Random Questions Thread

i was thinking of her joining a band of monsters being lead by a another half-demon who takes her under her wing.

Which sounds like a major characterization/plot decision—which, in turn, is something for you, or perhaps a close collaborator (read: not a random bunch on an Internet thread), to hash out.

This isn't the first time you've asked a question like this, the kind which, realistically, we can't help you with. Think of this thread as a bunch of technical consultants who can occasionally advise on one aspect or another of the storyteller's art. But there's a sharp line between the technical consultant and the writer. We, in the role of the former, can't help with actually plotting out your story or figuring out your characters—that's your baby, and we don't know anything about it, or how you intend to tell it, or how you want to bring your characters to life.

yeah i know. you don need to hammer the "we can't help you part." but now that you mention it, i serious need someone to collaborate with.

Ewolf I haven't been here long, but it seems to me maybe it's not a collaborator you need, so much as just to trust yourself to dive in, and go with your instincts? It's clear you have a lot of ideas for your work's direction. You'll ask a question, soliciting ideas from others, but after a few exchanges you'll mention what you had in mind - and it turns out to have been a very definite, pretty well fleshed-out idea. In fact, your ideas are usually specific enough and well-developed enough that by the time you ask the question, you're far past the stage where any random answers we throw out could fit.

Seeking input on questions that aren't at all developed, or asking a question that's far more basic then the detailed idea you already have - that can turn into just a way to second-guess yourself. It also makes it impossible for people to give useful answers, if the question you ask is so basic, and lacks all your thoughts and background.

I'd say trust the ideas you have. You've got plenty! Go with your instincts, make decisions based on gut, and on what YOU want to see in the story. Then when you reach a crucial fork in the road, ask for input, sure - but along with your question, share what people need to understand the decisions you've made already. Lay out the background detail, so we'll stand a chance of tackling what you're actually wrestling with.

Ideas are the easy part, in my experience. Decisions are hard, but that's the only way forward with a story.

but one the major problems I've been dealing with lately are my episode ideas and barely any of my pals on the web butt in to help.

That's always frustrating, but the purpose of this thread is not to give authors validation. If you need feedback on ideas you've had, the Constructive Criticism Thread would be a better place for it.

thanks but i tried. the process of of getting any sort of critique kind of discouraged me from going there.

Sorry, but that's your ball. Writing a good story is hard. You'll need the patience to work your way through the characters and the plots and how you intend on presenting them.

Is it possible to have a 12-year-old super-genius as a member of an international task force that has mostly realistic ages (at least early-20s — many are older than that) without him posing a detriment to the story itself? They recruit who they view as the cream of the crop (though you can join willingly, you better be very good... or expendable), so having a young genius on the team makes sense for them.

I know there's a certain stigma attached to it. Additionally, my story is quite dark and is not made with kids in mind, but I've seen mature stories with prominent kid characters involved, though they seem to annoy fans.

I created him as a contrast of the Crapsack World he's living in — a boy genius with a positive outlook on life, who lives in a world full of death, tragedy, and despair. He doesn't fight using firearms, so there's that avoided. He's the resident Gadgeteer Genius of the core members. Also, he's not introduced until later in my series, so he won't be there from the start. What do you guys think?

Nope. Experience and judgment count.

Yeah no task force worth it's salt would employ someone that young. And honestly someone that young isn't going to be very good at their job even if they do have a ridiculous IQ or something.

There's just stuff you can't know without years of practical experience.

Also, I should mention something crucial — he doesn't fight on the frontlines with weapons, because that would be super ridiculous. He mostly stays on the base, supplies them, and uses robots/drones in combat, basically giving help from afar. However, I do have it in my head that there is a point where the situation forces him to accompany the other members into the enemy base, though he still doesn't use guns and everyone does their best to protect him. Haven't worked out all the details of that yet, since it's far into the future of what I'm writing.

Eh so, he's a 12 year old. 12 years old is ridiculously young. There's just no place for anyone that inexperienced and young on an international military world saving task force.

Like hell, the average age for special forces members is mid 30s. These are people who signed up at 18. You just need to be that old and have that many decades of experience to be properly useful.

Still no. No matter how smart a 12-year-old is, he hasn't had the time to build up experience, undergo formal training, et cetera. Precocious talent will only get you so far.

You guys raise some good points. But the thing is, the part where he gets introduced in is where times are desperate. The governments are corrupted from the inside and the world is nearing its inevitable destruction, meaning they have to fight massively powerful organizations and governmental superpowers on their own by building up their own N.G.O. Superpower consisting of all the talented people they could possibly find. He's willing to contribute his highly-intelligent mind and knack for inventions to serve them, and they literally need all the help they can get.

But I understand the concern. I wouldn't be asking this if I wasn't worried about pulling it off myself. Especially since, as mentioned above, this isn't some kids' story even though what I just described could definitely make it sound like that.

edited 20th Oct '16 7:46:04 PM by UltimateLazer

So much ageist bullshrimp. No offense guys I just don't like it. Have you tried deconstructing such aspect of not? I'm not sure if you could justify it but hey it's you story. I do suggest you maybe age him up to 17 or higher but still retaining that youngness in him.

Ageist? The kid is 12. I'm sorry but 12 year olds are useless.

Kid can be smart as can be but he'll just never be on the same level as people who have been doing work in the field longer than he's been alive period.

Bump the kid up about 6 to 10 years and then it should work just perfectly. Exactly as you described it actually. Media doesn't ever tell this to you but international special forces world saving teams are all full of dudes in their late 40s. Mid 30s at the absolute youngest. Yes, including those dudes in the field hanging from rafters snapping people's necks.

Being 18 to 22 is still gonna lend itself to the whole "young wunderkind" kinda dynamic you're probably going for because in that field being in your early 20s you are a baby.

edited 20th Oct '16 8:22:55 PM by LeGarcon

Or, to put it another way. For "twelve year old", substitute "sixth grader".

Now I feel like shit having kid soldiers, kid heroes, kid etcs now. Thanks a lot for crushing theirs and my dream but any who, 20 or 25 is good ripe age for training.

They're not being ageist or trying to crush people's dreams, they're just being LOGICAL. That's what the question was asking. No matter how desperate a government might be, they'd have to be suicidal to even CONSIDER recruiting a twelve-year-old.

I might be tiny at five feet and 110 pounds, but I'm twenty-six. You know the advantages I have over a six-foot-tall teenager? 1) I've had a decade to settle into my frame, so I'm well aware of my weaknesses AND strengths. 2) My brain's done developing, so I'm a lot less likely to make stupid decisions. Sure, I panic easily, but I can at least channel that into running away and hiding instead of doing what many teens and children would do, which is scream or flail around. 3) I've got a decade more life-experience than many teenagers—and if I don't, they've probably had a MASSIVELY shitty life. There's a reason Troubling Unchildlike Behavior is often played as tragedy or horror, ESPECIALLY Child Soldiers.

And my advantages over a twelve-year-old of similar size is that I've got another decade of life-experience, my brain and body are finished growing, AND I've got a good twenty or thirty pounds on them. It doesn't matter how smart this boy is, he's still a BOY—I could probably make him cave just by glaring at him.

edited 21st Oct '16 2:08:42 AM by Sharysa

No wonder most of my protagonist are teens or college students. Now where's that guy in the mecha icon? Did he get the hint? Because I kinda changed my mind today. A bit to quickly I might add. I do see your point but when I picture a child soldier, it's usually from 1-12 years basically but the kid that he describe isn't involved such matters. Now that i think about, I kinda figured it out, why not make him look 15 years (sort of) but he's actually in his 20s? Werid I know and doubt the military would still hire him. That's my two cents I guess.

The only situation where such a thing is plausible is when you are talking about a context where experience does not matter (much). Or if we are talking about a person who does not need to sleep ever and has thus more time to learn stuff.

then how might be possible?

I dunno, really. A leadership role is definitively out, assisting with a specific job of a taskforce may be plausible though. They will definitively be in a trainee role if anything.

That's for qualifications. There are important ethical issues with using someone this young and even if they had some qualification (say, Improbable Aiming Skills) one would have to find them first. You better explain both of these aspects.

no not me just guy with the d-va icon.