main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Resource Fanfic Writer's Desk: Your Place for Writing Discussion, Questions, and Advice

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by Luna_Nightshade, Nov 24, 2011.

Tags:
  1. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Another question - would it be okay to assume that the inhabitable planets in most star systems are located at about 1 AU from their star? Also, would it be better to use parsecs, as in AU = 4.8481e-6 parsecs? Kind of...impractical to me. [face_phbbbbt]
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2018
  2. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    I think the creator/s only place out systems that have been given a place on the canon maps or a very god decription on where they lay.

    Have to ask, why do you want to know?
     
  3. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    If it is an Earth-type planet, and same type of sun as ours, an AU sounds okay, though you could have a Star Wars version.

    Don't use parsecs for AUs. Parsecs don't kick in till you start travelling multiple light years, so waaaaayyyy unsuitable for intra-system terminology.

    Klicks (kilometres) or miles, would be better for AUs.
     
    pronker likes this.
  4. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    Do there exist any kind of fanficers guide how to write Marvel characters or something? I want do use some characters in a Marvel fic I'm writing but don't know what personality/quirks they have
     
    pronker likes this.
  5. Mira Grau

    Mira Grau Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2016
    @Gamiel
    Well TV tropes could be usefull site in that regard. They usually have lists of tropes associated with many fictional characters. Inclunding stuff related to character ticks and general behavior.
     
    pronker, Sith-I-5 and Gamiel like this.
  6. Raissa Baiard

    Raissa Baiard FFoF Artist Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 22, 1999
    What do you do if you suspect a plot element you were thinking of using in a story does nothing but up the kewlness factor? Is there a way you decide whether or not to cut it or is the mere suspicion reason enough to do so?

    My problem is that in the story, Ezra finds a holocron. I was planning to have its gatekeeper be an established character, who would ultimately turn out to be related to Ezra. This relationship was partly my way of explaining the rather advanced things (which are necessary to the plot) that Ezra is able to do with help from the gatekeeper I wonder, though, if the relationship isn’t just one of those TOO KEWL coincidences that doesn’t really add much to a story.

    If you do think it’s unnecessary, would it be better to:
    A.) keep the EC, unrelated to Ezra
    B.) keep the gatekeeper related to Ezra but not the EC
    C.) Scratch the whole thing and come up with something new for the gatekeeper.

    I am reluctant to do C.) because I’ve been on a roll with this story and I hate to have to go back to square one.
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2018
    pronker and Findswoman like this.
  7. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    If you go there, be sure to leave a trail of breadcrumbs to find your way out again. The place is addicting![face_worried]
     
    Tarsier, Gamiel and Sith-I-5 like this.
  8. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    @Raissa Baiard - At this draft stage, just go with it whilst the inspiration is with you.

    Later on, you can amend it so it isn't quite so on the nose.
     
  9. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    @Raissa Baiard -- I like B. or A & B. LOL if you don't want to go with the EC being the gatekeeper.
     
    Findswoman and Raissa Baiard like this.
  10. Tarsier

    Tarsier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2005
    I wouldn't worry about it being "TOO KEWL," unless coolness is the only reason for the plot element. Based on the bolded above, it sounds like you have a plot-based reason for the relationship, so I say run with it. I feel like it might be one of those "if you're worried about it, it's probably okay" sorts of things :)
     
  11. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    +1
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2018
    Raissa Baiard likes this.
  12. Kurisan

    Kurisan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2016
    gg
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2021
    pronker, Ewok Poet, Sith-I-5 and 2 others like this.
  13. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    I've been removing stuff I outlined for my loooooooooooooooongfic in 2015, shuffling it around, changing details, even replacing names for something that sounds better, so there's always a way.
     
    Findswoman and pronker like this.
  14. Flyboy240

    Flyboy240 Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 6, 2017
    I'm writing a story about a Rebel X-Wing squadron made entirely of Imperial defectors and right now I have them being introduced all at once but it's a bit repetitive, so it's more or less a placeholder for now. What's a good way to introduce a bunch of characters at once?
     
    pronker likes this.
  15. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    Maybe you have thougth about it but it feels like you need a non-ex-imperial as an overseer also.
     
    pronker, Flyboy240 and Sith-I-5 like this.
  16. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    Prison shuttle landing on the hangar deck of wherever they are going to be operating from.

    "All power to front defector screens."

    Take a look at our roleplaying forum, a game called "Black Sheep Squadron".

    Similar idea; see how they have done their staff introduction.
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2018
    Flyboy240 and pronker like this.
  17. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    Good idea re the defector premise - since it's military, maybe a roll call or 'everyone line up by height, it's new uniform day!' to give a really basic physical description?[face_thinking]
     
    Flyboy240, Gamiel and Sith-I-5 like this.
  18. Flyboy240

    Flyboy240 Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 6, 2017
    That's a good idea, thanks!

    I think I'm going to go with the roll call.
     
    pronker likes this.
  19. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    What word would a character in the 1980's use to convey the same meaning as somebody today saying 'awesome'?
     
  20. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2018
    Gamiel likes this.
  21. Pandora

    Pandora Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2005
    They would say "awesome."

    Personally, I think of "gnarly" as belonging to a very specific type of Southern California based lingo. I don't think I have ever heard it used in real life, and I haven't ever used it myself.
     
    pronker, Raissa Baiard and Gamiel like this.
  22. Thorn058

    Thorn058 Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Jul 28, 2008
    If it was me I'd go the Dirty Dozen route. 12 Imperials who have screwed up and are going away for a long time given the opportunity by the Alliance to earn a fresh start. It can even cover Gamiel's suggestion for an Alliance member as the commander for the group but not an actual part of the squadron.
     
    pronker and Gamiel like this.
  23. Kurisan

    Kurisan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2016
    gg
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2021
  24. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    @Flyboy240 I think you have three main options here.

    One is to figure out a situation where introducing each character separately makes sense, such as pronker's suggestion of 'new uniform day' or a suspect line-up or equivalent. However, depending on how many characters we're talking about, this can easily become a loooong series of bios and like Kuri said you may end up overwhelming the reader with information. I'd also add that, to make it a captivating read, it would probably require more work on the framing device (e.g. the person distributing the uniforms, the officer reading the pilots' files etc) than on the bios themselves. It's by no means impossible though and I'm sure you can pull it off.

    The second option is what Kuri suggested: focus on one or two of the characters in the opening chapter and limit yourself to a key trait for each of the others, and then give details about the rest in subsequent chapters/scenes where not all of them are present at the same time.

    A third option is to introduce only key traits of all your characters in the first chapter, and then to insert a small prologue for each character before each subsequent chapter. This could be for instance a flashback or an excerpt from an individual pilot's file whose contents are relevant to the plot point, the themes or more generally the developments in the chapter that is prefaced by it. This, I think, can be a good way to give each one of your characters his or her moment in the sun throughout the story, but it implies a lot of work on the narrative structure as a whole.
     
  25. Kurisan

    Kurisan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2016
    gg
     
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2021
    Chyntuck and Ewok Poet like this.