2124 réponses à ce sujet

[BrennaCeDria]

ArkadyRose wrote...

The only character I could draw for my fic would be Anders - and he's not actually the focal character of the story, though he *is* pretty central to it! Though my protagonist is a girl mage, I very deliberately didn't describe her - I didn't even give her a name, just as though I mention Hawke, I don't mention Hawke's gender or anything else - simply referring to "The Hawke". Just as Hawke can become pretty much whoever you want he or she to be in DA2, I wanted my protagonist to similarly be a blank slate for the reader to fill in the blanks themselves.The only clues to her appearance are that she's a girl - probably mid-teens - and she's wearing a dress.

85% this. I named Vrania, and I mention Hawke in the context of "my" Hawke, but as much as possible is vague to let the reader place themselves in the story as much as possible.

[K.L.Bryan]

RagingCyclone wrote...

While we are waiting on the announcement I have been enjoying a lot of the stories. I wonder if any of you have visualized your characters in your stories. I have a habit of making storyboards in the toolset when I write my DA stories. Thought I might share what my story's character looks like, and I am curious what some of the other characters look like.

Reginald Molare

This is how I visualised my main character Erinna. 

klbryan.deviantart.com/#/d4n7ras

[ladyofpayne]

Where is located Whiste Spire? In Val Roueax?

[The Sarendoctrinator]

ArkadyRose wrote...

The only character I could draw for my fic would be Anders - and he's not actually the focal character of the story, though he *is* pretty central to it! Though my protagonist is a girl mage, I very deliberately didn't describe her - I didn't even give her a name, just as though I mention Hawke, I don't mention Hawke's gender or anything else - simply referring to "The Hawke". Just as Hawke can become pretty much whoever you want he or she to be in DA2, I wanted my protagonist to similarly be a blank slate for the reader to fill in the blanks themselves.The only clues to her appearance are that she's a girl - probably mid-teens - and she's wearing a dress.

I ended up doing the same thing, actually - not giving the characters an appearance description. I wanted to focus on the story, action, getting their personalities and internal conflicts across to the reader, and I felt like it was better to leave out that extra stuff rather than break up the flow. After I finished, I figured everyone would have their own image of how Kane and the others look, and it would be interesting to see how many of them match up with my own.

My mention of Hawke also left out any possible variations from in-game choices, and even the name (I used the "Champion of Kirkwall" title).

[My Name Does Not Matter]

The Sarendoctrinator wrote...

ArkadyRose wrote...

The only character I could draw for my fic would be Anders - and he's not actually the focal character of the story, though he *is* pretty central to it! Though my protagonist is a girl mage, I very deliberately didn't describe her - I didn't even give her a name, just as though I mention Hawke, I don't mention Hawke's gender or anything else - simply referring to "The Hawke". Just as Hawke can become pretty much whoever you want he or she to be in DA2, I wanted my protagonist to similarly be a blank slate for the reader to fill in the blanks themselves.The only clues to her appearance are that she's a girl - probably mid-teens - and she's wearing a dress.

I ended up doing the same thing, actually - not giving the characters an appearance description. I wanted to focus on the story, action, getting their personalities and internal conflicts across to the reader, and I felt like it was better to leave out that extra stuff rather than break up the flow. After I finished, I figured everyone would have their own image of how Kane and the others look, and it would be interesting to see how many of them match up with my own.

My mention of Hawke also left out any possible variations from in-game choices, and even the name (I used the "Champion of Kirkwall" title).

I threw in descriptions of other characters in my story (none of which included any known characters), and kept the description of my own character very, very vague. I think I mentioned something about her having dark tresses and hawk-yellow eyes, but that's as far as I went with it. I was too concentrated on showing her personality and the plot.

[CuriousArtemis]

I don't describe my main character although I know what he looks like. It would have been difficult to describe him since the story is in first person. And I can't make him in the character creator because he's an elf (so can only use Origins) and has long hair (no long hair for guys).

I did describe his friend ... barely:

"Rissa waves at me as she hurries across the open marketplace. Her curly dark red hair bounces behind her, her green eyes wide."

But I couldn't even really make her either since DA doesn't do curls lol

Modifié par motomotogirl, 22 janvier 2012 - 10:51 .

[BrennaCeDria]

motomotogirl wrote...

I don't describe my main character although I know what he looks like. It would have been difficult to describe him since the story is in first person. And I can't make him in the character creator because he's an elf (so can only use Origins) and has long hair (no long hair for guys).

I did describe his friend ... barely:

"Rissa waves at me as she hurries across the open marketplace. Her curly dark red hair bounces behind her, her green eyes wide."

But I couldn't even really make her either since DA doesn't do curls lol

There's kind-of wavy curls in DA2, like what Bethany's default has. Can the DA2 tools build a curly-haired chara?

[Firky]

I'm always lost on how to describe characters because I couldn't figure out any reason why my narrator would be noticing her hair colour etc.

He ended up running with a tree analogy - comparing her to a tree, in various ways. She's Tranquil and Brother Genitivi wrote in a codex entry somewhere something about the Tranquil being like tables. That's so horribly rude. So I made her a living table.

(I know, I'm slightly insane.)

[Gyrefalcon]

That was a good dream, My Name Does Not Matter! ^-^ And thanks to BrennaCeDria for the stick figure comic, which might have inspired said dream. ;D

[BrennaCeDria]

Gyrefalcon wrote...

That was a good dream, My Name Does Not Matter! ^-^ And thanks to BrennaCeDria for the stick figure comic, which might have inspired said dream. ;D

No, the comic wasn't mine, I was just quoting the original post with it in it! Tho page 8 (locking the mages up in the Space Needle) is by far my favorite page!

[Queenychi]

Firky wrote...

I'm always lost on how to describe characters because I couldn't figure out any reason why my narrator would be noticing her hair colour etc.

He ended up running with a tree analogy - comparing her to a tree, in various ways. She's Tranquil and Brother Genitivi wrote in a codex entry somewhere something about the Tranquil being like tables. That's so horribly rude. So I made her a living table.

(I know, I'm slightly insane.)

Actually, I really like that idea. It's a good reference to the game, and, if I may say, a good social commentary. Kudos.
Which codex entry was that!? 

[Firky]

Queenychi wrote...

Firky wrote...

I'm always lost on how to describe characters because I couldn't figure out any reason why my narrator would be noticing her hair colour etc.

He ended up running with a tree analogy - comparing her to a tree, in various ways. She's Tranquil and Brother Genitivi wrote in a codex entry somewhere something about the Tranquil being like tables. That's so horribly rude. So I made her a living table.

(I know, I'm slightly insane.)

Actually, I really like that idea. It's a good reference to the game, and, if I may say, a good social commentary. Kudos.
Which codex entry was that!? 

Thanks. I'm sure no-one reading it would notice the connection, but that table remark made me annoyed enough to write about a Tranquil more respectfully.


Ha. Found it.

http://dragonage.wik...y:_The_Tranquil

At the end.

(Edit: Yes. I did write a 2500 word story because Brother Genitivi made me angry.)

Modifié par Firky, 23 janvier 2012 - 02:27 .

[BrennaCeDria]

Firky wrote...

Queenychi wrote...

Firky wrote...

I'm always lost on how to describe characters because I couldn't figure out any reason why my narrator would be noticing her hair colour etc.

He ended up running with a tree analogy - comparing her to a tree, in various ways. She's Tranquil and Brother Genitivi wrote in a codex entry somewhere something about the Tranquil being like tables. That's so horribly rude. So I made her a living table.

(I know, I'm slightly insane.)

Actually, I really like that idea. It's a good reference to the game, and, if I may say, a good social commentary. Kudos.
Which codex entry was that!? 

Thanks. I'm sure no-one reading it would notice the connection, but that table remark made me annoyed enough to write about a Tranquil more respectfully.


Ha. Found it.

http://dragonage.wik...y:_The_Tranquil

At the end.

(Edit: Yes. I did write a 2500 word story because Brother Genitivi made me angry.)

Hehe, normally he just makes me sleepy.

[Fortlowe]

For me, on describing a persons physical characteristics in a story, I go back to the tried and true rule of if it doesn't serve the story, it has no place in the story. There's no physical description at all about any of the characters in my entry beyond their genders. Having the word cap to contend with helped me tremendously in this regard.

[Firky]

I tend to do that too. I agonised about whether to call a backpack "canvas backpack" or "backpack." But why keep "canvas?" No-one in my story is a sailmaker or - artist - or anyone who cares about canvas.

I do like descriptive writing too. Maybe it depends on what else is happening.

[JoeLaTurkey]

Firky wrote...

I tend to do that too. I agonised about whether to call a backpack "canvas backpack" or "backpack." But why keep "canvas?" No-one in my story is a sailmaker or - artist - or anyone who cares about canvas.

I do like descriptive writing too. Maybe it depends on what else is happening.

I know what you mean. I tend to follow Orwell's Second and Third Rules of Writing most of the time, but never with fantasy.

But it's a lot more satisfying to write lengthy descriptions than read them.

[Faerloch]

Shadow of Light Dragon wrote...

Here

Thank you, these will help me through the work day tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Sweet!


Edit: and please include my short story in the compilation!

Modifié par Faerloch, 23 janvier 2012 - 03:31 .

[CuriousArtemis]

Pooh, now I feel ashamed of my curly redheaded girl lol

[Firky]

But that's probably the kind of detail your narrator might notice?

I really struggle making my narrators sound authentic, when writing in 1st person. Like, making them sound like an actual person rather than a description machine. Or a table.

Now I'm starting to wonder when they'll get to winners. Has it been a couple of weeks? I've lost track. (Still, so many entries/words. And longer might mean that they are reading them carefully. Which is nice.)

[RagingCyclone]

Fortlowe wrote...

For me, on describing a persons physical characteristics in a story, I go back to the tried and true rule of if it doesn't serve the story, it has no place in the story. There's no physical description at all about any of the characters in my entry beyond their genders. Having the word cap to contend with helped me tremendously in this regard.

I agree that usually I would not describe in a lot of detail the character. In Reginald's case his eyes are central to his character when I developed him even before this entry. In the Jacen Thorne story his unique vision is crucial to the party finding certain things. Plus that story is focussed on opposites. (yin/yang...point/counter point...for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction...positive/negative...etc)  and his vision falls right in line with that where in the JT story he discovers he is not just blind during the day and see shapes at night, but that his vision is completely reversed. (using the adage in both DA games that with magic anything is possible ).

[The Sarendoctrinator]

I write descriptions for the characters in my novel, but for a short story, I've got to agree with you guys. If it's not important and doesn't fit well in the middle of all the action (my story was about an escape from the Gallows during the Battle of Kirkwall), then it's better to do without when it's just going to take up extra space in your word count.

By the way, I used third-person POV.

motomotogirl wrote...

I don't describe my main character although I know what he looks like. It would have been difficult to describe him since the story is in first person. And I can't make him in the character creator because he's an elf (so can only use Origins) and has long hair (no long hair for guys).

I did describe his friend ... barely:

"Rissa waves at me as she hurries across the open marketplace. Her curly dark red hair bounces behind her, her green eyes wide."

But I couldn't even really make her either since DA doesn't do curls lol

It's possible with mods. (Not saying that I suggest using them. I wouldn't even know how, if I had DAO for PC.)

[Corker]

I didn't do any describing in mine; I admit I had my Mahariel somewhat in mind, but that's not her canon reunion with Merrill.

I go back and forth on the need for physical description. In general, it jars me - but then there's Terry Pratchett. The physicality of his characters is striking, and important to the overall feel of the Discworld novels, that they're inhabited. Many fantasy books I read, I feel like the characters are coming out of the DA character generator - different pretty faces pasted on the same young, conventionally attractive body. Pratchett's characters are tall and short, broad and narrow, and frequently on the homely side... and we only know that because he does describe them.

And I'm reeeeeally hesitant to call anything Terry Pratchett does a fantasy "don't."

[BrennaCeDria]

Corker wrote...

I didn't do any describing in mine; I admit I had my Mahariel somewhat in mind, but that's not her canon reunion with Merrill.

I go back and forth on the need for physical description. In general, it jars me - but then there's Terry Pratchett. The physicality of his characters is striking, and important to the overall feel of the Discworld novels, that they're inhabited. Many fantasy books I read, I feel like the characters are coming out of the DA character generator - different pretty faces pasted on the same young, conventionally attractive body. Pratchett's characters are tall and short, broad and narrow, and frequently on the homely side... and we only know that because he does describe them.

And I'm reeeeeally hesitant to call anything Terry Pratchett does a fantasy "don't."

Ha, well, Pratchett comes and goes. Colour of Magic through Sourcery were fantastic, with just the right amount of too-much-detail. Hogfather, though, got a little rambly--one of the few cases were I prefer movie to book.

[BrennaCeDria]

Faerloch wrote...

Shadow of Light Dragon wrote...

Here

Thank you, these will help me through the work day tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Sweet!


Edit: and please include my short story in the compilation!

Added.

Edit: I'm running a test conversion to mobi & epub today, to see how formatting works, and if and how I should include a ToC for the final file. I want to wait until at least the Final Five (wow, haven't used that phrase capitalized since season three of Galactica!) are revealed so I can ask their authors to let me include them as well, if they aren't already, but I want to be able to have it ready to go immediately when they are!

Edit 2: Wow, these test files are coming out ugly. Nothing is working with calibre to convert to any format, and while mobipocket is successfully creating the files I need, it's screwing up the formatting and style on almost every test file I make. Maybe I'll just do a pretty little PDF... I know how to actually make the ToC work in those, plus I know Kindle, at least, can read them. Just need to make sure Nook can, too. >.>

Modifié par BrennaCeDria, 23 janvier 2012 - 03:16 .