IntenseDebate - Teramis

9 years ago @ Notes From the Lizard ... - General Comments · 0 replies · +1 points

If you mean, creation of entire star systems and such, I think there is one such book out there and I have a copy of it somewhere, but I can't recall the title. Not very helpful, I know....

9 years ago @ Notes From the Lizard ... - General Comments · 0 replies · +1 points

Funny you should ask, Jesse. There are many world-building books out there, unfortunately most are of a very hit-and-miss quality, IMO. I would recommend the books I wrote myself. You can find three titles here: http://www.storybones.net/bookstore/world-buildin... They are also available at Amazon and B&N (World Building Tips Vol 2 will not be at major retailers until Monday).
Designing fictional settings is a particular interest of mine - check out the World Building Academy, which I founded to help spread info in this regard: http://world-building.com

10 years ago @ Notes From the Lizard ... - RPG theory & game desi... · 0 replies · +1 points

Thanks for the links and additional info, Winchell. I need to make a more orderly study of this stuff and it helps to marshal the resources. :)

10 years ago @ Notes From the Lizard ... - Back in Time With Livi... · 0 replies · +1 points

I share your interest. I think it's a fascinating concept, and short of actual time travel, it's about the only way to get a truly immersive experience of being transplanted into another era. Even historical renactors don't have such steadfast period-correct settings and social isolation for such extended periods. I also wish they'd do more follow-up on the people about their experiences. It seems to be life-changing and personally transformative for many who go through it. I hope they'll come up with another one of these living experiments soon!

11 years ago @ Notes From the Lizard ... - Do Writers Need a Blog? · 0 replies · +1 points

Glad it was helpful.
Re writing for the tribe: when you do it right, I don't think there's a disconnect between that and being true to yourself. You look for that aspect of yourself that is passionate and enthusiastic about X (for whatever X may be, singular thing or a cluster of related things), and that's what you write about. This is sending up a flair, and your tribe will gravitate to that content and to you.
It sounds to me like you are simply refining and more narrowly targeting/focusing your vision of what it is that you are passionate about. That's a good thing! That's the best magnet you can employ, and it's what people really respond to. Why write about "science fiction" if it's "time travel," specifically, that really grabs you? It sounds like you're on the right track. :)
BTW I also have an ongoing fascination with time experiences and time-travelish things. I look forward to reading your stuff in that regard! And the Whovian stuff as well.

11 years ago @ Notes From the Lizard ... - My Favorite 19th Centu... · 0 replies · +1 points

Glad you found it useful, Beth! I like using these old-timey recipes for home cleaning/waxing/polishing, etc. They are easy to make with common ingredients and environmentally friendly, and still work just as well as back when. :)

12 years ago @ Notes From the Lizard ... - Women Warriors and Che... · 0 replies · +1 points

What terrific points you make in your comment, especially useful for gamers and writers. I especially like the considerations you point out about the positioning of weapons, thigh guards, and how the under-advantaged fighter takes on a superior foe. In almost all rpg systems, there is an egalitarian assumption that women fighters are essentially equivalent to men, and from a phyiscal standpoint are not disadvantaged out of the gate. It's easier to manage a game system that way - but those differences *could be played up (and in some systems, are). Also, in fantasy writing, there is no excuse not to take a more realistic view of these things: not that women are "weaker" in combat, but simply that their challenges are different, and what it takes to surmount them.

Good point too about Elizabeth Moon and Deed of Paksenarion. She is indeed a former Marine (I've written about her military fiction writing here: http://www.deborahteramischristian.com/writing/mi.... Also, you might be interested to know that I will be interviewing her at length in the next couple of months, mainly on the subject of world building, and some of that interview will be aired on my Alien Tourist podcast (which will premier later in April). Signing up for my newsletter is a good way to stay informed of these upcoming events. ;) (Form's at top left column.)

12 years ago @ Notes From the Lizard ... - Women Warriors and Che... · 0 replies · +1 points

Great point, Sean. The more muscle mass women build, the less fatty tissue they tend to have and breast size can become relatively smaller than on a more sedentary woman of the same build. I don't think from a gaming perspective that one needs to spend a whole lotta time fixated on women's chests (though I know there is a gamer segment that will disagree with that ;), but insofar as there are anatomical practicalities to consider, things like the universal "one size fits all" armor purchase is far from realistic (whether in games or stories). I thought a totally great treatment of this subject is in Mary Gentle's historical fantasy series "Ash: A Secret History", in which the eponymous mid-Renaissance heroine, the female captain of a mercenary troop, is now and then particularly concerned about the fit of her armor, and has fits when her custom-built armor is stolen from her. (That's a great book, btw. A trilogy, also available as single books.)

12 years ago @ Notes From the Lizard ... - Back in Time With Livi... · 0 replies · +1 points

Hi, Tiffany,
That's a good question. I haven't heard anything about a 'house' style show in some years. Many of these series (like Regency House Party, 1940s House, and so on) were actually produced by British television, so there might be something brewing across the pond that just hasn't made it here yet.
Meanwhile, though, I did come across this tidbit. Not exactly a live-in house experience, but an interesting behind-the-scenes slice of life about Edwardian times: Secrets of the Manor House. This was set to start airing in January 2012. I assume it's run its course now, but might be on YouTube, dvd, or elsewhere around the web.

12 years ago @ Notes From the Lizard ... - Improving Sales and In... · 0 replies · +1 points

Yeah. I understand the reluctance. It is a psychological leap to make.

FWIW highly successful internet marketer Don Crowther says, and I quote, "1 of the top 5 mistakes online marketers make is: Not Testing!" The basic caution here being, never assume that any element of your internet marketing is working optimally: tweak it, test it, watch your metrics and tweak again, until you concretely identify what brings in the best responses. There are a whole lotta things about selling on the net that are counterintuitive. One non-fiction book seller I know, for instance, experimented with literally tens of different price points for his nf books - and found the single price that sold best was $8.97, specifically, by several percentage points of response. His theory was that the number in cents was just unusual enough to draw customers' eyes, and so make them take a second look at the item (and so lingering with it longer, end up purchasing). It widely outperformed the more traditional (and "intuitive") .99 figure.

At any rate, what works best for your material will continue to be a question mark until you actually test it. Think of it as an ongoing experiment with a cash reward at the end of the process. Good luck, and let us know how it goes! Once you're done melting down, of course. :D

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