The Overlook Hotel

Shkeil

08:47

Hi @RhysW

RhysW

08:57

Morning @Shkeil

Shkeil

How are you?

RhysW

Good thanks you?

Trying to find an easy to use website that helps you create / organise your plot

Shkeil

I can't help you about this

RhysW

There doesn't seem to be one that exists, I have half a mind to just create it myself

Shkeil

It could be helpful for some peoples, but I'm not sure... I think each writer have his own method to create their plot.

Since I think about it... I still don't have a detailled plot for my novel.

RhysW

09:14

Mine is taking a bit more shape, though i'm still worried it is too short

Shkeil

Some times, some few words on a plot can make several thousand of words.

My first short-story on my main universe had an initial plot of around 10 words

RhysW

Good point

Shkeil

And I wrote more than 10 pages on Word, I don't remember how many words it's make.

I think it's between 2 500 and 3 000 words

RhysW

http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/11271656#11271656

My brief description, to bring you up to speed

Shkeil

Really interesting. I'm waiting for it now.

I have wrote a description of my story on this chat too. I'll try to find it if you want to read it

RhysW

09:27

@Shkeil If you have the time to search for it then please do! I'd like to read it

@Shkeil Thankyou!

Shkeil

here

RhysW

@Shkeil Seems like a nice idea!

Shkeil

Thanks

RhysW

You mind if I ask you a question?

Shkeil

No. Go on

RhysW

09:36

The werewolf 'pupil' who defends the humans, why does he prefer to protect them over siding with his 'own kind'?

Shkeil

His past.

In this universes, werewolves born as werewolves, they never been humans.

Even if some werewolves have humans parents, and think they're humans until their first tranformation.

This werewolf is one of them and he's a orphan.

RhysW

Ahh right ok

Shkeil

But he was adopted by a human who liked his as a son before the she-werewolf find him and help him to control himself.

RhysW

I really wish I could find the first short story I wrote for my english coursework. Would be interested in reading it back

I'm not sure whether my protagonist is mute or not.

Shkeil

My main character in my second universe is mute. It's difficult with him, but it's interesting to try.

RhysW

09:47

oh, i'll be back in a bit

Shkeil

OK

Shkeil

10:00

I'll be back soon

Shkeil

11:50

Back, but alone..

KitFox

12:28

I'm here.

@MattЭллен You are just trying to placate me, aren't you?

Matt Эллен

@KitFox no?

I had to figure out which the options were, and I would write about that one

KitFox

Why that one?

Matt Эллен

I don't know which one you want to write about :D

@KitFox Well, I'd write the one that is hardest but I could put most of myself into

KitFox

I don't know how it ends.

I wrote some notes about scenes to add.

But I don't know what the story is.

I want to write about something real, not fantasy or sci fi, but I can't think of a real story that's interesting.

Matt Эллен

@KitFox I'm having that problem at the moment, too

KitFox

12:33

Maybe I shouldn't try to write anything serious this time.

But then again, I found the story as I went last time.

After a while, I mean.

Matt Эллен

Yeah

It's going to be pantsless writing whatever route you go down

KitFox

It's pantsless all the way down.

Matt Эллен

:D

RhysW

Yo

Matt Эллен

Yo

RhysW

12:37

How's everyone doing?

KitFox

Ach.

grumbles

Matt Эллен

I just got some code into a better state

RhysW

@MattЭллен Awesome, whatcha working on?

Matt Эллен

work stuff. organising experiments into tabs automagically

RhysW

Ah, not too bad then

KitFox

12:39

Oooh. Nice.

Matt Эллен

now I just have to reconnect the code that loads the experiment steps when you chose an experiment

KitFox

I fixed some stuff in testing last night and I'm not sure if I made all my proper notes.

Matt Эллен

it would have been easier if the head template was called HeaderTemplate, not ItemTemplate and then I would have gone looking for the ContentTemplate. But, oh well. It's microsoft, what can you do?

KitFox

Is it a listview?

Matt Эллен

@KitFox but you've commited the new code, though?

@KitFox it's a tab control

KitFox

12:42

Uh...

I haven't.

Matt Эллен

do it!

KitFox

I thought I would copy the corrected pages back to production.

Matt Эллен

also commit your changes

KitFox

I don't know what's wrong with me.

Matt Эллен

if you commit your changes, fewer things will be wrong with you

KitFox

12:43

I can't get out of my own way, and I am feeling unhappy.

Matt Эллен

:(

KitFox

I am resisting doing the things I should.

Like committing my changes.

Matt Эллен

you should definitely do that

KitFox

Except that of course, when I pushed it back to testing, I didn't put it in source control.

Matt Эллен

do it now and it will be there

KitFox

12:46

No!

stomps foot, crosses arms

Matt Эллен

but it can only help you!

KitFox

sticks out lip

I won't.

Matt Эллен

put hands on hips

looks sternly

KitFox

(so this is where the littlest gets it from)

Matt Эллен

Kit Miranda Fox! You commit that code this instant!

KitFox

12:48

starts crying, runs from room

RhysW

Woah, I leave the room for not even 5 minutes and...this!

Shkeil

Hi there

Matt Эллен

Hi

RhysW

Hey Shkeil!

Matt Эллен

Did you see which way Kit went?

RhysW

12:50

Towards the basement I think

Matt Эллен

Heads down to the basement

Are you down here @Kit?

KitFox

noooo?

RhysW

It's dangerous to go alone, take this! hands cake

Matt Эллен

mmmm. cake

I gues @Kit doesn't want any of this cake, then

KitFox

Is that a sex cake?

I don't want any of that gross stuff.

RhysW

12:56

facepalm

Matt Эллен

lol

KitFox

mumbles

RhysW

To set up a writing blog, or not to set up a writing blog, that is the question

Matt Эллен

it's hard to blog without writing

KitFox

whispers the cake is a lie

RhysW

12:58

but is it hard to write without blogging?

KitFox

I have found it helpful to have a writing blog, mostly so I can share what I write.

RhysW

I might have a list of questions for you lot later this evening, sort of writing related, sort of tool related

KitFox

A writing blog has been a triumph. I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.

RhysW

How has it been a success? What was it's goal? I mean

Matt Эллен

have you read any of it? That's how you can tell

RhysW

13:06

Not that i'm saying your stuff is bad! I may have worded it wrong

I meant what were Your goals for it that it has met, out of curiosity, not disagreement!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I am thinking of setting up a separate blog for my writing exercises. I don't think they fit well on my main blog site.

KitFox

Oops, wrong room.

@RhysW Writing.

Matt Эллен

hmmm. What should my commit message be?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@MattЭллен "I'm ready to go through with this"

Matt Эллен

:D

tempting

KitFox

13:10

@MattЭллен Your entire life has been a mathematical error... a mathematical error I'm about to correct!

I am not reading GLaDOS quotes to cheer myself up.

Matt Эллен

are you not?

hmmm. Then you've a very good memory

KitFox

I have committed my pages and the entire script for the DB.

Happy. Now.

?

Matt Эллен

Yes.

How's about you?

KitFox

Assume the Party Escort Submission Position, or you will miss the party.

Matt Эллен

now you've got this book mark for your code, so that if things go awry you can look back and see how they used to be. How's that for you?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

13:13

"She committed her code and herself to a renewed relationship with her husband"

KitFox

It's not going to help. It's already all fucked up.

That would be a good commit message.

Matt Эллен

:D

yeah, but it can't get any worse, now

becuase if it does, you just go back

RhysW

The commit is a lie

KitFox

I'm sure I can figure out a way to make that happen.

Matt Эллен

/pacefarm

KitFox

13:14

I should probably export my static data in insert statements.

waggles naughty bits at static tables But I'm not gonna do it. Nyah.

Matt Эллен

:O

RhysW

No! Not the...ears!

KitFox

Relax. They weren't my naughty bits.

RhysW

That's not the sort of statement that lends to being preceded with 'Relax'

Matt Эллен

well, that's a relief

RhysW

13:24

Do you guys use any tools to help you with your writing? (No, you cannot answer that everyone here is a tool)

KitFox

My big fat brain

Matt Эллен

I use Kit's big fat brain

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Lately my only tool is Google Drive

KitFox

I don't use the skinny one. I keep that on in the closet under the stairs in case of emergencies.

shiiiitttt

(imagine I said that like the Talking Cat)

Matt Эллен

imagines

KitFox

13:29

fuuuck.

RhysW

is confused

KitFox

(same thing)

►

Shkeil

Since @RhysW is here, this chat is really active.

RhysW

ahhh thankyou

@Shkeil oops!

Shkeil

It's great!

KitFox

13:36

►

s/kitty/kitfox/

RhysW

Though KitFox accounts for 32% of all messages in this chat

KitFox

I was granted ownership automatically before I ever became a mod.

RhysW

I have the same thing on Space, talked so much that room ownership became mine

KitFox

I have encountered a rather large problem. furrows brow

RhysW

Oh?

Matt Эллен

13:38

what is it?

remember: never try to eat something bigger than your head

KitFox

I never created add or edit templates for this new intervention type.

RhysW

intervention?

Matt Эллен

is that a tough job?

KitFox

I don't know.

RhysW

What technologies you using?

KitFox

13:41

It should be just a lot of copy-pasting.

And a few tweaks.

RhysW

I take it you're a developer then Kit?

KitFox

Sometimes I think so.

RhysW

Support then?

Matt Эллен

Kit's a proper dev, she just having doubts.

RhysW

Ahh

How about you matt?

Matt Эллен

13:52

I am a developer, yes

Yourself?

RhysW

Sort of

Dev work ran out recently, so been stuck in maintenance and support

KitFox

I just blew something up.

Damn it, damn it.

Shkeil

We're all in writer.SE, but we're also developers... Does developers make good writers?

RhysW

No, we're just in the middle part of a venn diagram

In the SE network, nearly everyone is a dev!

@KitFox Roll Back?

KitFox

Nah, I got it.

I thneed more coffee

RhysW

14:08

I need more tea

Shkeil

Chocolate

KitFox

morphine

RhysW

Chloroform

We're playing the word association game right?

Shkeil

Ammonia

I'm on!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

►

KitFox

14:16

@Mr.Shiny gets me.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

It took me a second to remember it

I was like "Chocolate and morphine... that reminds me of something"

"What was it? hm. Chocolate and morphine. chocolate and morphine."

/facepalm

Thankfully Google saved me.

KitFox

hee hee

peanut butter and chocolate...what was that thing?

> You might be careful, it really hurts when it's real

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

@Shkeil they ought to make good code commenters.

KitFox

It's seems sadly lame to me now.

RhysW

Have any of you seen How I Met Your Mother?

KitFox

14:19

Yes.

RhysW

Have you seen the episode where Barney's phone doesn't stop ringing?

KitFox

I don't think so.

RhysW

In either case, mine has not stopped ringing for nearly 2 days now. So. Many. Recruiters.

KitFox

Oh my heart bleeds for you, you poor thing.

RhysW

You broke my sarcasm detector

KitFox

14:22

Yes! pumps fist

RhysW

It's never seen values so high!

KitFox

loses steam

RhysW

coughs awkwardly to break the silence

Shkeil

write something

RhysW

Something

next challenge please

KitFox

14:27

You want to do a timed exercise then?

Since you're here?

RhysW

unfortunately can't at the moment, otherwise i'd snap up the opportunity

Though i might spend some time this evening working through the previous 18

KitFox

There were some week-long exercises we did too. You can find them under my Writing tab, I think.

RhysW

week long ones, those sound fun

a chance to practice reviewing and editing it sounds like

KitFox

Yes, they were for practicing certain skills, before we knew that that was what we were doing.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Yeah, originally our writing exercises were homework-style. That was both good and bad. Good because we had time to do some better writing. Bad because it often got skipped.

RhysW

14:38

Often got skipped?

Ah so that spawned the 10 minute tuesdays thing?

KitFox

Yes, essentially.

We did both for a while, but the longer ones sort of just stopped.

RhysW

Ahh, that's a shame

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

just wait until november, when the whole chat room disappears for a month while people nano

Incidentally I started sketching the background for my nano

RhysW

Have you thought of doing one that helps increase precision? (not the right term I know, maybe concise-ness) I.e a fixed limit of words, the closer to the target the better. Say 350 words.

I find I end up rambling too much when describing sometimes

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I realized that my initial work estimate is probably way off.

KitFox

14:42

@RhysW We did a few flash fiction ones.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 How so?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@KitFox well, I wrote for about an hour, but only got about 400 words done. Including headings

RhysW

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 really? I thought it would have got a little more chatty, with everyone on similar topics

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@RhysW nobody has time

KitFox

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 How is that possible?

RhysW

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Ahh

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

14:44

@KitFox inventing stuff out of thin air, when it needs to be bigger than an exercise-length short story, is harder.

RhysW

Being new at this writing thing, I have no idea how to estimate if the plot I have in mind can even stretch over 50k words

KitFox

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Oh yes. That's why I do my planning on my commute.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I guess the short story I used as my baseline writing speed was pretty close to my max writing speed.

@KitFox well, I did it while downloading Dexter.

KitFox

@RhysW Well, you sketch out your plot and then break it down into pieces and then more pieces, until you get to approximately the scene level. Then you'll need somewhere from 50 to 100 of those.

More if you write really short scenes.

RhysW

@KitFox I might have to do that when I get some free time then, thats a good method, thanks

KitFox

14:47

Pretty much, just give yourself a solid starting point, and have at least a couple chapters ahead of you, then when you run out of material, make shit up.

RhysW

Hehe, I'm already thinking of maybe fleshing out my support character, giving them a bit more in the story and maybe a chapter or two from their point of view

KitFox

Remember that there is no requirement to write linearly too. You can always go and add stuff in other places if you need more.

RhysW

@KitFox I have a story to mention from this, but brb

The piece of coursework I did for a story I wrote it as i thought of the chapters, that meant that chapter 2 could have actually happened before chapter 1. Somehow managed to pull it off so it made sense even out of order. Which is why its a shame that i cant find it anymore

I have half a mind to rewrite it

Matt Эллен

15:31

which half? Or is it statistically half? Random parts of your mind, evenly distributed over it entirety.

RhysW

@MattЭллен Random parts

Randomly distributed

KitFox

Oh pulled pork on focaccia, you think you can best me with your size, but it will not be done.

These lips will prove your undoing.

RhysW

Gah, i think you jinxed me Kit

KitFox

Whoa! @Matt Ellen popped up on my phone. Eek!

RhysW

You blew up stuff earlier, now i think ive done the same!

KitFox

15:39

Sorry. I forgot it's catching.

Matt Эллен

@KitFox eh?

Shkeil

I think I won't try to understand..

RhysW

@KitFox I wondered who Matt Ellen was then, thinking it was one persons whole name

Matt Эллен

Matt Ellen is my whole name :D

RhysW

gah, messing with my mind

KitFox

15:41

@MattЭллен Something updated on my phone, and it chimed, and there was a message from you (from that Google chat we had like, I dunno, two weeks ago).

Matt Эллен

@KitFox oh! ha, phones are stupid.

RhysW

@MattЭллен Damn, so I was right the first time! I settled thinking she was telling you about someone called Ellen. I surrender, my brain cannot cope

KitFox

It was weird, because I never got things that way before, so I didn't expect you to be in my phone.

Matt Эллен

Well, I suppose it's not my whole name. But it's the important parts

KitFox

Well. The "Danger" part is important too.

Matt Эллен

15:42

@KitFox I've been hiding, wait for a moment to strike!

KitFox

Well, I guess you can Google ping me live in real life now.

Almost like if we were real friends and knew each other.

Matt Эллен

golly.

KitFox

A few more decades and I could even offer you my onion rings.

Shkeil

When yon speak about Google ping... What is it?

KitFox

> Procedure or function SelectRecords has too many arguments specified.

Matt Эллен

15:44

I saw they pulled off quantum teleportation the other day, so hopefully not much longer for onion rings

KitFox

Good reason for anger management for my code.

Matt Эллен

rimshot

RhysW

@MattЭллен oh?

KitFox

@Shkeil Um. Well. The Google IM thingy will notify my phone if someone wants to Google IM me.

I think.

Matt Эллен

►

KitFox

15:46

teleports onion rings surreptitiously into Matt's stomach

Shkeil

@KitFox OK, it's with something I don't use.

KitFox

I don't either, except that one time.

Matt Эллен

time to go!

KitFox

CU!

RhysW

Cya!

Shkeil

15:49

See ya

RhysW

So! What Next?

Shkeil

@KitFox I thougt it was something on Google +.

@RhysW I don't know. Do you have an idea?

KitFox

Might could be.

RhysW

@Shkeil I have thousands, none of them relevant though

Shkeil

@RhysW Sure, ideas about meal won't help us.

RhysW

15:53

@Shkeil that cuts out 90% of them then

KitFox

How will ideas about meals not help?

RhysW

I am in 100% agreement

Transcript for