Random Stuff VI The Return of the Admins

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

Hn... interesting. I think when it keeps screaming for you to feed it for months until you cant sleep you have a decently understandable reason.

 

I have a feeling I would be a very infuriating fantasy writer XD

 

I have this idea, which I probably will do something with one day that throws the old fantasy tropes out into the real world all naked and confused. So the old oracle is the drunk under the bridge, the dungeons are abandoned laboratories, amusement parks or the old annoying neighbor lady's house (With her loud, annoying dog actually being a dragon in disguise), the princess is the presidents daughter, the evil overlord is your boss and so on.

 

Thing is there is a detective following the main character who doesnt know anything about the magic and explains everything from how it should work in the real world, so it is very possible the main character is just insane, then again, how did the main character just cut down three armed agents with a stick?

 

Understandable, sure, but he should've tried another tactic. Gone to a shrink before he decided to kill someone. Burned the paintings when they started screaming for blood. The way I see it, he put his art on such a pedestal that when he was presented with the opportunity to improve it, he barely offered any resistance toward making other people pay the price. He hurt innocent people for selfish reasons, which to me makes him downright despicable. 

 

That sounds pretty awesome.  

[DreamEternal]

Hn... interesting. I think when it keeps screaming for you to feed it for months until you cant sleep you have a decently understandable reason.

I have a feeling I would be a very infuriating fantasy writer XD

I have this idea, which I probably will do something with one day that throws the old fantasy tropes out into the real world all naked and confused. So the old oracle is the drunk under the bridge, the dungeons are abandoned laboratories, amusement parks or the old annoying neighbor lady's house (With her loud, annoying dog actually being a dragon in disguise), the princess is the presidents daughter, the evil overlord is your boss and so on.

Thing is there is a detective following the main character who doesnt know anything about the magic and explains everything from how it should work in the real world, so it is very possible the main character is just insane, then again, how did the main character just cut down three armed agents with a stick?

Why do you need the detective? It is often more fun to make they figure out the madness on their own without anyone helping or hindering their (mis)conclusions.

Also, how does this sounds for the last line of the first chapter of a novel:

"She felt afraid, not for herself, but for her scouts. They were told to bring a princess, but brough the dragon instead."

I am writing in portuguese, but it is a close enough translation.

EDIT: On simpathetic characters, I can't say I am a good judge, since I feel bad even for people like Sadeas, but for some readers it matters more if the character feels bad about the bad things he does than whatever his reason to do them are good or not. These readers are the minority.

Edited January 1, 2016 by DreamEternal

[Zathoth]

Understandable, sure, but he should've tried another tactic. Gone to a shrink before he decided to kill someone. Burned the paintings when they started screaming for blood. The way I see it, he put his art on such a pedestal that when he was presented with the opportunity to improve it, he barely offered any resistance toward making other people pay the price. He hurt innocent people for selfish reasons, which to me makes him downright despicable. 

 

That sounds pretty awesome.

They were not just paintings though, they were her children, they were living creatures, maybe.

I'd say she offered lots of resistance, when she started getting anemic she got pigs blood, it didnt work, when that didnt work she managed to wait a month with voices in her head screaming for blood all the time.

 

I know XD I only have the intro written so far though XD

 

There were no reasons for it, really. No evil Overlords threatening the peace, no princesses who needed to be saved or any important artifacts that had to be collected. The only thing that made me do it was boredom.

One day while walking home I found a stick and decided to go on an adventure.

 

 

Why do you need the detective? It is often more fun to make they figure out the madness on their own without anyone helping or hindering their (mis)conclusions.

Also, how does this sounds for the last line of the first chapter of a novel:

"She felt afraid, not for herself, but for her scouts. They were told to bring a princess, but brough the dragon instead."

I am writing in portuguese, but it is a close enough translation.

EDIT: On simpathetic characters, I can't say I am a good judge, since I feel bad even for people like Sadeas, but for some readers it matters more if the character feels bad about the bad things he does than whatever his reason to do them are good or not. These readers are the minority.

Because without the detective you only get the fantastic view point, I want the mundane view point as well.

That and I really want to noir monologue.

 

I jsut figure everyone has reasons for what they do, doesnt matter if they are good or not. What is important to me is if the character is entertaining or not and villains can be very entertaining.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

They were not just paintings though, they were her children, they were living creatures, maybe.

I'd say she offered lots of resistance, when she started getting anemic she got pigs blood, it didnt work, when that didnt work she managed to wait a month with voices in her head screaming for blood all the time.

Sure, but what kind of messed up child screams for his mother to bring him human blood? If this were a human child, the only responsible thing for the parent to do would be to get their child professional help. Go to the authorities. Do something to keep innocents from being harmed.

Your book already sounds like something I'd read.

[DreamEternal]

Your book already sounds like something I'd read.

Whose book are talking about? Things get confusing with many writers on board, even though Moz is more of a creepypasta writer. Edited January 1, 2016 by DreamEternal

[Zathoth]

Sure, but what kind of messed up child screams for his mother to bring him human blood? If this were a human child, the only responsible thing for the parent to do would be to get their child professional help. Go to the authorities. Do something to keep innocents from being harmed.

Your book already sounds like something I'd read.

That would hurt the paintings though, cant do that. A mothers love can be a very unreasonable thing.

 

Good, I just need to figure out how the magic works XD That is what keeps me from writing fantasy most of the time, really... I have ideas, then I need magic systems.

 

 

Whose book are talking about? Things get confusing with many writers on board, even though Moz is more of a creepypasta writer.

A creepy pasta writer who tries to write fantasy sometimes, fantasy that will probably end up being surreal and horrifying, because thats just what I do.

 

I havent heard the shortening Moz before, not that I use this name a lot on the internet... I also accept Zathoth.

[DreamEternal]

Good, I just need to figure out how the magic works XD That is what keeps me from writing fantasy most of the time, really... I have ideas, then I need magic systems.

I can do magic systems, have many plot ideas and can make interesting enough character concepts, but when I write my lack of detailed worldbuilding makes me freeze. Perhaps I should try to write horror once to see if I can do it more naturaly.

[Zathoth]

I can do magic systems, have many plot ideas and can make interesting enough character concepts, but when I write my lack of detailed worldbuilding makes me freeze. Perhaps I should try to write horror once to see if I can do it more naturaly.

Oh yes Im no good at world building either. I need to practice it, but I feel like that could come with the magic and just improvising the story.

 

I dont exactly know you, but I think you could write some decent horror, try it.

[DreamEternal]

Oh yes Im no good at world building either. I need to practice it, but I feel like that could come with the magic and just improvising the story.

I dont exactly know you, but I think you could write some decent horror, try it.

Thank you for the incentive. I think it would also be good pratice for my conventional writing, since I like to place my protagonists in a strange balance of extreme creepyness and fundamentaly good morality, and if I move the balance further into the creepy side I could get sone interesting antagonists. I can feel the ideas proliferating.

Now, a guardian... A dark spirit, guarding a secret entombed by a saint... A ship visits the isle, only a man returns, spared by the spirit, and reveals the secret knowing it could mean the death of his nation. But what is entombed with the saint? A monster wouldn't fit the magic system, so what. Is. There.

Now I know what you meant when you wrote that you didn't know what was behind the scenes, Morzathot. I like this sensation.

PS: a green arrow for who guesses why the protagonist is spared.

Edited January 1, 2016 by DreamEternal

[Silverblade5 he/him]

Thank you for the incentive. I think it would also be good pratice for my conventional writing, since I like to place my protagonists in a strange balance of extreme creepyness and fundamentaly good morality, and if I move the balance very far into the creepy side I could get sone interesting antagonists. I can feel the ideas proliferating.

Now, a guardian... A dark spirit, guarding a secret entombed by a saint... A ship visits the isle, only a man returns, the spared by the spirit, and reveals the secret knowing it could mean the death of his nation. But what is entombed with the saint? A monster wouldn't fit the magic system, so what. Is. There.

Now I know what you meant when you wrote that you didn't know what was behind the scenes, Morzathot. I like this sensation.

PS: a green arrow for who guesses why the protagonist is spared.

So that there's someone to tell the tale.

[DreamEternal]

So that there's someone to tell the tale.

Nope, she comes back to him in the end because he told(and wrote) the history.

[Zathoth]

Thank you for the incentive. I think it would also be good pratice for my conventional writing, since I like to place my protagonists in a strange balance of extreme creepyness and fundamentaly good morality, and if I move the balance further into the creepy side I could get sone interesting antagonists. I can feel the ideas proliferating.

Now, a guardian... A dark spirit, guarding a secret entombed by a saint... A ship visits the isle, only a man returns, spared by the spirit, and reveals the secret knowing it could mean the death of his nation. But what is entombed with the saint? A monster wouldn't fit the magic system, so what. Is. There.

Now I know what you meant when you wrote that you didn't know what was behind the scenes, Morzathot. I like this sensation.

PS: a green arrow for who guesses why the protagonist is spared.

The saint was alone, but saints are scary, no one who hasnt made a pact with horrible powers could be that good at pretending to be good.

 

I know right, one of my philosophies regarding horror writing is to only make theories regarding what happens in the backround, you want to leave your reader asking questions, the best way to do this I have found is to give clues going towards different answers.

 

Lots of maybes, nothing concrete. The unknown is scarier than the known, unless you can come up with a reveal so horrifying that it is worse than not knowing. And most of us cant XD

[Orlion Blight he/him]

Lots of maybes, nothing concrete. The unknown is scarier than the known, unless you can come up with a reveal so horrifying that it is worse than not knowing. And most of us cant XD

 

The reason this is so is that the reader can project what frightens them when the reason is unknown. You essentially make the reader do the work! Once you give a reason, it's you the writer projecting what might be frightening, which may not coincide with what the reader thinks. You could have a moment where the curtain is drawn aside and all you have is a man with a machine.

 

That's one reason why the Star Wars prequels are bad: they really take a bit of the menace of Darth Vader out. This is also a huge issue with zombies: the situation of zombies can be made frightening or intense, but once you start offering explanations like: it's a virus, radiation from a space probe, hell is full, etc. it brings the person out and they all of sudden start thinking, "this is kinda ridiculous."

[DreamEternal]

The saint was alone, but saints are scary, no one who hasnt made a pact with horrible powers could be that good at pretending to be good.

Nah, the saint was scary, but I like to make good characters very creepy. Or you are right. It is not like there needs to be an answer anyway. I just prefer the theory he was the seal that held something else trapped.

Now, I must leave and write a story about a cannibal witch who is not evil .

And go write my horror story. If I had so much ideas in half an hour, it may get too big if I wait too long.

Edited January 2, 2016 by DreamEternal

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

Aaaarrrrrggghhhhhh

 

Someone tell me to wriiiiiite

 

I decided I was going to finish the next chapter of A Kind of Magic before the queue opened on Sunday. Laptop troubles set me back, but since I've gotten it fixed and sat down to write, I've browsed Wikipedia's list of extinct species, checked my rep, taken my dog to pick up dog food, made myself three cups of tea and drank them all (one at a time), and listened to Nirvana's cover of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night." 

 

I've written 178 words. 

 

Halp.  

[Zathoth]

The reason this is so is that the reader can project what frightens them when the reason is unknown. You essentially make the reader do the work! Once you give a reason, it's you the writer projecting what might be frightening, which may not coincide with what the reader thinks. You could have a moment where the curtain is drawn aside and all you have is a man with a machine.

 

That's one reason why the Star Wars prequels are bad: they really take a bit of the menace of Darth Vader out. This is also a huge issue with zombies: the situation of zombies can be made frightening or intense, but once you start offering explanations like: it's a virus, radiation from a space probe, hell is full, etc. it brings the person out and they all of sudden start thinking, "this is kinda ridiculous."

Exactly! You cant scare the reader, no one would be scared of a text, that is ridiculous, you can however make them scare themselves.

 

Same reason we dont know what the "Noodle Incident" in Calvin and Hobbes is, because what we are thinking is more ridiculous and funny than what could have possibly been written (Doubtful actually as Bill Watterson is funnier than the entire forum together, but still)

 

I think Zombies stopped being scary once everything had to have Zombies, I think the last game that had interesting Zombies was The Last of Us, mostly because Cordyceps is a real plant.

 

I think you can pull the lights on the monster if you have a good enough monster, so to speak. Im not, thats why I try to use subtle creepiness and paranoia, that and I think gore is really tacky most of the time. Blood, isnt scary, the implication of blood is scary.

 

Now I ranted without having a point again...

 

 

Nah, the saint was scary, but I like to make good characters very creepy. Or you are right. It is bot like there needs to be an answer anyway. I just prefer the theory he was the seal that held sonething else trapped.

Now, I must leave and write a story about a cannibal witch who is not evil .

And go write my horror story. If I had so much ideas in half an hour, it may get too big if I wait too long.

Write, and then scare us all!

[DreamEternal]

Exactly! You cant scare the reader, no one would be scared of a text, that is ridiculous, you can however make them scare themselves.

Same reason we dont know what the "Noodle Incident" in Calvin and Hobbes is, because what we are thinking is more ridiculous and funny than what could have possibly been written (Doubtful actually as Bill Watterson is funnier than the entire forum together, but still)

I think Zombies stopped being scary once everything had to have Zombies, I think the last game that had interesting Zombies was The Last of Us, mostly because Cordyceps is a real plant.

I think you can pull the lights on the monster if you have a good enough monster, so to speak. Im not, thats why I try to use subtle creepiness and paranoia, that and I think gore is really tacky most of the time. Blood, isnt scary, the implication of blood is scary.

Now I ranted without having a point again...

Write, and then scare us all!

Unfortunately, I write in portuguese . Sorrynotsorry.

I may try to translate it, if I ever get it done to the end.

Edited January 2, 2016 by DreamEternal

[Kobold King he/him]

Aaaarrrrrggghhhhhh

 

Someone tell me to wriiiiiite

 

I decided I was going to finish the next chapter of A Kind of Magic before the queue opened on Sunday. Laptop troubles set me back, but since I've gotten it fixed and sat down to write, I've browsed Wikipedia's list of extinct species, checked my rep, taken my dog to pick up dog food, made myself three cups of tea and drank them all (one at a time), and listened to Nirvana's cover of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night." 

 

I've written 178 words. 

 

Halp.

 

 

Pick one of those extinct species have it rampage around Melody's coffee shop for a chapter. Even if the chapter doesn't make the final cut, it'll at least give your creativity centers a little jog.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

Pick one of those extinct species have it rampage around Melody's coffee shop for a chapter. Even if the chapter doesn't make the final cut, it'll at least give your creativity centers a little jog.

 

DODO! I CHOOSE YOU! 

 

Draco leaped to his feet. "What in the name of—" 

 

The bird skirted around another table, knocking over a chair. A man yelped and jumped for higher ground. 

 

"NARK NARK NARK NARK NARK!" said the bird. 

 

"I'll call the police," Melody said, dashing for the phone. 

 

"For a bird?" 

 

"You see what it's doing!" 

 

"NARK NARK NARK!"

[Zathoth]

Unfortunately, I write in portuguese . Sorrynotsorry.

grumblegrumble... 

 

 

DODO! I CHOOSE YOU! 

 

Draco leaped to his feet. "What in the name of—" 

 

The bird skirted around another table, knocking over a chair. A man yelped and jumped for higher ground. 

 

"NARK NARK NARK NARK NARK!" said the bird. 

 

"I'll call the police," Melody said, dashing for the phone. 

 

"For a bird?" 

 

"You see what it's doing!" 

 

"NARK NARK NARK!"

I want to see where this goes...

[DreamEternal]

I need a name for a butler. Anything, I doubt he will appear after the first page.

[Orlion Blight he/him]

Sounds like Draco is a Nark!

[DreamEternal]

How does Tornward sounds as a surname for an occultist?

[Mestiv he/him]

Unfortunately, I write in portuguese . Sorrynotsorry.

I may try to translate it, if I ever get it done to the end.

Use google translate and it'll be a comedy

[Silverblade5 he/him]

Use google translate and it'll be a comedy

Accidental downvote. Derp