(Can you tell I'm trying to finish my "ten blog posts a month" at the last minute? @_@ Oops. )
I'm still re-writing my Ashes story. And tonight I arrived at the spot where I'm going to need to start filling in big gaps.
I've added a couple new chapters so far. But this time I'm going to add an entire new mini-arc. I think I really need it for character and world development. And also for pacing/suspense, etc.
I especially think it will help because two of the three main characters don't show up until half way though the story. Or over half way, depending on how much I add from here on... I'm still not sure if that will work well. Or if I should somehow try to introduce them earlier on with their own chapters. Except I'm not sure that would really help.
I know where the new arc starts, and I kinda have an idea of where it goes. So hopefully it will unfold as I move.
I need to rework most of the ending too (although I think the climax is fairly decent).
But now I need to sleep. I'm tired and I need to get up kinda early tomorrow. --_--
(But I got to help a little bit with shearing a sheep today!)
~*~
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Environmental Plots: Extinction
On to another one of my environmental plots.
This one ties in to a lot of other posts - some i've written, and some I haven't.
Extinction.
When a species disappears completely.
There is also Extirpation, where a species disappears from one area, but still exists somewhere else.
And a species can be extinct in the wild, but still exist in captivity.
There are a couple other levels too. There may be so few of a species left that they can no longer fulfill their biological role, as predators or scavengers or whatever they happen to do.
Or there may be so few animals left that there is no way their population could ever recover. Or even if they do begin to pick up their nnumbers, their gene pool may be so small that it puts the entire populaton at rsk of disease or disaster.
There are a number of things that can contrbute to the extinction of a species.
Habitat destruction. When we cut down or build over their homeland, the animals/plants no longer have anywhere to live or look for food. This is one of the biggest causes of extinction.
Overharvesting. When we hunt and kill/capture too many of a species, we can drive them to extinction. An excellent example is the passenger pigeon. Long ago, there were so many of these birds that flocks of them would darken the sky from horizon to horizon. But people were so intent on hunting them that there are none left.
Invasive species. When species are brought from a distant land, they may not have any predators in their new home (I'll have a whole post abotu invasive species). Some invasive species are able to out-compete more fragile native species. They'll eat all the food, or eat the species themselves. The California red-legged from is one such species that is put at risk from a tough outsider (a bull frog).
Pollution. Chemicals and air pollution can put species at risk. For example, when a highway runs near sensitive grasslands, like the serpentine grasslands in California, the exhaust from the cars can actually change the composition of the soil and make it harder for the native plants to grow in the rare soil type that they evolved to use. Also, trash can choke animals that eat it (sea turttles swallowing plastic bags, thinking that they're jellyfish). And toxins can kill animals too.
Climate change is a newer threat. Climate change causes the ice caps to melt earlier and freeze later. Which is very bad for animals like polar bears, who need the ice to hunt for food. But climate change can also warm certain areas, and allow diseases and fungi to spread to places that they haven't been before. This is very dangerous to amphibians, who are vulnerable to hese sorts of things because they can absorb bad stuff through their skin.
What can extinction cause?
Well, first of all, we are causing an entire species to disappear, which is terrible and beyond anything our species has the right to do.
But also, what if those speciees could be useful to us? There are many plants in the rainforests that have gone extinct before we even knew they existed. What if some of those plants had important medicinal qualities that could have helped with terrible diseases?
But even more important has to do with the niche that the species fills: their role in the environment. Every creature does something to keep the ecosystem in balance. And some species are incredibly important to their ecosystem. These important creatures are called keystone species. For example, the sea otter. Otters eat sea urchins. But when too many otters were hunted for their fur, the sea urchins didn't have that predator to keep their numbers in check. So the sea urchins ate the bases of the kelp that made up the kelp forests. Big hunks of the kelpforest dimply drifted away, making large areas of that habitat completely disappear. All because one species started to go into decline.
When wolves were hunted out of North America, that top predator was no longer there to keep deer and so many other animals in check. And because of the larger numbers of prey animals, many areas actually changed drastically because of the many deer eating more foliage, and more beacvers building more dams and flooding more land.
When a species disappears, is can potentially have disastrous effects on the areas it used to live in. And that is not a risk worth taking.
In the words of John Muir, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe."
Everything is connected. The more you unbalance the delicate system of the planet, the worse things could end up.
It's not always the big impressive animals that are important. Remember, tiny fish, bugs, and ever flowers also need to be preserved.
Even so, hundreds of species are going extinct today. Humans are now the cause of a massive extinction - and there have only been a handful of those in the history of the planet. For example, the comet that wiped out the dinosaurs.
We are now causing as much damage as that.
Who else has used this idea?
A manga called Cat Paradise. In this series, the gods of extinct animals came back to try to take revenge on the humans that caused their speciesto disappear.
Jurassic Park looked at what might happen if a species that had been extinct for many ages appeared into a new, different world.
In Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home, humpback whales are extinct in the future. But humpback whales had friends on a distant planet. And when the whales stopped communicating, these aliens came to investigate, nearly destroying Earth in the process. Captain Kirk and his crew have to go back in time to bring a pair of humpback whales to the future, to save the planet and save the species.
In the anime Wolf's Rain, many speces have gone extinct, such as the elephant. Most people think that wolves are extinct too. But wolves have learned to disguise themselves as humans, in order to survive.
In the book Oryx and Crake, the members of a secret organiation all had code names of animals that were extinct.
How can you use this idea in a story?
Maybe an important species goes extinct. It could send an area into chaos. Or perhaps the people living there had a very important use for that species. What are they going to do now that it's gone? Did the species provide wool? Or was it a medicinal plant?
Or what if a species that is starting to go extinct starts to fight back?
What if humans were in danger of going extinct?
This one ties in to a lot of other posts - some i've written, and some I haven't.
Extinction.
When a species disappears completely.
There is also Extirpation, where a species disappears from one area, but still exists somewhere else.
And a species can be extinct in the wild, but still exist in captivity.
There are a couple other levels too. There may be so few of a species left that they can no longer fulfill their biological role, as predators or scavengers or whatever they happen to do.
Or there may be so few animals left that there is no way their population could ever recover. Or even if they do begin to pick up their nnumbers, their gene pool may be so small that it puts the entire populaton at rsk of disease or disaster.
There are a number of things that can contrbute to the extinction of a species.
Habitat destruction. When we cut down or build over their homeland, the animals/plants no longer have anywhere to live or look for food. This is one of the biggest causes of extinction.
Overharvesting. When we hunt and kill/capture too many of a species, we can drive them to extinction. An excellent example is the passenger pigeon. Long ago, there were so many of these birds that flocks of them would darken the sky from horizon to horizon. But people were so intent on hunting them that there are none left.
Invasive species. When species are brought from a distant land, they may not have any predators in their new home (I'll have a whole post abotu invasive species). Some invasive species are able to out-compete more fragile native species. They'll eat all the food, or eat the species themselves. The California red-legged from is one such species that is put at risk from a tough outsider (a bull frog).
Pollution. Chemicals and air pollution can put species at risk. For example, when a highway runs near sensitive grasslands, like the serpentine grasslands in California, the exhaust from the cars can actually change the composition of the soil and make it harder for the native plants to grow in the rare soil type that they evolved to use. Also, trash can choke animals that eat it (sea turttles swallowing plastic bags, thinking that they're jellyfish). And toxins can kill animals too.
Climate change is a newer threat. Climate change causes the ice caps to melt earlier and freeze later. Which is very bad for animals like polar bears, who need the ice to hunt for food. But climate change can also warm certain areas, and allow diseases and fungi to spread to places that they haven't been before. This is very dangerous to amphibians, who are vulnerable to hese sorts of things because they can absorb bad stuff through their skin.
What can extinction cause?
Well, first of all, we are causing an entire species to disappear, which is terrible and beyond anything our species has the right to do.
But also, what if those speciees could be useful to us? There are many plants in the rainforests that have gone extinct before we even knew they existed. What if some of those plants had important medicinal qualities that could have helped with terrible diseases?
But even more important has to do with the niche that the species fills: their role in the environment. Every creature does something to keep the ecosystem in balance. And some species are incredibly important to their ecosystem. These important creatures are called keystone species. For example, the sea otter. Otters eat sea urchins. But when too many otters were hunted for their fur, the sea urchins didn't have that predator to keep their numbers in check. So the sea urchins ate the bases of the kelp that made up the kelp forests. Big hunks of the kelpforest dimply drifted away, making large areas of that habitat completely disappear. All because one species started to go into decline.
When wolves were hunted out of North America, that top predator was no longer there to keep deer and so many other animals in check. And because of the larger numbers of prey animals, many areas actually changed drastically because of the many deer eating more foliage, and more beacvers building more dams and flooding more land.
When a species disappears, is can potentially have disastrous effects on the areas it used to live in. And that is not a risk worth taking.
In the words of John Muir, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe."
Everything is connected. The more you unbalance the delicate system of the planet, the worse things could end up.
It's not always the big impressive animals that are important. Remember, tiny fish, bugs, and ever flowers also need to be preserved.
Even so, hundreds of species are going extinct today. Humans are now the cause of a massive extinction - and there have only been a handful of those in the history of the planet. For example, the comet that wiped out the dinosaurs.
We are now causing as much damage as that.
Who else has used this idea?
A manga called Cat Paradise. In this series, the gods of extinct animals came back to try to take revenge on the humans that caused their speciesto disappear.
Jurassic Park looked at what might happen if a species that had been extinct for many ages appeared into a new, different world.
In Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home, humpback whales are extinct in the future. But humpback whales had friends on a distant planet. And when the whales stopped communicating, these aliens came to investigate, nearly destroying Earth in the process. Captain Kirk and his crew have to go back in time to bring a pair of humpback whales to the future, to save the planet and save the species.
In the anime Wolf's Rain, many speces have gone extinct, such as the elephant. Most people think that wolves are extinct too. But wolves have learned to disguise themselves as humans, in order to survive.
In the book Oryx and Crake, the members of a secret organiation all had code names of animals that were extinct.
How can you use this idea in a story?
Maybe an important species goes extinct. It could send an area into chaos. Or perhaps the people living there had a very important use for that species. What are they going to do now that it's gone? Did the species provide wool? Or was it a medicinal plant?
Or what if a species that is starting to go extinct starts to fight back?
What if humans were in danger of going extinct?
Shiny Hula Dancer
Okay, I just have to celebrate a little.
I caught anther shiny!
Yesterday~
I would have posted, but my internet was out. --_--
A Shiny Gloom.
But no longer, Because now she is an adorable shiny Bellossom!
And probably one of my favorite four shinies~
I named her Echo. Because that morning, I went with Dad as he went to the toy store, looking for figures of the mosasaurus from Jurassic World. He didn't find one.
But I named my new shiny after one of the veloceraptors from the movie. I thought Echo was a pretty name for my cute little hula dancer~
And I just found another shiny recently! (My Gulpin). This might be some kind of record~
I caught anther shiny!
Yesterday~
I would have posted, but my internet was out. --_--
A Shiny Gloom.
But no longer, Because now she is an adorable shiny Bellossom!
And probably one of my favorite four shinies~
I named her Echo. Because that morning, I went with Dad as he went to the toy store, looking for figures of the mosasaurus from Jurassic World. He didn't find one.
But I named my new shiny after one of the veloceraptors from the movie. I thought Echo was a pretty name for my cute little hula dancer~
And I just found another shiny recently! (My Gulpin). This might be some kind of record~
Friday, June 26, 2015
Dinosaurs and Dogs
I just realized something about the new Jurassic World movie - a way it parallels to my graduate story. So I'll talk about it a bit.
I liked the movie a lot. Especially how they managed to include some things that I thought were lacking in the other films. What they did with the veloceraptors, for example.
the movie was rather predictable (or at least I could figure out all the big twists before they were revealed). And the kids didn't seem to have a significant role. They seemed to be there simply because there have been kids in all the Jurassic Park movies. It would have been nice if they had accomplished something significant. As opposed to only point out that "we need more teeth."
My favorite part was with the velocaraptors, and Owen. I really liked Owen, because he just really seemed to get things. He understood what others didn't. A lot of this was rather obvious. But I think my favorite part of this was when the kids are at the raptor pen and they ask if the raptors are safe. And he says that no, they are not safe.
That says so much, even about zoos and wildlife in captivity. You can raise wild animals, lions and bears, to behave themselves around people. But they are still wild animals. They do not have hundreds of years of domesitaction, and if you do the wrong thing, you can set off their instincts. So, no matter how much you train a wild animal, no matter how tame them seem to be, that does not necessarily make it safe. There are some animals that you simply cannot let your guard down when they're nearby. Even if they are attached to you. This may simpley be because they don't know their own strength.
I think I also liked that part a lot because I have something very similar in my Ashes story. Ashlyn has a pack of dogs. And one of them is NOT safe. She can never let her guard down around him. But at the same time, he keeps them all safe.
And this poster is freaking awesome (They have a few really cool posters, actually).
This poster probably shows my favorite part of the movie.
(And it's also a bit like Ashlyn with her dogs!)
I liked the movie a lot. Especially how they managed to include some things that I thought were lacking in the other films. What they did with the veloceraptors, for example.
the movie was rather predictable (or at least I could figure out all the big twists before they were revealed). And the kids didn't seem to have a significant role. They seemed to be there simply because there have been kids in all the Jurassic Park movies. It would have been nice if they had accomplished something significant. As opposed to only point out that "we need more teeth."
My favorite part was with the velocaraptors, and Owen. I really liked Owen, because he just really seemed to get things. He understood what others didn't. A lot of this was rather obvious. But I think my favorite part of this was when the kids are at the raptor pen and they ask if the raptors are safe. And he says that no, they are not safe.
That says so much, even about zoos and wildlife in captivity. You can raise wild animals, lions and bears, to behave themselves around people. But they are still wild animals. They do not have hundreds of years of domesitaction, and if you do the wrong thing, you can set off their instincts. So, no matter how much you train a wild animal, no matter how tame them seem to be, that does not necessarily make it safe. There are some animals that you simply cannot let your guard down when they're nearby. Even if they are attached to you. This may simpley be because they don't know their own strength.
I think I also liked that part a lot because I have something very similar in my Ashes story. Ashlyn has a pack of dogs. And one of them is NOT safe. She can never let her guard down around him. But at the same time, he keeps them all safe.
And this poster is freaking awesome (They have a few really cool posters, actually).
This poster probably shows my favorite part of the movie.
(And it's also a bit like Ashlyn with her dogs!)
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Log lines
Going along with the tagline post, we have log lines. While taglines are much about the essence of the book, a log line is more of a very brief summary of the happenings of the book. It tells you what to expect from the plot. And it is also a way to hook a potential reader into opening your book.
It's a description of a few brief phrases, that is very concise and interesting. You need to put the most important parts of your story into a very small area.
And I don't seem to be too good at this. If someone asks me to describe one of my stories, I have no idea where to start because a dozen things pop into my head. I could take a long time explaining how everything meshes together.
So I should probably practice some log lines. It would be good to have a briefer explanation of my stories.
I'll see if I can post some examples of these soon. I have some taglines written, but I don't think I have any log lines.
It's a description of a few brief phrases, that is very concise and interesting. You need to put the most important parts of your story into a very small area.
And I don't seem to be too good at this. If someone asks me to describe one of my stories, I have no idea where to start because a dozen things pop into my head. I could take a long time explaining how everything meshes together.
So I should probably practice some log lines. It would be good to have a briefer explanation of my stories.
I'll see if I can post some examples of these soon. I have some taglines written, but I don't think I have any log lines.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Taglines
Sometimes when you pick up a book, you see a short phrase on the cover. A phrase that reflects the essence of the book you're holding. They can be on movie posters too.
The second book in the Uglies series has a great one: "What happens when perfection isn't good enough?"
This is known as a tagline. It's a clever or memorable phrase that's supposed to convince someone to pick up the book.
It's supposed to drag people in.
So I started trying to think of some for Katani's book.
And they're addictive. You can choose any number of dramatic points from the story to focus on. One story can have several taglines that fit. It's fun, and it's good practice. It throws emotion and tension into a single phrase. It reveals part of the essence of the book.
I should start thinking of some for Ashes. Although that probably needs more editing so that I'll have more accurate Taglines.
The second book in the Uglies series has a great one: "What happens when perfection isn't good enough?"
This is known as a tagline. It's a clever or memorable phrase that's supposed to convince someone to pick up the book.
It's supposed to drag people in.
So I started trying to think of some for Katani's book.
And they're addictive. You can choose any number of dramatic points from the story to focus on. One story can have several taglines that fit. It's fun, and it's good practice. It throws emotion and tension into a single phrase. It reveals part of the essence of the book.
I should start thinking of some for Ashes. Although that probably needs more editing so that I'll have more accurate Taglines.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
The World of Tomorrow
I wanted to say a few things about the new movie, Tomorrowland. It brought up some things that are worth talking about.
One of the first things the movie touched on was how, many years ago, the future was an exciting place. The future was full of promise, and we could only go up.
But today, there's so much fear and uncertainty about what the following years will bring. We have weapons that can destroy the surface of the planet, one of our main sources of fuel is largely controlled by people who are hostile to us, there's huge amounts of poverty, and there are dozens of environmental problems that could affect all parts of the world.
We don't know if we'll be able to fix things, or if things will just get worse.
They said in the movie that we love to use the apocalypse. There are so many movies and books and tv shows about the end of the world. We can't get enough of it. I'm sure there are plenty of reasons for this fad.
For me, I think of these stories as a warning. And also as a way of imaging how I might survive is something this awful happened. But I doubt whether those are the most common reasons that people like post-apocalyptic stuff. Why do you like them?
My grad story is something like a post-apocalyptic story. But it isn't about the world falling apart. It's about the world cracking, and then regrowing stronger and better in the aftermath.
Because that's what I have to believe. Even if we don't avoid future disaster, I believe that we will be able to rebuild things, and eventually make a better future. Maybe it won't be as vivid as the world we live in now, especially for the environment, but I think there's always hope.
If we don't hope and work for a better future, then what is the point of doing anything?
The most powerful part of this movie was this theme. If people are focused on the negative world, then that is the world that will come about. But if we keep a good future in our minds, then we can bring that to life. Whichever one we accept and work toward is the one we will get. Whether you play music on the street, or plant trees in cities, or teach, everyone can come together to make a difference.
I liked the movie. They had a lot of fun with special effects. I think they went a bit too far showing off the technology from "Tomorrowland." (Spoilers) The main example: wasn't there a more coherent way to return to the world, besides going to Paris and using the Eiffel Tower?
Also, the fight scenes really made no sense. If the guy was trying to send robots to kill them, why on earth didn't he just kill them when they showed up at his door? Those attack robots were never once explained when they got back to Tomorrowland.
So, yeah. It could have been better if they weren't so centered on their fight scenes, and showing off their special effects.
But that seems to be the trend nowadays. This one at least had plenty of other redeeming qualities.
I would recommend it!
One of the first things the movie touched on was how, many years ago, the future was an exciting place. The future was full of promise, and we could only go up.
But today, there's so much fear and uncertainty about what the following years will bring. We have weapons that can destroy the surface of the planet, one of our main sources of fuel is largely controlled by people who are hostile to us, there's huge amounts of poverty, and there are dozens of environmental problems that could affect all parts of the world.
We don't know if we'll be able to fix things, or if things will just get worse.
They said in the movie that we love to use the apocalypse. There are so many movies and books and tv shows about the end of the world. We can't get enough of it. I'm sure there are plenty of reasons for this fad.
For me, I think of these stories as a warning. And also as a way of imaging how I might survive is something this awful happened. But I doubt whether those are the most common reasons that people like post-apocalyptic stuff. Why do you like them?
My grad story is something like a post-apocalyptic story. But it isn't about the world falling apart. It's about the world cracking, and then regrowing stronger and better in the aftermath.
Because that's what I have to believe. Even if we don't avoid future disaster, I believe that we will be able to rebuild things, and eventually make a better future. Maybe it won't be as vivid as the world we live in now, especially for the environment, but I think there's always hope.
If we don't hope and work for a better future, then what is the point of doing anything?
The most powerful part of this movie was this theme. If people are focused on the negative world, then that is the world that will come about. But if we keep a good future in our minds, then we can bring that to life. Whichever one we accept and work toward is the one we will get. Whether you play music on the street, or plant trees in cities, or teach, everyone can come together to make a difference.
I liked the movie. They had a lot of fun with special effects. I think they went a bit too far showing off the technology from "Tomorrowland." (Spoilers) The main example: wasn't there a more coherent way to return to the world, besides going to Paris and using the Eiffel Tower?
Also, the fight scenes really made no sense. If the guy was trying to send robots to kill them, why on earth didn't he just kill them when they showed up at his door? Those attack robots were never once explained when they got back to Tomorrowland.
So, yeah. It could have been better if they weren't so centered on their fight scenes, and showing off their special effects.
But that seems to be the trend nowadays. This one at least had plenty of other redeeming qualities.
I would recommend it!
Saturday, June 6, 2015
For the First Time in 37 Years
I'm not one to watch sports.
I enjoy playing them with friends, but I don't understand the fun in watching other people play them.
I'm not sure if horse racing is an exception. Considering I watch it for the horses, not the people.
But I don't even watch horse races very much, except for three times a year. I watch the triple crown races: The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes.
If a horse wins all three of these races, they have won the coveted Triple Crown.
To give you a sense of how hard this is, only eleven horses have accomplished this since the early 1900's.
Some of the most famous Triple Crown winners are Secretariat, who now has his own movie, and War Admiral who's race against Seabiscuit was the stuff of legend (Seabiscuit is a great movie. you should watch it).
Dad likes to watch these three races on TV, and I watch them too. And there have been several times where a horse has won the first two races, making us very excited for the third. But I was always disappointed.
The last Triple Crown winner was 37 years ago.
Until today. Because now there are 12 winners.
Today American Pharoah won the Belmont Stakes, making him the first winner in my lifetime.
It was an amazing race. American Pharoah stayed in the lead for the entire track. And he won by a huge margin.
I enjoy playing them with friends, but I don't understand the fun in watching other people play them.
I'm not sure if horse racing is an exception. Considering I watch it for the horses, not the people.
But I don't even watch horse races very much, except for three times a year. I watch the triple crown races: The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes.
If a horse wins all three of these races, they have won the coveted Triple Crown.
To give you a sense of how hard this is, only eleven horses have accomplished this since the early 1900's.
Some of the most famous Triple Crown winners are Secretariat, who now has his own movie, and War Admiral who's race against Seabiscuit was the stuff of legend (Seabiscuit is a great movie. you should watch it).
Dad likes to watch these three races on TV, and I watch them too. And there have been several times where a horse has won the first two races, making us very excited for the third. But I was always disappointed.
The last Triple Crown winner was 37 years ago.
Until today. Because now there are 12 winners.
Today American Pharoah won the Belmont Stakes, making him the first winner in my lifetime.
It was an amazing race. American Pharoah stayed in the lead for the entire track. And he won by a huge margin.
Friday, June 5, 2015
Cataloging a World
A long time ago, probably several years, I started making a sort of guide for Magic-Earth. I did this because I had so much information about the magical world I was writing for Briena. The workings of magic, the magical school, and the palces they visited.
And I also did it because I really love the books that give you a lot of information about mythical places, and creatures. I have a book of Star Wars creatures, and a few other books on dragons. They're like guide books to distant lands, and I really wanted one for my worlds.
I wrote quite a bit about Magic-Earth as I was working on Briena's stories, but there is still a lot of information I'd like to type out properly. And I haven't read the stuff I wrote years ago either, so I dont' know if there are things that I want to change.
I started writing one for Soreina too, but there is less than a page there. Mostly because I was spending most of my time on the complex systems of magic on the sister planet. But I also do have a lot of separate imformation on the dragon species, which would all go in the guide (with illustrations).
I haven't actually opened either of these in probably a couple years Because I was more interested in working on stories than typing out stuff that I'd already mentioned a long time ago. But I opened the Magic-Earth guide up today, and worked on it some.
I'd like to do more of this soon. I have given very little thought to Magic-Earth recently because I've been working on Katani's story in Soreina, and also Ashlyn's story from Technology-Earth.
It was fun to start thinking about the foundations of the magic system again.
I have so much more information I can add now. There's the big obvious stuff like dragon species and teleportation spells. But there are also smaller things, like how their plumbing works if they don't have technology. And whether or not they have toothbrushes. These smaller things would probably be very similar between Magic-Earth and Soreina. A lot of this probably wouldn't go in a guide that I shared with anyone else, but it would be a very helpful log for me, where I could reference and add little details of my worlds.
I'm wondering how long these two guides are going to be when I'm done... And when I will have all of my information actually typed out.
And I also did it because I really love the books that give you a lot of information about mythical places, and creatures. I have a book of Star Wars creatures, and a few other books on dragons. They're like guide books to distant lands, and I really wanted one for my worlds.
I wrote quite a bit about Magic-Earth as I was working on Briena's stories, but there is still a lot of information I'd like to type out properly. And I haven't read the stuff I wrote years ago either, so I dont' know if there are things that I want to change.
I started writing one for Soreina too, but there is less than a page there. Mostly because I was spending most of my time on the complex systems of magic on the sister planet. But I also do have a lot of separate imformation on the dragon species, which would all go in the guide (with illustrations).
I haven't actually opened either of these in probably a couple years Because I was more interested in working on stories than typing out stuff that I'd already mentioned a long time ago. But I opened the Magic-Earth guide up today, and worked on it some.
I'd like to do more of this soon. I have given very little thought to Magic-Earth recently because I've been working on Katani's story in Soreina, and also Ashlyn's story from Technology-Earth.
It was fun to start thinking about the foundations of the magic system again.
I have so much more information I can add now. There's the big obvious stuff like dragon species and teleportation spells. But there are also smaller things, like how their plumbing works if they don't have technology. And whether or not they have toothbrushes. These smaller things would probably be very similar between Magic-Earth and Soreina. A lot of this probably wouldn't go in a guide that I shared with anyone else, but it would be a very helpful log for me, where I could reference and add little details of my worlds.
I'm wondering how long these two guides are going to be when I'm done... And when I will have all of my information actually typed out.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Unexpected Parallels
For about a week now, I've been working on editing stories one chapter at a time. I've been alternating between Ashes and Katani, mostly to give me variety.
Last night, I worked on a chapter where both Tyra and Garrett got hurt, and needed their wounds treated. Luckily they had first aid kits in their saddle bags, so they could treat the bleeding. And since Garrett got a cut on the head, there was kind of a scary amount of blood.
And just now I'm working on a chapter of Ashes. The big black dog, Wolvie, gets hit in the head by something nasty.
And Ashlyn goes to the saddlebag of her horse to get rags and ointment, because his head is bleeding a lot.
Yeah...
I didn't notice these parallels when I wrote the Wolvie scene.
Head wounds, saddle bags with first aid kits, treating bloody wounds.
I also don't think I would have noticed if I hadn't read one chapter directly after the other.
I don't think they're similar enough that I need to entirely change one of them. The circumstances for both are very different. They just happen to line up to similar outcomes...
Still. Hopefully I don't repeat myself a lot, without even noticing it.
XP
Last night, I worked on a chapter where both Tyra and Garrett got hurt, and needed their wounds treated. Luckily they had first aid kits in their saddle bags, so they could treat the bleeding. And since Garrett got a cut on the head, there was kind of a scary amount of blood.
And just now I'm working on a chapter of Ashes. The big black dog, Wolvie, gets hit in the head by something nasty.
And Ashlyn goes to the saddlebag of her horse to get rags and ointment, because his head is bleeding a lot.
Yeah...
I didn't notice these parallels when I wrote the Wolvie scene.
Head wounds, saddle bags with first aid kits, treating bloody wounds.
I also don't think I would have noticed if I hadn't read one chapter directly after the other.
I don't think they're similar enough that I need to entirely change one of them. The circumstances for both are very different. They just happen to line up to similar outcomes...
Still. Hopefully I don't repeat myself a lot, without even noticing it.
XP
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