9962 réponses à ce sujet

[hot_heart]

Really nice character analysis, Lilivati!

[Spiritwolf1]

Meh, I got nothing done. Work was brutal and then when I got home I almost booted my dog out of the house, he's just lucky my kids got the most pathetic pouty face in the world. I'm behind and I have no idea when I can catch up

[Drussius]

Ah yes. I know the pouty face well. Except I wouldn't consider my girls' pouty faces to be pathetic. Heartbreaking maybe. And sadly they mastered that trick when they were about two. And even more sadly, it still works 50% of the time to this day... Sometimes I wonder if every father is as much of a sucker for their daughters' manipulation as I am.

[Spiritwolf1]

Yeah well, I'm a mother suckered by her son so it goes both ways.

[MacNasty]

Man everyone seems so depressed... Granted I don't quite have the problems you do. Being a teenager helps at times Though to be fair I didn't get anything done today... But at least the Dark Knight Rises was good.

[JadeDragonMTR]

Lilivati wrote...

hot_heart wrote...

Sometimes it can be cathartic to completely tear down a section of writing and build it again. Though I've never quite had to go to that extent...

My task for the evening is to trash the first two chapters of a piece of non-fanfic writing that are frankly **** and rewrite.  The rest of it so far is ok but I want to hand it over to a beta reader soon and those chapters make me cringe.  I probably won't finish tonight.  It's the sort of thing I dread going into (all that work for nothing!) but I always feel renewed once it's over...

This is just generically speaking. Some times when I write something, then change my mind and complete depart from the original path, but I save what I've done, and often find something useful later on in these pieces that I didn't use before. Then I'm glad I didn't delete everything. :happy:

[hot_heart]

JadeDragonMTR wrote...
This is just generically speaking. Some times when I write something, then change my mind and complete depart from the original path, but I save what I've done, and often find something useful later on in these pieces that I didn't use before. Then I'm glad I didn't delete everything. :happy:

Oh, definitely. I've actually got a separate 'notes' document that had a few sections pasted in there that have slowly found their way back into the story if not the same chapter. I think I've still got a bit from about five or six chapters back that may never get used...

Personally, it feels a bit like removing a roadblock from your brain. Because I almost have to get into character, just the slightest thing blocking the 'flow' can disrupt it. Other times, I try to be mercilessly economic with the writing.

p.s. thank you for the kind review!

[Lilivati]

hot_heart wrote...

Really nice character analysis, Lilivati!

Thanks!

JadeDragonMTR wrote...


This is just generically speaking. Some times when I write something, then change my mind and complete depart from the original path, but I save what I've done, and often find something useful later on in these pieces that I didn't use before. Then I'm glad I didn't delete everything. [smilie]http://social.bioware.com/images/forum/emoticons/happy.png[/smilie]

 
Hehe, I was using "trash" in a colloquial sense.  It's rare that I truly, permanently delete anything.  In this case though it's unlikely I'll use any of it later.  I need to convey the same information but the writing is just bad.  XD

[Mavqt]

I have a silly question.

How would the asari refer to each other as?

Like she/he/it type of thing.

"The eclipse are a mercenary band I become a part of. My friend had told me it was good creds and a life changing experience... She was right."

Modifié par mavqt, 09 août 2012 - 01:11 .

[fluffywalrus]

mavqt wrote...

I have a silly question.

How would the asari refer to each other as?

Like she/he/it type of thing.

"The eclipse are a mercenary band I become a part of. My friend had told me it was good creds and a life changing experience... She was right."

It's something I've kind of struggled with a bit. I think that being around other species with two sexes has brought he/she into their vocabulary, but as they're monosexed, I would say that they'd use something more like "they".
I'd been considering adding in some lore where I introduce an old Asari version of a personal pronoun.  Sometimes I think they would use formal titles rather than he/she, such as Maiden/Matron/Matriarch, or their first/last names. That could lead to jarring narration, though.

So yeah, in the end, I'm not sure. I think they would accept 'she' from other species, but internally, within their own, they would address each other differently. Just not sure exactly how, yet.

[lillitheris]

Just use ‘she’. It’s fine, it’s not like they speak English to begin with :happy:

‘She’ is the translation into English from whatever word they use to refer to persons.

There are a few contemporary languages that do not distinguish between sexes on Earth, too. There are also several efforts to introduce gender-neutral pronouns into English, but there’s no consensus, so the end result is just going to be that your text will be harder to read. Nobody* will mind if you use ‘she’, but some will if you invent your own word…


* Void where prohibited etc.

Modifié par lillitheris, 09 août 2012 - 01:40 .

[survivor_686]

Just need some help with regards to System's Alliance ranks and whom commands what:

1. Whom is in command of a squad. Is it comparable to commonwealth military's definition of a section?

2. Are squads numbered? Or named?

3. What are the duties of an Operations Chief? Do they assist with company or platoon level objectives?

Help would be appreciated.

[Mavqt]

I'm not 100% sure.

Sergeants (Maybe Captains) normally lead/command squads, size can vary from 4 to 8 a believe.
The naming depends on the army they belong to, but it's usually Alpha, Beta, Charlie, etc.

Again I'm not sure, so feel free to correct if i'm wrong.

Modifié par mavqt, 09 août 2012 - 02:33 .

[xIxDarkWolfxIx]

1. The SA follows the US system, nearly, to the letter. This means most squad leaders would be Sgts and above, with the occasional Cpl in war time.
2. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo etc...
3. Operations Chief is responsible for issuing orders to squad leaders on the ground, that is their role most of the time. Of course they normally take part in said operations to. Basically they are the middle man between the Commander and the men.

Hope that helps. =)

EDIT: I am about to start writing Arrival for my fic. I am wondering if I should or not? Any adivce on either choice. I'm trying to weigh up if enough people know the Arrival story already, is it worth it? If I do, do it, then how much detail? etc etc. 

PS: Chapter 4 is out, yay. Really please with it, any feedback would be appreciated. =)

Modifié par xIxDarkWolfxIx, 09 août 2012 - 03:23 .

[fluffywalrus]

xIxDarkWolfxIx wrote...

1. The SA follows the US system, nearly, to the letter. This means most squad leaders would be Sgts and above, with the occasional Cpl in war time.
2. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo etc...
3. Operations Chief is responsible for issuing orders to squad leaders on the ground, that is their role most of the time. Of course they normally take part in said operations to. Basically they are the middle man between the Commander and the men.

Hope that helps. =)

EDIT: I am about to start writing Arrival for my fic. I am wondering if I should or not? Any adivce on either choice. I'm trying to weigh up if enough people know the Arrival story already, is it worth it? If I do, do it, then how much detail? etc etc. 

PS: Chapter 4 is out, yay. Really please with it, any feedback would be appreciated. =)

I thin everyone understands the arrival arc. it's technically unnecessary, as you could simply just have the reapers arrive when they did, and Shep trying (and likely failing) to gather the support required to prep for the Reapers. Shepard gets called to Earth as reports of system blackouts start, and experiences the attack on Vancouver there. It's not hard to avoid Arrival's story arc. It's your call to do it or not. I personally think it's an alright bit of story, but I'm not sure where others stand. Still, I'd imagine most readers know about Arrival.

And I'll get to your chapter asap, but in the past twenty minutes, I've been swarmed with five other stories. So much reading!

[Drussius]

fluffywalrus wrote...

And I'll get to your chapter asap, but in the past twenty minutes, I've been swarmed with five other stories. So much reading!

Tell me about it! I have so many stories that I really want to delve into, but I've been on such a roll with my writing over the past few days, I'm afraid it will disrupt my rhythm if I stop and read someone else's work. I plan to catch up heavily the next time my creative flow dips.

With that said, how much exploration of the characters outside of the main plot arc is too much? I'm enjoying my story at the pace I'm writing it and I have a ton of fun exploring relationships/personalities in the downtime between the "Now" sections... But I am currently writing chapter 10 of my story and still including little "getting to know you" conversations and such. I'm starting to worry that readers will eventually get tired of reading it, even if I'm not tired of writing it...

[fluffywalrus]

Drussius wrote...

fluffywalrus wrote...

And I'll get to your chapter asap, but in the past twenty minutes, I've been swarmed with five other stories. So much reading!

Tell me about it! I have so many stories that I really want to delve into, but I've been on such a roll with my writing over the past few days, I'm afraid it will disrupt my rhythm if I stop and read someone else's work. I plan to catch up heavily the next time my creative flow dips.

With that said, how much exploration of the characters outside of the main plot arc is too much? I'm enjoying my story at the pace I'm writing it and I have a ton of fun exploring relationships/personalities in the downtime between the "Now" sections... But I am currently writing chapter 10 of my story and still including little "getting to know you" conversations and such. I'm starting to worry that readers will eventually get tired of reading it, even if I'm not tired of writing it...

I can say right now that I do not tire of learning more about characters. Exploration is always fun, and when you have an excuse for it, I say take it, you never know where the story's going to take you next, or when another appropriate time for exploration will happen. (or maybe you do know, but whatever )

I love your "getting to know ___" convos. They keep me just as motivated to read your work as everything else (perhaps even moreso, considering it's the start of the fic still, and I'm in that stage where I'm yearning to know more about everyone involved).

[Drussius]

In the end, I have always believed that writing is more about telling the story you want to tell rather than the one you think the readers want to hear, as selfish as that sounds. Maybe I'm way off base on that. I'm just too hung up on staring at that little "visitors" number on FF.net, and wondering if I'm going to start seeing that number decline. I swear, that little number is the bane of my confidence.

But I appreciate the encouragement. I'm having too much fun with the characters to let my worries derail my exploration.

[xIxDarkWolfxIx]

Drussius wrote...

In the end, I have always believed that writing is more about telling the story you want to tell rather than the one you think the readers want to hear, as selfish as that sounds. Maybe I'm way off base on that. I'm just too hung up on staring at that little "visitors" number on FF.net, and wondering if I'm going to start seeing that number decline. I swear, that little number is the bane of my confidence.

But I appreciate the encouragement. I'm having too much fun with the characters to let my worries derail my exploration.

Agree with your statements 100%. I'm writing this fic for me, more than anyone else. Though you're right, that visitor number is a b****! =P

Modifié par xIxDarkWolfxIx, 09 août 2012 - 04:40 .

[fluffywalrus]

Drussius wrote...

In the end, I have always believed that writing is more about telling the story you want to tell rather than the one you think the readers want to hear, as selfish as that sounds. Maybe I'm way off base on that. I'm just too hung up on staring at that little "visitors" number on FF.net, and wondering if I'm going to start seeing that number decline. I swear, that little number is the bane of my confidence.

But I appreciate the encouragement. I'm having too much fun with the characters to let my worries derail my exploration.

Haha, I wouldn't worry too much about visitors. It's not consistent enough for me. Sometimes, when I'm super sleepy, I read half a chapter and then finish the rest of it the next day, or another day. That tends to bring two visitors. Sometimes I re-read chapters. Again, I'm one person, you gain more than one "visitor".

It's more stable than hits, but still not too accurate.

Personally, I'd write the story that's in your head. Don't be too swayed to follow what you think readers might want, especially if they're the silent type. If I followed what readers wanted, an event in my fic wouldn't have likely happened. However, if I hadn't written that event, it would have compromised my story, the characters I knew.

Just have confidence that you're doing a great job, because you are, and stick to your guns. Don't be worried about the numbers.

[hot_heart]

No, you're right, Drussius. Being a writer is trusting your instincts. Everyone has a distinctive 'voice' and it's really down to whether that connects with an audience. Forcing yourself to adapt to certain whims can be tricky or even disastrous.

Rather than look at numbers, I think it's better to look at the actual feedback. If you're spending a lot of time getting to know the characters and you're hearing that people like them, then go with it. People may eventually say 'just get on with it' anyway.

If anything, use it to hone your craft and 'voice' rather than wish fulfilment for your audience.

Modifié par hot_heart, 09 août 2012 - 04:42 .

[Drussius]

^^ Thanks again for your encouragement.

On an entirely unrelated note, does anyone know where Noxi went? I'm actually thinking I might want to run the section I wrote yesterday by someone with medical knowledge, just to see if there's anything I should take out/add to make it just a bit more accurate. I don't want the section to be something only doctors would understand, but I'm wondering if it's legitimate enough as it stands or if I messed up somewhere.

I'm no doctor, after all. For all I know, what I wrote would be the speediest way to kill a patient, rather than save one...

And that's why no one wants me to administer first aid! Ever! 

[Seracen]

I wouldn't change the baseline of my story for anything. I'll change a few things around if my readers suggest something that flows better, or if I hear that something just isn't working. But as far as the story goes, you can't write something like that by committee...

Unless you're Bioware and crafting an epic of epic proportions, then you darn well BETTER peer review!

@ Drussius: I'm a biologist (although I'm pursuing a different line in school currently) if you need a critical eye, and my roommate's studying to be a paramedic.

Modifié par Seracen, 09 août 2012 - 04:52 .

[hot_heart]

I believe Noxi was moving country and was going to be away for a while.

[fluffywalrus]

Drussius wrote...

^^ Thanks again for your encouragement.

On an entirely unrelated note, does anyone know where Noxi went? I'm actually thinking I might want to run the section I wrote yesterday by someone with medical knowledge, just to see if there's anything I should take out/add to make it just a bit more accurate. I don't want the section to be something only doctors would understand, but I'm wondering if it's legitimate enough as it stands or if I messed up somewhere.

I'm no doctor, after all. For all I know, what I wrote would be the speediest way to kill a patient, rather than save one...

And that's why no one wants me to administer first aid! Ever! 

I think she moved to a new country at the end of July, and she had been on holiday prior to that. It's likely she'll be away for a while yet, getting all her ducks in order, settling in, etc. Very, very busy.

At the very least, the chapter you're working on with the medical jargon is a ways away from publication, so there's time to wait. Worst comes to worst, you publish as is, maybe check some webmd stuff or whatnot, and be vague when necessary.