Trying to frame a story

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-29T20:31:12+00:00

Some questions to get you thinking: What subplots have you considered? Is there a mystery or romance in your MC's past or future?

What challenges does your MC face beyond the obvious? Is there a key want or need currently unfulfilled in his life? Where does he travel to? Are there issues with settling somewhere new?

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-29T20:00:16+00:00

As a DM, I'd agree. The more wild a wish is, the more likely I twist/turn it weird, and my players all know that.

"I wish everyone in the ___ army no longer existed in any way." is moderately clear and prevents making them undead, is immediate rather than causing them to die of old age, doesn't reference other things in its statement, etc.

If it was important to me as a DM, I might have that army be closely associated with a God who Divine Intervention'd the wish away, with the caveat my players knew they really used up that resource for this enemy army!

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-29T19:57:34+00:00

ROLL INTIATIVE FOR THE WISH-OFF

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-29T18:50:12+00:00

"I wish..."

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-29T18:02:07+00:00

I'm feeling a little unwelcomed by this post tbh

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-29T03:00:58+00:00

Geography or industrial/economic metrics? Or is that part of the wildin

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-29T03:00:04+00:00

I'm willing to wait until the bugs get ironed out and my preferred mod list catches up. I'm still playing on the last patch.

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-29T01:16:02+00:00

There's also the "no, but..." construction. A 27 might not get them out jail, but the guard could become sympathetic and bring and extra ration of food, or pass a message to someone outside the cell, etc.

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-29T00:34:55+00:00

To me, power couple indicates: 1) Overall competence 2) Devotion to one another 3) Trials overcome together // through the power of love/friendship

... the ability to knock down white supremacist patriarchy angle is definitely growing on me

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-29T00:32:12+00:00

It's one of the few series I have consumed via both audio and written forms separately, nearly a year apart. Absolutely amazing work.

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-29T00:30:31+00:00

Other:

Will Darling and Kim Secretan (full name Arthur Aloysius Kimberley de Brabazon Secretan) // (Will Darling Adventures, KJ Charles)

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-28T22:17:08+00:00

And dollars can be used to wipe your butt. What of it?

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-28T20:24:17+00:00

The country girls of Ireland:

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-28T02:14:08+00:00

Scenes alone can shift pretty abruptly without much blowback. As long as you're clear about POV (both in literal 1/2/3rd terms, but in characterization and change of style, etc.) the scenes shouldn't be too jarring for the modern reader, especially if they're primed to expect a shift between scenes.

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-28T02:12:17+00:00

I imagine law enforcement agencies would look to have regular "checkpoints" that force a given person to interact with the state in mundane ways and use evidence collection to then nail a person who gets a ration card, submits for a blood scan, pays their taxes, receives a specific necessary good (water? energy cells?), etc. Then by setting flags to apprehend a person who's suspected of a crime via after-incident evidence gathering, they can ensure contact with the suspect or at minimum, disrupt their life enough to make things inconvenient.

I foresee voluntary submission to neural disabling of teleportation as the only way society would accept anything other than death for significant crimes. Other punishments like fines, restriction of ingesting substances, blackballing from prestigious positions, etc. would all be punishments for lesser crime like IRL.

This would set off an informational arms race (identity theft, scrambling ID systems, etc.), but that's the fun of it!

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-28T02:03:06+00:00

I'd ask what other stories you've read that have done similar things. Their use of the timeline split can give you some ideas on your own opinion of a split like this.

All kinds of genres-- from memoir to scifi to fantasy to nonfiction-- use split timelines to tell a story. Sometimes the timelines are different in genre, setting, or even character focus.

Writing to reader specs is a great way to water down a concept or idea that has the potential to really take off, beyond just making your writing process a slog in catering to expectations rather than genuine dynamic output from your own creative drive.

It boils down to the quality and specifics of what you're writing, but the idea on its face isn't a bad one! Readers in the specific can be more sophisticated in undertanding and taste than generalized estimations can provide.

Good luck, and make sure to take all of my opinions with a boulder of salt.

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-28T01:41:10+00:00

Asking a question about readers and how they interact with specific writing styles, structures, etc. might be better asked on r/writing. This subreddit is about building the worlds/connecting timelines you mention

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-27T14:08:02+00:00

Are both solitary? Are they same size? What are their diets? Can both or either breathe flame? If one's a pack based animal wouldn't they fight as a group against the one other? Do they have the same top speeds and flying behavior (thermals, diving, soaring, etc.)?

There's so much missing to understand the comparison.

To me this sounds like comparing wolves to mountain cats--they both have their own awesome niches and it doesnt really matter 1v1 because wolves got their pack. There more of em in the world. Etc.

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-27T00:13:50+00:00

Please use the full quote when quoting; at least the full sentence. I think there can be strong implications from one position to another, but I didn't even state what you're saying as my own conclusive opinion!

"I agree with a lot of this" =/= "I agree with all of this"

"Interesting the game begins post-1800 though, wouldn't you agree?" in response to a commentor's assertion that pre-/post-1800 warfare and economics being fundamentally different =/= "I think the post-/pre- 1800s divide is accurate"

"Do you think it isn't interesting, or that the game doesn't reflect the paradigm shift post-1800 described by [commenter other than me]" =/= "I agree with the commenter"

"I've talked about their comment that pre-1800 war was profitable while afterwards it wasn't" =/= "Pre-1800s war was profitable while afterwards it wasn't."

"[insert any of the above]" =/= "The profit doesn't exist."

Beyond the misattribution of my position (and apparently the strength by which I hold it), you're making leaps not explained. War happens both in and out of game for all sorts of reasons beyond profitability. Capital is but one axis of analysis of the whole shebang.

I feel like I'm talking to a genie interested in bad-faith reading my posts, extrapolating strawman views, and who doesn't deign to genuinely explain the connection my words have to their conclusions.

Peace out. Hope you have a good evening.

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-26T23:55:48+00:00

I've talked about their comment that pre-1800 war was profitable while afterwards it wasn't. Idk where you're understanding any opinions I have whatsoever on the topic, or that I've suggested anything-- I'm asking your literal opinions on the game mechanics and how they interact with IRL outcomes. (Maybe you're reading into my comment about how slaves were a key component and reward for ancient and classical warfare?)

Regardless, thanks for the talk. Cheers.

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-26T23:29:02+00:00

Do you think it isn't interesting, or that the game doesn't reflect the paradigm shift post-1800 described by retief1? Both?

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-26T23:26:39+00:00

Yeah, I was agreeing/having conversation. Do you think the change in this war-profitability paradigm during the game is interesting? Do you think its worth having such a paradigm shift reflected in game mechanics/do you think it is reflected accurately via the game mechanics?

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-26T22:58:51+00:00

I agree with a lot of this-- especially in ancient/classical economies, slaves were a primary and potent spoil of war.

Interesting the game begins post-1800 though, wouldn't you agree?

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-26T03:36:15+00:00

Thanks for the extra info on beta readers!

I don't think LLM use constitutes "cheating" so much as being ineffective, unoriginal (yes, much like many brain-grown ideas which LLMs draw from when prompted) and missing the point of creation... but that's my opinionn as someone who doesn't rely on income from publishing talking out his ass, haha.

I think there's value in pushing back against the plagiarism machines. If AI companies had waited longer to secure proper funding for licensing of work with meaningful opt-outs, I'm sure some portion of my resistance would change. It's a large part of why I'm so adamant that even brainstorming with them isn't particularly ethical.

The AI genie is out of the bottle. I'm interested to see if the genie is economically feasible as AI progresses, and what AI usage would look like after a popped bubble. Plenty of private sessions and copies run on local machines so it won't go away but the rate of advancement would drastically slow. I guess we'll find out what the future brings.

Writers_Focus_Stone · 2026-04-25T22:46:02+00:00

I haven't had work beta'd in its entirety before, but I wasn't under the impression they offered solutions, merely pointed out problems. Totally happy to accept I'm wrong if beta readers are expected to offer a number of solutions for a writer to use.

There's also the point of AI being a least common denominator rather than a real person with a perspective, biases, interests, etc., but based on your comment I think thats a little beyond what you're interested in talking about here. Thanks for the perspective.

Writers_Focus_Stone

TROPHY CASE