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Post by NightBlade on Aug 7, 2016 3:30:25 GMT
Ah. So they think gray areas are taboo, whilst you enjoy treading them? I'm with you there
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Post by jliessa44 on Aug 7, 2016 3:31:26 GMT
Pretty much. A lot of the families around here were really into the Duggars and their way of life. And some of my friends wouldn't care, but their parents would. And even though we're all (mostly) adults, patriarchy states that women are under their father's rule until they're married off to be ruled by some other man.
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Post by Starsinger on Aug 7, 2016 3:37:14 GMT
Mm, fortunately I have probably a grand total of one friend who has such sterilised taste, I guess you could say. So I'm less worried about my friends than my family... and some church people.
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Post by NightBlade on Aug 7, 2016 3:37:22 GMT
You mean the guy with 19 kids? That sounds...legalistic...
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Post by jliessa44 on Aug 7, 2016 3:46:58 GMT
A lot of it isn't legalistic so much as sheltering taken to the extreme and going wrong. Well, he was married to their mother. I liked watching their show, but I never wanted a life like theirs.
But yeah. Idk. I've been considering a pen name. But I know I'll get "found out" one day and then it would be a worse mess than if I was "upfront" about it. But I also don't feel like I owe them anything or that it would be going behind their backs.
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Post by NightBlade on Aug 7, 2016 3:51:31 GMT
I've heard some sick and screwed up things about them but I've been skeptical of whatever I hear. Mostly about them depreciating people they dub "impure" and making awfully demeaning analogies out of them.
Hm a pen name sounds good. I would personally say don't feel bound by them; do what you wanna. BUt at the same time, I'd make sure that regardless of the gray areas that you tread, that there is something redeeming in your stories. It doesn't have to be super altruistic or trite or righteous or anything, but something has to elevate it above the accusations that your friends would make, right?
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Post by jliessa44 on Aug 7, 2016 3:57:14 GMT
The Duggars never did that as far I know. The only thing they screwed up on was trying to hide up the big scandal about their son and then putting their family on television. Ha. Yeah. I'm pretty good, if I do say so my myself , about keeping things balanced. But the fact that I would make anything morally ambiguous would be the problem. But also, I rarely write for an audience so I never care much anyway.
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Post by NightBlade on Aug 7, 2016 4:03:00 GMT
Hmm okay. Yeah heard about that too
Haha that's good. And yeah, I know what you mean, sometimes I write and draw just for me
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Post by Warrior of Aror on Aug 7, 2016 17:17:45 GMT
About platforms: It doesn't sound like you're quite ready to build a platform yet, which is totally fine. When you're ready and you have a product you want to get into people's hands, you'll probably be more willing and excited about email lists and marketing and all of that.
If your friends don't like you for who you are, it's their problem not yours. You might find that some of them actually will accept your writing. Some won't. If they won't be your friend because of one difference between you - that you write stuff they don't like - then they probably aren't real friends anyway. And who knows, maybe if you gradually introduce your stuff in a friendly way, you could be the person to help them get out of their legalism.
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Post by jliessa44 on Aug 8, 2016 6:16:57 GMT
Heh probably not. I'm a very private person and I'm a horrible salesperson because I hate trying to convince people to want something. I think maybe I'll just have to wait until I feel closer and see if I can build a platform not using email.
Ahhhh. That's not really what I meant by all that. They have legalistic rules, but their faith isn't legalistic. If that makes any sense. Like they have a strong faith and such that doesn't rely on following rules but they have rules they believe they should follow that happen to coincide with legalistic things. And it wouldn't be them not liking me, just that they'd be 'disappointed' in me. I feel like I was explaining everything all wrong. There are a few who wouldn't speak to me, but I call them friends mostly because we grew up together and less because we have a strong friendship. My best friends are the ones who would still be my friend and stuff, but they'd be disappointed.
But even if they loved my writing, I wouldn't want them to read it. I'm weird in that if everyone in the entire world that I don't know read what I wrote I wouldn't care. But if someone I know irl read it, even if they liked it, I would probably have a panic attack. I have my two worlds and I don't want them to mix if I can help it. Which likely means no publishing.
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Post by Warrior of Aror on Aug 10, 2016 15:19:22 GMT
Okay, a question for anyone who can think up an answer.
I'm about 2/3 through my novel and I'm at one of the scenes that first popped into my head. I've very much been looking forward to writing it. Of course, it's not very good on this draft, but I'm not worrying about that now. What's happened is that I've written myself into a bit of a corner. See, it's always night in this world, and the main characters once had a lantern to help guide them. They don't anymore. They'll get it back at the beginning of the third act, but for right now they need some kind of Light to blind this evil Hermit who will be blinded if he ever sees Light again (he's so totally forgotten what Light looks like, and hates it so much). Also, fire is not an option. And a moon does not exist in this world. So what kind of light can they use to blind him?
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Post by jliessa44 on Aug 10, 2016 15:45:49 GMT
Glowing stones?
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Post by Warrior of Aror on Aug 10, 2016 21:29:39 GMT
Hm, well, I've already used glow stones earlier in the story, but they might work.
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Post by Starsinger on Aug 10, 2016 21:32:48 GMT
Fireflies! 'just because I've never seen them in my life, 'cause we don't have them here, but they seem pretty cool. Or glow worms We do have them and they're stunning, but only live in dark damp places, and mainly in the flaming North Island so I never see them often
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Post by Warrior of Aror on Aug 10, 2016 22:09:16 GMT
You've never seen fireflies?! I am so sorry. But yeah, I might be able to use them. I've been wanting to have them in this story. I'll just have to think up some way credible to explain how their small light actually blinds this guy. XD
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Post by Starsinger on Aug 10, 2016 22:17:23 GMT
Nope. It's like the one thing that America has over NZ Glow worms are an amazing sight though... the last time I say them we had a late night kayak expedition across a lake and up a stream/river gorge, which is beautiful in the day but even more amazing at night. Hm, fair enough... I'll leave that to you
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Post by Warrior of Aror on Aug 10, 2016 22:26:52 GMT
That's awesome. Glow worms sound really cool.
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Post by Starsinger on Aug 10, 2016 22:34:15 GMT
They are, and photos really don't do them justice.
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Post by jliessa44 on Aug 11, 2016 0:34:41 GMT
I was gonna suggest fireflies, but idk if they would be bright enough, so I didn't. XD
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Post by Starsinger on Aug 11, 2016 0:44:49 GMT
Well maybe I have over-romanticised ideas sometimes
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Post by jliessa44 on Aug 11, 2016 2:48:49 GMT
Lol. They might be if you can get enough of them, but the light's kinda dim and they flash a lot so it would flicked out. XD
And I can't wrap my head around you've never seeing lightning bugs.
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Post by Starsinger on Aug 11, 2016 2:51:45 GMT
It's not a hard concept We just don't have them.
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Post by jliessa44 on Aug 11, 2016 2:57:44 GMT
But like... What do you do on June nights?
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Post by Starsinger on Aug 11, 2016 3:00:51 GMT
Snuggle under a rug on my couch with my gloriously hideous slippers, and a hot chocolate, plus some wool and a crochet hook.
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Post by jliessa44 on Aug 11, 2016 3:44:34 GMT
Okay.... That does sound fun.
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Post by Starsinger on Aug 11, 2016 3:46:32 GMT
Technically June is winter, but we had the warmest one on record.
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Post by jliessa44 on Aug 11, 2016 4:06:51 GMT
Technically June is early summer. But sure, sure. Go ahead and think it's winter.
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Post by Dmitri Pendragon on Aug 11, 2016 6:40:37 GMT
Warrior of Aror: A few ideas: 1) One of your characters spontaneously manifests all the powers of Light and blasts the hermit to oblivion. 2) One of your characters pinches a glow stone from earlier in the book and uses it here. 3) One of your characters cracks together flint and steel, creating a spark. Although that might count as fire, which is not an option. 4) One of your characters has been sick all this time with bioluminescent tapeworms and throws up. ( ) 5) One of your characters has a mirror and reflects the stars into the hermit's face. All right…most of those probably weren't very helpful. Option 6: What if they don't succeed in blinding the hermit? I mean, they don't have light at this point, and you could emphasise how having no light is how they lose. It produces conflict, too, since they now have to escape the hermit without the use of light. Perhaps they can only escape once they find light again and can use it to blind the hermit. Just a thought.
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Post by Warrior of Aror on Aug 11, 2016 14:01:41 GMT
#4 is hilarious. XD If this were a middle grade novel I would totally use that. And technically, there is one character who could do #1. But that's kind of cheating. I ended up writing until 11:30 last night. I used something along the lines of #5. I considered the mirror, but I wasn't sure where they would get the glass. So I had a glass pendant that one character has reflect the light and blind him. It'll probably get changed again in the second draft, but it get's me through that spot and what I really need to do is focus on the word count. But I do like the idea of them not being able to get light for a while. That will add another level of conflict which will definitely make it better. Thank you for that! In fact, this is pretty much the dark night of the soul of the story. I intend to make it stronger in the second draft, but for now I'm just trying to show the characters how bad it can be when someone hates the light and has totally forgotten what light even is. Thanks again, though! Armed with these new ideas I shall trudge forth into the third act; and then the second draft!
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Post by NightBlade on Aug 13, 2016 22:51:35 GMT
Starsinger Interesting....At least where I come from, glow worms grow into fireflies. Warrior of Aror This may not fit the bill of characters being able to summon light at will, but what if there was some upheaval of magma, or some sort of heat-or-otherwise-luminescant crytals, or perhaps a white-hot meteor? Or maybe reflective eyes like Riddick that glow in his face? Or primitive fiber optics that collect ambient night light and focus it?
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