Random Questions Thread

I mean, what I'm left wondering is why that has to happen right then and there. Defeating the villain would also be a way to free people, wouldn't it?

@ Morning Star 1337:

That's a good point; I definitely remember that plot point of The Last of Us and how it divided the fans (although I didn't participate in online fandoms at time I played it so I'm sure it was much more intense in those spaces). Either way, I understand. It's supposed to be a morally gray decision to be sure, as are a lot of choices in this story. I was just worried it would permanently tarnish or even "cancel" their heroism. I guess that is a matter of perspective though.

@ War Jay 77:

In this particular case, no it wouldn't do anything to save their family. Their loved ones are being held by a cult made of ordinary (if paramilitarily trained) humans. The werewolf horde ravaging the world is a Keystone Army that will stop if the villain is defeated, but these cultists are completely independent of him, if slavishly devoted. The two of them are worried about what the cult will do in retaliation for their escape and possibly defeat of their figure of worship.

Okay, gotcha.

Well, I guess it does depend on the reader. I'm not sure if I'd find it sympathetic but then I generally tend to be annoyed when heroes choose personal issues over the fate of the world. Others may disagree with me, especially if it's clear that the parents are in danger.

@ War Jay 77:

That's a valid perspective, I can respect that. In fact, "the greater good" vs "my loved ones' wellbeing" is one of the foundational conflicts of this story; heck, the villain in this question is the biggest offender of putting his family over everything else, it's 90 percent of the motivation for his madness.

In my story, there are three main eras, defined by an event known as the Great Winter, a cataclysmic event following the Great Impact, which was when a massive asteroid struck the continent that was the homeland of the fairies. (Actually, it was a stray WMD fired billions of years ago during an alien battle that missed its target.) The eras are Before Great Winter (BGW), in which the years are counted down, Great Winter (GW), which is measured as being 150 years long, and After Great Winter (AGW), which was when the world's most influential governments at the time collectively agreed that the Great Winter had come to an end.

The Great Winter itself was absolute hell, as not only did it drive the fairy population to near-extinction, but it served as a dark age for the entire world, with many other civilizations struggling for food. Even before the Great Impact, fairies weren't particularly liked, due to their arrogance, haughtiness, and frequent clashes with other races, and so they were left to fend for themselves, with some even blaming the fairies for causing the Great Impact in the first place and suffering the consequences. Even during the year 20 AGW, when the story takes place, fairies struggle to survive, as their homeland has barely started to recover, and many are now refugees in countries all over the world, living as third-class citzens.

What are some ways I can show that, yes, fairy life really is that bad that taking refuge in a place that hates them and treats them like garbage is still considered an improvement?

Will the audience get to see the fairy homeland? (Whether directly or through some form of remote viewing, be it technological (e.g. television) or magical (e.g. scrying orbs).)

If so, then just show the conditions there, and how the local fairies live.

If not, then I suppose that some "telling" might be called for—you could have refugee fairies grumble about conditions back home, or local news sources discuss the situation in the fairy homeland, or non-fairy residents gossip about the matter, etc.

Or have the fairies live in communities together with human third-class citizens. Then have the fairies begin telling stories about their homeland when they hear their fellow humans in the community complain about their living conditions and asking why they (the fairies) aren't doing the same amount of complaining about it.

Edited by Trainbarrel on Apr 25th 2024 at 10:24:08 AM

Alternatively, you could have the fairies marvel at anything they find in the human world because it is better than anything they could find at home. For example, they will mention that getting pelted by rotten fruit means they will have something to eat, and sleeping on the ground outside is so restful because the temperature there will drop not more than a few degrees below the freezing point and stay that way for the whole night.

Okay, this is going to be a very weird question, I know that, so here it goes.

What could one call "the fear of looking at your own feet"?

One character have not looked down at their own feet in decades out of an seemingly irrational fear that whatever is down there, is not their feet anymore. Does everything to avoid looking, does not even do it when taking off the socks or puts on shoes, or when getting out of bed in the morning or even in mirrors.

nobody knows why, as all they see are normal feet.

But not this character. They just refuses to do it.

As a side-effect, their sense of balance is absolutely superb. Practically a mountain goat when it comes to climbing.

So one of the characters comes up with a word to describe this thing the other character got going, just to get a name on it.

I just don't know what to go with.

Ideas?

@ Trainbarrel:

Perhaps "podiaphobia"? It's what I can think of off the top of my head, considering how "podiatrist" is a doctor who deals with issues surrounding the feet. I figure something similar could be said about fear revolving around one's feet. Perhaps even "auto-podiaphobia" considering that would refer to one's own feet.

Google tells me that "podophobia" is the fear of feet (including one's own) and the better known "dysmorphophobia" which apparently encompasses multiple types of fear about one's body. I guess specialists would probably call this specific fear a particular case of either of those.

While I can't change this aspect of my story (it's far too integral to the plot and worldbuilding) would it be unbelievable for werewolves to "step up" to become the leaders of their packs or even plot and scheme to rise to power, if they know that their leadership will always end in a violent and messy death by default?

The way my werewolves work, even the most peaceful transfer of power requires the former leader to die at the hands of his or her successor; there are certain powers possessed only by pack leaders that can only be transferred via taking the holder's life.

With that in mind, it seems like it would deter a lot of people from accepting the mantle, yet many men and women have done it since werewolves came into existence.

Granted, there are a lot of perks that come with the office, but I just wonder if readers would think it's insane and not worth it.

Edited by Swordofknowledge on Apr 25th 2024 at 1:25:45 PM

Thanks for the answers so far. Didn't knew the options.

...

Wolves challenge the leader when the leader is old or sickly.

People challenge the leader because of sixteen million other reasons. Almost all but five of them irrational.

Werewolves being human fuzzballs with extra attributes just gives them more reasons to pick a fight with the leader that doesn't make any justifiable sense in the larger picture.

It's believable.

I can also totally see a mentality of "well, I won't die". Each leader thinking they're stronger, smarter, and better than their old leader and the pack they just conquered.

Question, lets say I'm writing a Xianxia story, and that it involves demonic cultivation, and that consequentially fight with wilder versions of martial arts. How would this aspect of savagery translate into differences in technique compared to their non-demonic peers?

Edited by MorningStar1337 on Apr 25th 2024 at 11:29:57 AM

@ Trainbarrel and War Jay 77:

Thank you both for answering my question and providing some ideas for how I can make this situation a little more believable.

@ Morning Star 1337:

So I have no idea what Xandian is but I can answer the question in terms of "wilder" martial arts.

Perhaps the martial arts in question make use of certain physical features of the demons (like using one's tail as a whip/flail or a tool to break an enemy's limbs). As for the "savage" aspect, perhaps rather than fluid or organized fighting styles, this martial art could focus on wilder combat; frenzied and quick strikes to an enemy's vital points, using one's fingers/nails to jab at the enemy's eyes, etc. Things that are far more animalistic than "civilized" beings would do unless in the most dire straits.

Body modification huh? That sounds like it could work. Thanks.

@ Morning Star 1337:

Well, not exactly body modification per se, I was more thinking along the lines of using naturally occurring "demonic" traits such as tails, claws, etc as natural weapons and a fighting style focused upon frenzied animalistic attacks, while still maintaining the organization of a higher-thinking organism.

But body modification certainly works too. Like I said, I didn't quite know what I was dealing with so I was just trying to provide a more "wild" martial art.

That's a good point. I don't see why demons would use a "wilder" version of a normal martial art, when they could just have their own martial arts style that's unique to them and their skills / physiology. One that's definitely wild and hard to counter by an ordinary person who doesn't have claws / fangs / a tail / wings / etc.

Edited by WarJay77 on Apr 26th 2024 at 2:04:01 PM

So, I am afraid I have written another false start. I decided to start with the very first chapter because you gotta start somewhere, and I established my MC's power pretty quickly, both through showing him using it as well as through a short flashback.

However, I think the way I executed it is kinda lackluster and dumb, so idk if it's worth restarting just to implement the better version, or if I should wait until revision?

It's up to you. Just gotta keep in mind that "crappy first draft" is a term for a reason. Sometimes it's more important to just get words on paper.

Does anyone have ideas on how to "remind" (heavy quotes since they'll know what's going on) readers that an intense battle is going on "outside" of a certain situation?

In the climax of the Final Battle the heroes are essentially playing a massive waiting game. The main villain—or rather the parasitic supernatural creature he merged with—is trying to use the son of one of the other villains as its new host as a last attempt to regain control of his werewolf army and continue on his rampage. Since he/this thing cannot exist on the physical plane for long without a host, it is a brutal waiting game to see if they can keep this horrifying yet pathetic Eldritch Abomination away from the kid until it runs out of time.

Meanwhile one of the other characters, the villain's vampire ex-girlfriend, are in his Mental World having a very long conversation about his motives, their plans for the future, and a number of other things to get closure. It actually lasts for decades, even though only a few minutes pass in real time.

Is there a way to occasionally remind readers what is happening while the two of them are having their long chat and overall living this extended life?

@Count_Spatula: I think that the answer depends on just how much reworking would be called for.

Quite a bit can be fixed in editing, I daresay.

And, well, WarJay is right I do believe: A first draft needn't be good—but, even if poor, can provide a start and momentum.

But, conversely, sometimes it's easier and more effective to just start over.

As to how bad it is, I'd suggest giving it to someone else to read—get an external perspective on the writing, and see how that perspective compares with your own.

Edited by ArsThaumaturgis on Apr 26th 2024 at 9:44:34 PM

What are some supernatural urban legends from the United States of America? Not the common ones like Bloody Mary or the Jersey Devil, but rather obscure and rare urban legends.