Writers' Workshop General Chat Thread

[Nitro Indigo]

What pattern variations do you think Mantyke would have? I'm writing a fanfic where a character recognises a Mantyke from her back-pattern.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Google image search some manta rays and pick something you like! Alternately, make it so that the character thinks the pattern resembles an object or symbol of some kind.

 

[Misfit Angel]

Using pen and paper to write on the local buses is a fool's errand!

Translation: "I know right, god damn bumpy roads. What are taxes being spent on!?"

I simulated the average bumpy ride by balancing my tablet on my knee and bouncing it up and down. I think this is even neater than the disastrous wreck my city's roads actually are.

 

[Beth Pavell]

I don't write per se, but I do sometimes jot down observations or other turns of phrase that occur to me when I'm out and about. With a trusty - wait for it - notepad

 

[UselessBytes]

Using pen and paper to write on the local buses is a fool's errand! I'll give using OneNote a go and let you know if I succeed.

I used to write using pen and paper a ton, and I kind of miss it. Sadly Tourette's makes it infinitely easier to type, as when I twitch while typing I don't rip a sheet out of my notebook on accident

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

I sometimes like to use a pen and paper when drafting, because it reduces my tendency to inhibit myself when writing. I then type it up later and edit as I go.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

I sometimes carry a notebook with me to write down story ideas.

Here's that underwater Pokémon fanfic I've been talking about for the past few days.

Also, since my Kindle Fire had an update, the autocorrect seems to have gotten worse. It keeps autocorrecting perfectly valid words, and yet doesn't recognise obvious typos.

 

[TRNatalie]

Most of my stories are done with pencil and paper during the rough draft and are then typed during the final draft.

You could always go the ridiculous route and have your character lug a water tank on their back

There was one episode in the anime where one of the characters did this with a Luvdisc (although it was only for a few minutes of the ep).

Did you try to write on pen and paper? Could do mobile, but 9439439 other distractions on there.

Ahh, this brings me back to the days where I could write in a journal in the car. Now I can only seem to do it on a phone.

 

[Arkadelphiak]

I've probably mentioned this before, but I have my trusty iPhone at the ready, so I jot down concepts or sudden bursts of inspiration in the Notes app. Those incidents generally happen in the middle of class or while I'm doing work.

 

[diamondpearl876]

I could see it with a luvdisc, 'cause aren't they supposed to be super light?

I do indeed jot down notes and ideas on my phone, too. But when I have lots of time to do actual writing (like tomorrow, when I'll be getting an oil change and will probably be sitting in a car s hop for 1+ hours), I find myself on Discord or the forums instead. Oops.

 

[Misfit Angel]

I find myself on Discord or the forums instead. Oops.

Welcome to my life. What has helped when I'm out and about but in a position where I'll be using my phone a lot (apassenger on highways, for example), is I set up my own private Discord server that I can just type notes and ideas into. It helps satisfy that itch of using Discord (help I'm an addict) while keeping me at least somewhat productive.

The social aspect isn't there, obviously, but it does help.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

I never thought of having a private discord server. I might just do that, actually.

At the moment my problem is feeling like I should prioritise my studies over my writing, and then procrastinating on both. Oh dear.

 

[UselessBytes]

Oof, don't get me started on discord as a distraction factor. I'm in charge of a fairly large server, (500 odd people, but only 150 or so are regularly active) and the temptation to goof off with my friends on it all day is real.

 

[Ambyssin]

I tend to turn off Discord during any designated writing time. *shrug*

 

[Iggy]

I tend to turn off Discord during any designated writing time. *shrug*

I left it and didn't look back the moment it had the nerve of asking for a phone number. Yeah, I don't think so.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

I've written a scene that's over 900 words long, and it's only half of a chapter. Most of my chapters are barely longer than 1,000 words. I feel so proud.

Pet peeve: when people say that Game Freak should canonise the beta Gen 2 Pokémon using wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey nonsense in a future game, when they've probably already been reworked into now-existing Pokémon.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

@Iggy I don't understand your concern with Discord whatsoever. Why is asking for a phone number so objectionable to you?

@Nitro Indigo I suspect some fans would want any and all zany pre-production ideas canonised. I think some of the beta concepts are cool but I wouldn't want them over what we actually have.

It seems to me that the rejected beta designs were discarded or altered in order to avoid similarities to emerging rival franchise Digimon which has a distinct style including 'disembodied round heads with tiny limbs' and 'weird bits stuck to creatures'.

 

[Beth Pavell]

I don't much like social media asking for more contact details. In the case of Discord I've grudgingly put with it. I absolutely refuse to allow Google to have it. One more tentacle in my life, supposedly for my security, whilst all the while giving me less and less choice about whether I actually want that security or not.

 

[lucarioknight56]

Yeah, that's part of the reason I purposefully refuse to use most Google products. There's usually good alternatives on my Android phone, such as using Microsoft. It's better than using Apple's bizarre ecosystem, but I feel like I'm cheating by using a device used by one of the companies I despise. Oh well.

 

[diamondpearl876]

Yeah, I see no reason why Discord would want my phone number. I don’t even remember them asking for mine... At any rate, I don’t need random companies spreading my personal information around where god knows who can access it under the guide of them wanting to “better” their products.

It does annoy me too that I have no idea who all does have my information at this point. Stupid young me would just sign off on whatever, and while I may be free with my personal information with online friends even today, several random websites feels rather off.