Don't worry, Ragnarok is not dead. In fact, I'm working on the next update as I type this.

I have every intention on finishing my story


Never argue with an idiot, because they will bring you down to their level and win through experience

What am I, chopped liver?

(8<I

Should we RSVP the Mob to you guys, then? If it would help...

The problem with fan fics, is they can only go on for so long. They then need fresh ideas, and with a single sory area, can limit things a bit.

Here we go.... again?

some people say that crime didn't exist before GTA

Well, I do now know that someone else out there actually cares about some of the things I've written. But when you think about it, I've really only completed one of about five stories I've done since I've been here. And unfortunatly, that one was Captured which sucked horribly. (Go back and try reading it now if you don't belive me.) I tried doing Chaos Theory (sequel to Captured) but only got about five or six chapters into it. After I dropped Chaos Theory, I posted one chapter of Project Revolution and let that one die all together. (That's the one that ended with Trent being sucked backward into a space ship.) I then tried Project Revolution 2.0 which took place as if my first three stories here never happened. In 2.0 I introduced Colonel Ivan Raikov, who in some ways is similar to Colonel Volgin from Metal Gear Solid 3, and different in some (just to name one, the fact that Raikov isn't bisexual like Volgin.) And then, after 2.0 went down the drain is when I started work on The Holocaust, which is what I keep getting Emails about from people who I don't even know. (Two out of the fifty six Emails I got wanted me to go to hell because a couple of people were offended by the title. Everyone else is pestering me to get it up.)

Choc, I thank you for caring. As I've said before, it is not dead, I've just been too busy lately to really do anything on it. I'm trying to make this my best one yet, so I'm going to do it at my own pace no matter how many people bother me about it.

I think Finalday has his finger on the sore spot. As an idea, perhaps a character and/or story idea bank could be set up to allow those who do hit The Wall a resource to gain fresh inspiration for their fanfics and new characters to draw on.

I think FD and F the D are right on as in:

I think Finalday has his finger on the sore spot. As an idea, perhaps a character and/or story idea bank could be set up to allow those who do hit The Wall a resource to gain fresh inspiration for their fanfics and new characters to draw on.

Who wants to start brainstorming fan fic ideas?

For example:
Save the universe theme - example A
Something (or someone) is corrupting the Sirius supply of H-fuel creating system wide concern and disruption. Advantages: Potential for lots of explosives, moments of tension, plot twists while trailing tanker routes and criminal leads, conflict between the GMG and other companies, house militaries, etc.

Develope the focal charcter theme - example A
Young Top Gun type upstart gets his big break and gets tangled up with his decision to go hero or criminal. Advantages: Lots of 'driver seat' type anticipation, confrontation with those capable of advancing his career (or destroying it), character building chapters like improving combat/piloting skills, navigating beauraucracies, punishing training experiences, etc.

You get the picture. There's some really good writers on TLR but we need some ideas to kick start a few stories. Any other ideas?


You always find what you're looking for.

Of course I can only speak for myself, but honestly I would not really like the thought of having a database with a lot of factors, which I can combine randomly to create a new story.

Take factor x, add character y of faction z and put this into setting a or b. Add a bit of love and war, decide whether you want to involve the nomads and the orginal story characters or not and there you go.

My describtion is of course exagerrated, but for me it does not really work like that. Dunno whether someone else does use this kind of method.
I appreciate the effort of you and the time you put into trying to work out new ideas for your favourite writers, but personally I would consider it as being everyone's own ideas, which get into a story and make it become good or not. It is nothing that could be put into any kind of scheme.

I think you also kind of like your favourite stories, because of the personal ideas and skill every writer puts into it.
If an idea is worn out after the story is finished, there is not much to be done about it in my eyes. I definitely think that it is better to let a finished good story stand alone as it is instead of trying to put with force an addition to it because the readers wish it. We got a saying here, which is something like: "Better an end with horrification than horrification without end." Better a good end than a bad continuing story.

If you really have a good idea or something you would like to see in a story, I would always suggest trying to get personally in touch with the author. I for my part like to read emails and PNs written by readers. For me such is definitely a better thing than writing a thread into this forum where everyone chips in ideas, which shall just be taken and combined to get a new story.

The extreme form of that one would be a random generator, just giving out such factors. I just notice right now that this might be a kind of idea. A really good writer would probably get something out of such a result as well. *g* Probably a good thing to do for some kind of writing competition for the weirdest short story ever written or something like that. But for the normal story I would not really suggest it.





Edited by - [WPIcefox on 1/13/2006 1:47:02 AM

Sometimes I find that I have no real idea on what should happen next in my story. During times like these, I don't try to make the story go in a certain direction. Instead, I let it coast until it reaches a point that I can put it back on track. An example of where I did this was in chapter 15 of Ragnarok, during the conversation between Selestren-Kulam and Jori-Def-Olen-Nalemo.

A flexible storyline also helps. This allows for plot changes and such, which can prove useful if a story hits the wall.

Edited by - Steel_Fang on 1/13/2006 10:17:55 AM

Steel_fang hit it right on the head. Most of the time just letting the story coast is sufficient inspiration for me to get a story rolling again.

(8<I

I usually rather try to let it rest for a certain time.
Whenever I have to face stressful situations in real life, I take a lot of inspiration and get what I call the creative phase. I have had it since the 2nd of January I think and it took me until the 11th, when it was over again.
Nine days of kinda nonstop writing and enough of plot (92 word pages I think) to wait for the next creative phase. I noticed during the past three days that it slowly cooled down again. Now I am kind of mentally blocked again. It is really hard to describe I fear.

If I do not have ideas or do not feel like writing I simply leave it (no ideas). It makes no sense for me to write without being in the right mood for it. It is like a very short and very heavy flu, which I always get when I do not need it at all (much to do for university and stuff like that). Ironically it helps me in real life as well.

When I spend large amounts of time on writing I am forced to focus on the main things. The kind of relaxing which I take from it also helps me to stuff uni things in my head in an easier and better way. In that kind of thing I really do not have any clue what is wrong with me.

Dunno whether others experience it similar way. It is like becoming a part of the world you create for a few days until you leave it again and cannot write anymore about it until you visit next time.




Edited by - [WPIcefox on 1/13/2006 10:22:25 AM

Yes, I've been very busy lately.

Also, you have to remember that people who write can't always turn out gold on a regular basis. I'm still trying to find the best way to start off my second attempt at The Holocaust, trying to figure out how to introduce the main characters, which order to do it in, which events I want to kick off the story, things like that. I'm planning to have about five major characters, so I'm sort of arguing with myself right now.



Edited by - Killa on 1/13/2006 7:15:42 PM

@ [WPIcefox

I hear what you're saying. For me there's two things at work.
One is the rough idea that has a number of scenes and characters simmering. It begins to take shape into a real story (but, gosh if it don't shape change a few times along the way). It *could* be one of the ones I suggested above or any variation. There's some great help to be had in Orson Scott Card's How to Write Science Fiction . Its short, inexpensive and well written. After the framework stuff is done, or at least close then the real work begins because you have to not only live your story (I know what you mean about pounding out your story until you have to go back to real life) but you have to be a good writer - you have to write well .
Back to what I suggested. I know you aren't thinking we just go to the SF supermarket and pull a few story elements off the shelf, shake 'em up and 'voila' a story for TLR. It can actually be fun to network a bit but then I know writers and their ilk (like me) are usually loners to a large degree. Anyway, What's TLR here for?

To wit:
I'm toying with an idea about two admirals from different houses whose history includes a toddler (now in his early 20's) that's just finished ______fill in the blank______. I'm deciding on a disruptive event that throws the kid in the middle and draws the concern of the admirals who are also responsible for solving the 'Sirius Problem'
Twist: One admiral is two months from retirement, the other one is a maverick. The kid is in a different system altogether and has no idea who his friends or enemies are. That's all I'm going to tell you ....

You always find what you're looking for.

Edited by - doc on 1/16/2006 7:55:46 PM

Edited by - Doc on 1/16/2006 7:57:46 PM

Edited by - Doc on 1/16/2006 7:59:44 PM