TheCatholicCrow
Mystagogue
Code brackets work nicely too ... <Obi Wan> <A> or <Evil Dude> ... as long as it gets changed before I let others read it, it all works for me 
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Random thoughts
- Thread starter SeverinR
- Start date
I'm not normally a sports guy, but the Super Bowl was pretty awesome. Lady Gaga had a cool show, Pats turned around an 18-point deficit by tying the game in its final minute and winning the first Super Bowl ever to go into overtime. What's not to like? (Unless you were rooting for the Falcons.)
DragonOfTheAerie
Istari
I do the same, with a modification. I use multiple letters, so abc or aaa. Just whatever; as you say, so I don't get distract ... what's that?
My modification is that I enclose the letters with square brackets. I do this so I don't have to account for every possible letter string across thousands of words. I never have occasion to use brackets elsewhere, so a search on [ will return every place where I need to substitute a real name.
The greater difficulty, which I've yet properly to manage, is making sure the person [abc] in Chapter Five is also called [abc] in Chapter 12 when he reappears briefly. I have a bad tendency to grab a letter string then forget with which noun it is to be associated. I've tried keeping a separate list, but by the time I hop over to the list, I'm already in Distracted Mode and too readily go squirreling off somewhere. I've tried being disciplined about the choice of letter strings, but that's just laughable.
In desperation, I've come up with a new plan, which I intend to try out with my new novel. Since I am firmly in a medieval fantasy setting, I know for sure no character is going to be named Jimmy. So when I need a name, I will choose modern ones; diminutives best. I'm more likely to remember that Minor Character #7 is named [Arnold] than I am to remember he is [bbb]. Same for place names, where I'll use street names in my neighborhood, or maybe American city names. Objects may be tougher. I'll torch that bridge when I come to it.
Oh, and for those writing longhand, I use curly braces {word} because they're easier for the eye to pick up. I don't use them typing because, Shift.
Nice catch with the brackets. I use them too. Easy to Find and Replace.
But I haven't had so many unnamed characters that I have trouble memorizing yet.
I remember calling a mythological deity [Puffles] in one draft of a story once...
TheCrystallineEntity
Dark Lord
^That made me laugh. I once called the protagonist of my story 'this unnamed person' for quite awhile.
I once called the protagonist of my story 'this unnamed person' for quite awhile.
Saigonnus
Dark Lord
^That made me laugh.
I typically use "INH" for that. It means "INSERT NAME HERE" and it might be for a place, person or object.
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Banten
Shadow Lord
Prepare peasants, Puffles' power produces panic. Prince Puffles Plunders public places. Punishes praying preachers. Purges protesting people. Promotes pimping prostitutes. Prohibits presses. Proliferates plagues. Prevents parades. Pollutes plants. Pulverizes pirates. Perpetually perverts particular pitiful princess-procuring plumbers. Perturbs peace. Perfidiously personifies police. Pilfers parliament. Pillages planets. Pesters presidents. Pauperizes populations. Procures prohibited private property. Proliferates problematic preternatural prophecies. Perhaps pummels pets.
Please possess prudence plus patience.
(I don't know exactly why I wrote that...)
TheCrystallineEntity
Dark Lord
I'm a bit nervous about my books, that they might seem ridiculous or impossible to take seriously. I...um...have a rather 'Tolkien-ish writing style, and frequently make up words. I think my third book will just be completely bonkers and silly, for the fun of it.
DragonOfTheAerie
Istari
Ack! I can't figure out a good enough reason to throw my MC in prison!
DragonOfTheAerie
Istari
Hmm...well, some people might like it. A writing style like that may also be appreciated in the children's market too.
DragonOfTheAerie
Istari
Additionally, it has been a very long time since I've drawn anything. I got really discouraged about my drawing and haven't done anything in a few weeks. :/ I need to be practicing though...
DragonOfTheAerie
Istari
O_O...just...O_O
TheCrystallineEntity
Dark Lord
I've found that I need to go back and tell two other stories before my current story even starts, and so it will be hypothetically structured into three parts.
Michael K. Eidson
Grandmaster
Ack! I can't figure out a good enough reason to throw my MC in prison!
Who needs a reason?
Seriously, the MC doesn't have to have done anything to get thrown into prison. Someone could frame the MC. There could be a case of mistaken identity by a witness that places the MC at the scene of the crime. Those are just a couple of ideas....
TheCrystallineEntity
Dark Lord
I added many poems and a huge epic saga to my Portfolio if anyone's interested.
DragonOfTheAerie
Istari
Who needs a reason?
Those are still reasons. I'm figuring out HOW she gets thrown in prison.
She is a criminal, so...
Michael K. Eidson
Grandmaster
^Hence the smiley.
I think the HOW would be by someone stronger than she lifting her up and tossing her.
I think the HOW would be by someone stronger than she lifting her up and tossing her.
Futhark
Master
Call him Guy!
Thomas Laszlo
Mystagogue
So I have an addiction to Tom Clancy... so I'm thinking about writing from a characters point of view very similar to Sam Fisher or John Clark:/
I want to write fantasy too so I was thinking about how to combine the two... it might be urban fantasy with some thriller etc....
OMG IT HIT ME! Time to start writing!
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DragonOfTheAerie
Istari
TheCrystallineEntity
Dark Lord
I think I have Tolkien Syndrome. For around five years, I'll start a book, stop, rewrite it, stop, try again, give up, start a new one, and so forth.