Character Development Thread--Discussion

I'm starting to worry that I enjoy thinking about writing stuff much more than actually writing anything.

Maybe not, but I've severely underestimated the amount of things that can get in the way of one's ability and willingness to write. And I've overestimated my own ability to slide back into the flow of writing that I had, say, last year. In any case, I'm going to stop giving guesstimates as to when I'll finally join the threads. I've got part of a post written. When it happens, it'll happen. But I can't give it priority over everything else that keeps interfering.

this place needs me here

You know, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, especially because I've really appreciated your contributions to the threads. But if you're that unmotivated, are you sure you actually want to rejoin them? Keep in mind that if you do, you're going to have to keep up with whatever author your character(s) gets paired up with.

Anyway, back from a long day out. Working on a post for Trekesser now, though I have to say I'm still feeling a bit out of it.

For Capital participants: Given how late it's getting in-thread, I'm starting to think about advancing to the next day. I'm in no rush to do so, but I would like to hear about how close everyone is to concluding their plotlines for the day and when would be the best time to move on to the next day.

Also, I'm leaning towards dropping a second character into Resort and have a few ideas as to who it might be. That being said, I believe Lara's the only person who's all of free, owned by somebody who posts consistently, and at a place my characters would logically want to go (I know there's a few free people in the Arcade of Time, but none of the characters I plan on using would be interested in that place and neither am I to be quite honest). Is there anyone else free outside of the Arcade that'd be interested in someone to interact with?

Resort in general is sort of giving me the impression that it's dying before it's even really started, though. In the ~month it's been open, it hasn't gotten ten pages yet and generally feels extremely anemic. Granted Capital's slowed down a bit as well, but it's still noticeably more active than Resort is.

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I suppose most of us at the Hospital in Capital are in an epilogue of sorts. At least, that's the impression I've been getting from Miyuki, Gwion and company. At the very least, I can say that I, for one, wouldn't mind moving on to the next day. Will the weather be nicer?

Not entirely dead.

Ummm.

Three of my characters are done or almost done, but I have no idea when Qrlil's plotline will be done, especially since Gault, Corvidae, and I seem to all be up at the same time for only three hours a day or so. And it's particularly problematic since the night and weather are sort of important to what she's setting out to do.

x4

I don't think I'm unmotivated. I really really want to write what I've got rumbling around in my head right now. But there's a lot going on elsewhere, and it does take a concentrated effort to sit down and write stuff. Because I haven't joined yet, it's easier to put this off than it is to put anything else off.

It's funny, at the start of the semester I thought for sure that I would have more time to write because I wasn't taking anything like English. As it turns out, 4/5 classes have considerable writing components. I find however that even more than the measurable workload, it's the stress that gets me distracted more than anything else. I've got one last speech I have to write and deliver on the 18th. Even with two weeks to do it, it's got me so anxious that I feel like every free minute ought to be dedicated to getting it ready. That wouldn't be so bad, but the feeling only extends to the point that I've stopped pursuing any kind of recreational activity that—as I mentioned—takes a concentrated effort. But I don't work on the speech either— not until it's nearly due. I just bide or waste my time...

But I am absolutely enthusiastic about joining this. I'm just not confident enough at the moment to... easily, do so.

edited 4th May '15 7:07:07 PM by Ryuhza

this place needs me here

Sorry I haven't posted yet, Sonzai. A bit stuck.

@Blackfire: as TroPartner said, Gwion's having a holiday from his less-than-relaxing "holiday" in the Capital. He's had time to pop back to (his) Earth for a day or so then made his way to the Resort (via the Capital in order to use the Capital's dimension gash to dump him far enough from the Resort to enjoy the ride up the mountain).

Inasmuch as stuff being finished for the day in Capital, Gwion's killing time expecting Ulf to wake up and the cops to arrive to ask embarrassing questions about the events at the abandoned mall.

Akira's asked Foster some questions about Rani and haunted houses.

Teri, Wolfe, James and Masterofchaos' crowd haven't got to the pub where Kris, Archibald, Karl and the Professor are serenading the city, yet. I was picking that once they got there, I'd settle them in for an evening's fun but I haven't got them there, yet.

It's rather slowed down a lot due to time constraints on participants - some aren't able to post more than once a day or so.

Millership's and my plotline is nowhere near a point where we can wrap it up and have a timeskip to the next day. I can talk with Millership about speeding things up, though.

Do note that this is just my take on it—Millership might say something different.

I'll make a quick post for the Captain, but nothing too long or fancy because I'm exhausted from lack of sleep and an incredibly shitty day that's gotten me seriously down on the dumps.

edited 4th May '15 11:09:48 PM by Tehpillowstar

"Life is eternal; and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight." - R. W. Raymond

Regarding the time-skip:

Moreena, Lara and Eliza are just sitting around talking at the moment, so if we skip to the next day I guess we could just assume that they all left at some point, and have them reappear wherever we want.

The Garkin/Qrlil/Angua plot might drag on for a while like nrjxll said, but if it keeps going for too long we could always skip ahead to them meeting up at the hotel.

Does this sound ok?

Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.

OK, finally posted up Gwion's response to Rick in Resort - sorry for failing to spot your post earlier, TroPartner.

Also answered the Professor and Masterofchaos' group. Had to wait until the kids stopped faffing about and finally went to bed for realsies - after all the "oh, I've got to go to the toilet", "I'll just get my stuff ready for school tomorrow", "I need to shave" etc that turned an 8pm bedtime into a 9pm bedtime.

Couldn't focus on writing before - it was like trying to write in the London Tube.

Re: advancing to the next day in Capital, I'm not really sure we have a timeline, the Terra Nova/David group is just dicking around at karaoke and the Sito/Koyel/Varnas group is looking for food. Terra Nova could probably stop at any time, but my other group is going to need a rather big Hand Wave to skip to morning.

On the other hand, it'd give me an excuse to be lazy and pull Sito out to go down to two active characters. Just "They went into a stall, got food, and went their separate ways." I'm not crazy about that, though, and I don't know how KC and TPS would feel about it. Like I said, those characters just started on this tack.

I've read Tehpillowstar's PM, and I'm pretty sure we can wrap up our plotline for the time-skip in 3-4 posts, tops.

P.S. I came late from work today, and I'm too tired to write a lengthy post that will help wrapping things up, though.

P.P.S. Is there anyone who wants to join our plotline? If so, then I can send Iolana that person's character's way.

Spiral out, keep going.

I can think of what to do with my characters if we go into the next day. I was thinking after Kyana escapes with Joshua maybe she would go home to rest and meet with him the next day maybe or do something else.

With my girls I was thinking they could easily give Sophie and Samantha their cellphone numbers so they can meet the next day. =D

"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"

It shouldn't take too many posts to reunite the two groups of Terra Novans and have them ready for a Time Skip, but Masterofchaos gets to post only once a day and I'm not going to make assumptions about what their characters are doing, so a couple of posts is going to equal a couple of days in the Real World.

I think Sir Archibald and David have done sufficient to indicate that a trade deal between Terra Nova and the Tseik Collaborative is underway. Woot! That's the first thing I've written where Sir Archibald's position as a diplomat is actually used.

Not sure what it'll take to wrap up the hospital scenes, though.

I'd like to repeat that there is no rush to finish up the current day's plotlines. It's still going to be a while before I'm truly ready to move on to the next. I'd keep a plan in mind for a conclusion, but don't let this stop you from doing anything else in the meantime.

To answer Blackfire's question, the weather will indeed be nicer for the next day. I love thunderstorms, but that's really not an excuse to keep one going for the whole thread.

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So anyone can continue the day for themselves if they want?

I just had a funny thought. What if like Joshua invites Kyana to stay with him for the night for her safety (even though everyone is after him so it wouldn't make too much sense). But like she calls her parents and says she's going to stay at a friend's house and though they are worried because maybe they heard about Genocide just the fact that she called them makes them know she is safe and they are ok with it.

But man would Kyana be so flustered about it thinking like 'Oh my god, I'm staying at his house! What is something happens?' and what not. xD

"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?"

Well, Joshua might have a two-room place at Hotel Fantastique. Would that work? And would the Time Skip start as they get in the ventilation?

For Lara, though, I don't know where she'd end up...

The Kommissar/Nero/Echo group is planning on a by-night job, so I'm not sure time-skipping is a good idea for us.

Also I'm waiting on KC to post before saying anything. If he is around, I mean.

Life is hard, that's why no one survives.

EDIT: Good news, have Capital post. Now to put it in the right thread...

edited 5th May '15 6:29:04 PM by KillerClowns

To be fair, the storms do make things suitably dramatic, especially considering what some of the characters are currently up to...

edited 5th May '15 6:39:21 PM by Collen

Gave them our reactions, our explosions, all that was ours For graphs of passion and charts of stars...

@Tro: What I meant was basically just keep going with whatever you were doing and not to feel like you absolutely have to wrap it up just because there's a Time Skip on the way.

Icon by Civvi the Civilian!

The real-life driven element to the threads do make nocturnal activity difficult to write explicitly. Wish there were a solution for that, but I guess it'd be asking a lot for every writer to keep their characters awake for some reason or another, and it wouldn't be fair to make the writers of sleeping characters wait for potentially weeks until the whole thread is ready to move to morning.

edited 5th May '15 6:49:57 PM by Ryuhza

this place needs me here

I can see how it can be a problem. Maybe write a reason to wait until morning? I just posted, so it might be up to Tera Chimera, (but mostly since they began the plot). I'll PM them about it.

Life is hard, that's why no one survives.