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Post by Twillie on Jul 31, 2020 21:42:22 GMT -5
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Post by Blueysicle on Aug 4, 2020 23:44:05 GMT -5
I mentioned them in the Neopian Gloat/Cry thread, but I want to give a shout-out to the__reporter, who conducted the Series Spotlight interview with me. They're still looking for series writers to interview, so if anyone here is writing/has submitted a series and wants to do an interview of their own, definitely let them know!
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Post by Twillie on Aug 5, 2020 15:21:18 GMT -5
Blueysicle Alrighty! I'd been slowly catching up on these throughout the week, including Part 2 even if it's from Issue 906. Between last night and today I doubled down to finally finish reading and write my thoughts, so I'll start things out with my live reactions that are less coherent but at least genuine in the moment. Maybe they'll have some value, or at least you might get a kick out of them x3 oh nuuu I hate to say it like this but I think that miner who couldn't get up tugged at my heartstrings even more because he was an aisha D: it's even worse when you're abusing any kitty creature nuuu (this next paragraph I wrote before Cinnabar's family debt was explained, so I knew less about how things worked in Obsidian Quarry lol) Agate and Cinnabar's interaction was interesting to me. Right now I'm not sure why Agate was being so harsh with him, and how this translates into her being concerned for him. When he asked if she's trying to get him fired, is that ultimately her goal? Is she trying to make it impossible for him to do his job so that he loses it, thus not having to work in such conditions? Or maybe trying to scare him into quitting? The fact that he's so young and is already starting a mining job I took to assume that he didn't have much choice in the matter, like Obsidian Quarry snatches them up super early rather than Cinnabar deliberately choosing to start a career. And before throwing his helmet, the only thing Cinnabar seemed to have done wrong was show up slightly late; not being able to reach is out of his control and more a sad testament to the child labor this place seems to enforce. Even if she wanted him to stop slacking for fear of him getting punished, what then was Agate hoping to happen in the case that he never found a helmet to use? For some reason the NT formatting seems to have a problem with the word, uh, "words"? There's several spots where that word is cut out and there's a paragraph split. Not sure what that could be about. Hello? Flicker??  Well this is an interesting turn... Haha being already familiar with Flicker, there's that thrill of seeing a notable character cameo, almost like a guest star appearance xD What has him in Obsidian Quarry and acting with such intimidation like this, though, is the real question.... (it's near midnight as I write this, so my brain may just be fuzzy remembering any Flicker backstory I've read before that may explain this x3) It is now the next day, and I have finished all the parts so far! xD Ah, so Flicker is here probably during that time when he was bouncing between places to live after being separated from his father. I think before that time period is right where I left off in my Infinity reading, which explains why I was surprised to see him here now xD And now I'll write some actual organized/constructive thoughts! As you probably gathered from above, Flicker's appearance was a twist I was not expecting! My first thought after Part 3 was he got brainwashed (clearly my brain is still on Sisters of Pillar Grove x3), although now that makes sense that he's in a tight place of needing a support system, having nowhere else to go, and also just being a naive kid. Cinnabar also makes more sense to me now, looking at my previous confusion there. My initial impression with Obsidian Quarry was that being a miner is just something you inherit after growing up there, that people stuck around simply because the generations before them did the same job and there was no room to break out of it. Thus, I was confused on what Cinnabar would do instead if he was fired, or if being fired was even an option for punishment. Has me wondering what else may be revealed about Obsidian Quarry's workings. The mysterious rock cliffhanger was a fun twist to Part Two! I like how for each part so far, you've been able to escalate the story more and more. There's something new learned in each part, as well as self-contained dramatic moments so that each part can stand on its own a bit. Considering the medium this is, that kind of structure sounds like common sense from an outside perspective. But, coming from someone who also tries to write series, I know how difficult it can be remembering to escalate and add stakes like this, let alone actually write it into a linear story. It's something I've been working to do better myself, so seeing you do it with deceptive ease in this series is really impressive! It was also really sweet getting to see Mona immerse herself in identifying the rock! The detailed descriptions really showed her passion for the field, plus how complex it can be and her skills to do it despite a lack of resources. I imagine this series led to a fair amount of research in geology and its scientific methods xD Ah, the argument that's been waiting to come has finally found its time! With the amount of tension that had been brewing before, the shift in atmosphere was almost tangible for me when things finally snapped. It was almost cathartic, just that feeling of the truth finally being laid out. But lol, the awkwardness after the fight was also well done, especially with Agate going so far as to stay away overnight. As good as it can feel to speak your mind the moment, dealing with the aftermath never gets to be as fun xD Yikes, I'm anxious to see what comes of Agate's leg; for a Neo story, there's definitely a lot in here that toes the line of NT boundaries xD Honestly I feel I can expect most any out come right now (save for the most grimdark of possibilities of course x3). Also, I just noticed that instead of having a story snippet in their preview boxes, the latest series updates have a sentence summary that I suppose the editor wrote. Just found that interesting, makes me wonder why they started doing that instead.
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Post by Blueysicle on Aug 6, 2020 0:15:17 GMT -5
Wow, did I get a bit long-winded with this one. xD Twillie : Oh no! D: I assure you that I really don't put that much thought into what species I use for extras, and that I wasn't intending to make that scene more painful for cat lovers in particular. (And I say this as someone who's very much a cat person herself) Really, the only reason I made that miner an Aisha was because I've only used an Aisha once before. (I have a list that helps me keep track of all the species and colors I use for major characters and extras alike, so that I don't start overusing any particular one)
Yeah, I have no idea what the deal with that was! 0_o I guess the submission form had a meltdown with that part, or something? (The paragraphs in Part Three aren't properly formatted either) And it's especially odd because "word" shows up a few times in Parts Four and Five without any issue. So, uh... your guess is as good as mine. xD
Haha, yup! For readers familiar with the rest of the Infinity saga, I definitely intended Flicker's appearance to be a big surprise! I mentioned it in the interview, but I've been wanting to write about what Flicker was like as a teenager for a very, very long time, and this story was a good enough excuse to finally do so. He's not the only cameo from one of the main characters of the saga, but he is the most notable one. (The others only show up relatively briefly) For those that are just jumping in with this story, I kinda wanted to play around with the readers a bit by building Flicker up to be this terrifying figure, just so the reveal that he's actually a really nice guy would be a bigger shock. 
It is true, that there is somewhat of an expectation in Obsidian Quarry that you work in the mines when you're old enough. (Or... not even that) But there's a bit of an illusion of freedom within Obsidian Quarry, really. Sure, technically there are other jobs to take that don't directly involve the mines, since society requires at least some variety to keep running. But you know how in real life -particularly in the 1800's and early 1900's- there were often "company towns" where all the businesses were owned by whatever company had a stranglehold on the place, meaning that most -if not all- of their employees wages were funneled right back into said company? Yeah, Obsidian Quarry was one of those. Unfortunately, this is something I only alluded to briefly in the first part, when the narration mentioned a company store. That's something I regret not writing out in greater detail, and that I probably would have had I not been so pressed for time. But yes, Agate was more or less trying to take a "cruel to be kind" approach and scare Cinnabar away from the mines before he got too entrenched in them. Here's another thing I alluded to in the first part, when Monazite and Agate were introduced: At this point in time, both Monazite and Agate are 25. Monazite's been working in the mines for seven years, which means that she began when she was 18. Agate, however, "had been working in the mines for a few years longer than Monazite," which means that she herself was a minor when she became... a miner. That pun was awful, I know, please forgive me So the gist of it is that not only is Agate's trying to get Cinnabar out of a hazardous workplace, but also to prevent him from winding up in her situation, because she's been in his shoes before.
I didn't want to spell that out too much in the story itself because I felt that just addressing the subject of child labor at all was toeing the line as far as Neopian Times restrictions, and that I didn't want to risk getting the whole series rejected - especially one for something as time-sensitive as a collaboration.
Oh, thank you! I'm very glad to hear that! Especially for this kind of story, where the whole point is to convey just how awful life in Obsidian Quarry is, so that by piling on stakes it kind of puts you in Monazite's and Agate's shoes a bit more. xD
I actually did study Geology for a year, so my research concerning that scene was less learning about the methods and more like giving myself a refresher. xD (Quite a bit of a refresher, granted, since my Geology knowledge is pretty basic and rusty) But I'm happy that you enjoyed that scene, since I was actually a little afraid that it dragged a bit and could come off too much like a lecture instead of a story with a plot. And incidentally, red beryl is something that exists in real life. The one thing I was too impatient to find couldn't figure out in my research was whether or not red beryl is even capable of occurring in the same vicinity of obsidian. So in the event that I ever get a message beginning with the phrase, "Um, well ACTUALLY," that informs me that it can't: Whoops? xD
I'm glad that the aftermath of the fight stuck the landing. While writing it and the fight itself, I wanted to, like you said, convey a feeling of catharsis by having Monazite and Agate lay out their respective viewpoints. And in doing so, I knew that both of them were going to have to say some pretty hurtful things to one another. Yet I was kind of thinking to myself at the time, "Oh god, what if that was all too mean and they both come off as unlikable and unrelatable?" xD
Yeah, honestly, I was kind of shocked that I was able to toe the line with this story as much as I did. Like I said before, I did feel like I was risking missing out on the collab entirely should I been deemed to cross those aforementioned boundaries, so that's why I was careful in some spots to be rather vague. (Like how I danced around with what Agate's leg was like after the boulder fell on it by just having Monazite look away) Actually, it seems like with just about every other story I submit I think to myself that it's too much for the Neopian Times, only to be surprised when I get the acceptance Neomail. xD I can't remember if you said if you finished The Sisters of Pillar Grove or not, (And if you haven't, I'll be vague in regards to what I'm talking about in particular) but there were scenes in the tenth and twelfth parts that I was fully expecting to get the whole series rejected and have to rewrite them. It was to my great surprise that I didn't have to when it got accepted as it was.
I kind of like Aesop's style of doing the summaries in a way, but I did have a bit of a laugh at the description of "the monstrous Buzz Flicker." It does keep the illusion of such alive for those that aren't familiar with Flicker, but it's funny to read that while knowing that he's anything but. xD Thank you very, very much for the review!  |
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Post by Twillie on Aug 7, 2020 23:23:46 GMT -5
I forgot to say before, but I'm curious if anyone has a preference on how I compressed my comics in A Day Out vs older arcs (basically this vs this, which do you think looks better?) My old process removes colors from the comic, meanwhile this new process keeps the colors but makes things noticeably grainy. The two comics I linked are the most extreme versions of each, and I'm unsure if one is preferable for readability. If anyone has any feedback on this, I'm open! :3 Meanwhile, I'm working to get some more reviews out for these issues, but it'll be done piecemeal style. For now, here's a comic review and a reply \o/ Lawful Chaotic by Kat and curlsandhairbows Haha, now I'm just imagining you using lawyer-speak with your pets for everyday conversations at home xD Your pets gripe now, but when they're face to face with a potentially shady contract, they'll thank you for drilling that jargon into their heads ;D Sorry Blueysicle if this double pings you xD Oh no! D: I assure you that I really don't put that much thought into what species I use for extras, and that I wasn't intending to make that scene more painful for cat lovers in particular. (And I say this as someone who's very much a cat person herself) Really, the only reason I made that miner an Aisha was because I've only used an Aisha once before. (I have a list that helps me keep track of all the species and colors I use for major characters and extras alike, so that I don't start overusing any particular one) Don't worry, that was mostly me being silly dramatic in the moment I wrote that xD I didn't take it as actually problematic or anything like that! (like when I said "even worse when you're abusing any kitty creature" the "you" was directed at characters in the story, not you in real life!) I guess so In true Neopets fashion, the NT's coding sometimes has the strangest glitches for seemingly no reason lol. Nice! Yeah, those kinds of opportunities are always great, when story ideas collide without expecting =D And ooh, gotta keep an eye out for those other cameos now >w>
Gotcha! I can see that working yeah, in part because the main characters themselves don't know who he is either. Makes for a more organic transition between Big Scary Flicker and Regular Teen Flicker when new readers discover this alongside the protagonists.
Ahh, yeah that makes a lot of sense how it'd work like that, and how it's based off of irl company towns. Probably more powerful than just explicitly entrapping people because that false sense of freedom can give even less reason for the people to question their living conditions or entertain the thought of challenging the system.
Oh, cool! =D That's cool then you were able to apply that knowledge to the story like that! And at least for my tastes, I didn't think it went on for too long :3 I'm also someone who just enjoys learning those kind of intricacies in fields I'm unfamiliar with, probably why I didn't mind reading the detail haha Whoops xD Haha I'd be impressed by someone who may read your story and know that off the top of their head. Unintentionally summoning the Neopets geology subcommunity.
Augh, I feel you there xD I get that same worry just about any time I write for any of my characters' flaws.
"But wait, what if this too far and everyone ends up hating this character and I can't redeem them or accidentally excuse bad behavior???"
I feel I've become more sensitive to this the more I've been on social media and in fandom spaces lol. I think in reality though, it'll depend on individuals' tastes and experiences what they find relatable or not, and in general takes a lot to really make a character nonredeemable or unlikable. Especially considering the circumstances these two live in, it makes sense for there to be bitter, passionate feelings, and for things to more easily spill over when there's some kind of change or uncertainty. From my perspective, I think you were able to write their argument well :3
Haha, the NT always seems to surprise with what you can get away with in it. That's what I find so fun about it, that it's more about being conscious about how you portray subject matter rather than being cut off from these kinds of stories altogether. I don't think I've finished The Sisters of Pillar Grove yet; I forget where I left off, but I need to go back to find that and catch up xD But ooh, intriguing!
Haha that's true xD Feels almost like an in joke in this case.
I also got to reading your interview! I think this is a really cool series they've started to highlight NT writers, it's always fun seeing the minds behind the NT and what brings them here :3 Your interview specifically, I could definitely relate to that last question haha. I feel similar wherein it's more a question of what's led me back to the NT over the years, and it comes down to a personal attachment to my stories and characters. There's a lot I could also say about the accessibility of a smaller publishing platform and community and the lower pressure on performance for the NT versus other social media sites. But haha, I think any regular Neopets player has had to ask themself that question at one point or another, why they stick around. (I also learned a new word today: clock-punk!) |
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Well this is an interesting turn... Haha being already familiar with Flicker, there's that thrill of seeing a notable character cameo, almost like a guest star appearance xD What has him in Obsidian Quarry and acting with such intimidation like this, though, is the real question.... (it's near midnight as I write this, so my brain may just be fuzzy remembering any Flicker backstory I've read before that may explain this x3)
