Tarmor's Terribly Tantalizing Tarasque Terrrifying Random Banter #234

[Cazero]

I'm not sure if Cazero and I are talking about the same thing, because I've never actually read it. But I was referring to a certain divisive Doctor Who book.

Whereas I was refering to a videogame.

[Lord Raziere]

Agh, trying to write my book is a headache.

I have my main character and an antagonist, a rough general setting and an idea what I want to do, but whenever I try to start or coming up with specifics of the plot my mind blanks.

like I want to do a plot where a heroine is wielding magic to conjure weapons and armor that give superhuman abilities to fight against an emperor who has used that same magic to take over the world after a bunch of wars involving mega-corps fighting each other, but I blank on even starting it, the hero is supposed to be pragmatic and smart, but I don't know what powers fit her so that she has something fitting yet not too powerful. I don't know what plot to make this all have structure but I do know it will end with that emperor being killed, because the real problem is figuring out what happens in between.

I don't expect any help, I'm just expressing frustration.

[Anonymouswizard]

Whereas I was refering to a videogame.

Huh, good to know.

Agh, trying to write my book is a headache.

I have my main character and an antagonist, a rough general setting and an idea what I want to do, but whenever I try to start or coming up with specifics of the plot my mind blanks.

like I want to do a plot where a heroine is wielding magic to conjure weapons and armor that give superhuman abilities to fight against an emperor who has used that same magic to take over the world after a bunch of wars involving mega-corps fighting each other, but I blank on even starting it, the hero is supposed to be pragmatic and smart, but I don't know what powers fit her so that she has something fitting yet not too powerful. I don't know what plot to make this all have structure but I do know it will end with that emperor being killed, because the real problem is figuring out what happens in between.

I don't expect any help, I'm just expressing frustration.

Yeah, writing is annoying.

I've moved to extremely limited powers to help stop them being too powerful. In an urban fantasy I'm trying to write my heroine can make objects explode. She has to touch the object, sufficiently magical things are immune, and delaying it by more than a few second is hard. Another character can teleport, but has to enter and exit via an open door in a public transportation vehicle.

My problem is more about how explicit I can be. Can I describe a character who's naked, or can I leave it at 'he wasn't wearing clothes'? So I'm going to run the first draft by some friends specifically to check if it's too graphic.

[LaZodiac]

Agh, trying to write my book is a headache.

I have my main character and an antagonist, a rough general setting and an idea what I want to do, but whenever I try to start or coming up with specifics of the plot my mind blanks.

like I want to do a plot where a heroine is wielding magic to conjure weapons and armor that give superhuman abilities to fight against an emperor who has used that same magic to take over the world after a bunch of wars involving mega-corps fighting each other, but I blank on even starting it, the hero is supposed to be pragmatic and smart, but I don't know what powers fit her so that she has something fitting yet not too powerful. I don't know what plot to make this all have structure but I do know it will end with that emperor being killed, because the real problem is figuring out what happens in between.

I don't expect any help, I'm just expressing frustration.

Generally how I start with stuff like this is figuring out the inciting incident that brings our protagonist into the events of the story. Say, something like "the emperor's forces attack her village, forcing her to grow up fast and deal with the aftermath". Would help with her pragmatism (forced to learn it at a younger age due to the attack) and gives her a good immediate motive to be active in the plot (revenge is so sweet a succor).

As for powers, you already have that in mind. She's pragmatic in a world where you can conjure weapons and armor- her power comes from the allies she can empower, and the things she can empower them with. Given you want her to be pragmatic, she can do regular, mundane but effective combat stuff. The Emperor is some big ass who took over the world, I bet he makes all his soldiers fancy and ornamented to show "you belong to me", so the contrast of gaudy and less than effective weapons and armor vs a far more practical and immediate set makes for an interesting contrast and an immediate way to differentiate things. Some general of this Emperor boasts triumphantly about how he has such and such magical armour empowered by the Emperor and how blah blah blah and then she just gives someone a very sharp metal stick and has that person stab them through the chest until dead.

As well, since she is pragmatic, it asks the question of "are traps weapons?" because if they are, she can do some pretty nasty trap based strategies with the eventual force she'll bring up around her.

@Anon Wizard: Depends on the scene. If someone is just shirtless they're shirtless. If you're having a dramatic confession of love where the person removes their clothing as enticing, describing it in more detail could make sense.

[Keltest]

Agh, trying to write my book is a headache.

I have my main character and an antagonist, a rough general setting and an idea what I want to do, but whenever I try to start or coming up with specifics of the plot my mind blanks.

like I want to do a plot where a heroine is wielding magic to conjure weapons and armor that give superhuman abilities to fight against an emperor who has used that same magic to take over the world after a bunch of wars involving mega-corps fighting each other, but I blank on even starting it, the hero is supposed to be pragmatic and smart, but I don't know what powers fit her so that she has something fitting yet not too powerful. I don't know what plot to make this all have structure but I do know it will end with that emperor being killed, because the real problem is figuring out what happens in between.

I don't expect any help, I'm just expressing frustration.

Whenever i have writers block, for D&D or elsewhere, i typically find i can get over it by tossing some random dramatic event in. Something big and not necessarily related to the main plot that the characters have to react to. Once you have something to act on, getting the characters to do things becomes a lot easier.

[Anonymouswizard]

Whenever i have writers block, for D&D or elsewhere, i typically find i can get over it by tossing some random dramatic event in. Something big and not necessarily related to the main plot that the characters have to react to. Once you have something to act on, getting the characters to do things becomes a lot easier.

Basically Chandler's law (although generified). Or the Nanowrimo version: when in doubt, Ninjas.

Unless the situation is going to be relevant to a main or sub plot I'm not a big fan of it. My advice would be to never just have one plot thread running at once, if you can't get your characters to do what you need see if another thread can make enough noise to jossle them into position. But personal approaches vary.

If you'll excuse, I've got to deal with the man with a gun who's entered my room

[Keltest]

Basically Chandler's law (although generified). Or the Nanowrimo version: when in doubt, Ninjas.

Unless the situation is going to be relevant to a main or sub plot I'm not a big fan of it. My advice would be to never just have one plot thread running at once, if you can't get your characters to do what you need see if another thread can make enough noise to jossle them into position. But personal approaches vary.

If you'll excuse, I've got to deal with the man with a gun who's entered my room

The point is to get things moving again. If you go back and look at it on a second pass and think the situation really didnt help at all, by all means cut it. Its just to make the story progress again.

[Lord Raziere]

Yeah, writing is annoying.

I've moved to extremely limited powers to help stop them being too powerful. In an urban fantasy I'm trying to write my heroine can make objects explode. She has to touch the object, sufficiently magical things are immune, and delaying it by more than a few second is hard. Another character can teleport, but has to enter and exit via an open door in a public transportation vehicle.

My problem is more about how explicit I can be. Can I describe a character who's naked, or can I leave it at 'he wasn't wearing clothes'? So I'm going to run the first draft by some friends specifically to check if it's too graphic.

I think I'm writing different power levels than you, because I can't even come up with powers that limited, all my ideas are super-hero level.

Generally how I start with stuff like this is figuring out the inciting incident that brings our protagonist into the events of the story. Say, something like "the emperor's forces attack her village, forcing her to grow up fast and deal with the aftermath". Would help with her pragmatism (forced to learn it at a younger age due to the attack) and gives her a good immediate motive to be active in the plot (revenge is so sweet a succor).

As for powers, you already have that in mind. She's pragmatic in a world where you can conjure weapons and armor- her power comes from the allies she can empower, and the things she can empower them with. Given you want her to be pragmatic, she can do regular, mundane but effective combat stuff. The Emperor is some big ass who took over the world, I bet he makes all his soldiers fancy and ornamented to show "you belong to me", so the contrast of gaudy and less than effective weapons and armor vs a far more practical and immediate set makes for an interesting contrast and an immediate way to differentiate things. Some general of this Emperor boasts triumphantly about how he has such and such magical armour empowered by the Emperor and how blah blah blah and then she just gives someone a very sharp metal stick and has that person stab them through the chest until dead.

As well, since she is pragmatic, it asks the question of "are traps weapons?" because if they are, she can do some pretty nasty trap based strategies with the eventual force she'll bring up around her.

1. That does make sense, how did I not....? oh well, thanks

2. Never thought about giving other people the weapons/armor honestly. The idea of the magic system was for personal combat; the way the magic is accessed is through cybernetic chips implanted into you that allow you to make them for yourself, the chip normally is sold by the mega-corps for a subscription and you hack it so to keep it from being used to shut down your powers because the emperor is the one who introduced the magic to the world, he wants to keep control of it. and the initial idea was more superheroic/anime in its use, where different styles of armor grant different powers and that her style is more flexible than most in how many armors she can use, and that the things conjured don't stick around forever.

but I guess nothing says you can't figure out how to use the magic that way as well, technically giving other people the weapons or traps aren't even against the limitations for the magic system I set- they can only conjure things that are war and combat related because the magic is connected to a realm or something of war, not creation. good ideas. I can see both her and the emperor thinking of that now.

Whenever i have writers block, for D&D or elsewhere, i typically find i can get over it by tossing some random dramatic event in. Something big and not necessarily related to the main plot that the characters have to react to. Once you have something to act on, getting the characters to do things becomes a lot easier.

.....hm I might actually have an event that could work, but is actually related to all this just not in obvious manner.

thanks, this has been helpful.

[Anonymouswizard]

I think I'm writing different power levels than you, because I can't even come up with powers that limited, all my ideas a super-hero level.

Almost certainly, I really don't li8ke superhero levels. Throwing limitations onto a power just fells natural to me, and when a power is used well despite them I find it more satisfying.

Plus if I can limit a power so it's weird so much the better.

But I have a whole host of such powers that keep popping up in my story attempts. People aren't telepaths, they taste sincerity. They aren't telekinetic, but they might be able to launch objects towards or away from them.

Ironically in gamnes I tend to prefer broader powers, but that's because it means I have to check a smaller list. In a story I can give a wizard thirty or forty such spells and check if they have anything useful withouyt annoying the rest of the group (although it's probably the villain who gets so many).

1. That does make sense, how did I not....? oh well, thanks

2. Never thought about giving other people the weapons/armor honestly. The idea of the magic system was for personal combat; the way the magic is accessed is through cybernetic chips implanted into you that allow you to make them for yourself, the chip normally is sold by the mega-corps for a subscription and you hack it so to keep it from being used to shut down your powers because the emperor is the one who introduced the magic to the world, he wants to keep control of it. and the initial idea was more superheroic/anime in its use, where different styles of armor grant different powers and that her style is more flexible than most in how many armors she can use, and that the things conjured don't stick around forever.

but I guess nothing says you can't figure out how to use the magic that way as well, technically giving other people the weapons or traps aren't even against the limitations for the magic system I set- they can only conjure things that are war and combat related because the magic is connected to a realm or something of war, not creation. good ideas. I can see both her and the emperor thinking of that now.

If you don't want to go the empowering other people route put a limitation in. The limited time one is a very nice limitation because it's exploitable, a villain able to create a lot of armours at once gives them to trusted underlings, knowing that their temporary nature (and his potential ability to dissipate them at any time?) helps ensure loyalty.

As a side note, some kind of generic echancement is a good starting point, a smart brick is significantly more dangerous than a dumb brick of equal power. You can always branch out later, sometimes the only way to realise what you want is to write and realise that you don't want what you've just written (why my high fantasy attempt gave way to urban fantasy).

.....hm I might actually have an event that could work, but is actually related to all this just not in obvious manner.

thanks, this has been helpful.

If you can't write from point A, write from point B. That's been the only way I've ever been able to continue writing projects.

[LaZodiac]

1. That does make sense, how did I not....? oh well, thanks

2. Never thought about giving other people the weapons/armor honestly. The idea of the magic system was for personal combat; the way the magic is accessed is through cybernetic chips implanted into you that allow you to make them for yourself, the chip normally is sold by the mega-corps for a subscription and you hack it so to keep it from being used to shut down your powers because the emperor is the one who introduced the magic to the world, he wants to keep control of it. and the initial idea was more superheroic/anime in its use, where different styles of armor grant different powers and that her style is more flexible than most in how many armors she can use, and that the things conjured don't stick around forever.

but I guess nothing says you can't figure out how to use the magic that way as well, technically giving other people the weapons or traps aren't even against the limitations for the magic system I set- they can only conjure things that are war and combat related because the magic is connected to a realm or something of war, not creation. good ideas. I can see both her and the emperor thinking of that now.

When you are at the bottom of a mountain your initial thought is always gonna be "How the hell do I climb this?". Only once you're up there do you realize the obvious paths- you've taken them.

I'll admit even with the mention of mega-corp my mental image of this was sword and sorcery style fantasy. With a modern setting firmed in my brain I can ssay more specifically "you say only things suitable for combat. Land mines, trip wires, claymores. Those are all made for and associated with combat, but far more devious than people would immediately think of".

I'm glad our advice helped. I like the premise a lot, so I'm rooting for you!

[Rater202]

Sometimes writing random bullcrap helps.

Both of my major fanfics have "side stories" that are collections of one-shots and AU stuff that doesn't fit into the main story. A good chunk of it is stuff I quickly typed out because I had writer's block on the main stories.

[Fyraltari]

Just watched The Mauritanian in theater.

One hell of a movie.

[Anonymouswizard]

Just watched The Mauritanian in theater.

One hell of a movie.

Did they put a massive TV on the stage?


The worst part about writing is having an event that will drive the story forqward, but no way to add it ion without a very hard swerve. Just going to write that serve though, I guess I can fix it in the next draft.

[Fyraltari]

Did they put a massive TV on the stage?

I think, "theater" is what the Yankees call a cinema. Is it not?

[Anonymouswizard]

I think, "theater" is what the Yankees call a cinema. Is it not?

What on earth do they call a theatre then!?

But yes, the US doesn't seem to have learnt words like 'cinema' or 'aubergine'. My ex got confused when I called a courgette a courgette, because she didn't realise it was the British term.

[Lord Raziere]

Sometimes writing random bullcrap helps.

Both of my major fanfics have "side stories" that are collections of one-shots and AU stuff that doesn't fit into the main story. A good chunk of it is stuff I quickly typed out because I had writer's block on the main stories.

The problem with that is, my ideas are so scattershot that none of it really coalesces into an AU or a one-shot in the first place. My mind goes through a bunch of things and is like "maybe this, maybe that" and whenever I try to get out the ideas like you say, I only end up writing one sentence or so.

like I had a different plot idea before it, which was basically "magic comes back to the modern world, but instead of it being secret and well kept, it returns destructively, chaotically and causes a lot of upheaval and strife with humans not dealing well with it at all" but I couldn't figure out how to structure that or what the specifics of it would be. the current idea is something related to something like that but in a way that it can start smaller.

@ Theater discussion: as an american, I've heard people call it "going to the movies/movie theater" while classic theatre is just "go see a play" by my memory.

[Rater202]

In the united states theatre/theater is used for both stage production and the cinema, though "movie theatre" used to be the default for cinema.

And yes, we are aware of "the cinema" as a term but...

You know how it is. You live on separate continents with an ocean between you and for two-hundred years have very limited means of direct communication and the language changes.

It's no weirder than the fact that pants means "trousers" in America but "undergarments" in England. the meanings of words change and some words fall out of use in favor of other words with the same or similar meanings.

[Peelee]

What on earth do they call a theatre then!?

It's nice to hear that you people apparently do not have any words that have multiple meanings, ever, in the entire history of your language.

Suffice it to say that nobody is ever confused by the use of "theater" on this side of the pond.

[DavidSh]

There are also the occasional dual-use theaters, that both have a stage and a screen that they can project onto. Such as the Radio City Music Hall. That's what you would use, not a giant TV.

[Anonymouswizard]

It's nice to hear that you people apparently do not have any words that have multiple meanings, ever, in the entire history of your language.

Suffice it to say that nobody is ever confused by the use of "theater" on this side of the pond.

While it does legitimately confuse me at times, it's not actually enough to bother me. I actually mentioned it because I expect most European people to default to UK English, and so Fyraltari using Theatre took me by surprise.

What does annoy me is the tendency of American RPG writers to assume I recognise or care about gun models (Scion 1e being the worst offender, not even separating them by broad category). They can include them all they want, but can I please just be able to buy a generic off-brand pistol? (I will settle for a generic off-brand light pistol.) I'm not even a fan pf it with made up brands/models like in Shadowrun, I tended to go for the first one on the list (even back when I enjoyed detailed equipment shopping).

[Lord Raziere]

What does annoy me is the tendency of American RPG writers to assume I recognise or care about gun models (Scion 1e being the worst offender, not even separating them by broad category). They can include them all they want, but can I please just be able to buy a generic off-brand pistol? (I will settle for a generic off-brand light pistol.) I'm not even a fan pf it with made up brands/models like in Shadowrun, I tended to go for the first one on the list (even back when I enjoyed detailed equipment shopping).

Yeah, Shadowrun is real spreadsheet like that.

Honestly the loads of gun models thing only really makes sense in shooters like Borderlands or Fallout, because you can actually feel and see the difference between them play out in real time. in tabletop it doesn't matter because its all just rolling dice anyways, so you should only include different stats for when the difference is significant enough to matter.

[Anonymouswizard]

Yeah, Shadowrun is real spreadsheet like that.

Yeah, it's why the only version I'll even consider running these days is Anarchy, which got rid of all the fiddly bits and left an actually decent game (especially if you ignore the 'only six skills' rule).

Honestly the loads of gun models thing only really makes sense in shooters like Borderlands or Fallout, because you can actually feel and see the difference between them play out in real time. in tabletop it doesn't matter because its all just rolling dice anyways, so you should only include different stats for when the difference is significant enough to matter.

Sure, although I think you could make a shooter work with only a handful of generic firearms, even without going to the DOOM model.

But in the tabletop? One handed versus two handed versus mounted definitely matters, fires very fast probably matters, and if it uses bullets, sot/fourchettes, explosives, or rays probably matters.Everything else, including honestly ammunition capacity, doesn't.

I should admit that British RPGs aren't immune from too much detail in firearms, Victoriana has far too many even with it's multiple potentially relevant loading mechanisms (pepperbox versus revolver matters). I just don't see it quite as often.

[Lord Raziere]

I mean, Halo is very minimalist in its gun models, only having one type of model for each gun in a game to simplify things and Halo is/was incredibly popular, so your correct.

personally, I feel you lose out on unique weird guns like NV's Mysterious Magnum, or an alien ray gun, or using a firearm thats designed to be homemade, or a laser tommygun or all the weird guns Borderlands has. its one thing to fire a generic gun, its entirely another to fire a gun that would never work in real life for some fun crazy effect or something special to it.

[Peelee]

OK so I drove something like 1200 miles this weekend ps I'ma go back and get some stuff I missed.

...And now I'm wondering if the insistence that children sit perfectly still at desks for most of a day five days a week nine months out of a year, no getting up to stretch, no fidgeting, and so in isn't related to the rise of rates of obesity in children.

I would be amazed if that were the case, given that such tactics are hardly new, and even then America is laughably low on the severity scale than schools in other cultures, Japan and Korea as quick and dirty examples. I feel fairly confident in stating that lack of fidgeting in school has jack all to do with childhood obesity. It's most likely a poverty issue.

aubergine

courgette

I have to say, you English sure do love your French.

[Lord Raziere]

I have to say, you English sure do love your French.

Don't say that, they get tsundere about each other. after the two nations broke up after failing to get engaged, they can't stop talking to each other like old flames.

[Keltest]

What on earth do they call a theatre then!?

But yes, the US doesn't seem to have learnt words like 'cinema' or 'aubergine'. My ex got confused when I called a courgette a courgette, because she didn't realise it was the British term.

Also a theater. We have Movie Theaters and regular theaters.

[factotum]

It's no weirder than the fact that pants means "trousers" in America but "undergarments" in England. the meanings of words change and some words fall out of use in favor of other words with the same or similar meanings.

Fun fact: there are actually places in the UK where "pants" *does* mean "trousers"--a colleague I used to have who was born and bred in Wigan used the word that way. Technically, even aside from that, "pants" isn't the correct word for undergarments in the UK--the proper word is "underpants", but it's just become abbreviated to "pants" through usage.

[Cazero]

Don't say that, they get tsundere about each other. after the two nations broke up after failing to get engaged, they can't stop talking to each other like old flames.

Ho please. It's at least the fifth time. We're never getting over it, but there's a routine to it by now.

[Anonymouswizard]

I have to say, you English sure do love your French.

Sleeping with the enemy has become so common I sometime wonder why we're not onde country.

It's probably the mint sauce.

[Fyraltari]

Sleeping with the enemy has become so common I sometime wonder why we're not onde country.

It's probably the mint sauce.

Anon, we had a war about this.