Writers' Workshop General Chat Thread

[Misfit Angel]

You know what would be nice for planning? Some sort of offline wiki software. I'm sick of having like, 30 text files open while doing a bit of planning, when I could just click on a link and be directed to the file in question.

 

[Beth Pavell]

I suppose the status of telepathy would really clinch it, and what it can achieve. Most stories I've read, fanfic or otherwise, treat telepathy as being basically conversation, but I reckon it would feel a lot more intrusive than that. Telepathy could have applications for translation, interrogation or spying, but would it be considered legal? What about human rights issues, etc

You know what would be nice for planning? Some sort of offline wiki software. I'm sick of having like, 30 text files open while doing a bit of planning, when I could just click on a link and be directed to the file in question.

I still maintain that a notebook with paper bookmarks is the quickest and easiest way to navigate extensive story notes

 

[AceTrainer14]

I definitely meant more what Pokemon with Psychic powers could do to mentally influence governments/politicians as opposed to Pokemon serving on councils or what have you. I think it depends greatly on whether you view Pokemon as obdient soldiers waiting to be captured and commanded by humans or as something more.

I suppose the status of telepathy would really clinch it, and what it can achieve. Most stories I've read, fanfic or otherwise, treat telepathy as being basically conversation, but I reckon it would feel a lot more intrusive than that. Telepathy could have applications for translation, interrogation or spying, but would it be considered legal? What about human rights issues, etc

That's definitely area I hope to cover at some point in my work. I think some comic books play with it (there was the incident last year when Jean Grey used her telepathy to out Bobby in Marvel's All New X-Men), but I agree it is a story possibility that has gone mostly untaped.

The problem I have with writing things down is that my plots generally end up changing and the detailed notes I spent weeks writing become useless. Though @Kimberly Prescott, what do you mean exactly by offline wiki software? Like for Pokemon in general?

 

[Beth Pavell]

@AceTrainer14 Warhammer 40K Roleplay, of all things, did it quite well with telepathy. In Dark Heresy, at least, telepathic contact with an unwilling recipient is portrayed in a very creepy, unwholesome light (Put it this way, the boxout describing the effect was entitled "Closer Than Flesh"). There was also some other sundry rules about characters unintentionally picking up personality traits and even mental disorders from interrogation subjects, as I recall

 

[AceTrainer14]

@Beth Pavell: that does sound interesting. I probably wouldn't go so-far as to do mental disorders. I do already have plans for 8ES around the connection between Alaska and Latios, and how she is already thinking of abusing it for her advantage. I have been struggling for a while around how to develop the Mewtwo in my world, and telepathy might just be the way.

 

[Lord Kyuubi]

You know what would be nice for planning? Some sort of offline wiki software. I'm sick of having like, 30 text files open while doing a bit of planning, when I could just click on a link and be directed to the file in question.

Oh gods, I would love something like that. Maybe the only drawback would be that I'd lose far too much time to it.

 

[Flaze]

@Beth Pavell you're never going to update yourself to the 21st century are you?

And I myself have done some things in regards to psychic pokemon and their powers. Like telepathy is definetily used as a means of interrogation and psychic pokemon that are strong enough are even able to like shut out memories our put wards on people's brains. Like if say you don't want someone to talk about something specific you have a psychic type make it so that they're unable to whenever the idea pops into their heads. It's not legal though, but that doesn't stop some people (even government involved people) from doing it

 

[Misfit Angel]

Though @Kimberly Prescott, what do you mean exactly by offline wiki software? Like for Pokemon in general?

For example, I've got a lot of lists for background information for something else I'm working on (something I might hold back on publishing online with the hopes that I might publish for cold hard cash someday), such as faction lists, character lists, etc. Like a crew list for a starship. It'd be nice if I could open that up, and when I click on the name of one of the crew members, the information I've wrote about them pops up. When I'm done looking at it or changing it, I can click the back button, it'll save my changes, and then bring the crew list up again and then I can click on someone else.

It'd be like an interactive, simple to use filing cabinet.

 

[Tophat Dragoneye]

You know what would be nice for planning? Some sort of offline wiki software. I'm sick of having like, 30 text files open while doing a bit of planning, when I could just click on a link and be directed to the file in question.

I could probably code something along the line of that, though it would have to be on a local database rather than on textfiles. You know, characters, their names, traits, personalities and appearances etc. Unfortunately, I don't have that much time on hand at the moment to do that. :/

Remember the TVTropes stuff we talked about some time ago? Turns out that the site have something called Trope Pantheon, where they take fictional characters from all sorts and turn them into gods based on various tropes. Including Pokémon. It's interesting and funny to read through them. Take Ash as an example. He's he Merchandise-Driven God in it. They've also done partnering Pokémon with various characters in the pantheon.

You're gonna laugh a little bit when you find where Brock is by the way

 

[Lugion]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned ASOIAF yet in regards to telepathy. Skinchanging is portrayed as a very intrusive form of telepathy, and it's extremely taboo to skinchange into another human. Not to mention a certain gentle giant's reaction to being subjected to telepathic control.

 

[Beth Pavell]

I'd quite uncharacteristically forgotten about A Song of Ice and Fire

Y'know, back when pen-and-paper RPGs were still a thing for me, one of my regulars kept insisting that we compile a wiki of the world we I had created. It's still floating around somewhere. I don't think I ever used it myself, but it would have worked if anyone other than me regularly ran the games

 

[CrystaI]

Mind may I ask what is the occupation of everyone here? What does one do for living?

It was just a random thought came up in me that we had actual scientist being a fan of Pokemon franchise (anyone remember pikachurin?), so I just wondered, your colleagues that is so earnest in his/her occupation, could in fact be a hidden Pokemon fans.

If you think this question is too sensitive to answer, you don't need to answer it in details, just a general remark is fine.

I'm a white-collar working in two different companies currently, both are part-time (but then that add up to full-time), where the main job is data entry. Somehow, I deemed myself as a workholic, always looking for work. If you see me in the office, I don't think anyone will imagined I had such hidden interest.
(Well, may be the super-attentive otakus can catch a small glimpse, because I had an anime-character keyholder on my handbag. Though not Pokemon)

 

[Beth Pavell]

Studying languages to become a teacher. Though it might explain a lot if I were to say that I take a keen interest in biology

 

[Lugion]

^Wouldn't that be anatomy, Pavs?

I'm currently a cashier in a pharmacy.

 

[Misfit Angel]

Going on eight years of unemployment, with spotty temp jobs here and there. I've only survived to this point on the good graces of family and... well, let's be honest, I don't have friends.

 

[Life]

I work in a restaurant, so nothing fancy. For now it's only a part-time, temporary thing; certainly nothing I plan to be sticking with in another year and a half.

One of the nice things about it though is that it gives me a lot of time to think while I work, and I'm able to pick up a lot of inspiration/ideas from all the different types of people that walk in and the conversations I overhear. Only unfortunate thing is that since I work as well as attend school, I barely have time to use any of the ideas I get. :\

 

[TwinklingCupcake]

I work in retail; first half of my shift I'm a cashier, and then after lunch I go to the floor to tidy up the aisles and help customers locate items.

Sometimes it's very slow in the first half, so I get to take out scrap paper and doodle ideas for my story. Or I see a customer with interesting hair/fashion and think "I'm giving an 'NPC' character that look."

 

[JustACollector]

I am currently in the US Army. My job field has a higher percentage of video game players and people who read/ writes, and plays table top games.

I don’t bring up Pokemon around people just because I know most people don’t play or haven’t played since R/B/Y. Even though I’m older (26) I still enjoy watching the movies and reading and writing about Pokemon.

No one has teased me or made fun of me for liking Pokemon so far but if they did I would come back at them, jokingly of course.

eddit: spacing

 

[AceTrainer14]

I work at a library and I am looking to get into journalism. Not having much luck there.

BTW, if people follow us on Twitter (@bulbawriters), let me know if your a writer on here so I can tag you if we ever promote your story. We are going to start highlighting ongoing and new fiction weekly. If anyone has ideas for Twitter-based discussion ideas or what not we'd really appreciate some input.

 

[Persephone]

I work at a college newspaper. I'm studying to be an aquarist. The two have no connection.