Isla Aukate
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Writing Help
#11
I'm glad to hear we have been helpful Smile
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#12
Sooo, what do you guys do when you feel down in your writing? Or I suppose when anyone is feeling a little down in their own writing. I hope this is alright to ask by the way? I don't want to cause the droops.

I usually try to remind myself writing is like making food. After you write the whole thing, since you made it. It's been analyzed under over and sideways by yourself. Same with food, you've tasted it in every way possible, every ingredient every morsel has been tested by you and when your done. It tastes bland and uninteresting to you (at least that's my experience). Simply because you worked so damn hard to make it good in the first place.

Thoughts?
"What would you do for a better world?"
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#13
If it makes anyone feel better I've never been confident in my ability to write ever since I re-analyzed my first unpublished novel and realized what a cluster of tropes it was. The story of isla Aukate got infinitely better when Gen offered to join in and help me with the story in her own way. She helped guide my ideas away from tropes and overused cliches while still keeping the heart of the story I wanted to tell. Without her refinements it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable as it is, I don't think. Goodness knows I would have ended the story a hell of a lot sooner if she hadn't stepped in.

I realize not everyone has that assist. But being friends with someone good at writing and also dating a writer, I suppose some good ideas start to rub off.

Gen seems to think I'm not nearly as terrible as I feel I am, which is to say, playing with wooden alphabet blocks while she and Aramis build skyscrapers with air conditioning and plumbing out of toothpicks. But I digress, you may not be as bad as you think you are, or if anything you just need to be aware and move away from commonly used tropes and cliches to find the talent underneath.

I'm an artist first, a storyteller second, but my talents do not lie in worthsmithing. Story concepts however, I feel I'm still good at. :p
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#14
This was a really nice read and thank you all for posting this. It gave me a few things to look out for when I think about my character. I'll keep it in mind during RPing.
Keep moving forward! No matter what! That's my creed. 
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#15
I don't write much anymore, for the most part I write here or work on pathfinder games. But what can happen with writing can happen in general with any form of art. Art is for the most part a pure mental activity, and it's tiring! Sometimes the brain refuses to go on because it requires a pause. So I personally stop doing what I'm doing and try to do something else: possibly physical (go for a walk, or if you're a sportsman do some sport, or cook or clean the house), but any activity you can find that distracts the brain from what you were doing is good.
Your brain will work on it anyway XD

Another thing is, sometimes it's just better to leave a work alone for a day or two. God knows how many times I waited to post here just because the reply was not good. Returning to a work after a bit, you'll see it with new eyes - and that's something that works wonders for me. Many times I looked at a work again and cringed at how bad it was done XD

So, yeah, that's my two cents. Though now I'd love to hear Gen's and Aramis' thoughts too if possible!
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#16
For Aukate, Fox gives me a nugget of an idea or I give her one and we expand on that. We toss it back and forth until we have a rough plot figured out, and from there I write a script. I used to just leave the outline of stories in Fox's head, then took to writing outlines for her, and then ever since the 'Chicken hunting' arc I have been completely scripting them.

My creative input is often things like the time Fox considered having Silver also get turned into a werewolf. I told her the rule of "Ands" when it comes to characters. Let a character have one big thing that makes up who they are. We are potentially going to be writing about these characters for years if not decades (as of right now we have enough plot material to write the next 2-3 years). And when a single character is scripted for that long they can get extra gifts and things that can make them start to get too big and too special to have in a normal story. So, Silver's big thing is that he's an empath. He's also a doctor and a good scientist and such, but his big gold star is his empathy. Once I explained my case she understood and agreed.

I also have a deal in writing with Fox stating that if anything ever happens and for some reason I go crazy and our friendship ends, I will not pull a tantrum passive-aggressive stunt and demand my characters be removed from the story. We both have had incidents in the past where that has happened so we have the deal to protect the story for both of us. She won't purposely portray my characters as suddenly becoming laughable caricatures out of spite, I won't demand she cease and desist and pull them from the story entirely. I highly recommend that anybody with a co-writer do this even if you are as close as Fox and I are. Both of us have had our characters and stories dragged in the mud by spiteful former collaborators.

Anywho, Fox also has the final say on everything. She can edit the the dialog as much as she wishes and change things up if she feels I'm not portraying the characters properly. I've only insisted she change it back once and once I explained my case she did. I was going to link to the example but the unedited page is the one on the archives. (Oh Fooooox....) But that's also to reassure her that I understand that Isla Aukate is *HER* story at the end of it all.

And for novelty's sake, let me show you a piece of the script so you can see what it looks like. After the 'Missing' arc is over, we are doing one that goes into the popularity of radio on the islands, and then one where the gang at the lair are putting things back together after what happened with Sagitar. Such as Fox getting her affairs back in order:

Scene starts with Fox at her desk going through her papers. It’s a mess and she’s trying to get things back in order again. Darius is nearby sipping tea as she works.

Fox: “Aaaugh! Sagitar did so much damage and she was barely here for two weeks! Half my contacts think I went insane or insulted them!”

Darius is calm as always as he sips. “I’m sure it’s nothing that can’t be mended.”

Fox claws at her temple. “India says I faxed them photos of my butt instead of the processor diagrams!”

Darius smirks. “A shame, if it had been Japan instead they might have enjoyed that.”

Fox whimpers. “Not helping, love.”


Hope you liked Smile
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#17
Beauty from adversity, especially in that of opinion. That is the best way to create as far as I am concerned. We all have to come from somewhere though.

I love the little script piece there by the way. Not very good for the Overlord though.

Thank you guys so much.
"What would you do for a better world?"
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#18
(09-19-2016, 04:29 PM)Artemis Wrote: Darius smirks. “A shame, if it had been Japan instead they might have enjoyed that.”

Ahahahahah, omg XD

Thanks a lot for your input too!
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#19
So I was thinking about theme songs for characters, and how they best fit for the characters in question. Every time I think about this I fall flat on my back and nothing I can come up with ever fits as much as I would like it too. So while brainstorming I had an idea that I felt solved that problem.

Instead of a theme for the character, I felt the song that should really help define your character is their favorite song. Music is very much about what you glean out of the song itself (imo). What it makes you feel and how it makes you think. To assign a song to a character that way never felt genuine to the character in the question.

Perhaps everyone knew this already? Either way it has made understanding my characters much easier and much more enriching.

As an example I found the song (using my limited repertoire of music) that would be Amos' favorite song. Which would be Everyone wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears.

What about for your characters?
"What would you do for a better world?"
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#20
I honestly never felt the need to give characters a "theme song"... To me music helps to underline a concept, or to get inspiration from the feelings it gives me. It's also true that I'm not a music connoisseur.

I like the idea of favorite music though! I might try it next week with my gaming group...

As for Garran goes, I feel I have yet to play him enough to really know him... but "Suzy" from Caravan Palace might be a good "work music" for when he's in the lab XD It's silly enough. But as far as a favorite song goes, well, who knows!
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