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News:
"Magic is what makes fantasy fantastic," someone says, "you can't apply rules to them or else it loses wonder!" I respond, "Sure, but if you want to write them you will certainly want to know how they work." Writing is all about execution, and I find applying some basic laws of physics to magic systems make them more understandable and realistic. Here, I'm going to outline my basic method for developing a magic system.
Column by Chaos2651
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32
Dan Wells / Blacker Darkness (Dan's vampire humor novel)
« on: September 29, 2008, 07:32:08 PM »
There's a download link to Dan's novel Blacker Darkness along with Writing Excuses Episode 33.
http://www.writingexcuses.com/2008/09/22/writing-excuses-episode-33-side-characters/
http://www.writingexcuses.com/2008/09/22/writing-excuses-episode-33-side-characters/
33
Everything Else / Hereditary college football title
« on: September 29, 2008, 12:12:55 AM »
Hey guys, does anyone here remember reading about something like this? I swear I remember reading about it a few years ago, but I can't find a link and am not sure I'm even using the correct terminology.
Basically, this hereditary title determines the football title like a boxing title is determined. You go back to the first college football game, Rutgers vs. Princeton in 1869, and give the title to the winner (Rutgers). Then when they lose the title passes to whoever defeated them. You take this up through the years to the modern day (the title could change hands several times during a single year) and determine who the current hereditary titleholder is.
Where is the list of titleholders, and who is the current titleholder?
Basically, this hereditary title determines the football title like a boxing title is determined. You go back to the first college football game, Rutgers vs. Princeton in 1869, and give the title to the winner (Rutgers). Then when they lose the title passes to whoever defeated them. You take this up through the years to the modern day (the title could change hands several times during a single year) and determine who the current hereditary titleholder is.
Where is the list of titleholders, and who is the current titleholder?
35
Brandon Sanderson / ALCATRAZ und das Pergament des Todes
« on: August 31, 2008, 12:23:28 AM »
Check it out: http://www.bic-media.com/dmrs/widget.do?skin=blue&isbn=9783453524156
Translates as "Alcatraz and the Parchment of Death." That's a pretty good title too (for book 2).
Oh, cool, page 4 says "Translated from Americanese."
Translates as "Alcatraz and the Parchment of Death." That's a pretty good title too (for book 2).
Oh, cool, page 4 says "Translated from Americanese."
36
Rants and Stuff / The Sarah Palin VP announcement
« on: August 30, 2008, 12:08:06 AM »
This seems discussionworthy. I had never heard of her before this morning, but now I am kind of excited. She's such a shocking choice.
37
Brandon Sanderson / This week at Worldcon: "Rolling up the Wheel of Time" panel with Sanderson, etc.
« on: August 05, 2008, 06:22:55 AM »
At 10:00 a.m. this Saturday, August 9th, the World Science Fiction Convention in Denver will host the following panel:
449: Rolling up the Wheel of Time
CCC - Room 504
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series has been rolling on for quite a few years now. Find out how Jordan wanted to finish the series, who is going to write the ending, and how the publishers are making it happen.
Brandon Sanderson, (m) Moshe Feder, Peter Ahlstrom, Tom Doherty.
I am not sure why they put me on the panel (that's a daunting group to be in!), but I'd like to make the most of it as a sort of representative of the fans who won't be able to be there. So I'm throwing this thread open to questions, of which I'll try to ask as many as possible.
Just a couple ground rules--
I'll be paying the most attention to the questions submitted in the next 24 hours, since I'm leaving for Denver on Wednesday morning. As for how you'll get your answers...I'm guessing that at least one podcaster will record the panel, but I'll still take as many notes as I can.
449: Rolling up the Wheel of Time
CCC - Room 504
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series has been rolling on for quite a few years now. Find out how Jordan wanted to finish the series, who is going to write the ending, and how the publishers are making it happen.
Brandon Sanderson, (m) Moshe Feder, Peter Ahlstrom, Tom Doherty.
I am not sure why they put me on the panel (that's a daunting group to be in!), but I'd like to make the most of it as a sort of representative of the fans who won't be able to be there. So I'm throwing this thread open to questions, of which I'll try to ask as many as possible.
Just a couple ground rules--
- Please don't suggest a question if you're actually going to be there. There should be plenty of time for the panelists to take audience questions.
- Please don't bother asking questions to which you already know the answer will be RAFO. Keep in mind that Brandon is pretty much guaranteed to be even less candid than Robert Jordan would have been in this situation.
I'll be paying the most attention to the questions submitted in the next 24 hours, since I'm leaving for Denver on Wednesday morning. As for how you'll get your answers...I'm guessing that at least one podcaster will record the panel, but I'll still take as many notes as I can.
38
Movies and TV / Font humor
« on: July 31, 2008, 03:16:54 AM »
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1823766
I'll have to forgive the ending, because it's just so clever.
I'll have to forgive the ending, because it's just so clever.
39
Movies and TV / TR2N
« on: July 26, 2008, 08:08:20 PM »
Wish I had been there to see the trailer.
http://www.filmstalker.co.uk/archives/2008/07/tr2n_tron_2_trailer_online.html
http://www.filmstalker.co.uk/archives/2008/07/tr2n_tron_2_trailer_online.html
40
Movies and TV / Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog—Joss Whedon, Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion
« on: July 17, 2008, 08:39:18 PM »
http://www.drhorrible.com/
Part 3 of 3 comes out in two days, and then the free preview online will be over and you can only buy it on iTunes or DVD.
We watched the first two episodes, and it's pretty hilarious. It's about a wannabe evil villain, his arch-nemesis, and his crush from the laundromat. And lots of singing.
Part 3 of 3 comes out in two days, and then the free preview online will be over and you can only buy it on iTunes or DVD.
We watched the first two episodes, and it's pretty hilarious. It's about a wannabe evil villain, his arch-nemesis, and his crush from the laundromat. And lots of singing.
41
Movies and TV / Wall-E
« on: July 08, 2008, 04:44:43 AM »
Seems there isn't a topic yet.
We just went to see this today and absolutely loved it. I got teary-eyed several times.
Though what keeps it from being a perfect movie in my judgment is the inconsistent depiction of human beings. I understand the reasons for it, but my disbelief just can't be suspended on this point. It brought me out of the movie.
We just went to see this today and absolutely loved it. I got teary-eyed several times.
Though what keeps it from being a perfect movie in my judgment is the inconsistent depiction of human beings. I understand the reasons for it, but my disbelief just can't be suspended on this point. It brought me out of the movie.
42
Rants and Stuff / Interview with me
« on: June 10, 2008, 08:43:49 PM »
There's an interview with me up over at Precocious Curmudgeon about my time at TOKYOPOP.
43
Everything Else / new.familysearch.org
« on: May 27, 2008, 09:50:05 PM »
If you live in a temple district that they've rolled out the new.familysearch.org beta out to, check it out! I've been engrossed in it this past week, and perhaps it will finally fill the void left when I gave up Wikipedia.
Basically I've just been going through and combining duplicate records...and uncombining records where they have people confused with each other. For example, Robert son of John was getting mixed up with his nephew Robert son of John son of John... I also found one guy who's his own father and grandfather.
It's fun and I feel like I'm doing something meaningful. Fixing duplication and combination errors seems like it's really what's needed right now...there are sooo many people who have had temple work done multiple times, and getting the records all straightened out will help keep that from happening in the future.
(Note: The beta/alpha is open to LDS members only.)
Basically I've just been going through and combining duplicate records...and uncombining records where they have people confused with each other. For example, Robert son of John was getting mixed up with his nephew Robert son of John son of John... I also found one guy who's his own father and grandfather.
It's fun and I feel like I'm doing something meaningful. Fixing duplication and combination errors seems like it's really what's needed right now...there are sooo many people who have had temple work done multiple times, and getting the records all straightened out will help keep that from happening in the future.
(Note: The beta/alpha is open to LDS members only.)
44
Writing Group / Alternate history story idea...Tunguska
« on: April 21, 2008, 08:55:35 PM »
I had this idea pop into my head yesterday, but have no intention of using it. Still, I thought I would throw it out there.
On June 30, 1908 (or June 29th in an earlier timezone), a comet or meteor struck the earth with an explosive force of 10 to 30 megatons, obliterating a major city of a major world power. The devastation, and its economic and political aftershocks, were so terrible that a future scientist's first major test of a time machine was to go back and somehow affect the comet/meteor's path so that it instead exploded relatively harmlessly 3 to 6 miles above Siberia.
Is the world better off now, or not? Was there a major change of history, or were the same slowly building events simply given different catalysts?
On June 30, 1908 (or June 29th in an earlier timezone), a comet or meteor struck the earth with an explosive force of 10 to 30 megatons, obliterating a major city of a major world power. The devastation, and its economic and political aftershocks, were so terrible that a future scientist's first major test of a time machine was to go back and somehow affect the comet/meteor's path so that it instead exploded relatively harmlessly 3 to 6 miles above Siberia.
Is the world better off now, or not? Was there a major change of history, or were the same slowly building events simply given different catalysts?
45
Writing Group / Hugo Nominations
« on: February 21, 2008, 11:15:49 PM »
Hugo nominations are coming due, for people who are already registered for Worldcon, and I was wondering what people were thinking of putting down. Brandon has a couple books eligible, and Eric James Stone has a story or two that seem kind of popular... 