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Messages - LDWriter2

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46
Author Craft / Re: Very nebulous idea...
« on: June 23, 2012, 04:56:58 AM »
So far not a bad idea even though that type of thing has been done. Which means it can work for you, you have some original stuff in there.


So do you have a training program? Are the various ways of magic set in at birth in a person or can someone change at will? If the second is it excepted by society or are there rules that say doing that is a big No No. If so what happens if someone does change? That could be an interesting plot point.

Is everything done with magic or do you still have to get physical with farming and war?

47
Author Craft / Re: Are Readers Growing Tired of New Urban Fantasy?
« on: June 23, 2012, 04:49:30 AM »
First of all: I don't think Lord D'Arcy would be any form of steampunk. It used magic not steam or 1800 to early 1900 tech to do things. Could be magicpunk maybe. :)


Second of all: I loved that series too. The new guy did a few, I forget the exact number but it was low. He changed a couple of things but kept most of it the same. His writing style is different of course and you can tell when the series switched over. But he was good.

48
Author Craft / Re: The I'm Writing Thread.... Celebrate your pages written etc
« on: June 22, 2012, 12:46:56 AM »
Even though I didn't come here for this I say that some writers need deadlines, they need the pressure. Others do quite well without them and some do badly with them. Cen you could be one that needs them. :) 

And BTW I came to this discussion late I didn't know you were still in high school. Too bad about your relationship with your sister, that happens at times for various reasons, I hear.



But I wanted to say is that I have been revising too much lately. Can't take my laptop to work because it's too hot so last night I was feeling the Need To Write. Restarted a steampunk story and something else, I can't think of right now.

But my actual new writing has been way down sometimes less than a hundred words a day. Still feeling that way so I will be leaving to Write.

49
Author Craft / Re: Are Readers Growing Tired of New Urban Fantasy?
« on: June 22, 2012, 12:40:54 AM »
Getting back to UF books.

For some reason I recently remembered one more. A HD type of character. I can't recall the writer but the title is "Urban Knight". It's a YA book I think by the way it was written but it has a recommendation from William Shatner on the cover. I know there's a second one out some place but I haven't seen it.

And there is another series that might be UF. A kinda fusion of UF, alternate universe with a touch of steampunk. I say it might be UF because the tech is late 1800s or earlier 1900s. Not sure what time period UF has to be in to be UF. Looks like an English type culture but in a made up country not in London. I say a touch of steampunk because they fly in airships not airplanes but it fits with the made up culture and tech development. 

Anyway it's the Renegade Wizard series by K. E. Mills. I recently found out there's a fourth which I rejoiced about because the third sounded like the end. But Barnes and Noble didn't have it last week.


If you want plain old fantasy definitely read the series-Raines Benares- by Lisa Shearin. Or did I suggest that one already? In either case it's worth reading.

50
Author Craft / Re: an engineering problem which I need to solve for a story
« on: June 22, 2012, 12:29:17 AM »
Quote from: the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh on June 21, 2012, 06:42:12 PM
This is in fact the case; the long-term plot relevance is for that information to have survived and got out in a context where it's thought to have been lost.

The problem is, finding a physically plausible means of storing rather a lot of information in a small space (even using remnant tech from higher tech levels, I want not to have to break physics here) that can readably survive the stresses of the launch and landing.

Just had an idea, I would think this depends on how the info is storied. I was trying to think of what type of data storage they had in the 40s. Computer tape, written word, audio tape, punch cards, vinyl records. They may have had some type of metal "paper". Not sure if they had cassette tapes back then or not. But as I think someone suggested your world could have some tech that is from the fifties or sixties. A little mixing of tech might be a good idea because it wouldn't be a complete parallel development.  Anyway what type of container would depend on what type of data storage. Lead lined for sure, padded probably, maybe a box or barrel completely filled so the object would not be able to bounce around. Not sure if they would have suspended the object by straps as I have seen at times. Not sure when that university started the yearly challenge to drop an egg from a great height and not have it break.  But if you could find one of the first year results on line you might find some ideas.
 
A bullet shaped container maybe with either a very hard nose or a false one that is made to break off. I can picture this one going alone with the tech they had in SF TV shows-movies from the forties. 

Maybe more than one copy, I think they believed in back-ups back then. Or find a way to connect it to the front of the ball in a way so that it would drop off just before impact. Some type of mechanical release mechanism or slow acting acid to burn through a strap. I believe they could have worked something out back then.

That's all I have for now.

51
Author Craft / Re: an engineering problem which I need to solve for a story
« on: June 21, 2012, 02:45:32 AM »


I have no idea how to answer that, even though I might come up with something in a few days but the real reason I respond is to say that I may know some place--a full writer's forum where there are people who might know.

52
Author Craft / Re: Are Readers Growing Tired of New Urban Fantasy?
« on: June 20, 2012, 05:05:59 AM »
Quote from: Shecky on June 20, 2012, 01:12:12 AM
The few steampunk stories I've read and enjoyed reminded me of this little plum: "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Which describes the "accidental" (i.e., an ill-understood discovery in an alternate timeline) steampunk stories quite well.

I haven't read that many yet but I can see why some people would have problems with having to put aside their unbelief. Some of the tech does seem to defy certain physical laws even though I have read a couple with no real paranormal...at least what I usually think of as paranormal.

But in that case sorry to report that they are on the raise. I don't think but I'm not sure if it will take over like UF did but there will be quite a few new ones.

BTW I like some of it, especially a spy thriller type series I am reading.

53
Calendar Event Discussion / Re: Where would YOU like Jim to appear?
« on: June 20, 2012, 04:58:46 AM »
Quote from: Zuriel on June 18, 2012, 04:24:44 PM
If you're interested, I have an extra hardcover copy of Ghost Story that I'd be willing to mail to you for free.   :)  It's in excellent condition.



Sorry, it took me so long to get back here. 

Thank you a bunch for the offer. Oh, boy it sounds gooood but my wife thinks my paperbacks take up too much room now, which is one reason I bought a Nook. I have books everywhere in one room and in a cabinet in another room...she has made comments about it.  I think I will have to decline your great offer--rats.  I'm going to be on vacation soon and if I get on the ball I will go through a bunch of the books and see about getting rid of some. But I also want to revise one and half novels, write a story about life on a deadly planet in a week and critique a few so we will see what I remember to do.

I have bought some e-books but I would like to keep DF on paper because all the previous ones are.

54
Author Craft / Re: The I'm Writing Thread.... Celebrate your pages written etc
« on: June 17, 2012, 05:36:35 PM »
Quote from: Zuriel on June 17, 2012, 01:35:27 PM
I was sort of half way joking, but RL does, on a regular basis, interfere and there's nothing I can do about that, unless I find a cave and go live as a hermit, so I try not to waste the free time I have.  Lately I've been re-reading DF and that is consuming my extra time.  Once I'm done with DF I should be back on a semi-regular schedule of writing. 


Yeah, RL can interfere quite easily at times...too easily.

But as to rereading DF  Um,(Clears throat) Urm...I hate to tell you this but there's 13 novels published now--not sure if that includes "Side Jobs" and unless it takes you less then a week to read one--which would mean way too little writing time--number 14 will be out by the time you finish. All together it could take a year or more of waiting to get back on "a semi-regular schedule of writing".


55
Calendar Event Discussion / Re: Where would YOU like Jim to appear?
« on: June 17, 2012, 05:27:39 PM »
Quote from: Enchantedwater on June 17, 2012, 09:18:13 AM
Dear Jim,

Hello, please know that if you wish to visit Concord, California I am prepaired to offer you free Burger King. All you can eat. This is not a bribe. This is a fact.

Thank you,

Charlotte


I would almost bribe with the same type of thing.  :) 


But he has come to a book signing in a city-two or three times- around five hours from me. But it's on a Saturday and I'm usually expected to work with someone in the mornings and I probably would have to drive back after dark--getting home late...been so tempted to do it anyway.

56
Author Craft / Re: Christian influences in Fantasy writing
« on: June 17, 2012, 04:09:25 AM »
Quote from: Yeratel on June 17, 2012, 04:02:52 AM
There isn't any overt Christianity in the Perelandra stories, but C.S. Lewis' basic morality comes through, and the planetary spirits seem angelic in nature.
Jim Butcher is quoting C.S. Lewis through the voice of the Archangel Uriel when he says to Harry, "You are a soul; you have a body."

But I think there is, well maybe not very overt--you kinda have to read between the lines but I still believe it's there.

As you said the planetary spirits as angels, the whole Adam and Eve on another planet thing, the ending that sounds basically like it was taken from the Second Coming of Christ prophecies. But as I said it's not super overt.   

57
Author Craft / Re: Are Readers Growing Tired of New Urban Fantasy?
« on: June 17, 2012, 04:04:21 AM »
Getting back to the copycat part of the discussion.

Other writers do it but along those lines I wonder if pro writers have some type of club they belong to, read the same books--on writing--or get some type of Newsletter the rest of us can't get. Because sometimes they copy each other at the same time. Or very close to the same time.

A while back John Levit put in a type of creature in one of his books. One I don't think I've heard of. Not long after Murphy comes out with a book with the same creature, hers is different and has a different role to play but still the same basic idea. The way it works with publishers she probably had the book all the written before or about the same time Levit's came out. So did she get a sneak peek at Levit's, was it a coincident, or did they read the same book or newsletter?


In another two series--won't say which ones because they are on my list of books you should read and I don't want to post a heavy duty spoiler. Only a light one ;) 

Anyway in bother series written by two different writers something happened to the MC way back in childhood that restricted them. Same type of event. So they grew up and became heroes without knowing something. Then later in a life and death situation it is undone and they became how they would have been if that restriction had never happened. By later I mean not in the first few books. Again both books came out at about the same time so unless Writer B got a sneak peak at the Writer A's book Writer B would not have been able to copy what Writer A did.

I find it intriguing.   So coincidence, do they have the same writing book, or?


Okay, I probably made a complete mess of that explanation--try reading it again slowly, if it still makes no sense I can try it again





58
Author Craft / Re: Christian influences in Fantasy writing
« on: June 17, 2012, 03:31:42 AM »
Quote from: The Corvidian on June 16, 2012, 03:49:11 AM
To those who mentioned Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien where friends.


Can't say about anyone else but I knew that. And I may have the two mixed up. One said something along the lines that he didn't write his book as a Christian metaphor or that he didn't put in any Christian symbols but in either case it's still in each series anyway. Tolken or Lewis couldn't  help it. Which was I think my original point.

59
Author Craft / Re: Are Readers Growing Tired of New Urban Fantasy?
« on: June 17, 2012, 03:25:28 AM »


I could very well be getting my covers mixed up. But with what the book covers said I was still under the impression that Mercy's shifters were not wolves. I'll try to find the first one and see if I can remember why.

There was one somewhere that has a lion on the cover. Might be Kitty. The head lion in the pride is a romantically interest of the MC.


60
Author Craft / Re: Are Readers Growing Tired of New Urban Fantasy?
« on: June 16, 2012, 03:14:32 AM »
Quote from: Starbeam on June 15, 2012, 05:08:29 PM
Alpha and Omega are about werewolves, and so are the Mercy books. Although the biggest difference is that Mercy's not a werewolf, and she deals with other types of supernatural creatures.  From a couple interviews I've read, it sounds like the two series are going to start running concurrently and reference each other more.  She's also writing only one book a year now, switching between the two, because she was having trouble keeping up the pace with putting out two a year.  Or something like that-I forget the specifics, and I think she'd mentioned that at a con about two years ago.

Aso, the Sorcerer's Apprentice thing--there was a huge amount of discussion and whatnot around the forum because of the similarities to DF, and all.  And Jim even posted a bunch of side by side pictures on twitter at one point.  Something else that gets noted with that a lot--Nic Cage was exec producer for the DF tv series.

And Dylan Dog--the craft was showing.  I wasn't even trying to watch the movie critically, but I could see a lot of the writing pretty blatantly. Though no examples spring to mind at the moment.


As I understood it the shifters in the Mercy books turned into other things like lions. I think I recall a lion on the cover of one. Of course cover artists do get confused at times.

But I don't recall Briggs having that many real series. There is her Raven series but that is three maybe four books. Her Dragon Bones one and its sequel--or is Bones the second one-- and her first published book and its newer sequel. Too bad she can't do more than one book a year. Is she still working? Or is she slow at writing? Some writers are. 

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