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Post by Avery on Nov 3, 2010 0:08:11 GMT -5
Mm yeah, I have read it-- the thing is, at least in that story, the narrator knows BASIC information about the rules of the world, etc. My MC knows zilch. She is literally living her life one day when the sister she thought was dead shows up, and she is taken against her will to a fantasy world she's never heard of. >_>; So she has zero knowledge about anything going on, at all, not even the basic laws of the new world-- ie, the magic, her place in it, anything. Which is why I'm having such a difficult time with it.
Plus, she's going to be grilling her sister first chance she gets as to how, exactly, said sister is alive... and why they took her to this place. So yeah. Hence the info dump problem.
Why oh why did I pick such a complicated idea? XD
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Post by Speck on Nov 3, 2010 0:26:56 GMT -5
Hm... perhaps the sister can explain some very basic information en route to some meeting place, and save the rest for later when they aren't busy? Dunno.
It could be one of those "learn as you go along" things? "Oh, so that must be how this works."
Maybe your MC could point things out and ask the sister, once she's gotten the answer as to how the sister is still alive?
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Post by Avery on Nov 3, 2010 0:28:50 GMT -5
Yeah, that may have to be the route I take. Though I'm also incredibly wary of of doing so much dang dialogue. I feel like 3/4 of my story is dialogue so far. XD;
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Post by Speck on Nov 3, 2010 0:30:45 GMT -5
Who says that all the explanations have to be dialogue? You could still have a paragraph of how something in the world works, and end it with a "...at least, that's what my sister says."
Or something like that.
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Post by Strife on Nov 3, 2010 11:37:39 GMT -5
Is it just me, or is the lag on the NaNo site getting worse? I've actually been getting TMC errors. xD;
Luckily, I still managed to update my word count.
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Post by Chao on Nov 3, 2010 13:54:36 GMT -5
Carrie, most of the novels are dialogue because it's easy to write and it's lifely.
As for your MC, if you don't want to have it all by dialogue, put the MC in an absolutely embarrassing situation which involves some villagers/castle-inhabitants/natives of some kind. After MC has completely made a fool of herself and most of the others are either annoyed of her lack of knowledge or laugh about her endlessly, an elder could hand her 'History of Land X', which contains all the helpful information, but of course it depends on the character of your MC whether or not she really reads it right away, reads it grudgingly or ignores it till the situation forces her to read it.
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Post by Sen on Nov 3, 2010 14:12:47 GMT -5
I'M FINALLY GETTING SOMEWHERE~
*powerwrite*
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Post by Butterfly on Nov 3, 2010 15:37:52 GMT -5
I posted this on the NaNo forums, but I figured I ought to post here as well. My main character is essentially Death and helps ferry spirits who haven't crossed over yet get to the other side. But I'm having trouble coming up with enough dead people for him to help. Since I'm describing at least some of them in moderate detail, it's a little harder than just coming up with a random list of names.
What I need for the dead people:
A name (can be just a first name), an age (can be approximate), how they died (briefly, it's not like MC witnesses it), and where they go in the afterlife
About the afterlife, it's essentially like a huge dream world. Objects, places, time are all fluid. It's pretty much endless and full of just about anything possible. Everyone who dies ends up wherever they should be. For example, so far I have a little kid who ends up in a never ending park with lots of places to play and lots of other kids and imaginary friends to play with. I've also got a drunk guy (who probably died of alcohol poisoning at the part he was found at) who ends up in a place with unlimited booze and girls and partying where you will never get a hangover or get so drunk you pass out. And people who believe in "fluffy cloud heaven" go there.
Basically, use your imagination and help me come up with a list of assorted dead people to pick and choose from. The only thing I ask is that you try to avoid specific technology. I'm trying to avoid anything that might shove this in a particular time period. So no cars, no computers, that kind of thing. Other than that, these people can die any way and can go anywhere in the afterlife.
Cookies to anyone who can help!! So, any ideas? lol |
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Post by be2aware on Nov 3, 2010 18:03:37 GMT -5
I posted this on the NaNo forums, but I figured I ought to post here as well. My main character is essentially Death and helps ferry spirits who haven't crossed over yet get to the other side. But I'm having trouble coming up with enough dead people for him to help. Since I'm describing at least some of them in moderate detail, it's a little harder than just coming up with a random list of names.
What I need for the dead people:
A name (can be just a first name), an age (can be approximate), how they died (briefly, it's not like MC witnesses it), and where they go in the afterlife
About the afterlife, it's essentially like a huge dream world. Objects, places, time are all fluid. It's pretty much endless and full of just about anything possible. Everyone who dies ends up wherever they should be. For example, so far I have a little kid who ends up in a never ending park with lots of places to play and lots of other kids and imaginary friends to play with. I've also got a drunk guy (who probably died of alcohol poisoning at the part he was found at) who ends up in a place with unlimited booze and girls and partying where you will never get a hangover or get so drunk you pass out. And people who believe in "fluffy cloud heaven" go there.
Basically, use your imagination and help me come up with a list of assorted dead people to pick and choose from. The only thing I ask is that you try to avoid specific technology. I'm trying to avoid anything that might shove this in a particular time period. So no cars, no computers, that kind of thing. Other than that, these people can die any way and can go anywhere in the afterlife.
Cookies to anyone who can help!! So, any ideas? lol Since I'm not sure what type of death you're looking for, here are three. Chris Lamberg Age: 21 Professional skater, fell and hit his head on the floor. Dream world: A snow-blanketed valley which sinks into the earth, meeting at one single, perfectly frozen lake. Children build snowmen and have snowball fights, but nothing interferes with his skating. Raymond Walker Age: 16 Died: Malnourishment Dreamland: A peaceful meadow with fruit trees and vegetable gardens, and rabbits that don't eat the carrots. Ethel Scott Age: 74 Died: Asthma attack Dreamland: A bench in the park |
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Post by Butterfly on Nov 3, 2010 19:43:41 GMT -5
Thanks! It doesn't really matter how they died, it's just my character sometimes mentions how the person dies, or the person's spirit is found lurking around where they died, so I need ideas...lol I keep not being able to get past a short list of ways to die.  |
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Post by Tiger on Nov 3, 2010 21:56:00 GMT -5
Hmm. I hit a point while writing today where all the garbage-writing actually eked its way out of my pencil, and I started writing some good stuff. And it actually got better when I retyped and added and edited just a little bit later in the evening.
I still have too much exposition, but it's behaving better now ^^; What's kind of annoying is I think this whole prologue and first chapter bit would have gone better if I'd handled them the way I'd originally planned. Ahwell.
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Post by Celestial on Nov 4, 2010 2:28:18 GMT -5
Does anybody known of any really evil-sounding bits of music? My villain is about to do something horrible to my MC (which catalyses her character development and helps him further his plans so it's kind of unavoidable. >>) and I need something to put me in the right mindset and set a mood.
Thanks in advance! ^^
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Post by M is for Morphine on Nov 4, 2010 2:40:37 GMT -5
Does anybody known of any really evil-sounding bits of music? My villain is about to do something horrible to my MC (which catalyses her character development and helps him further his plans so it's kind of unavoidable. >>) and I need something to put me in the right mindset and set a mood. Thanks in advance! ^^ If you're going for classical, there's In the Hall of the Mountain King, or Night on Bald Mountain. If you're looking for something more modern, I think Superpredators by Massive Attack sounds really sexy and dangerous. Comedy option: When You're Evil by Voltaire. |
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Post by Rikku on Nov 4, 2010 2:46:26 GMT -5
Does anybody known of any really evil-sounding bits of music? My villain is about to do something horrible to my MC (which catalyses her character development and helps him further his plans so it's kind of unavoidable. >>) and I need something to put me in the right mindset and set a mood. Thanks in advance! ^^ =D! ... Was my initial reaction, but I realised I couldn't really think of much. xD Um. 'The Daleks' is all doomy, which is nice, and - oh, 'The Rake's Song' by the Decemberists is about the evillest thing I've heard that doesn't have boring screaming in it and what I listen to if my characters need to be vicious. 'The Mariner's Revenge Song' from the same group is also ... revengey? Um, it's all naval, which may or may not fit the mood you're going for. xD Voltaire's 'Robber Baron' might fit, or one of his other songs, though he's more the fun-spooky sort of evil. *glances at page* ... Like Teow said, yeah. Um, I think I'll just second her recommendation for In The Hall of the Mountain King and get out before I look silly. >.>; |
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Post by Tam on Nov 4, 2010 3:50:09 GMT -5
Things to motivate you right now:
1) Someone in my region just passed 50K. Yes, in under 72 hours.
2) He wrote every word by hand.
...So. Keep going, people. =D
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