McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Unrealism In Books
jtaylor:
Well, there is a legitimate use for a giant 2-handed sword used by foot. The flamberge was used by heavily armored foot soldiers to neutralize pikes. You could use the blade to either cut or foul the shafts of several pikes at once, giving your more traditionally armed soldiers openings to kill the pikemen. The blade itself while large actually only has about 3 feet of cutting edge. The blade can be grasped above the quillions for close fighting, and it only weighs about 8 pounds. This is significant as most swords weigh around 3 pounds, but when used by a warrior trained in its use it can be devastating.
terioncalling:
--- Quote from: Valkyrina on January 30, 2007, 12:17:06 AM ---just a quick note on point #2.
Would you want to bring about the apocalypse with a butter knife...?
...
Thought not.
Sharon.
--- End quote ---
...I am so tempted to write a story where a character is armed with a butter knife whilst trying to stop an apocalypse now.
And here's a small snippet I just jotted out in Word:
--- Quote ---My life blows.
No, really, it does.
Here I am, bleeding and covered in grime that’s made of stuff I don’t even want to think about, and standing in front of one of the scariest things mankind has ever seen – a god walking on earth. Don’t ask what god; nobody knows or really cares to find out anymore.
But, yeah, here I stand with a crazy, gun-toting Amazon woman to my right and a half-reformed Black Mage to my left while everyone else runs in terror. And what do I have? A frickin’ butter knife.
See? My life really does blow.
--- End quote ---
Valkyrina:
^_^
Spreading inspiration wherever I go.
Make his life suck more... it's a plastic knife.
The god has a spork.
Stalemate...
lol
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: Valkyrina on January 30, 2007, 12:17:06 AM ---just a quick note on point #2.
Would you want to bring about the apocalypse with a butter knife...?
--- End quote ---
"So, what do you do, then ?"
I paused in the middle of buttering my crumpet. "Oh, I'm with the Department of Eschatology."
"Pure or Applied ?"
"Trust me. You don't want to know."
Velkyn_Faer:
So many to reply to, and so little time.
I'll keep it general, because I truly have very little time.
Belial: True, true, I can understand the 'familiar but only just familiar' feeling (as in, it is related to humans, but with crazy traits. Something we know, but also something totally wild.) , and setting the reader off balance. Thank you.
About the swords, that was what I was getting at. Other than cavalry purposes, (didn't think of that, thank you to all who mentioned it.) who is going to use a weapon that
--- Quote ---nobody in their right minds would try to actually fight with, you'd swing once, miss, and get killed half a dozen times while trying to stop the blasted thing and bring it back for another swing
--- End quote ---
as neurovore said.
On the note of 'they look awesome' I do have to agree, but I personally try to keep things as real to the story and the world the story takes place in as possible. I think that's the key.
--- Quote ---Well, there is a legitimate use for a giant 2-handed sword used by foot. The flamberge was used by heavily armored foot soldiers to neutralize pikes. You could use the blade to either cut or foul the shafts of several pikes at once, giving your more traditionally armed soldiers openings to kill the pikemen. The blade itself while large actually only has about 3 feet of cutting edge. The blade can be grasped above the quillions for close fighting, and it only weighs about 8 pounds. This is significant as most swords weigh around 3 pounds, but when used by a warrior trained in its use it can be devastating.
--- End quote ---
That makes perfect sense, and has real-life usage. Thank you for pointing that out to me. I'll keep that in mind for the story I'm writing.
As to the butter knife, Jim Butcher should totally have Harry in a fight with that. He's laying in a ruined diner, smoke drifting in the air, with tables and chairs overturned everywhere. His opponent stands over him and kicks his blasting rod away with a laugh. Harry snarls a curse and rolls, searching for anything to use to fight back. His hand closes on something, and he hauls himself to his feet, lifting his weapon. His eyes widen with surprise as he realizes that he held a butter knife. It would have to do.
(Not much credit to my writing, but I slapped that out without thinking, so take it as it is. But, Jim should totally do that.)
Velkyn
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