June 04, 2020, 08:47:03 AM

Recent Posts

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General Discussion / Re: The Virus thread
« Last post by Caith on Today at 08:44:57 AM »
The UK has deep cultural divisions - if by divisions you mean the difference between the elite, the top 1% and the rest of us.
The UK has an incompetent government - check - see next point for evidence of same.
The UK has the highest COVID death rate in Europe and we're close to the top in the world.
High unemployment? - not yet but stick around for a few months.

Not so different conditions between the US and UK? Maybe we're closer to civil unrest than we think? What's happened in the US with the demonstrations appears to have happened remarkably quickly and on first inspection seems to have come from nowhere. Thats what tipping points tend to loook like. You don't know you're at one until its too late.
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Fantasy Book & Author Discussion / Re: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Battle Bracket
« Last post by ScarletBea on Today at 08:03:24 AM »
Icarium with Rake? :'(
I want both!
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Writers' Corner / Re: Writing project overwhelm - looking for tips & ideas
« Last post by Magnus Hedén on Today at 07:03:35 AM »
There's definitely a point in what you're saying. But on the other side of that coin; I myself love reading books where the world is believable, and I don't think it ends up that way if you don't put in some grunt work when creating it. Now I know I won't be using a lot of this information in the novel, but I also know that a lot of it will show between the lines. If I'm familiar with the world, the characters will be, and that means they'll act and think accordingly. Same thing for if the characters are developed before they enter the story.

However, I do believe that I've been overdoing it a bit, as not all of that work needs to be done before you start writing scenes. On the contrary, I think it's better to leave some questions unanswered and allow the background and world to meld itself to the story, not the other way around. And granted, I do obsess a bit too much over details at times when I could be doing something more productive.

I need to go over my current notes to organise them a bit better, but other than that I do believe it's time to start writing and see what happen. And for my next project, I need to think about starting writing the story earlier in the process.
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Fantasy Book & Author Discussion / Re: Malazan Book of the Fallen: Battle Bracket
« Last post by isos81 on Today at 06:52:15 AM »
Oh, I love this! Very curious to see the final :)
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Fantasy Faction Book Club / Re: Book Club - July 2020
« Last post by isos81 on Today at 06:49:40 AM »
I gave up on book club, puts too much pressure on me ;D
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General Discussion / Re: The Virus thread
« Last post by Skip on Today at 05:54:33 AM »
The U.S. has deep cultural divisions, an incompetent government, the highest death rate from the virus, and the highest unemployment. Europeans and American have their differences, but those differences pale in comparison to the differences in socio-economic conditions. Different conditions usually lead to different results.

I sincerely hope no European nation ever has to go through what we've been enduring. And yes, I know we brought it on ourselves.

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Writers' Corner / Re: Writing project overwhelm - looking for tips & ideas
« Last post by Caith on June 03, 2020, 11:37:39 PM »
Hi Magnus,

Your post above ("I may be spending too much energy on building the foundation...") suggests that perhaps the solution is not to have a better means of organising a mass of information but just to have less information to deal with?

Applying Pareto's 80/20 rule (which is remarkably accurate) might be something to consider. It would imply 20% of your foundation information provides your story with 80% of what it needs. Hence, most of your information is not that relevant  (I'd stress here, to the reader) and doesn't need stressing about and close management.

I understand only too well the problem of things having to make sense to the author. I'm working a novel that involves moving between different worlds and I found myself getting caught up in complexities like differences in language, gravity, nutrition, air composition and the like, between worlds. Then I thought that most readers probably never think about these unless the author raises them. Same as its not important that characters take bathroom breaks. Its just not central to the story and unless its driving the story forward, it doesn't have a place in the story.

Hope thats of some help.   

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[MAY 2020] Unconventional Dragons / Re: [MAY 2020] Unconventional Dragons - Voting Thread
« Last post by Caith on June 03, 2020, 10:46:09 PM »
Voted. Thoroughly enjoyed reading all the stories, big thanks to everyone who contributed.
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General Discussion / Re: Madeleine McCann
« Last post by ScarletBea on June 03, 2020, 09:55:21 PM »
They've been clutching at straws for 13 years now... ::)
My dad seems to think this is a bit more viable, though, from Portuguese news. I'm still quite sceptical.
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Fantasy Book & Author Discussion / Re: What did you read in May 2020?
« Last post by ScarletBea on June 03, 2020, 09:51:48 PM »
Oh oops, that'll teach me to read things properly hehe
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