Writing Discussion

[Conserative Morality]

Why write when you can categorize your WiPs by protagonist sexuality?

/procrastination

I'll finish one of them someday I swear. Or I would swear. I'm too lazy to swear. I'll do it tomorrow.

[The New World Oceania]

Onto actual writing stuff.

A character had a heart attack. He got a a coronary bypass. While in the hospital, he was weaned off a variety of substances, coke and liquor being the most notable. Basically, this guy is the ultimate hedonist. Think Kim Jong Un meets Nero meets Keith Richards. Now, he's obese, he's diabetic, he's got gout, as well as some STDs. This guy is at the edge of liver failure, assuming something else doesn't go first. He's spent basically two weeks in the hospital. He's still there. Except, the narrator is seeing him again for the first time since his heart attack.

So, how should he be reintroduced? How damaged should he be? I've heard that while recovering from a heart attack, a person can have, "unclear thinking". What the fuck does that mean? How should he want to be treated while he recovers?

I have some ideas of my own, but I'm still unsure.

It depends how the narrator perceives him and how it moves the plot. If it's a major scene for exposition concerning a character the narrator couldn't care less about, you'd want to keep it short, likely a paragraph saying what happened and then moving on with the plot to emphasize the unimportance of the character. If it's more of an emotion-driven scene, where this is more about developing the characters, Emily Cramer's short story Teleology comes to mind. (page 23 or page 32)

[-Ebola-]

Why write when you can categorize your WiPs by protagonist sexuality?

([url=http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk294/Tombombadil9/20150205034247_zpsmce18hji.png]Image)[/url]

/procrastination

I'll finish one of them someday I swear. Or I would swear. I'm too lazy to swear. I'll do it tomorrow.

You have a lot of works in progress.

[-Ebola-]

Onto actual writing stuff.

A character had a heart attack. He got a a coronary bypass. While in the hospital, he was weaned off a variety of substances, coke and liquor being the most notable. Basically, this guy is the ultimate hedonist. Think Kim Jong Un meets Nero meets Keith Richards. Now, he's obese, he's diabetic, he's got gout, as well as some STDs. This guy is at the edge of liver failure, assuming something else doesn't go first. He's spent basically two weeks in the hospital. He's still there. Except, the narrator is seeing him again for the first time since his heart attack.

So, how should he be reintroduced? How damaged should he be? I've heard that while recovering from a heart attack, a person can have, "unclear thinking". What the fuck does that mean? How should he want to be treated while he recovers?

I have some ideas of my own, but I'm still unsure.

I would have the guy grumbling about how he's tired of being in the hospital and he wants to go home and have a drink and he's tired of everyone worrying about him and telling him he has to clean up his lifestyle.

[Conserative Morality]

You have a lot of works in progress.

My life is a work in progress.

I counted anything I had over 2000 words, so take 'WiP' as you will.

[-Ebola-]

You have a lot of works in progress.

My life is a work in progress.

I counted anything I had over 2000 words, so take 'WiP' as you will.

I'd probably have a lot too if I counted abandoned projects that I never plan to finish.

[Conserative Morality]

I'd probably have a lot too if I counted abandoned projects that I never plan to finish.

I lie to myself every time I open them and tell myself "Someday... someday this will be done."

[Ceffyltir]

I'm going to be running a campaign in a tabletop RPG called Anima: Beyond Fantasy soon, but I'm having trouble creating a believable story for the players. Would anyone be willing to critique what I've come up with so far and help me fill in some plot holes, develop some major NPCs, and think of ways to motivate the PCs? I really want to run this game, but I've never done it before and the task is daunting.

[Conserative Morality]

I'm going to be running a campaign in a tabletop RPG called Anima: Beyond Fantasy soon, but I'm having trouble creating a believable story for the players. Would anyone be willing to critique what I've come up with so far and help me fill in some plot holes, develop some major NPCs, and think of ways to motivate the PCs? I really want to run this game, but I've never done it before and the task is daunting.

As my group's primary DM, let me tell you: PCs motivate themselves. In scary ways. That will derail your game. Plan nothing. Expect everything.

[Laerod]

Ceffyltir, post what you need critiqued. Either people will or won't be able to offer feedback.

I'm going to be running a campaign in a tabletop RPG called Anima: Beyond Fantasy soon, but I'm having trouble creating a believable story for the players. Would anyone be willing to critique what I've come up with so far and help me fill in some plot holes, develop some major NPCs, and think of ways to motivate the PCs? I really want to run this game, but I've never done it before and the task is daunting. :(

As my group's primary DM, let me tell you: PCs motivate themselves. In scary ways. That will derail your game. Plan nothing. Expect everything.

In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.

Doesn't just apply to battle =P

[Conserative Morality]

In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.

Doesn't just apply to battle =P

An excellent point.

[Ceffyltir]

As my group's primary DM, let me tell you: PCs motivate themselves. In scary ways. That will derail your game. Plan nothing. Expect everything.

I hear this a lot, actually.

Ceffyltir, post what you need critiqued. Either people will or won't be able to offer feedback.

Very well.

Anima is set in the world of Gaia, which is essentially your average fantasy setting (medieval-Renaissance-esque tech level, magic, elves, et cetera) with a few twists. My game is going to be set in the nation of Phaion, a country linking "western" civilization with "eastern."

Essentially, the story begins with a man (I've taken to calling him by his last name, Domroque) with an illness that will kill him in approximately eight months. Domroque is a puppeteer - he makes a living by crafting, selling, and occasionally performing shows with marionettes, which he can control with his mind, leaving audiences in awe. One day, while traveling from one city to another, he spots the remains of a foggy, deserted town. Being in no particular rush to arrive at his destination, he enters the abandoned town out of curiosity, and discovers that the town's statues, mannequins, and even marionettes are all alive... and incredibly hostile. Barely escaping with his life, Domroque is more intrigued than terrified. He begins to wonder what makes the "animate objects" live. Were they possessed? Being operated by a mystical puppeteer greater than himself? Was it possible for him to study these marionettes and find out how they worked, and maybe, just maybe, craft a new body and transfer his soul to it to escape his illness?

In a desperate, perhaps foolish attempt to live on unhindered by disease, pain, and the like, Domroque decides he will go back to the town at some point to see if he can uncover how the marionettes worked. However, he knows he can't do it alone. The beasts there would easily overpower him, meaning he'd need a team of some sort - which is where the players come in. Domroque holds a tournament - a common practice where he lives - to attract capable fighters, from which he will hand-pick the best and try to convince them to accompany him to the town.

Now, here's where I'm going to run into trouble. The players all live in vastly different places far from Phaion. What could Domroque possibly say or offer as a reward that would convince them to journey all the way to the tournament? Offering a large sum of money would be unrealistic for him (especially since he's already spending quite a bit renting the space for the tournament). He isn't exactly rich. And, once the platers are chosen, what could he say to convince them to accompany him on what seems like a suicide mission?

[Conserative Morality]

Very well.

Anima is set in the world of Gaia,

No, no please, anything but 'Gaia'. Gaia is so overused. Please. Anything else.

In a desperate, perhaps foolish attempt to live on unhindered by disease, pain, and the like, Domroque decides he will go back to the town at some point to see if he can uncover how the marionettes worked. However, he knows he can't do it alone. The beasts there would easily overpower him, meaning he'd need a team of some sort - which is where the players come in. Domroque holds a tournament - a common practice where he lives - to attract capable fighters, from which he will hand-pick the best and try to convince them to accompany him to the town.

Now, here's where I'm going to run into trouble. The players all live in vastly different places far from Phaion. What could Domroque possibly say or offer as a reward that would convince them to journey all the way to the tournament? Offering a large sum of money would be unrealistic for him (especially since he's already spending quite a bit renting the space for the tournament). He isn't exactly rich. And, once the platers are chosen, what could he say to convince them to accompany him on what seems like a suicide mission?

I usually make the adventure around the adventurers. Also, "we're starting a campaign, you're all here, why is up to you. But you agreed to play, so fuckin' pick something that allows us to actually play." works in a pinch.

[Nordengrund]

Why write when you can categorize your WiPs by protagonist sexuality?

([url=http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk294/Tombombadil9/20150205034247_zpsmce18hji.png]Image)[/url]

/procrastination

I'll finish one of them someday I swear. Or I would swear. I'm too lazy to swear. I'll do it tomorrow.

Please do an asexual character next.

[Ceffyltir]

Very well.

Anima is set in the world of Gaia,

No, no please, anything but 'Gaia'. Gaia is so overused. Please. Anything else.

Hey, it's not totally my fault. That's where the game is set in the rulebooks, and that's where everyone wanted to play.

In a desperate, perhaps foolish attempt to live on unhindered by disease, pain, and the like, Domroque decides he will go back to the town at some point to see if he can uncover how the marionettes worked. However, he knows he can't do it alone. The beasts there would easily overpower him, meaning he'd need a team of some sort - which is where the players come in. Domroque holds a tournament - a common practice where he lives - to attract capable fighters, from which he will hand-pick the best and try to convince them to accompany him to the town.

Now, here's where I'm going to run into trouble. The players all live in vastly different places far from Phaion. What could Domroque possibly say or offer as a reward that would convince them to journey all the way to the tournament? Offering a large sum of money would be unrealistic for him (especially since he's already spending quite a bit renting the space for the tournament). He isn't exactly rich. And, once the platers are chosen, what could he say to convince them to accompany him on what seems like a suicide mission?

I usually make the adventure around the adventurers. Also, "we're starting a campaign, you're all here, why is up to you. But you agreed to play, so fuckin' pick something that allows us to actually play." works in a pinch.

This is just setting up the story. Once they get to the town, anything goes. And Domroque may or may not become the primary antagonist.

And isn't the job of the GM to... you know... Give the players something to work with?

[Conserative Morality]

This is just setting up the story. Once they get to the town, anything goes. And Domroque may or may not become the primary antagonist.

And isn't the job of the GM to... you know... Give the players something to work with?

Yeah. They've got the tournament, the character, and the promise of glory and riches.

[Conserative Morality]

Please do an asexual character next.

Unaddressed serves the same purpose.

[Vecima]

I've stories but can't write them how I would like, am I cut out to be a writer?

[Shaggai]

I've stories but can't write them how I would like, am I cut out to be a writer?

Practice more and read more. Especially practice more.

[Nazi Flower Power]

I've stories but can't write them how I would like, am I cut out to be a writer?

A lot of people have that problem, especially when they are starting out. I agree with Shaggai's suggestion that you practice and see if it gets better.

[Nazi Flower Power]

Ceffyltir, post what you need critiqued. Either people will or won't be able to offer feedback.

As my group's primary DM, let me tell you: PCs motivate themselves. In scary ways. That will derail your game. Plan nothing. Expect everything.

In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.

Doesn't just apply to battle =P

I like that. It's a good bit of insight.

[United Russian Soviet States]

Does anyone here write Frozen fanfictions?

[The New World Oceania]

I've stories but can't write them how I would like, am I cut out to be a writer?

Practice more and read more. Especially practice more.

I'd actually say read more than practice writing, almost. When I first entered my creative writing program, I expected I would write a massive amount of work; while this has turned out to be mostly true, I had vastly underestimated the amount of reading involved in learning to write. I believe it was Orwell who said one can only write as well as one reads.

[-Ebola-]

Does anyone here write Frozen fanfictions?

I don't do fanfic. What is it with you and Frozen? I mean it's a good movie, but you don't have to post about it in every thread on NS.

[Laerod]

As my group's primary DM, let me tell you: PCs motivate themselves. In scary ways. That will derail your game. Plan nothing. Expect everything.

I hear this a lot, actually. :P

Ceffyltir, post what you need critiqued. Either people will or won't be able to offer feedback.

Very well.

Anima is set in the world of Gaia, which is essentially your average fantasy setting (medieval-Renaissance-esque tech level, magic, elves, et cetera) with a few twists. My game is going to be set in the nation of Phaion, a country linking "western" civilization with "eastern."

Essentially, the story begins with a man (I've taken to calling him by his last name, Domroque) with an illness that will kill him in approximately eight months. Domroque is a puppeteer - he makes a living by crafting, selling, and occasionally performing shows with marionettes, which he can control with his mind, leaving audiences in awe. One day, while traveling from one city to another, he spots the remains of a foggy, deserted town. Being in no particular rush to arrive at his destination, he enters the abandoned town out of curiosity, and discovers that the town's statues, mannequins, and even marionettes are all alive... and incredibly hostile. Barely escaping with his life, Domroque is more intrigued than terrified. He begins to wonder what makes the "animate objects" live. Were they possessed? Being operated by a mystical puppeteer greater than himself? Was it possible for him to study these marionettes and find out how they worked, and maybe, just maybe, craft a new body and transfer his soul to it to escape his illness?

In a desperate, perhaps foolish attempt to live on unhindered by disease, pain, and the like, Domroque decides he will go back to the town at some point to see if he can uncover how the marionettes worked. However, he knows he can't do it alone. The beasts there would easily overpower him, meaning he'd need a team of some sort - which is where the players come in. Domroque holds a tournament - a common practice where he lives - to attract capable fighters, from which he will hand-pick the best and try to convince them to accompany him to the town.

Now, here's where I'm going to run into trouble. The players all live in vastly different places far from Phaion. What could Domroque possibly say or offer as a reward that would convince them to journey all the way to the tournament? Offering a large sum of money would be unrealistic for him (especially since he's already spending quite a bit renting the space for the tournament). He isn't exactly rich. And, once the platers are chosen, what could he say to convince them to accompany him on what seems like a suicide mission?

To be fair, you can probably cut the tournament and have him lure a bunch of people just on the promise of supposed riches in the fabled town of Foggy Town. He doesn't really need to be rich to be able to promise riches. If you want to keep the tourney, just be up front about it being a contest to see who is tough enough to join on a quest for treasure. Have him fail to mention how much of a suicide mission it might be.