The Writers' Block

[Frisbeeteria]

This thread is a place where aspiring issue authors can discuss ideas, problems, creative solutions, and other aspects of the NationStates issue creation process.

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Edit by Candlewhisper Archive:

The usage of this thread has changed over time, and it's more or less become the default place for issues-related chatter. So long as you stay within forum rules, pretty much any conversation relating to Issues is welcome here.

This can include discussion of existing issues, though please remember to be constructive and polite, and remember the rules on Bad Faith posting.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Original post by NoQ removed for updating reasons.

Replaced by Candlewhisper Archive, last reviewed and updated 30.7.21:

Multiple gaps exist within the issue base. Please consider closing these with good quality issue drafts, which will be prioritised for publication:

No Cents - As per 343, small denomination coins have been withdrawn. One reversal exists at present, but requires you to have another rare policy active. Low priority: An issue that reverses this with non-stringent entry requirements.

[Frisbeeteria]

An Issue Author’s Primer

Basics of writing issues can be found in the How To Write An Issue sticky at the top of the Got Issues forum. I’ve included some additional useful authoring information below. None of this is new; it just hasn’t necessarily been collected in one place before.

The NationStates Issues **SPOILER ALERT** should be any author’s first stop. You want to add issues that haven’t been well covered in the past. This thread may be a source of ideas as well.


The charts on various nation pages reveal a lot about the game. The Trend chart shows the three basic freedom scales: Civil Rights (personal freedoms), Economy (economic strength) and Political Freedoms. Understanding these three items is key to understanding issue authoring.


The People chart shows Leading Cause of Death. They are: Old Age, Involuntary Euthanasia, Work, Heart Disease, Malnourishment, War, Disappearance, Suicide While in Police Custody, Murder, Capital Punishment, Ritual Sacrifice, Scurvy, Nuclear Spill, Exposure, Vat Leakage, Accident, Space Shuttle Mishap, Bungee Jumping, @@animal@@ Attack, Lost in Wilderness, Cancer, Sunburn, and Acts of God. Note that issue effects have a bearing on these - you won’t have deaths from capital punishment in a nation that has banned it. You can figure out the rest.


The Government chart shows the various governmental departments in your nations. They are: Administration, Foreign Aid, Commerce & Industry, Defense, Education, Environment, Healthcare, Law & Order, Public Transport, Religion & Spirituality, Social Welfare and Social Policy & Equality. Not every nation will choose to have all of these departments. Your issues will help them make those decisions.


The Economy chart shows how much of the economy is made up of Private Industry, State-Owned Industry, Government, and the Black Market.


The Analysis page is one of the most useful for aspiring authors. You can get all sorts of ideas for changes to your nations from the various charts. See this thread in Technical for a complete list of Census Score categories.


Ballo’s spoiler list shows the industries of NationStates. @@MAJORINDUSTRY@@: is your nation's biggest industry from the list. The industry list: Arms Manufacturing, Automobile Manufacturing, Basket Weaving, Beef-Based Agriculture, Book Publishing, Cheese Exports, Door-to-Door Insurance Sales, Furniture Restoration, Gambling, Information Technology, Pizza Delivery, Retail, Soda Sales, Tourism, Trout Farming, Uranium Mining, Woodchip Exports. There is a little wiggle room when using these industries. For instance, if you want an issue about the dairy industry, it’s probably safe to use Cheese Exports to represent it. Pizza Delivery can be used to represent the entire fast food industry, and can conceivably represent the entire restaurant industry. Use your judgment, and remember that these are only suggestions. Issue Mods will make the final determination of [stats].

[Frisbeeteria]

15 April 2012: June 5, 2017 Issues Discord chat channel for aspiring authors, issue editors, and issue staff is now open.

**Attention**

We understand that issue writing is a long drawn out process¹ and that the guidance² from Issues Editors and Mods, as well as other players, is crucial to developing the best possible issue.

In that vein, and because we all love you³, we have decided to launch a new sort of service where Issues Editors and Mods will be at your beck-and-call⁴ to give advice in writing your issue.

We are very proud⁵ to inform you all that various Editors and Mods can now be found on Discord 24/7⁶! Just pop along to http://www.discord.gg/MqzCPkw where you can ask questions, give advice, laugh at really bad attempts⁷, or just chat.

So! We hope to see some/most/all of you there whenever you need us!

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1. It's not a long, drawn out process if you're any good at it.
2. I say guidance, I mean orders.
3. We don't.
4. We won't.
5. We're not. This is just more work that's probably going to cause us more problems in the long run.
6. LOL! Yeah right.
7. Mainly this.

[Frisbeeteria]

Response to anyone asking "what does this issue do?!?!"

If <foo> is mentioned repeatedly in the issue description and options, chances are that <foo> will be affected. Whether it goes up, down, or sideways can best be determined by reading and analyzing the text, making a choice, and coming back the next day to see what happened.

This is true for all issues and all options. We really don't need a hundred threads like this.

[Frisbeeteria]

The Author's Lounge is a pretty dull name. Anyone got any better ideas? The floor is open for suggestions.

[Great Imperial Bourgeois Germany]

Hm... the Collection of Writers?

EDIT: Nah, sounds too much like some weird union.

[Machtergreifung]

Authortorium?

[Unibot II]

The Chamber of the Order of Violet, Papa Pallocci's Pizza Pagoda, Patriots' Tea and Biscuits Club...

You know silly stuff from issues.

[Panageadom]

Personally, I like it. Sounds like a rather pleasant room, cosy in the East India Club with rather too many leather upholstered sofas.

[Frenequesta]

I've never seen "Space Shuttle Mishap" on the charts. Is there a certain issue that causes this?

[Frisbeeteria]

I've never seen "Space Shuttle Mishap" on the charts. Is there a certain issue that causes this?

Some causes of death require a pretty specific combination of effects, possibly including a significant random factor. There are issues that shape the event, but you can't point to one and say "here it is".

Since this is the Author's Lounge, I'll tell authors to not plan on including Causes of Death in issue stats unless it's crucial to the issue premise. There are too many possible factors to guarantee a specific reflection in your national stats.

[Ballotonia]

How about the name "Problem-Causing Locale". Cause that's where the dilemma's originate from, and so the authors are sort-of to blame for nation's troubles... And I'll make sure to keep a list of the troublemakers, and the problems they cause

Ballotonia

[Frisbeeteria]

I've never seen "Space Shuttle Mishap" on the charts. Is there a certain issue that causes this?

It occurs to me that perhaps I could have answered ...

"Not yet ... ?"

[Dukopolious]

How about "The red pen"? Because red pens are usually used to Edit Re-write, and with issues authors are often making drafts, and others players are using their "Red pens" to edit them.

I was also thinking about "The Gilded Quill" If you want to sound elegant. No particular reason behind that.

[Dukopolious]

Isn't "Administration" also on the government chart?

[Frisbeeteria]

Isn't "Administration" also on the government chart?

Yep. Accidentally left it off. Added.

[Frisbeeteria]

The name I like best out of all the suggestions is a hybrid: "The Author's Tea and Biscuits Lounge". If there is a rousing round of "Huzzahs!", I'll change it. Otherwise, we can leave the floor open for a better consensus choice.

In the meantime, anybody wanna talk authoring stuff? Tips and tricks? What you secretly wear behind the keyboard? Anything?

[Fischistan]

Could the order of violet be a religion that doesn't allow medical treatment for certain diseases? Because I have a good idea to turn that into an issue.

[Unibot II]

Could the order of violet be a religion that doesn't allow medical treatment for certain diseases? Because I have a good idea to turn that into an issue.

The Order of Violet doesn't allow hair transplants.




It should be blood transfusions, since Violetists want the purest blood available for their sacrifices.

[Fischistan]

Could the order of violet be a religion that doesn't allow medical treatment for certain diseases? Because I have a good idea to turn that into an issue.

The Order of Violet doesn't allow hair transplants.




It should be blood transfusions, since Violetists want the purest blood available for their sacrifices.

Hmmm...interesting. Expect an exotic issue drafting this forum sometime in the next few weeks.

[Dukopolious]

Got Issues is probably the least used forum isn't it? Even Arts and fiction has more threads and posts.

[Frisbeeteria]

Sirocco was the only NS mod interested in issues for the longest time, and he left the game in 2009. Consequently, issues and this forum have been pretty much idle for the last 2-3 years. His final issue went into the game in October 2009.

When Reploid Productions finally announced winners in Issues Contest #2, which gave us a flock of new official Issue Editors, Sedgistan and I got interested in moderating and creating issues. Sedge is more into the statistical and analytical aspects, I'm more in it for the fun text. Between the three Issue Mods and five or so active Issue Editors, we're seeing a burst of activity never before seen in Got Issues. We've added more than 20 new issues since the first of the year.

Stick around!

[Nation of Quebec]

It's good to see some of the older issues finally get into the game now. Writing issues is my favorite part of NationStates and it feels good to have some of your work entered into the game.

I hope that this increase of activity encourages more people to write issues and help out others with theirs.

[Frenequesta]

Does anyone have any tips on how to give the petitioners in the issue "character"? I feel that's lacking in some of my 'submissions'.