sci-fi horror film. It was produced by Paul WS Anderson, who directed Event Horizon, another great sci-fi horror film (which was also scientifically accurate on a variety of things unbeknownst to most viewers).

Watch it if you can, you might like it. It gave me some inspiration I was seeking as I press on with Chapter 8.

[Mister Blastman]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 13 June 2016 - 11:43 AM, said:

Great movie. I have been into this movie for a couple years now. Huge fan of it.

I am on a more meh standing with Event Horizon. It has some interesting science and theories (like folding space and such), but the plot was really simplistic to me and there wasn't very much character development. That and towards the end Sam Neill was hilarious.

See the thing about Event Horizon was there was always far more to the movie than the film it self allowed to be shown. For years I insisted there was something missing and I was right--as Paul Anderson has revealed. At least thirty minutes was cut out of the film due to instance from the greater powers that be, for a variety of reasons. Paul has stated that those thirty minutes would have made a huge difference to the film, and I believe him.

The characters were thin. When I apply my three guiding principles to them for character development, not a single one fills all three categories. Every single one is deficient in one way or another. But then I thought about it--and then some more, and came to realize that the three traits were there, they were just shared amongst one another, much like Star Trek does with the whole Kirk/Bones/Spock triad. Together they are a whole person, but alone, they are one facet of a person--empty without the other shards.

Event Horizon does that. And unfortunately the last thirty minutes have been lost, though rumors persist there is a VHS tape of the complete cut, somewhere.

If I take my three principles and apply them to another films I've seen recently--Mr. Brooks, well, the major characters in that film hit it out of the park. There's some fantastic screenwriting in that movie.


As for me, I'm tired again. I've been pushing myself really hard. I'm halfway through Chapter 8 now, and have written 30,000 words in the last three weeks... and a fair bit more than even that if I were to count what I've tossed out. I'm reaching deep into my creative corners to keep the material fresh and new. It's hard, writing at this pace, but alas, we must bear the burden to shoulder the weight of our readers so they may kick back and escape from their own troubled realities.

Edited by Mister Blastman, 13 June 2016 - 07:48 PM.

[Karl Streiger]

I Zeratul I, on 05 June 2016 - 05:46 PM, said:

If you get bored make an appeal to humor and say they invaded the planet due to macrohard doors 3040 edition software giving their fleet the wrong coordinates of the planet to invade.

Well humor is important, it wouldn't be possible for this fleet to attack the wrong planet, (simple because on my idea of FTL travel) - last not least the fleet is traveling 2-4 weeks from jump point to planet intercept. So lots of time to check the star map. But I would keep the idea in mind. Mistakes happen.

Mister Blastman, on 02 June 2016 - 07:48 AM, said:

Good start!

Questions:

So he's invading... then what? What's the big idea buried in there to compel the story further?

What I see is human bigots who hate aliens--not sure if the invading force has some aliens in it?

Is this going to turn into a constant shifting struggle of power between factions or is there something mysterious to discover or some sort of sinister underplot woven around everyone?

I have thought long time about it.

There are three maybe three engaged in the struggle. The human natives and the non-human natives struggling for their sovereignty. The invading Union force to secure the sector and to get a foothold. Finally, the "imperials" that will ally with the natives. Not because the "Empire" is the better choice than the Union - but they don't want to put the non-humans into a reservation. In the beginning, the "diplomats" will try to use this as lever to split the factions. So there could also be a conflict between humans that don't want to suffer because of those non-humans.

While it could be possible to have some mysterious or even sinister I think the doings of sentient beings is dark and sinister enough. There is no need for a bigger everything eating/annihilating alien force that makes stupid mistakes. The Union is the invader so it is evil because of their actions, invading a souvereign planet and enslaving or lock up non-humans.
But they might try to save human lifes (maybe even non-human lifes).
While the Empire is not evil because of actions (they ally with the inferior natives), and they don't are racists, but they don't care about life - throwing conscripts and auxiliary troops into a meat grinder - dropping right into a city.

You might think - this Empires sounds familiar - and when you think 40k you might be right. But as any "human" empire of history they never cared for human-life but always for the glory of the caesar or the horde.

I want to use magic or other fantasy elements so there would be "chaotic evil" be possible either but not right from the beginning (i admit the point i would enjoy is the EMP-Magic Bubble Effect. So while a classic non-nuclear EMP may be temporary a "magical bubble" exists as long as the "magican" is alive and conjuring. This means the multi billion credits army can't move in - they have to send non-augmented troops with just simple rifles.

While it could be possible to have some mysterious or even sinister I think the doings of sentient beings is dark and sinister enough.

[Mister Blastman]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 14 June 2016 - 10:02 PM, said:

Very interesting. I like where that is all going. Keep us updated!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am about 20ish pages into Part 2 now! I worked up a storm today and decided to sit down and do something productive with my wasteful life. So I wrote around 10 pages today. Was awesome. I am proud of myself today. Now... to rewrite all of it because I know it is all **** and I won't be happy till it is fixed.

That's where I'm at right now. I'm stuck on Chapter 8, got the first half done but now am figuring out how to proceed. There's an astronaut training program (not quite what you think)--a fast one, before their mission leaves and debating whether to detail the whole thing or just little parts as to me, the writer, I've seen tons of those "training" scenes before in movies, etc., and after a while they get quite contrived and boring. Problem is, there's two essential scenes to the story--well, three that occur before the mission begins--all of which are emotional character building ones.

[Mister Blastman]

Karl Streiger, on 14 June 2016 - 12:24 AM, said:

I want to use magic or other fantasy elements so there would be "chaotic evil" be possible either but not right from the beginning (i admit the point i would enjoy is the EMP-Magic Bubble Effect. So while a classic non-nuclear EMP may be temporary a "magical bubble" exists as long as the "magican" is alive and conjuring. This means the multi billion credits army can't move in - they have to send non-augmented troops with just simple rifles.

So question: What if they take out the "magician?" I suppose it would be a mysterious occurence at first so they'd have the edge for a while.

Funny thing about AD&D--those alignment categories... lawful good, true neutral, chaotic good, etc., they're well done and applicable to real life. I'd say they're one of the most thought out systems of the entire game.

It sounds like an interesting concept with lots of ways to go.

[Mister Blastman]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 15 June 2016 - 09:44 AM, said:

I would say detail it. I am a hardcore sci-fi person so I love reading all about the training and such, and plus if it will help your story or add character development then it is probably worth it.

Hmm, so I thought about it all day... given the disposable nature of the program, I came to a similar conclusion. There's other folks on the mission, too, and they won't mean anything if they get zero facetime beyond the mission. Besides, all of it is quite unusual as the readers may slowly realize.

So I'm struggling with the structure of the scenes--I hate data dumps. I do them when I have to but I just hate it because there's often a better way to work the facts into the story. The big obstacle I'm facing now is word count as I don't want to get it out of hand... so I'll take a stab at it a different way tonight and try and make it interesting through showing versus telling (well, there'll be bits of telling). I'll see how it goes.

[Mister Blastman]

Hmm. One of my beta readers just told me my recently finished (well, fourth draft) book was too dark, they couldn't handle where it took them and were just livid and heartbroken at the ending.

Not sure if that is good or bad...

It does happen to be the first of three or four books in a series.

[Mister Blastman]

So I decided to detail some of the training--at least the first day of each major type of session and any major occurrences throughout. It'll give some insight into the technical aspects of the program the riders will be in store for--the good... and the bad... Some nice tension building leading up to launch day.

I'm sprinkling in bits of narrative exposition throughout blocks of dialogue to keep it interesting. My fingers were nice to me tonight and dripped out almost 2800 words. It took me a while to think it through but once I outlined the basics of what they'd need to know (and already done a thorough risk analysis a couple weeks ago), it is starting to write itself again.

Still so much to think about...

[Mister Blastman]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 16 June 2016 - 07:33 PM, said:

I just finished getting the basics of the Creole language done. Mixing Arabic, German, and English is super hard. Now I can finally start working ahead a little bit. Now... to write biographies for all of my characters for part 2 and 3, begin breaking down each chapter... and then I have to try incorporating this one plot thread that I completely forgot about, which needs resolving. Currently I am counting at least 15 plot major threads... and all but this one have been successfully dealt with. Damn me and making everything complicated for no good reason.

I have luckily divided the sections of my books rather well, so I can work on each of the four parts independently or at the same time. Then I have to read the whole things through, make sure all the continuity is right, and then... ugh. Rewrites. I hate rewrites... a lot. The worst part will be finding an editor for this book. This book is likely to be huge and editors are expensive as ****.

Hahaha. Yeah. Rewrites suck. But your book transforms as your betas give you feedback. I did two on my (hopefully finished) novel in the last year.

That language bit will add a lot. Are many characters going to use it or just one or two?

I've got one guy who talks like a pirate in mine but it's in a rather distinct way that sets him apart from everyone else. His dialect is a cross between Irish/Scottish with a couple Queen's English words sprinkled in (however his accent is anything but English--blech! Such a gross sounding language at times, to me at least). I love the rolling nature of Irish folk--such a pretty flow.

The one I'm working on now... hmm, let's see... I've got normal white dude talk (I'm not politically correct), I've got a black dude who is full-on ebonics with ghetto-slang thrown in, some southerners and then some regular schmoes and a couple dorks.

[Mister Blastman]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 16 June 2016 - 07:53 PM, said:

I actually have a whole society that uses the Creole. Basically these people are the descendants of several colonial astronauts who were from a couple of different nations. They were then split up and had several children who then were introduced to each other and then had to breed with each other and learn each other's languages. Their children then were bi/tri lingual which eventually led to hundreds of years later, a society whose language is a mishmash of those that their ancestors spoke.

I have 4 main characters who speak the language in the book, and several minor characters and passers bye.

And when I release my companion book for this, it will include a full history of the development of this society and everything. Like I have detailed everything possible. I am super OCD about my stories.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I rewrite I will be doing a lot more phonetic speech and such for my characters. I have so many. The cast of part 1 is made up of Russians, my lead character is Welsh, Germans, a Mid western American, an Arabic guy, etc it is really vast. So I will be studying phonetic writing and such and how to write the sounds and accents for all of my characters.

I do have a bit of the English and Welsh slang thrown in right now. Especially use of words like bloody, smeg, t0sser, etc things like that. The nice thing about British people is that they don't give a rip about what they say. The swearing and such is lovely (though no one can swear like the Germans).

I am very curious about the Irish/Scottish cross you have. I am extremely interested.


I am apparently neutral.

Heh, I'm somewhere between chaotic good and chaotic neutral with a twist of lawful in there somewhere.

This training thing is coming along neat. Thrown my first tawdry character into the mix... definitely keeps things interesting.

[Mister Blastman]

Marack Drock the Unicorn Wizard, on 18 June 2016 - 06:35 AM, said:

Awesome! I am working on what I like best. Murdering the ever living **** outa a character.

Bahahahahahahaha.

Such a tricky thing, murdering... it can really change the story dynamics quickly. I noticed that in my 'Thrones marathon--the entire six years of shows in the last two months and now I'm sad... I'm caught up (well, didn't see this weeks episode yet). But they created some tricky situations a couple of times.

I suppose that's why you have so many characters.