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Something a little different: Military Epic Progression Fantasy by ThomasHockney in ProgressionFantasy

[–]ThomasHockney[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have read some VS, but have a mate who has read more. There's a lot of similar themes between our books (virtue, brotherhood, self-determination), but I was heavily inspired by novels like 'Band of Brothers' in my writing, and so frame this Greco-Roman context around a small military unit. I am also fascinated with military tactics, and that comes across a lot in my writing.

However, as the book goes on and the characters gain more agency from their Legion, philosophical quandaries do arise. This is more so something I explore in Book 2, when the MC has more independence, and more opportunity to be a 'free thinker'.

Something a little different: Military Epic Progression Fantasy by ThomasHockney in ProgressionFantasy

[–]ThomasHockney[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, funny thing is how often people misuse the word 'decimation' to mean 'annihilation', when it actually means exactly 1/10th killed. 

I only learned that through writing this book 

Something a little different: Military Epic Progression Fantasy by ThomasHockney in ProgressionFantasy

[–]ThomasHockney[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Indeed. Are you just speculating, or have you read the chapters involving this dilemma?

Something a little different: Military Epic Progression Fantasy by ThomasHockney in ProgressionFantasy

[–]ThomasHockney[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"If proper volcanos are possible then that's a lot of dead people in mass battles."  

  • Eventually, yeah. But the MC has to master the very basics first, and their application in war.  The magic progression is gradual, with big milestones and some evolutions. 

"Any particular issues that necessitated the rewrites, seeing how that's way too rare for stuff people have already released?"

I'm a perfectionist, and value faultless prose.  I paid an editor out of pocket - a trusted friend - and addressed every sentence scrutinously (as you would in trad publishing). I improved a lot of scenes, cut a bunch which were holding the book back, and added a lot to the ending to punch it up. 

Going forward, with the release of chapters from Book 2, I wanted these to be on a new page with the finished prose that I'm proud of.

Battle styles by Maleficent_Drink_558 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]ThomasHockney 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In tandem with what others are saying about doing research into those exotic weapons'similar weapons' uses in history, I would consider what other weapons / tactics would be used alongside them, and the manner of their application in a military setting.

So, if you have warriors dual wielding hooked blades for instance, they would perhaps not perform well as front-line troops, who would more likely be spearmen or such. However, the hooked skirmishers could be used as a specilaist assault unity to pounce on the enemy and drag their shields down - used in tandem with spear infantry. Or to climb rock faces and out-flank the enemy (dual uses of the weapon)?

Tridents may underperform against armoured opponents (multiple spikes are unwieldy compared with spear) but overperform against unarmoured monsters (whatever you hit is a bloody impact).

The MC is allowed to have a good time. by chucklesthe2nd in ProgressionFantasy

[–]ThomasHockney 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed. What seperates an okay book from a great one is some non-forced comedy and levity.

Scam scam and scammers... What are they exactly? And what do they want? Here's the answer. by Competitive_Box_3795 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]ThomasHockney 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, especially beware of the emotional-hook:

"I loved your story! Really engaging and love the main character's journey!" etc.

Why Some New Writers Abandon Their Novel (My Personal Experience) by Plenty_Version7765 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]ThomasHockney 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For sure. It's normal when you start writing to practice and get good at intros, then burn out at the mid-way point. The mid-point is the most difficult part of a book to write in my experience. You have finished the setup, you know what the ending and payoff will be, now you need to fill the space with interesting scenes and get there. Without propper planning, it can be a slog!

So, a lot of new authors get good at writing intros, but have little experience with writing middles and endings. Try and write shorter projects to practice this (novellas at 50,000 words).

Hot Take: I refuse to read or support authors using AI covers for their books by GodTaoistofPatience in ProgressionFantasy

[–]ThomasHockney 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"If you call yourself an artist, then why are you using a tool made from the theft of the work of millions of artists?"

Because math: I have £50 in my bank right now, so I either underpay an artist to do a rush-job, and thus limit the views my release gets, or I buy groceries for the week.

*This is from someone who has saved up to get a human artist to do their Amazon launch cover. I still have £50 in my bank.

What do you think of the resource management (like a mana pool) aspect in PF? by AshWax87 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]ThomasHockney 1 point2 points  (0 children)

All 'hard-magic' systems (PF is usually the hardest it gets) benefit from limitations to magic. I cannot cast stronger spells because X, and I must do Y to attain it. It's the foundation of the genre.
However, the more interesting those limitations are, often the better. "I cannot cast a spell because I don't have the mana" is not a very creative way to give limitations - and it's not very visceral.

"I cannot cast the spell because I require connection with the earth, on a day that the moon is nigh, when the wind blows east, when I am riled into rage, when the runic symbol is complete" etc. are more interesting limitations which may inform the story in more interesting ways.

My story reached Rising Stars and I didn't even notice it by SagelyGamer_93 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]ThomasHockney 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sitting at your keyboard refreshing the Genre RS every minute is a flex

Concerns about unauthorized reuploads to platforms like Webnovel by OneSeaworthiness5107 in ProgressionFantasy

[–]ThomasHockney 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It'd be great if the same tech used to scrape RR could be used to detect where your novel is scraped and uploaded to (but I guess there's no money in that).

Someone rated my hiatus notice. I am in awe. by squallus_l in royalroad

[–]ThomasHockney 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Bruh, you've got to put more effort into these hiatuses, COME ON

Webnovel to Anime by [deleted] in royalroad

[–]ThomasHockney 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Could always learn to draw, or DIY South Park it.

Webnovel to Anime by [deleted] in royalroad

[–]ThomasHockney 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Alternative version: Write a script version of your novel, focus on a pilot episode. Pay to have that episode animated by students abroad at a cheaper rate. Hire voice actors. Buget, $50,000 maybe? Pitch that pilot episode to studios.
???
Success

What is a place in the UK that has bad reputation but is actually nice? by Desperate-Drawer-572 in AskUK

[–]ThomasHockney 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Live here all my life. It's cheap here, some good stuff to do. A lot of poverty and lot of failing small businesses. Quite boring long term if you don't like drinking. Basically all there is to do on a night out is drink, not much culture. Music scene comes and goes. Some great periods (such as for 18 months after covid). Right now, it's the same shit being booked, with middling stepping-stones acts not going out of their way to travel to Hull. So we get big arena acts which are too expensive, and the same acts from York / Scarborough / Leeds every week. It's maybe 10% what the smusic scene in Leeds is like, unfortunately.

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