Saturday, July 31, 2010

The State of the Chronicles, June/July 2010

Forgot to post this last month, so why not combine two months?

After discovering Limyaael's wonderful fantasy rants, I have been examining how well Gemsinger holds up, and responding to them. So far, I only have a few cliches, and have stayed FAR away from the most common ones.

The Video Game is also taking shape--I'm hoping it will be fun for everyone.

Thanks to all that read and support the blog.

Friday, July 30, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #50: Fighter Heroes

1. Like Miresa, Bradlin has worked hard in his training as a dragoon.

2. Bradlin was taught at an early age not to fight dirty, plus a dragoon resorting to dishonorable tactics would get into heaps of trouble. He has, however, been told that feigning injury and setting traps have a place in the dragoon's code (but under certain circumstances) and that harming an unarmed person, woman, or child is only acceptable if they try to harm you first.

3. Bradlin won't be defeating (much less challenging) those that have trained for years.

4. Bradlin has his limits too.

5. Bradlin is by no means the best in the world--he is still an apprentice, and has a lot more to learn.

6. If his sword doesn't work, he has several other weapons he can use.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #49: Mage Heroes

1. The only thing Miresa is clumsy at is spellcasting--she's actually quite agile and fast physically.

2. I will show what happens to weapons and instruments that are not properly cared for.

3. I will be consistent with my magic system.

4. Miresa is not a mercenary at all--but she does play the reluctant hero at first.

5. Miresa is far from being a lady Gandalf.

6. The Gemsinger may have a lot of power, but they are not invincible.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #48: Council Scenes

In the first book, one plot point is Galia introducing Miresa to High King Fion and the Elven Council--that said:

1. Every member of the Council will have a name.

2. We will know each side's motivations.

3. There will be plenty of banter and interruptions between both sides.

4. The recap will be summarized.

5. Things will be happening besides the council gathering.

6. Some victories will not be won so easily.

7. I will be careful with tension

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #47: The Plot (part 2)

1. Expressions will advance the plot.

2. Conversations will be more than infodumps.

3. Sometimes ordinary things get the plot going.

4. I acknowledge I'm taking the "chosen one" route with Gemsinger, but I'm not destroying her village (Miresa actually saves it), and she doesn't angst too much (she figures no one got anywhere by angsting, so she just accepts it)

Monday, July 26, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #46: The Plot, Part 1

1. The first chapter will not be mainly exposition--the exposition will be scattered through the plot, and even then, it will be the exposition we need for that moment.

2. I will be careful with long coversations.

3. Secondary characters will be alive, too.

4. Plot elements will rely on each other.

5. Angst does not a good book make.

6. Miresa is the center of the plot.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #45: D&D Stereotypes

1. Miresa will not get that many advantages just because she is human--she will have to rely on her non-human friends for help sometimes.

2. The bad guys, while hordes, are not generic.

3. Power is not the goal itself--it is the way a goal is achieved.

4. Shokiyu's magic is WAY different from D&D.

5. The party doesn't run into THAT many wandering adventurers.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #44: Explanation

1. I will be careful with context.

2. I will explain things as they become relevant to the story.

3. Aliies and saving graces will be introduced early on.

4. I will make sure my audience can remember and follow conversations.

5. I will be careful not to present whole scenes of explanation.

6. Not every motivation will be explained.

7. If I have to infodump at all, Miresa will do it.

Friday, July 23, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #43: Travel

1. Animals will be resting like the humans will.

2. I will plan how long it takes to get from Point A to Point B.

3. Sometimes the landscape will be a bad guy for the party.

4. I will be mindful of the seasons.

5. I will add detail to the journey.

6. I will be mindful of the disadvantages of some travelers.

7. There will be times when the party has to take another route.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #42: Comic relief

1. Characters will not be just for comic relief

2. Everyone has a chance to shine.

3. I will only use humor when needed.

4. You will see the costs as well as the benefits of humor

5. Puns will not depend on the English language.

6. Irony will not be forced.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #41: Magic objects

1. Magical objects in the possession of a family or a group will have their reasons to keep them.

2. Talking objects will get real personalities.

3. The object's name will be nice sounding, appropriate, easy to say, and devoid of the capital and puncuation shakers.

4. The Twelve Stones help run the world, actually.

5. Katva hasn't destroyed them yet because they are one step ahead of him.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #40: Rulers

1. I will show the goodness of my rulers more than I tell it.

2. My rulers party responsibly.

3. They are aware of their power.

4. They prefer to act rather than react.

5. They are creative in areas besides the arts

6. They can and will screw up

Monday, July 19, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #39: Introductions

1. I will try not to introduce someone all at once

2. Miresa will not be oblivious to odd features like purple eyes.

3. We will have a recap of plot points that hint at any big surprises before I reveal the big surprise.

4. A character will not be introduced with squees--they have to earn them.

5. New items, characters and plots will be connected to old ones in some form.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #38: Empathy

1. Everyone will serve more than plot purposes.

2. We will see what the party is insterested in, and how they grow and change

3. Everyone will have diverse relationships

4. I will balance how I show emotion.

5. We will see the mundane as well as the magical.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #37: Transitions

1. Cliffhangers will be resolved in a reasonable amount of time.

2. None of these cliffhangers will be coy.

3. Miresa will not fall asleep or pass out at the best parts of the story.

4. If we all know what happens next, we'll skip over it.

5. I will skip over uneventful travel scenes unless something happens.

6. There will be quiet parts in betwen exciting points to allow the audience and the party to calm down.

Friday, July 16, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #36: The Difference Between Drama and Melodrama

1. I will watch my language--bigger is not always better.

2. It will get quiet before a "noisy" scene, not the other way around

3. No long angsty monologues here.

4. Drama will take its time to unfold

5. My dramatic scenes will not be that simple to understand.

6. I will be careful to make my drama reasonable and realistic

Thursday, July 15, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #35: Clothes

1. Clothes will be appropriate to the climate.

2. The party will have only a few essential outfits, and pick up others as needed.

3. I will take materials and class into account.

4. The detail of clothing will depand on whose POV I'm telling from.

5. Modifications to clothes will be practical

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Video Game Update

Take a look...

How Gemsinger Holds #34: Sense of Place

1. The amount of detail I describe something will be proportionate to how important that item is to the story.

2. The place's features will be described too

3. Setting will contibute to atmosphere.

4. Setting will also be linked to themes.

5. I will include some of the party's everyday routines.

6. I will be careful to do the reasearch.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

How Gemsinger Holds #33: Interesting Bad Guys

1. Katva wants to destory Shokiyu so he can have a world of his own, yet Meikon won't allow this.

2. Katva actually loves and cares about his lackeys--their goal of a world of their own they see as desireable (but it would require destroying Shokiyu)

3. Katva doesn't spend eons planning his plots--his impulsiveness lies in his desire to get what he wants--and in his failure to plan ahead, he falls.

4. I will be consistent with Katva's skills and abilities.

5. Katva will behave realistically when he tries to tempt the party.

6. Both heroes and villians respect each other.

Adventurers