The Writers' Block

[Candlewhisper Archive]

If anyone's interested, I would like to create a few chain issues. In order to undertake such a collosal task, I would need many co-authors helping me. I have a couple of ideas.

1. @@NAME@@ losing its access to its coastline, and dealing with the consequences of being landlocked? This chain will temporirly make issues about coastlines unavaliable, and the chain will end with @@NAME@@ regaining her coastline

2. A currency union. Other countries have a currency called the @@CURRENCY@@. All these countries get together and print a @@NEW@@ currency for everyone. Everytime the currency union is abandoned, @@NAME@@ will reissue the @@CURRENCY@@ and cut off other users

What do you think?

No offence Aussie, but while you're a great author filled with great ideas, your low level of consistency and limited ability to self-edit (both in grammar and in flow of prose) makes it very unlikely any Editor would want to publish or work on a chain led by yourself. Even me and NoQ needed a lot of team input to get our chains into a form that could be published, and we're both much more entrenched in issue creation than you are.

If you want to get the pseudo-chain experience, why not try writing some issues that occur as consequences to specific issue options? Pick an existing issue option that sounds like it could lead to a sequential narrative, and show us the skills you have at chain-building. Once you've done that well and consistently half a dozen times, we can reconsider whether you're able to create a chain.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Just wondering. Is there an issue addressing destruction of private property belonging to a former criminal?

There's an issue about criminal forfeiture (724) and there's an issue about how to dispose of seized black market goods (625). If you can find a different angle to these, go for it.

[Australian rePublic]

If anyone's interested, I would like to create a few chain issues. In order to undertake such a collosal task, I would need many co-authors helping me. I have a couple of ideas.

1. @@NAME@@ losing its access to its coastline, and dealing with the consequences of being landlocked? This chain will temporirly make issues about coastlines unavaliable, and the chain will end with @@NAME@@ regaining her coastline

2. A currency union. Other countries have a currency called the @@CURRENCY@@. All these countries get together and print a @@NEW@@ currency for everyone. Everytime the currency union is abandoned, @@NAME@@ will reissue the @@CURRENCY@@ and cut off other users

What do you think?

No offence Aussie, but while you're a great author filled with great ideas, your low level of consistency and limited ability to self-edit (both in grammar and in flow of prose) makes it very unlikely any Editor would want to publish or work on a chain led by yourself. Even me and NoQ needed a lot of team input to get our chains into a form that could be published, and we're both much more entrenched in issue creation than you are.

If you want to get the pseudo-chain experience, why not try writing some issues that occur as consequences to specific issue options? Pick an existing issue option that sounds like it could lead to a sequential narrative, and show us the skills you have at chain-building. Once you've done that well and consistently half a dozen times, we can reconsider whether you're able to create a chain.

I know that I'm not the best author, which is why I'm asking for a huge collaboration effort with those who are better than me

[Candlewhisper Archive]

The main skill in creating a chain is having an overall creative vision. It's not just about disjointed parts, but about creating a metanarrative that spans across many smaller stories. Collaboration definitely is needed, but mostly chains require one showrunner making the whole thing come together as a whole.

If you're volunteering a chain idea, then you need to take that leadership role. Create the outline, then build the metanarrative.

Honestly, I don't think you've got the needed skill set, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

[Australian rePublic]

The main skill in creating a chain is having an overall creative vision. It's not just about disjointed parts, but about creating a metanarrative that spans across many smaller stories. Collaboration definitely is needed, but mostly chains require one showrunner making the whole thing come together as a whole.

If you're volunteering a chain idea, then you need to take that leadership role. Create the outline, then build the metanarrative.

Honestly, I don't think you've got the needed skill set, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

Ok

[Maowi]

I tried searching the NationStates Issues thread for this with relevant keywords, but I couldn't find anything, so...
Is there already an issue about health and safety in schools? But, like, extreme? Because I know someone whose school banned their knitting club because the knitting needles were deemed a health and safety issue.
_{(Honestly why don't they just go ahead and ban cutlery too )}

But anyway, I thought it would be fun to try and write an issue on it if there isn't one already?

[USS Monitor]

I tried searching the NationStates Issues thread for this with relevant keywords, but I couldn't find anything, so...
Is there already an issue about health and safety in schools? But, like, extreme? Because I know someone whose school banned their knitting club because the knitting needles were deemed a health and safety issue.
_{(Honestly why don't they just go ahead and ban cutlery too )}

But anyway, I thought it would be fun to try and write an issue on it if there isn't one already?

I wrote one about food allergies and school lunches, but I don't know of any about sharp objects that might be used in schools -- whether it's needles for a knitting club, archery equipment for gym class, cutlery, or whatever. I think they are different enough that you could do a sharp objects in schools issue.

[Maowi]

I wrote one about food allergies and school lunches, but I don't know of any about sharp objects that might be used in schools -- whether it's needles for a knitting club, archery equipment for gym class, cutlery, or whatever. I think they are different enough that you could do a sharp objects in schools issue.

Thanks I'll have a look at your issue to try and avoid overlap as much as possible.

[Drasnia]

I won't be working on issues any time at all in the near to mid- future, so I'm granting everybody permission to use any and all content from my issue drafts on this forum (whether unfinished or submitted and rejected). Some amount of credit would be appreciated if parts of my work are used, but it isn't required.

I have a few drafts still out there that I think have a lot of merit and could be turned into very good issues (if the subject matter hasn't been touched on since my absence):

viewtopic.php?p=34007348#p34007348

viewtopic.php?p=33906989#p33906989

viewtopic.php?p=32764963#p32764963

viewtopic.php?p=32250758#p32250758


Cheers

[Trotterdam]

We have an issue about knitting needles, but it didn't happen in school and is more about overzealous police.

Another issue doesn't mention knitting needles in the text, but choosing the option "We have to ban concealed weapons of any sort!" results in "knitters are arrested for carrying needles in their bags", and this one did involve children school (well, teenagers), so... that's exactly the situation you mentioned.

Finally there's an issue about the legality of toy guns, which is also in the spirit of excessive weapon enforcement.

[Maowi]

We have an issue about knitting needles, but it didn't happen in school and is more about overzealous police.

Another issue doesn't mention knitting needles in the text, but choosing the option "We have to ban concealed weapons of any sort!" results in "knitters are arrested for carrying needles in their bags", and this one did involve children school (well, teenagers), so... that's exactly the situation you mentioned.

Finally there's an issue about the legality of toy guns, which is also in the spirit of excessive weapon enforcement.

Thanks very much for the links. It doesn't have to be about knitting needles in particular, and I think I could give it a fresh aspect by approaching it from a school angle.

[Australian rePublic]

I tried searching the NationStates Issues thread for this with relevant keywords, but I couldn't find anything, so...
Is there already an issue about health and safety in schools? But, like, extreme? Because I know someone whose school banned their knitting club because the knitting needles were deemed a health and safety issue.
_{(Honestly why don't they just go ahead and ban cutlery too )}

But anyway, I thought it would be fun to try and write an issue on it if there isn't one already?

You can look into the recent incidents in Australia, where sewing needles were found in fruit and on train seats

[The Super Fork]

I've been looking at the Absolute Primogeniture tag and the need for a reversal for it. The other drafts I saw ran into the issue of the gender of the heir. My idea was to approach the issue with a description something like this:

Description: "After @@RANDOMNAME@@, heir to the @@DEMONYM@@ throne, announced that he now identifies as an unspecified gender, nobles nationwide have begun wondering if Absolute Primogeniture still applies. Seeking answers, they have come to you."

Option 1: It is fine. (Absolute Primogeniture stays.)

Option 2: Only males or females should rule. (Abolishes Absolute Primogeniture but still allows rulers to be male or female.)

Thoughts?

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I've been looking at the Absolute Primogeniture tag and the need for a reversal for it. The other drafts I saw ran into the issue of the gender of the heir. My idea was to approach the issue with a description something like this:

Description: "After @@RANDOMNAME@@, heir to the @@DEMONYM@@ throne, announced that he now identifies as an unspecified gender, nobles nationwide have begun wondering if Absolute Primogeniture still applies. Seeking answers, they have come to you."

Option 1: It is fine. (Absolute Primogeniture stays.)

Option 2: Only males or females should rule. (Abolishes Absolute Primogeniture but still allows rulers to be male or female.)

Thoughts?

Could work, though I'd use a gender-neutral pronoun in the opening. I'd also say that instead of option 2 you could have a traditionalist demanding "a return to the old ways, where the gender of the monarch mattered, when men were men and women were women, and each had their role".

I like your thinking though.

[Noorizadeh]

I saw an event about artificial intelligence stealing jobs, and due to certain current events I've been wondering about an event introducing Universal Basic Income in NATION. Is this already a thing and am I being idiotic?
If not, what do people think about going about it.

[The Super Fork]

I've been looking at the Absolute Primogeniture tag and the need for a reversal for it. The other drafts I saw ran into the issue of the gender of the heir. My idea was to approach the issue with a description something like this:

Description: "After @@RANDOMNAME@@, heir to the @@DEMONYM@@ throne, announced that he now identifies as an unspecified gender, nobles nationwide have begun wondering if Absolute Primogeniture still applies. Seeking answers, they have come to you."

Option 1: It is fine. (Absolute Primogeniture stays.)

Option 2: Only males or females should rule. (Abolishes Absolute Primogeniture but still allows rulers to be male or female.)

Thoughts?

Could work, though I'd use a gender-neutral pronoun in the opening. I'd also say that instead of option 2 you could have a traditionalist demanding "a return to the old ways, where the gender of the monarch mattered, when men were men and women were women, and each had their role".

I like your thinking though.

Cool! Worked out the rest of the issue and wrote a first (and second) draft.

[The Rhein States]

I have a question concerning validity.

I have this issue idea but it would exclude nations who select 162.1, which does not result in a policy, without the new issue being a follow-up?

[USS Monitor]

I have a question concerning validity.

I have this issue idea but it would exclude nations who select 162.1, which does not result in a policy, without the new issue being a follow-up?

When you submit the issue, use the validity field to explain what nations are meant to receive it and let editors worry about how to translate that into macros.

[New Courania]

Is there already an issue on biker road safety?
My idea goes like this:
The two-time and current defending champion of the Tour of @@NAME@@ bike race, @@RANDOMNAME_1@@, also a noted activist, has expressed his concern about road safety for bikers, thus stirring up a debate.
(not valid for nations that have banned cars)
Option 1: @@RANDOMNAME_1@@: quotes close calls on the way to your meeting, at least three, he says (enforce bike safety laws)
Option 2: The problem is not the lack of bike safety laws, it is the lack of driving skill (more rigorous driver's tests)
Option 3: What if the problem is the car itself? (ban cars)
Option 4: Maybe you can't control your bike on the road, maybe it's your fault, @@RANDOMNAME_1@@ (take bikes off of the road)
Option 5: The problem is not either driver or biker, it is flaws in the road design, we need to work on that (more spending on transportation networks)

[Autonomous Cleaner Bot Cleaners]

Is there already an issue on biker road safety?
My idea goes like this:
The two-time and current defending champion of the Tour of @@NAME@@ bike race, @@RANDOMNAME_1@@, also a noted activist, has expressed his concern about road safety for bikers, thus stirring up a debate.
(not valid for nations that have banned cars)
Option 1: @@RANDOMNAME_1@@: quotes close calls on the way to your meeting, at least three, he says (enforce bike safety laws)
Option 2: The problem is not the lack of bike safety laws, it is the lack of driving skill (more rigorous driver's tests)
Option 3: What if the problem is the car itself? (ban cars)
Option 4: Maybe you can't control your bike on the road, maybe it's your fault, @@RANDOMNAME_1@@ (take bikes off of the road)
Option 5: The problem is not either driver or biker, it is flaws in the road design, we need to work on that (more spending on transportation networks)

#2 and #73

[Kurnugia]

Is there an issue dealing with a large part of the prison population having mental health issues?

[Lord Dominator]

Due to the reigning monarch’s lack of heirs, which could conceivably cause a succession crisis, the aristocratic elite have begun to question the ancient law of primogeniture.

Doing this here since the fix thread is for more nitty-gritty I guess, but #596 doesn't seem to specify whether it's for after @@LEADER@@ declared themselves a monarch, or the one with the king of the city-state.
Is this just me looking at things weirdly?

[USS Monitor]

Due to the reigning monarch’s lack of heirs, which could conceivably cause a succession crisis, the aristocratic elite have begun to question the ancient law of primogeniture.

Doing this here since the fix thread is for more nitty-gritty I guess, but #596 doesn't seem to specify whether it's for after @@LEADER@@ declared themselves a monarch, or the one with the king of the city-state.
Is this just me looking at things weirdly?

That may be intentional, so we don't need as many separate policy flags for different kinds of monarchies.

[Lord Dominator]

Doing this here since the fix thread is for more nitty-gritty I guess, but #596 doesn't seem to specify whether it's for after @@LEADER@@ declared themselves a monarch, or the one with the king of the city-state.
Is this just me looking at things weirdly?

That may be intentional, so we don't need as many separate policy flags for different kinds of monarchies.

Gotcha, that makes sense

[Lisadriania]

Issue #934, don't break that wall!

Old graffiti made by a famous graffiti artist is found on an old factory building.

Option one is to preserve the whole old decrepit building for the sake of one wall with art.

Option two is to tear down the whole thing.

Option three is to move the wall to a museum.

Option three is obviously the best choice from a thinking rational perspective; preserving the artwork while removing an obvious health hazard.

Option three apparently encourages art theft?! Of all the asinine, stupid and reaching consequences of these issues this has gotta be one of the most inane ones so far. Keep your goddamn biases in check while writing, holy shit. An artist doesn't own a building just because they scribbled on it. It's still vandalism to an extent, unless the building has been designated specifically for the purpose of tagging or painting over.

I just needed to get that off my chest. Gods above. It's these kind of bullshit asspull consequences that keeps making me leave the game in disgust. I can't be bothered to fix the flag anymore because I know there's gonna be another one that just makes me shake my head in disbelief.