Writers' Workshop General Chat Thread

[Cresselia92]

I don’t think there is a specific amount of words, but intensity matters. For example, dropping an F-bomb in a story for Everyone would be frowned upon at best and strictly not allowed at worst.

 

[Daren]

Honestly the workshop rules are vague on cursing, and the example the rules give for an E-rated story has an F-bomb in it.

 

[System Error]

To contrast, before a rules patch was put in place thanks to yours truly writing something that ran into conflict with it during the last contest, it was written that any amount of blood in a story got a fic rated T at worst. Don't blame the confusion on swearing either though, since it only says "rare use", and really, anywhere else any harsh swear might get something bumped up a rating.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Hey, question: how many swear words do there have to be in a story for it to qualify for a T rating?

There isn't a hard number. This is deliberate - we decided that context matters more, and if you start assigning hard numbers, it also begs the question of whether ten 'damns' are the same as ten 'fucks'. And then the rules quickly become a) long, and b) silly

 

[Welkamo]

I think context matters a lot. For example, using "fuck" in a sexual context would probably warrant a higher rating than a "fuck" used in a nonsexual context.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Broadly speaking, we allow a fair bit of leeway if you're using the system in good faith. If we think the rating is wrong, the first response is always to discuss it with the author

 

[Greninjaman]

One thing I do find hard for me is creating a complex magic system. As someone who prefers simplicity, I think I will keep it simple by not having a boatload of abilities and rules and limits and such. I feel like a small list would allow for more unique abilities than a giant list of powers where you have multiple that are the same, but some are stronger versions of the same thing.

 

[Lord Kyuubi]

I remember ages ago reading a very good post entitled 'Why spell lists aren't magical', or something like that. Essentially, it was suggesting that having long lists of very specific spells - "this is a firebolt, this is a fireball, and this is a firestorm", or something like that - doesn't feel 'magical' because every spell has already been clearly defined in advance. By comparison, establishing that a character knows the spell to generate heat and therefore fire, and if they push thermselves far enough they will get more and more fire, more powerful but with more potential for getting out of control, then that feels more 'natural', as a sliding scale rather than a list of options.

Whether you agree with that take or not is another matter, but I thought it was an interesting enough idea to put forwards.

I guess another way to put it would be that it's better to give characters a small number of clearly defined powers that have a wide range of applications than it is to give them a huge list of spells that each only serve a singular function. Again, your mileage may vary, though speaking personally, I think that is the approach I prefer.

 

[Greninjaman]

I remember ages ago reading a very good post entitled 'Why spell lists aren't magical', or something like that. Essentially, it was suggesting that having long lists of very specific spells - "this is a firebolt, this is a fireball, and this is a firestorm", or something like that - doesn't feel 'magical' because every spell has already been clearly defined in advance. By comparison, establishing that a character knows the spell to generate heat and therefore fire, and if they push thermselves far enough they will get more and more fire, more powerful but with more potential for getting out of control, then that feels more 'natural', as a sliding scale rather than a list of options.

Whether you agree with that take or not is another matter, but I thought it was an interesting enough idea to put forwards.

I guess another way to put it would be that it's better to give characters a small number of clearly defined powers that have a wide range of applications than it is to give them a huge list of spells that each only serve a singular function. Again, your mileage may vary, though speaking personally, I think that is the approach I prefer.

This is what I had in mind. Thanks. I do agree with what you said.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

Does anyone else dread getting to the end of a story? I do, either because I'm anticipating that the ending will be an emotional gut-punch, or I'm worried that it'll go in a direction I don't like.

For example, there's a series of Animorphs AUs called Daemorphing that's reaching its conclusion soon, and I'm dreading the possibility that a character's arc will end with him cutting all of his ties on Earth and it'll be portrayed as the best possible outcome for everyone.

 

[CynthiaLover]

I want some advice on a concept that will eventually happen in my newest series. Long story short, at one point Nina has to enter Nova's mind via shaman magic, a rare and rather unique branch of magic, in order to remove a splinter of Muu's evil that has trapped Nova in a magical coma and threatens to kill him from the inside. That made me wonder if I should expand on that concept of shaman magic since I'm going through all the trouble to use it as a plot point for a certain event.

I was thinking of something similar to the Shaman System in Breath of Fire 2, where characters combine with elemental-based beings to transform into new, stronger forms. Obviously, I can't use that idea to the letter, as the main cast is traveling the world nonstop, while in Breath of Fire 2 the cast had a home base in the form of Township, thus that's where the fusions could take place. But maybe a variation of that, where certain cast members can fuse with particular elemental energy to become stronger versions of themselves (ie: Angelo fusing with a Water and/or Ice power to turn himself into a more powerful knight-like version of himself like Jean's fused form). The forms would be temporary power-ups instead of (semi)permanent forms to give the party an edge over their foes in the heat of battle, complete with new abilities and skills.

Obviously not all the cast members can do it (namely Nova, as not only is he human but he has no natural magic thus no natural elemental affinity) but I wonder if this would be an interesting idea to pursue. What do you think? Let me know if I should expand on the idea of shaman magic as a means to increase the abilities and powers of the main cast. Thanks in advance.

 

[BackSet]

I remember ages ago reading a very good post entitled 'Why spell lists aren't magical', or something like that. Essentially, it was suggesting that having long lists of very specific spells - "this is a firebolt, this is a fireball, and this is a firestorm", or something like that - doesn't feel 'magical' because every spell has already been clearly defined in advance. By comparison, establishing that a character knows the spell to generate heat and therefore fire, and if they push thermselves far enough they will get more and more fire, more powerful but with more potential for getting out of control, then that feels more 'natural', as a sliding scale rather than a list of options.

Whether you agree with that take or not is another matter, but I thought it was an interesting enough idea to put forwards.

I guess another way to put it would be that it's better to give characters a small number of clearly defined powers that have a wide range of applications than it is to give them a huge list of spells that each only serve a singular function. Again, your mileage may vary, though speaking personally, I think that is the approach I prefer.

I also like this approach... mainly because it lets me get away with bullshit. Anybody who has read Fifth Path could tell you I have used spells that actually come from the source material all of once... maybe twice. Everything else is completely made up.

 

[Dorothy]

Honestly the workshop rules are vague on cursing, and the example the rules give for an E-rated story has an F-bomb in it.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

I have an idea for a Pokémon/Temtem crossover oneshot (I can provide context for the latter). If I posted an outline here, would anyone be willing to help me through it?

 

[CynthiaLover]

After a lot of thought (and keeping me up at night) I've decided to expand on the whole Shaman magic thing that I mentioned earlier as a means of giving the cast more abilities to work with along with giving the series more lore.

I've decided that there are two different methods of using Shaman magic: Soul Unisons and Elemental Energy Fusion. Both have their pros and cons but both result in the same thing: new transformations that enhance the compatible user, complete with new powers and skills. When the cast is first "introduced" to it it's through Nina fusing and entering Nova in order to rid him of Muu's evil energy that's trying to destroy him, as such that would be a Soul Unison (although it obviously didn't result in a fusion form that would empower one or the other). It also showed that Nina is compatible with Shaman magic. The gang is "properly" introduced to it when they officially meet the Shaman Clan.

Now, to explain what I've come up with with the two different types of Shaman magic. First off, when it comes to Soul Unison, the user will fuse with up to two Elemental Shamans to create a new, semi-permanent form a la Breath of Fire 2. The pros are: the form is semi-permanent, thus will remain active until either canceled manually or a certain damage threshold is crossed, and thus the powers/skills/abilities of the form can be used at any time, the form will also be more powerful due to the semi-permanent state of the user, and the form's power gets stronger as the user gets stronger. The cons are: the fusion method is impractical, as it requires two Elemental Shamans and special equipment, the maximum amount of souls that can occupy one body is three (including the user itself), otherwise the body will overload and self-destruct, taking all the souls with it, thus the combinations are more limited, and only compatible Shamans can create successful fusions, thus limiting the combinations even further.

The second method is to fuse with elemental energy. By equipping a bracelet that contains nine Elemental Energy Gems (one for each of the nine elements), the wearer can activate a self fusion by pressing any number of these gems to invoke their energy. The pros are: the fusion method is extremely practical, especially if the user is traveling, the number of combinations is near limitless due to the user being able to mix and match to their heart's desire, since there are no souls being fused there is no risk in overloading the body, and the form doesn't have the damage threshold before deactivating like Soul Unison does. The cons are: the form is only temporary and will disperse if the time limit expires (roughly one hour) or the form is manually deactivated, the form isn't as powerful as Soul Unison (though it's still very powerful), certain elemental combinations create weaker forms (ie: don't mix Fire and Water, for example), and the user's natural elemental compatibility can drastically change the outcome of the form and its power.

Naturally, the gang will be given the bracelets due to being more practical for them. Initially I was going to not give Nova any Shaman form to show that not everyone is compatible with Shaman magic (and the Shamans keep telling him he's not compatible with their magic), but while I was asleep I had a strange dream that gave me the idea to allow him to use it, but his forms would be even more restricted due to him not possessing any natural mana or elemental affinity (mainly the time limit will be only 30 minutes and the form will deactivate automatically either after the battle ends, he run out of stamina, or the time limit runs out, whichever happens first). It'll also tire him out compared to the others. The flip-side is that his forms would be substantially more powerful to compensate for the greater longevity restrictions and the fact that his forms are not as stable as the others because of said lack of natural mana/elemental affinity. Instead I decided that other characters (such as Dominic and Eoleo) will demonstrate that not everyone can use Shaman magic, and in Nova's case he learns he can use it via a desperate attempt to turn a battle against a very strong foe around, which also means he learns that he can use Shaman magic much, much later than the others. Basically, it turns him into the Digimon Adventure 01 Patamon of the gang, where he gets his power-ups later than the others but his are considerably stronger as a result.

What do you all think of this? Do you think it's a good idea and concept to try to use? Let me know what you think.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

A while ago, I added this to Legends: Arceus' Fridge subpage on TV Tropes in the "Fridge Horror" folder:

It's strongly implied that the Hisuian forms are extinct in the present day, but one that stands out is Sneasel, which was in the original Sinnoh PokéDex and even had an evolution introduced that generation. Were they out-competed by introduced Johtonian Sneasel, which being Ice-types, were better-suited for the cold?

This morning, I decided to check that page again on a whim and discovered that several people had added to it:

Spoiler: It's kinda long

• Johtonian Sneasel would also be significantly less threatened by Hisuian Braviary, Kadabra, Swinub-line, and the various Ghost-types making their home in the Alabaster Icelands with Hisuian Sneasel. It's possible that they were just outcompeted and Johtonian Sneasel managed to step in and fill a similar niche without as many type weakness issues.
  • On that note, with how perfectly the Johtonian Sneasel counters Hisuian Braviary and Hisuian Zorua/Zoroark, did they drive those species to extinction? Johtonian Sneasels have PokéDex entries about how they steal eggs while the parents are away and they are vicious with their sharp claws. They also embody the Dark Is Evil (in fact in Japanese, Dark type is the Evil type). The poor parent Hisuian Braviarys and Zoroarks were likely helpless against Johtonian Sneasels (made even worse in that they can work in pairs, one driving away the parents and the other taking the eggs). If that is the case, Johtonian Sneasel was essentially an invasive species that outcompeted the natives.
• Fridge Brilliance when looking at the stat distributions of Weavile and Sneasler. While Weavile is 4x weak to Sneasler’s fighting as well as less powerful (Weavile has base 120 Attack and Sneasler has base 130), Sneasler sacrificed both Speed (120 Speed vs Weavile’s 125) and Defense (60 vs 65), since they both have the same base stat total. Weavile likely outcompeted Sneasler by being Weak, but Skilled. Not only that, but Sneasler’s Dex entry notes that they prefer solitude, while Weaviles work in packs. Lone Sneaslers were likely ganged up on and overwhelmed by Weavile packs.

It's nice that I was able to spark a lot of theorising anonymously. Headcanon accepted.

 

[zoroarctic]

That’s pretty cool, @Nitro Indigo. Reminds me of the one and only time I made a Wikipedia edit. Amazingly, it’s still up exactly the way I wrote it almost 14 years later.

Spoiler

In case anyone’s curious, here’s the article (it’s the part about Escobar’s first walk-off home run): Yunel Escobar - Wikipedia

 

[BackSet]

A while ago, I added this to Legends: Arceus' Fridge subpage on TV Tropes in the "Fridge Horror" folder:

This morning, I decided to check that page again on a whim and discovered that several people had added to it:

Spoiler: It's kinda long

• Johtonian Sneasel would also be significantly less threatened by Hisuian Braviary, Kadabra, Swinub-line, and the various Ghost-types making their home in the Alabaster Icelands with Hisuian Sneasel. It's possible that they were just outcompeted and Johtonian Sneasel managed to step in and fill a similar niche without as many type weakness issues.
  • On that note, with how perfectly the Johtonian Sneasel counters Hisuian Braviary and Hisuian Zorua/Zoroark, did they drive those species to extinction? Johtonian Sneasels have PokéDex entries about how they steal eggs while the parents are away and they are vicious with their sharp claws. They also embody the Dark Is Evil (in fact in Japanese, Dark type is the Evil type). The poor parent Hisuian Braviarys and Zoroarks were likely helpless against Johtonian Sneasels (made even worse in that they can work in pairs, one driving away the parents and the other taking the eggs). If that is the case, Johtonian Sneasel was essentially an invasive species that outcompeted the natives.
• Fridge Brilliance when looking at the stat distributions of Weavile and Sneasler. While Weavile is 4x weak to Sneasler’s fighting as well as less powerful (Weavile has base 120 Attack and Sneasler has base 130), Sneasler sacrificed both Speed (120 Speed vs Weavile’s 125) and Defense (60 vs 65), since they both have the same base stat total. Weavile likely outcompeted Sneasler by being Weak, but Skilled. Not only that, but Sneasler’s Dex entry notes that they prefer solitude, while Weaviles work in packs. Lone Sneaslers were likely ganged up on and overwhelmed by Weavile packs.

It's nice that I was able to spark a lot of theorising anonymously. Headcanon accepted.

Why not add it to the headcanon thread.

Speaking of, I should get around to that headcanon "review" series shouldn't I.

 

[Dorothy]

That’s pretty cool, @Nitro Indigo. Reminds me of the one and only time I made a Wikipedia edit. Amazingly, it’s still up exactly the way I wrote it almost 14 years later.

Spoiler

In case anyone’s curious, here’s the article (it’s the part about Escobar’s first walk-off home run): Yunel Escobar - Wikipedia

I've done a bunch of small edits to Wikipedia over time. I did a lot of work on the articles for American presidential primaries.

 

[BackSet]

Here's a question: how do you do exposition when all your characters already know everything in regards to the thing you need to exposing to the audience? There's the obvious answer of "narration" but if you either don't want to do that or are working in a visual medium (TV, Movies, etc) that's a bit more difficult.