The Overlook Hotel - 2015-01-06

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12:01 AM

Because I wouldn't know what to do. I think I play medieval games so maybe doing medieval fair skirmishing could help me better describe but it's not something that appeals me.
Really, there's not much in my life I wish to do. There's many things I'd like to have (most of which I don't buy because I have this fear of losing my job and I want to have the money for health and survival). Then I'm the stereotypical "I don't know if I want a girlfriend or if I'm in love with the concept of having a girlfriend" guy.

Well, you won't figure any of that out until you start trying to figure those things out. And the only way to figure things out is by trying and failing and learning from your mistakes.

Then sometimes someone tells me "I did this thing in life" - a thing I don't really care about or one I don't really want to achieve because it takes too much effort - and I'm envyous. Things like "I got a six-pack" or "I practise parkour"

I tried getting a six-pack to be true.

The end of daylight savings time stopped me XD

@KitFox Also, I have no idea who I want to roleplay as, so... it's somewhat hard. But yes, being a fan of contortionism (I'm as stiff as a piece of wood but I really like the shapes people can take) sometimes helped me characterizing a character better. (Now that I think about it, that guard also was a yoga practicioner)

Then I know people who study medicine who are great at roleplaying necromancers XD

Well, you're still in the middle of figuring out your own identity in real life, so it's no surprise your characters are fluid.

You mean they're not consistent as time passes by?

12:17 AM

I mean, you change your mind about who you want your character to be.

Or you build more backstory.

Mh, what's wrong about building backstory?

Nothing.

Anyway, I have problems figuring out backstories. One of the reasons is that they need to be integrated into an existing setting. One is that I feel mine are overcomplicated and not very meaningful for the definition of who the character is and how he behaves now (I'm not good in general at determing how one should react to events, doing the opposite is completely alien to me).
Another one might be that I often know what I want a character to be able to do, not why he wants to do that thing or why he wants to take the route that will incidentally bring him there.

I feel like this is a tangle of interconnected problems I have.

Most of which can be summed up with "I'm worrying too much about useless details"

You could try telling me your backstory.

Right now.

My current character is a priest of one fantasy god over many, in a settings where gods are little more than owners of some high concept. Mine has pride, family, nobility and noble beasts IIRC. He is from a very large city but he felt like he was not needed there. So he looked for a place where people needed him for protection.

12:25 AM

Not your character's backstory. Your backstory.

Aaaah

ok, so... I grew up only son in a middle class family. I played basketball when I was young but my trainer mistreated me so I left. I was forced to be a boy scout. I liked the idea of becoming a scout leader because I liked the idea of planning summer camp activities. When I got there I realized it wasn't that great but I kept going because it was what people I knew needed from me. Then I stopped because I had to and never went back.

I chose engineering because a girl told me that engineering was hard. I guess I never really liked it but I just wanted a generic piece of papaer to get a generic job to be able to keep living. I've always been a little scared of death

When I was 10 I remember asking all the 4 girls in my class if they liked me. Nobody did. When I was 13 I was really jealous of my classmate who got togheter with the girl I liked. She nicknamed me droog, but I didn't know what it meant until years later.

What's it mean?

It's how the bad guys in the A Clockwork Orange movie call themselves

Oh right. I remember now.

I'm not confident with my physical appearance, especially because of some back problems that make my belly protrude. That made me less than confident. I'm socially awkward. But I guess this isn't backstory.

12:36 AM

Well, now is the point where I ask you why you picked those particular things. What is significant about them for you?

I changed several jobs bacause I didn't get past the first months. The impression I got is that everyone thinks I'm working too slowly, despite my good will

You've chosen all things where you felt bad, where other people chose your life and you let them, where you feel like you have failed without learning.

Ok, I think those are the first things that came to my mind. Hobbies and school. It's also what I often talk about (being a little less detailed) during job interviews

So what kind of character have you created?

Those are also the easiest to remember, because they stuck

12:38 AM

Interesting, don't you think?

I mean, they stuck to my mind. I cn't really remember any long lasting thing I did tremendously well.

What about one thing that you chose to do that you really enjoyed and felt successful at?

It's also true I'm prone to focus on negative aspects of everything, which fuels my inferiority complex

I'm thinking.

Maybe it's organizing this RPG convention I do twice a year. I know it's also because of my team but we all would be so useless without me coordinating them and they convincing me to get things done.

So your feelings of success come from being able to lead the group as well as create something you enjoy participating in?

I think my feelings of success came from hearing people tell me they had fun because of me

12:44 AM

So you like entertaining people then, feeling like you've been a good host?

Can you do that as a participant, or do you have to be in charge/the single focus of attention?

Yes, sort of. Which is also why I'd like to be a better writer for that game. To have someone, possibly someone with hard to satisfy tastes, that tells me that I've been great and that they want to play with me again.

OK.

So the first thing you have to do is learn how to play and follow the rules.

Otherwise, good or bad, people won't like playing with you.

Because it is intensely frustrating to have a player pop out of character and break rules.

The best thing would be those players who told me I [that s-word again] recognized my improvements and accepted me. But I know this is highli improbable because of prejudice and pride.

Well, consider it a sunk cost, a learning experience.

I already do!

12:47 AM

Don't jump in the shark tank until you know you can swim.

And don't expect it will be enough :)

Right.

It's good that you want the challenge, but really.

Start small.

And in lieu of actually doing things, you might read a lot.

Right now, I'm playing a character in that game. It's not a great character but there's people who needs me to play him to keep alive the game in that geographic area - also, you lose experience when you change your character, so I'm pretty reclutant to change him and I'd deleude people if I entirely stopped playing. I could easily touch his backstory, as long as some things like where he comes from or other things that are already canon don't change.

So if there's a way to start small by there, it'd be better.

The game that the group doesn't want you to play in?

well, I'm not playing with them. We're like secluded in a forest where they have no interests

1:01 AM

OK. Do I need to know what game it is?

And I didn't tell them this character is mine. Even if some people guessed.

OK, so same game, but different group of people?

Exactly.

It's a D&D game set in the forgotten realms, perchance you know the setting (very unlikely I know)

Haha

0

Q: A question about dialogue and paragraphs?

First question I've asked on here so hopefully it isn't a silly one. I am a little confused about a certain paragraph/dialogue convention I am using in something I am writing. Occasionally I have a situation where I include the actions of more than one character after a piece of dialogue in the ...

style novel dialogue fantasy

1:05 AM

@KitFox Ok, as BeSW would say, it's a social game that uses the D&D rules to build characters

And a very specific and expanding subset of them, too

Currently, I'm working with a girl who likes how I write but feels like she's a complete noob, some guys at an ok level, a guy with some grammar issues that was brought into the game by his girlfriend hoping he learns to use the proper verbal tenses (who's not bad at describing at all), his strongly opinionated girlfriend who's pretty good at writing and is also that sort of "I want us all to be perfect, let's work as a team" personality I really like (when I can satisfy her)

We're in a forest where animals became violent at night. She captured a falcon and put him in a sack, so I asked: what's into the sack? "Sorrow, fury and rage", her character said. I was in awe.

Sounds like a good group.

Ok, no, I was a little depressed because I would have replied "a falcon"

No need to worry about that. Just make a note of it and try again later.

What was it that impressed you about it?

When I do things she doesn't like without asking she is a little bit "I wouldn't have done that. But that's me. You, you do as you feel it's right" that I always read in a menacing tone. :p

@KitFox I know I'm always very literal. Some say it's been my engineering years. Being literal makes for some boring scenes. I can't roleplay funny situations at all, I always try to make people reason on things and accept them not because I say so (low charisma) but because I'm right. Which I think makes me easy to hate.

Pfft. Well, there's your problem right there.

Roleplaying is more fun when you are not right.

1:17 AM

Unless you play in a system that punishes you for errors

This is a well known problem of D&D design

tch.

Punishes for rule breaking.

Not for wrongness if you can justify its reality.

I didn't mean that

If you take the wrong decision in combat because your character would have taken that decision, you might lose the character to a monster. If you do a diplomatic mistake with players, well, maybe they won't kill you but they will not want to have you around anymore.

Well. True.

Ok this last is not about D&D, it's about the social part of the game I was talking about earlier but it stands true

But then you need to figure out how to recover, because you will make mistakes.

1:20 AM

That, and also I should be able to discern when I can fit a mistake with no real consequences but characterization

Right. Which is why I asked if they were actual angry or roleplay angry.

Sometimes the line is blurry

Especially for you, because you think about it too much.

0

Q: Any way for revisions to show up in a different color from an older saved .fdr to a newer saved .fdr in version 7?

Need some help on how to have updated changes show up in a different color scheme for my screenwriting partner. I have the script saved each day under a different date.

Ah, I also think I have a problem with people who are actual angry at me but pretend we play togheter the same because the characters are not angry at each other or they're angry but they need the encounter to take place because it fits the narrative

When someone is angry at me I attempt to find an in-game believable excuse for not meeting them. Which is very easy when their character is angry at mine

1:26 AM

So maybe you have trouble working through conflict. That would be an excellent thing to roleplay with a therapist.

It sounds like you'd benefit from some help in understanding appropriate social cues as well.

It sounds like these things are causing you a significant amount of frustration.

@KitFox Here comes the part where you're free to throw things at me. I'm not going into therapy because I'm cheap.

Well, then find a friend who you are comfortable with and ask them to instruct you.

And be a dutiful student.

0

Q: Is it a good writing practice to keep related elements as close as possible to each other?

Here's an example: I went over to check the maple. Four times my size, it was the biggest tree in the yard. I mean, it was. A typhoon tore it down three years ago, and it had stayed like that ever since. I went over to check the maple. Four times my size, it was the biggest tree in...

style creative-writing

@KitFox Yeah. Both with the game and with... well... media.veryfunnypics.eu/2013/06/… (Ok I was looking for the one with a real aircraft carrier but... my google-fu is weak tonight)

Right.

1:32 AM

Anyway, thanks for the discussion but now I need to go to bed. It's been instructive.

Good night.

user image

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 coughs

Hi!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

passes lozenge

thanks

I've had this weird throat crud for like weeks.

Also, I'm really bored and now inflicting it on you.

I mean, if you let me.

Which you aren't

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

1:51 AM

I'm here

Just discussing day care fees with my wife

Oh.

Having real conversation with a real person.

That's cool. How does it work?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

poorly, because you have to compose your thoughts and convey them in real time

0

Q: Any body there want to write about social networks and marketing in my blog?

Are you interesting in write articles for my blog in http://blog.crop.is? The idea behind this is to write about social media publishing and sharing content online. I own a website (http://crop.is) about URL shortening and redirection that is the service that the blog belong. Contact me or send m...

Weird.

Maybe just type slower then.

I should write something.

Or read.

Or watch a movie.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I bought the complete 8-movie box set of Harry Potter films for $35

on Blu-ray no less

1:56 AM

Wow.

That's impressive.

I liked the movies pretty well.

About as much as I liked the books.

Which was probably 6 or 7 out of 10.

Better than bad. Woo!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I've re-watched the first 5 so far

I read a book recently that I did not like. It suffered from poor editing.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I think I like them better this time than before

I'd watch them again.

Now I'm reading Eat Pray Love.

The writing is good.

The story is pretty good.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

It's a story?

1:59 AM

But maybe I should write.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Well, memoir sort of, I guess.

I'm surprised that it received some much attention, based on the fact that it is a very personal narrative.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I've seen the book lots of places, but I thought it was a self-help book.

Oh! No. I thought the same thing, but a friend gave it to me. It's about the author going through some shit and then spending four months on each of the topics in three different places.

It's a journey of self-discovery, but so far, not at all like a self-help book.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

huh.

The author has an engaging writing style and I identify with her easily.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

off topic: this is pretty big

2:06 AM

And it's very personal, so there's some feeling of intimacy.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Duuuude.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

> 170 studs long (that’s about 4 and a half feet)

holy crap someone built a minifig-scale version of that same ship: mocpages.com/moc.php/385823

Holy crap!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Do you ever feel like everyone will always be a better writer than you, a better builder than you, a better parent than you, etc? Well, maybe not parent. But sometimes it's discouraging seeing what everyone else is doing.

People are only good at the one thing. We're slightly less good at the one thing because we are better at the everything else.

I mean, the ones who are better than we are.

There are also many more who are terrible at the things we are good at.

And I don't think I want to be the best at something, to be honest. Too much pressure.

I'll settle for being good enough.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I sometimes feel like I'll always be adequate at lots of things, but not really good

2:15 AM

You're a good writer.

I wish you would write more.

I'd love for you to polish that one with the vines and submit it somewhere.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

oh, that writing exercise from years ago?

Yeah.

I really liked that one.

Obviously, since I still remember it.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

yeah I guess I could go back and revisit it.

That was one of the "use these words" exercises

We haven't done any like that recently

user image

We haven't done any long homework stuff.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 haha

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@KitFox we tried, a while back... I think you were away

2:21 AM

Maybe in November?

Did you read any of my novel this year?

I'm going to revise it over this year.

Make it into something at least.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@KitFox I, er, um. no, sorry. I have been meaning to.

No worries.

I can't decide if I'll be hungover if I drink moar rum.

I'm not feeling very drunk and it was really tasty.

But I also drank it really fast.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Hm, maybe better safe than sorry?

You also wrote the thing that inspired the first novel I wrote, the one about the neighbors.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

We all wrote something about neighbours

2:23 AM

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 There is a lot of rum, so I don't need to drink it all tonight. And it's only Monday.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Right.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

That's something I've been meaning to finish

I've tried a few times to wrap up the story but it never goes where I want it to.

It was your story in particular though, that gave me the beginning idea of that first novel.

In 2012.

If you can believe that.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

yeah I was just thinking "How many nanos am I behind now?"

You'll do it this year, right?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I read part of Matt's first one, and queued up the rest, and.... is embarassed

2:24 AM

2015 is your year.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

gosh

I dunno if I'm cut out for nano.

Don't worry about what's behind. Focus on what's ahead.

Well, maybe just use it as an excuse to do some extra writing.

So what should I do? Read, write, or watch?

I'm going to end up doing none of these and then I'll be annoyed.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

writing exercise!

OK. Want to?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I'm all set

2:28 AM

Meaning yes, you're ready? Or no thanks?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

yes, ready

What kind of exercise?

I'm going to get more rum for this.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Hm.

what kinds have we done.

"use these words"

"dialogue about X"

"topic is Y"

I remember doing one where you couldn't use personal pronouns more than three times but it had to be from first-person pov.

We did a three paragraph thing once.

Hmm.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

oh, we've done limericks before too

We haven't done any other kind of poetry though

that I can recall

2:31 AM

Oh yeah. I've done some various verse too.

Shakespearean and Petrachian sonnets, I think.

And double dactyls.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I might need to read up on what makes those things things.

I think maybe I want to write some erotica.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Iambic pentameter and rhyming structure for the sonnets.

Double dactyls have a particular cadence and syllabic structure.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Hm. Well, we could try. I might need more than 10 minutes

0

Q: Modern American fiction writers who write in Transcribed Spoken English

I would like you to suggest some modern American fiction writers who use transcribed spoken English in their writing extensively. Some works would be appreciated too. The idea is that what is written should be a replica of what is spoken as much as possible and in terms of contraction, elision e...

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Yeah, let's do something grander than that. Some small challenge.

A word limit or a topic.

Or something.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

2:37 AM

hm, a word limit

I usually run long, so word limits are tough for me :p

Or a target.

Roughly.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

oh, one of those... what was that thing called you posted once?

Flash, micro, short fiction.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I have no idea.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

some website where you had to post 100-word posts or something. some very specific word limit; you couldn't post more or fewer words

Oh right! Um.

Drablr?

Or something.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

2:39 AM

yeah

100 words

that's how long they are

we could do one of those

OK.

Actually on the site, or just the blog?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Random Topic Generator

anywhere, I guess. I was going to use my usual google drive

OK. Let me get my post ready.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

"Effects of not having breakfast", "Moving out of your parents house", "That desire to spend money"

Hmm.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

2:42 AM

or something else

I suck at getting started.

These random topics all suck.

Sorry.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

heh

I'm overthinking.

OK. 100 words on "effects of not having breakfast". I can do this.

I just need to do it.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

we don't need to do this if you don't want to

I want to. Suddenly I'm foot dragging. I do this when I have indecision overload and freeze up.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

2:47 AM

Does the title count in the 100 word limit?

The best thing is for me to just do it.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I'm counting it.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Okay. Does the title have to be "The effects of not having breakfast"?

No.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

3:01 AM

The effects of not having breakfast

Sorry got sidetracked in the other room.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 No! But now I want more!

Effect of not having breakfast.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@KitFox lol. Yours is way better than mine.

pish posh

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

It has that twistiness you're so good at.

rofl

You're too kind.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

3:14 AM

I was hoping for something like that but at the last instant my inspiration evaporated so I just plodded through.

It all happened when I accidentally chose Wendy as the protag's name.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@KitFox No, seriously. Sometimes you just have really succinct plot twists.

blushes Thanks.

Interjections! Show excitement! Or emotion!

And the thing is I originally picked Wendy because of the fast food chain.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

So that snow scene I posted a few minutes ago, that builder made one scene a week for a year

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I think that must be a benefit of writing a bunch of flash fiction.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Wow.

That explains the number in the corner.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

3:20 AM

#24 reminds me, I watched "The Grand Budapest Hotel", it was pretty good

omg sri racha roflcopter

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I haven't heard of it.

Must have come out in the past decade.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

yeah last year

What's it about without spoilers?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

It's a comedy, I guess, about the concierge and lobby boy at a hotel in Europe before WWII.

Ralph Fiennes is the main actor, plus some unknown kid, plus small roles by a whole slew of famous actors

Ralph Fiennes. I liked him in The End of the Affair.

It's late, but I still feel like writing.

All loosened up, I guess.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

3:30 AM

Good! But I must decline any further exercises tonight, and head out.

Are you expecting to go home tomorrow? or more hotel stays?

I'll go home tomorrow. We're trying out this arrangement where I stay down near work once a week or fortnightish.

It's kinda pricey though.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

ah, I thought it was bad weather again.

Hard to find a hotel, much less a cheap one, here in the dead of winter.

It is also bad weather, which is why tonight instead of tomorrow night.

It's been Tuesdays mostly so far.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I see. Well, have a good night.

Started on account of bad weather.

Good night!

See you tomorrow.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

3:33 AM

Don't drink all the rum at once :)

cya

5 hours later…

8:55 AM

0

Q: Is there a way to know who bought my books on Amazon?

I self-published some books on Amazon. I find it frustrating that I cannot contact my customers to ask for feedback on the books / ask them if they are interesting in further products etc. Is there a way to track who buys your book on Amazon or to reach out to people buying my books?

self-publishing

8 hours later…

4:55 PM

0

Q: What era is the novel "the little friend" by Donna Tartt set in? How did she manage that?

Some say it's the seventies, but what in the novel points to the 70s?

5:27 PM

Hello!

Chatters!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

5:40 PM

Hello

I need to get food before I write

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

5:58 PM

I'm back

Matt Эллен

6:25 PM

Hello

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Hey

Matt Эллен

Imma eat

Ello

6:40 PM

Hi.

I need coffee.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

7:05 PM

I have coffee now. Do we have a quorum?

Oh good lord.

I suppose I have to write now.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

user image

user image

And that

user image

And that

Not sure how that round brick is attached

wtf?

The hook thing, maybe. The one that makes it pornographic.

OK. What's the topic today, and who is writing? @Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 @Aaron @MattЭллен @Farooq

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I'm here.

7:21 PM

OK then. What are we writing about today?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

hm.

I'm not feeling topicy

Me neither.

I am here

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

good! you can provide a topic

How about our topic is "Topic"

7:29 PM

How about "What is this itch?"

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@KitFox my foot just started itching

Sounds like a winner.

OK?

Sure.

OK ten minutes go

What is This Itch

7:40 PM

What is this itch?

@Aaron dun dun DUN!

@KitFox A bit of a cliche end but it felt right.

Gotta run! Catch the others later.

@KitFox See ya

Matt Эллен

What is this itch?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

What is this itch

Matt Эллен

8:35 PM

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 a different style to normal. I like it

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Thanks.

For some reason "What is this itch" demanded poetry. But then I had a hard time actually writing something poetic.

Matt Эллен

8:59 PM

:D

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