Random Stuff VIII: The Admin Special

[Oversleep]

@Kaymyth, I like it a lot, truly creative.

I feel like Cosmere may be taking a toll on my ideas. You see, recently I was reminded of Yellowstone supervolcano and I had an idea about lava mage trying to stop the eruption. It was already happening, so (s)he tried to absorb all the lava, but in the process the energy overload destroyed his/her human form, transforming to an energy being. As it kept absorbing lava it reached godlike levels of power... and after that it heard a voice saying "THIS POSITION IS TAKEN" which started transforming the mage back into human. Turns out the voice was a godlike entity (I'm thinking about Hephaestus/Vulcan here) who gave the mage his mark and sent back to normal plane of existence. This event draw attention of other 'gods' who started to come back from what they were doing and turned their attention to Earth once more.

And I just realized that I basically rewrote Ascension. Complete with Shards and whatnot. The worst part is I did all of that subconsciously

On another note, I've watched World War Z. The first half is pretty decent, the second one is stupid.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Oversleep

[Chaos he/him]

@Kaymyth, I like it a lot, truly creative.

I feel like Cosmere may be taking a toll on my ideas. You see, recently I was reminded of Yellowstone supervolcano and I had an idea about lava mage trying to stop the eruption. It was already happening, so (s)he tried to absorb all the lava, but in the process the energy overload destroyed his/her human form, transforming to an energy being. As it kept absorbing lava it reached godlike levels of power... and after that it heard a voice saying "THIS POSITION IS TAKEN" which started transforming the mage back into human. Turns out the voice was a godlike entity (I'm thinking about Hephaestus/Vulcan here) who gave the mage his mark and sent back to normal plane of existence. This event draw attention of other 'gods' who started to come back from what they were doing and turned their attention to Earth once more.

And I just realized that I basically rewrote Ascension. Complete with Shards and whatnot. The worst part is I did all of that subconsciously

I have a very difficult time with my own writing making sure it is distinct from cosmere mythology. It's really hard when you love it so much. I want to do similar things, but also want to make a distinct universe that is awesome in its own ways.

I don't know what the solution is, but I am attempting to solve this by making some distinct structural choices in how this fictional fantasy universe would work. Plots will always have similar elements, but try to make sure there is something cool that Brandon hasn't done that people will think is so dang cool that they will tell all their nerdy friends about it.

Also, don't freak out if ideas you have turn out to be kind of lame. The best stories take a lot of polishing and refining to make them awesome. Remember, the original Final Empire sucked, and the original Mistborn sucked too. Until Brandon married those two ideas, they were awful. Parts of an idea might be good, some might be cliche. Toss the mundane and find the kernels that are awesome

[The Honor Spren she/her]

@Kaymyth, I like it a lot, truly creative.

I feel like Cosmere may be taking a toll on my ideas. You see, recently I was reminded of Yellowstone supervolcano and I had an idea about lava mage trying to stop the eruption. It was already happening, so (s)he tried to absorb all the lava, but in the process the energy overload destroyed his/her human form, transforming to an energy being. As it kept absorbing lava it reached godlike levels of power... and after that it heard a voice saying "THIS POSITION IS TAKEN" which started transforming the mage back into human. Turns out the voice was a godlike entity (I'm thinking about Hephaestus/Vulcan here) who gave the mage his mark and sent back to normal plane of existence. This event draw attention of other 'gods' who started to come back from what they were doing and turned their attention to Earth once more.

And I just realized that I basically rewrote Ascension. Complete with Shards and whatnot. The worst part is I did all of that subconsciously

I know how you feel.   I had this great idea of an expanded universe with a group of people that travels between them. How do they get between them you ask? You jump in a well and come out in a different world. Is there a character with color changing hair? Yep. Are there higher beings that the only way to get magic is to essentially get some of their power? Of course! 

And I started coming up with some of this before I'd ever read Sanderson. 

Edited April 5, 2016 by The Honor Spren

[Kobold King he/him]

I know how you feel.   I had this great idea of an expanded universe with a group of people that travels between them. How do they get between them you ask? You jump in a well and come out in a different world. Is there a character with color changing hair? Yep. Are there higher beings that the only way to get magic is to essentially get some of their power? Of course! 

And I started coming up with some of this before I'd ever read Sanderson. 

 

 

My totally unique and original idea was for a hive-race of insectoid creatures that could shift between castes. There were different "forms"--and I called them "forms"--representing laborer, warrior, leader, and reproductive castes.

 

Then came the Parshendi.

[Voidus]

Thankfully most of my ideas are still largely untouched by Brandon. (He said, jinxing it and guaranteeing that the next cosmere book will feature every idea I've ever had )
Although there are definitely elements of all the authors I read in there. Most notably my fondness for necromancers coming from the Old Kingdom series (Garth nix).

[Oversleep]

@The Honor Spren, travelling between worlds is quite common. For example, Pendragon books.

[The Honor Spren she/her]

@The Honor Spren, travelling between worlds is quite common. For example, Pendragon books.

I know that, but wells. I just had to use the idea of glowing wells of power to be the preferred method of travel. 

 

But hey, positive spin: if I take the idea in a whole different direction, maybe it could be original.

[Chaos he/him]

I had a god named Dominion. Rip

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

Lucky me, Steelheart was one of the books I read while I was still forming my own 'verse, so I was able to steer my own world away from Brandon's.  

[The Honor Spren she/her]

I had a god named Dominion. Rip

Ooh. Yeesh.

What if you changed the name to Domination?

[Chaos he/him]

Ooh. Yeesh.

What if you changed the name to Domination?

Fortunately in the story that such a thing appears, I never have to state said deity's name. I can totally skirt around it.

I want to write my next book (the one with that god's setting), it is so freaking awesome of a world, concept, plot, and characters. Someday I'll get it written to show you, and I hope I convince you it is excellent! (I need to finish my current book, though, first.)

Minor brag moment, when I pitched Brandon that book's magic system, he said a few years ago something like, "I tried that once. It is really, really hard so I scrapped it."

I will show you, Brandon

EDIT: Also, Domination seems... I don't know, it is slightly wrong, somehow...

Edited April 5, 2016 by Chaos

[Voidus]

Fortunately in the story that such a thing appears, I never have to state said deity's name. I can totally skirt around it.

I want to write my next book (the one with that god's setting), it is so freaking awesome of a world, concept, plot, and characters. Someday I'll get it written to show you, and I hope I convince you it is excellent! (I need to finish my current book, though, first.)

Minor brag moment, when I pitched Brandon that book's magic system, he said a few years ago something like, "I tried that once. It is really, really hard so I scrapped it."

I will show you, Brandon

EDIT: Also, Domination seems... I don't know, it is slightly wrong, somehow...

I would ask what that magic system is but I feel like I'll immediately get RAFOd

[Chaos he/him]

I would ask what that magic system is but I feel like I'll immediately get RAFOd

I'd tell you in PM, but not publicly. The idea of such a magic is pretty cheap; it's the implementation that is special. (Allomancy, to its core, is pretty mundane but the specifics and limitations make it interesting, for example.)

That said, even if ideas are cheap, no need to announce them too publicly. I'm happy to give details via PM if anyone is interested.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Chaos

[Master Elodin]

I'd tell you in PM, but not publicly. The idea of such a magic is pretty cheap; it's the implementation that is special. (Allomancy, to its core, is pretty mundane but the specifics and limitations make it interesting, for example.)That said, even if ideas are cheap, no need to announce them too publicly. I'm happy to give details via PM if anyone is interested.

I would like to know.

[Voidus]

So PMAFO?
But yeah I'd love to get a PM.

[Chaos he/him]

I will soon™.

I am actually busy grading and 17S is doing a lot to distract me. It is useful but maybe I shouldn't spend two hours carefully pitching novels

Oh crap. I needed to write White Sand rule posts tonight. Crap

[Voidus]

I will soon.

I am actually busy grading and 17S is doing a lot to distract me. It is useful but maybe I shouldn't spend two hours carefully pitching novels

Oh crap. I needed to write White Sand rule posts tonight. Crap

Rubix is online, make Rubix do it? 

Sorry to be part of the distraction, though grading is boring enough for me that I'd probably welcome the distraction, then again I don't have to do it for my job so there's that.

[Kaymyth she/her]

I'm having some similar issues with some of my planned plots for the Swift as Steel sequels.  (I know, I know, I'm procrastinating on getting its final draft written and I'm talking about sequels.  Don't judge me.)

 

There are very clear directions and elements that I've had planned out for over a year now that were echoed or just outright done in the latest Era 2 novels.  So now I have to figure out how much to keep and whether I should change anything.  On the one hand, the idea of watching one of my characters get flustered because the Southern airships are so much cooler than her design is kind of hilarious.  On the other...ARGH.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Kaymyth

[Silverblade5 he/him]

So, my sister is really struggling with studying for her upcoming AP calc 1 test. To be more precise, she's struggling with applications of integrals. Her teacher isn't helping much, and didn't give the class any study guide. Any advise?  

[Chaos he/him]

Rubix is online, make Rubix do it? 

Sorry to be part of the distraction, though grading is boring enough for me that I'd probably welcome the distraction, then again I don't have to do it for my job so there's that.

I'm picky

I like distractions, so entertain me

I'm having some similar issues with some of my planned plots for the Swift as Steel sequels.  (I know, I know, I'm procrastinating on getting its final draft written and I'm talking about sequels.  Don't judge me.)

 

There are very clear directions and elements that I've had planned out for over a year now that were echoed or just outright done in the latest Era 2 novels.  So now I have to figure out how much to keep and whether I should change anything.  On the one hand, the idea of watching one of my characters get flustered because the Southern airships are so much cooler than her design is kind of hilarious.  On the other...ARGH.

That sucks. All I can say is that I'm sure your characters and story has a life of its own and it will be distinct from Mistborn, I'm sure.

[Kaymyth she/her]

I'm picky

I like distractions, so entertain me

That sucks. All I can say is that I'm sure your characters and story has a life of its own and it will be distinct from Mistborn, I'm sure.

 

I hope so.  I do think I've figured out the last of the fixes that I need to make for the final draft to be as good as it can be, I just need to implement them.

 

It doesn't help, though, that I'm sort of weaving Eva's story around some of the other stuff happening in Era 2.  The first book actually takes place before AoL, the second deals with some of the unseen-to-us repercussions of the Roughs losing three powerful Twinborn lawkeepers, and the third....well, the third I may try and dovetail Eva into crossing paths with the boys in between BoM and TLM.  It might be a terrible idea, but that's where the story's heading.

[Master Elodin]

So, my sister is really struggling with studying for her upcoming AP calc 1 test. To be more precise, she's struggling with applications of integrals. Her teacher isn't helping much, and didn't give the class any study guide. Any advise?

Buy a book on it?

[Chaos he/him]

I hope so.  I do think I've figured out the last of the fixes that I need to make for the final draft to be as good as it can be, I just need to implement them.

 

It doesn't help, though, that I'm sort of weaving Eva's story around some of the other stuff happening in Era 2.  The first book actually takes place before AoL, the second deals with some of the unseen-to-us repercussions of the Roughs losing three powerful Twinborn lawkeepers, and the third....well, the third I may try and dovetail Eva into crossing paths with the boys in between BoM and TLM.  It might be a terrible idea, but that's where the story's heading.

I honestly know very little of your book, but when you are finished with it, I am happy to give comments. (Probably not until May, though.)

EDIT: We're posting so fast I miss things!

So, my sister is really struggling with studying for her upcoming AP calc 1 test. To be more precise, she's struggling with applications of integrals. Her teacher isn't helping much, and didn't give the class any study guide. Any advise?

Well, I am a collegiate instructor of calculus 2 right now, and I've taught said class for like... seven sections now? (I am literally grading Calc 2 quizzes right now.) Calculus 2 is where integral applications are. I can answer most all questions, though if I recall correctly, AP Calculus covers a lot of approximation methods, which we don't lecture on at MSU.

But, if she has specific questions, you can ask me, or she can contact me directly. [email protected].

Edited April 5, 2016 by Chaos

[Kaymyth she/her]

I honestly know very little of your book, but when you are finished with it, I am happy to give comments. (Probably not until May, though.)

 

 

I would appreciate it.   It's been through beta reading and I got a lot of good feedback that's going to improve the final product by a huge amount.  Once it starts going up, it'll be serialized by chapter, so there's pretty much zero chance it's all going to be up by May anyway.  Maybe by the end of May.

 

If you're still looking for distractions from grading, I totally picspammed the Relationships thread with photos of my nerdy wedding.  That'll entertain you for at least three minutes or so (approxmately thirty seconds of which will be you rolling your eyes and facepalming over the joke with the rings).

[Master Elodin]

I would appreciate it.   It's been through beta reading and I got a lot of good feedback that's going to improve the final product by a huge amount.  Once it starts going up, it'll be serialized by chapter, so there's pretty much zero chance it's all going to be up by May anyway.  Maybe by the end of May.

 

If you're still looking for distractions from grading, I totally picspammed the Relationships thread with photos of my nerdy wedding.  That'll entertain you for at least three minutes or so (approxmately thirty seconds of which will be you rolling your eyes and facepalming over the joke with the rings).

I wish I could write a whole book. Sadly, no electrum.