Murphy's Law 8: College? What About It?

[John Cribati]

You're only crazy if your character talks back

Well, add me to the crazy list.

[Hiro Protagonest]

But designing is building! It's building WITH YOUR MIND! You can take a piece of paper and a pencil, and with nothing else but your own intelligence, you can construct a virtual device in the imagination of whoever looks at your design. The only thing left to do after that is to transfer that idea to reality.

Storytelling is also like building - you construct an entire world, an entire universe with people that have motivations and emotions, all in the minds of whoever is listening to you or reading your story. I guess this is why both engineering and writing appeal so much to me.

Building something that already has a design is what I meant.

I seem to like designing fortifications, and weaponry with moving parts.

This probably also explains why my storytelling is crap. And why just making a character takes a long time for me.

[Lix Lorn]

You're only crazy if your character talks back

You kidding? That's basically necessary to write. xD

[HalfTangible]

You kidding? That's basically necessary to write. xD

Of course!![/bison]

I was making a reference to the popular phrase "Talking to yourself isn't crazy. You're only crazy if you talk BACK"

[Lix Lorn]

Which is also silly.

[HalfTangible]

Which is also silly.

You have your own personal harem, are holding several monogamous relationships at once, and this is the INTERNET. If silly had a physical form, it would be our mascot.

[Lix Lorn]

Different kind of silly. xD

[Asta Kask]

Also, another use for inkscape: Drawing organic chemistry reaction mechanisms, then manipulating them in space. Useful if I forgot to bring my modeling kit with me.

I like SN1. Anything involving ridiculously unstable intermediates is great.

[Alagaesian]

Though, in response to the whole, "characters talking back" thing, I will say this - if you character doesn't want to take the course of action you need them to take to continue the story, then it's not their fault. It's sort of yours, because you designed them that way. Having arguments with your characters is pointless, mainly because you could easily add a new scene to their backstory or a new facet to their personality that will convince them to take the appropriate actions.

For instance, a typical exchange might work out as such:
Character: But I don't want to leave my nice, safe hometown!
Author: *gives character a backstory where he has always been thirsting for adventure*
Character: ...Okay, I think I might actually want to leave now.

[HalfTangible]

Though, in response to the whole, "characters talking back" thing, I will say this - if you character doesn't want to take the course of action you need them to take to continue the story, then it's not their fault. It's sort of yours, because you designed them that way. Having arguments with your characters is pointless, mainly because you could easily add a new scene to their backstory or a new facet to their personality that will convince them to take the appropriate actions.

For instance, a typical exchange might work out as such:
Character: But I don't want to leave my nice, safe hometown!
Author: *gives character a backstory where he has always been thirsting for adventure*
Character: ...Okay, I think I might actually want to leave now.

If you can change your character's personality and demeanor that easily, they probably aren't at the point where they're talking to you.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Yeah, though sometimes things about them subtly change, and you only notice it when you look back at earlier works with them.

[Lix Lorn]

Though, in response to the whole, "characters talking back" thing, I will say this - if you character doesn't want to take the course of action you need them to take to continue the story, then it's not their fault. It's sort of yours, because you designed them that way. Having arguments with your characters is pointless, mainly because you could easily add a new scene to their backstory or a new facet to their personality that will convince them to take the appropriate actions.

For instance, a typical exchange might work out as such:
Character: But I don't want to leave my nice, safe hometown!
Author: *gives character a backstory where he has always been thirsting for adventure*
Character: ...Okay, I think I might actually want to leave now.

True!

If you can change your character's personality and demeanor that easily, they probably aren't at the point where they're talking to you.

Minor aspects can normally change, especially if you haven't thought about them.

Yeah, though sometimes things about them subtly change, and you only notice it when you look back at earlier works with them.

Awww, no answer? xD

[HalfTangible]

True!


Minor aspects can normally change, especially if you haven't thought about them.


Awww, no answer? xD

Sure, but going from uneasy to eager about something isn't exactly 'minor'

[Alagaesian]

If you can change your character's personality and demeanor that easily, they probably aren't at the point where they're talking to you.

Eh, my characters tend not to converse with me too much anyways. It's not that they aren't developed enough to be able to carry on a conversation, but as characters, they aren't exactly aware of the author's existence. Most of my character-manipulation only comes into play when my characters throw an emotional tantrum at the wrong time, or when they feel apathetic about something I need them to care deeply about.

What I was trying to get at in the first place was that your characters got their original personality and demeanor from how you wrote them. You are in control of everything they feel and experience, everything that makes up who they are. If what you've built them into doesn't agree with what you need them to accomplish, it isn't exactly their fault.

[OoTLink]

I learned from my cosplaying days that you can make something look better and more cohesive as a product than the individual parts really are. There's that old saying about something being worth more than the sum of its parts, and with stories I think that can apply. :) Sometimes, plot holes and inconsistencies happen, sometimes you can park a semi truck in them!

Sometimes they don't need to be addressed when you discover them, and a more appropriate time comes up later. :)

[CoffeeIncluded]

Update tomorrow morning, guys.

[Silverraptor]

Update tomorrow morning, guys.

Glad to hear it!

[CoffeeIncluded]

FINALLY.

#197: Off By A Timezone And A Half

[super dark33]

Wolf is confused.


So Miles is about to become dust, amirite?

[t209]

FINALLY.

#197: Off By A Timezone And A Half

I kinda hated Alex now! He ruined everything with his pea brain. He should have been eaten by wolves by now.

[Asta Kask]

Hmm... Will there be a tear-eyed re-union? Will Janine finally learn she has no chance? Stay tuned for more news.

[Silverraptor]

I'm interested in the return of the Peakane family soon.

[CoffeeIncluded]

I'm interested in the return of the Peakane family soon.

Hmmm...The Peakane family's pretty big. I mean, they first rose to prominence at least 1800 years ago. Pretty much anyone on the continent with enough ranks in Knowledge: (Arcana) has heard of them. Though finding one with a high enough level to cast Mind Blank with little notice is going to be a bit trickier, especially since Lexi landed in the middle of Tobeem.

(DC 20 Knowledge: (Arcana): The Peakane family is a large, extended, prominent elven family known for its skilled abjurists. There are six other similar extended families, one for each school of arcane magic.)

[Dusk Eclipse]

I need a geography lesson, I guess that Tobeem is far from the Peakane's family place of residence; but I don't know how far.

[CoffeeIncluded]

I need a geography lesson, I guess that Tobeem is far from the Peakane's family place of residence; but I don't know how far.

It depends on the location. I'd say about 1500-1700 miles away for Lexi. No...probably closer to 2000-2300 if we're talking about the more southern part where Serrin lives. Miles messed up the teleport pretty badly. Speaking of which, what do you think?

[Dusk Eclipse]

I'd guess he would under those circumstances... poor Miles and he was becoming one of my favourite characters.

I am not sure on the strip itself, it was ok; but I feel like it is missing something, thought I have to congratulate you on panel 6 it looks very dynamic and it does capture the movement when Miles suddenly lunges at Lexi (and the confused wolf at the end looks cute) .

[OoTLink]

Suddenly I recall Lexi being afraid of the idea of Miles teleporting while tired - obviously that also applies in a panic. I hope he didn't land in territory where mentioning the Peakane family gets you killed. :O

Somehow I doubt Miles will die.

[Alagaesian]

I can see multiple ways of this arc ending. I can imagine it following Lexi's point of view over the next few strips as he wanders his way to the nearest town and tries to follow the directions Miles gave him. At this point, the POV would likely never switch back to Miles for the rest of the arc, suggesting that he is still alive (we would get to watch him die if he doesn't survive), but not in a very good position.

Or, we could cut away from Lexi for now and focus on Miles's situation, watching as Rust no doubt tries to capture him again. At this point, Miles would either make his escape, fail to make his escape, or make no attempts to escape, instead choosing a course of action that would buy Lexi time at the expense of sealing his own fate.

However, I still find myself believing that Miles is definitely going to die. Coffee has recently given him a couple nice Moments of Awesome, Crowning or otherwise: avoiding detection in a clever and dramatic manner, setting off an explosion in Rust's face, and escaping Rust's grip right under his nose, just to name the big ones. To me, those seem like giving Miles the opportunity to go out with a bang. It's a pity, actually - there seems to be quite a lot we could have learned about his character. That's what prequels are for, am I right?

Yes, the strip is nice, Coffee, but I think a lot of us are in anticipation of what is going to happen next. It's great to finally understand what Miles's actual plan is, but trying to teleport Lexi to Almir is probably not the last step of that plan. After all, Miles did say he had two tasks left to perform, and we've only really seen him do one so far.

[super dark33]

I can see him being captured by local forces to be executed along with its enemies but its prevented and stuff happens.

[Asta Kask]

I can see it turn into a chase on ostrichback, but I haven't had enough sleep lately.