Hello, fellow writers! Got any question that you can't find answer from Google or Wikipedia, but you don't think it needs a separate thread for? You came to the right place!
Don't be shy, and just ask away. The nice folks here, writers and non-writers, experts and non-experts, will do their best to help you.
The folder below contains links for special interest threads, mostly at OTC, but also from Yack Fest and Troper Coven.
- Aircrafts and Aviation
- Computer
- Economics
- General Religion, Mythology, and Theology
- General Science Thread
- Chemistry
- Earth Science, including Meteorology
- Medicine
- Physics
- Space
- Just don't talk about space warfare over there; use Sci-fi Warfare thread below instead.
- Chemistry
- History
- Martial arts
- Military
- Police and Law Enforcements
- Politics
- The opening post of the linked thread includes links to political threads on specific countries as well.
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Sci-fi Warfare
Also take a look at Useful Notes on various topics. They can be pretty useful.
Now, bring on the questions, baby!
edited 11th Apr '18 6:31:51 PM by dRoy
In fairness, I doubt that most non-enthusiast readers would be all that aware of the differences between species.
As to the original question... it's hard for me to say whether people will in general associate Spinosaurus with Jurassic Park... but my instinct is to guess that they likely would.
For one thing, just making a story about dinosaurs may bring Jurassic Park to mind—while it may not cause the work to seem like a reference, or take on much out of the story, it may still act as a primer for later connections.
And for another, unless Spinosaurus is more well-known than I imagine, I suspect that a fair few people would only really be aware of it from Jurassic Park.
(Plus, I note that Spinosaurus has apparently appeared in multiple Jurassic Park works, including two movies (if we include a skeleton of the dinosaur), at least some of the games, and two seasons of the Camp Cretaceous series.)
As such, I fear that Spinosaurus, in a story about dinosaurs, may evoke Jurassic Park.
That said, there is the possibility that the story will be sufficiently removed from the narrative of Jurassic Park that people would in general need more than a shared dinosaur in order to see one as a reference to the other.
So, in short, I feel that it's hard to say.
Edited by ArsThaumaturgis on Mar 29th 2025 at 9:07:07 PM
My Games and Asset PacksOn one hand, I'd argue that the Spinosaurus has entered the cultural lexicon of dinosaurs. Its distinct sail has always made for a unique silhouette, even when it was basically a slightly fishier T-rex. It's not up there with the Triceratops, but if something with dino motifs is done, it'll usually appear. Like, if you only get one dinosaur, you don't pick one, but if you have a lot it fits right in alongside the Pachycephalosaurus and Parasaurolophus. Probably helps it has an easy to spell name.
On the other hand, how much of that is because of Jurassic Park? Most examples of Spinos in dino-aligned media I can think of postdate Jurassic Park 3, so it could very well be that it only reached this point because Jurassic Park shone a spotlight on it. I wouldn't know, I'm pretty sure I know of it from Dinosaur King. That said I'd call it one of the common dinos at this point, so in my eyes the point is moot, as long as it doesn't play the same role as in 3 of course.
Read Otr of the Flame (She/Her)You could check which of the dinosaurs mentioned by TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit are believed to have had aquatic habits (I just took a look at the article for Baryonix, which seems to indicate that it is believed to have had such).
As to size, Wikipedia gives this image
comparing the size of various spinosaurids (including the ones mentioned by TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit). You could take a look at that and see which fit the sort of scale that you want.
I'm wondering if this line is too "harsh" for the character uttering it, but I can't think of a better one for what I'm trying to convey.
When my main-character-turned-Big Bad is disconnected from the "battery" that allows him access to his powers and his Clipped-Wing Angel form is revealed, his father (who is one of the hero team trying to stop him) initiates a signal for a group of fighter jets to tear apart what's left of his disintegrating Kaiju form.
Right before he activates it, he looks at the remains of the giant wolf man and the...thing that has emerged from it and quietly says something along the lines of:
"It's over, (Main Character's Name). Please, just die a true death this time".
For a number of Makes Sense In Context reasons, the main character has died twice throughout the story (killed by his vampire girlfriend early in the story and shot in the head very late into plot) and each time he has come back to life stronger and less human than before.
His father is hoping at this point that this particular death "sticks" and he doesn't return again. It's supposed to be a major moment for this character since he was almost delusionally hopeful that all of their family (his wife, his son and his young daughter) could just return to their hometown and return to their normal lives even after everything that has happened and what the son has done to the world. But now he has accepted reality and is acting accordingly.
Anyway, I just feel like even then the line is too harsh but can't think of anything better. Is it too ruthless for a person who is supposed to be a loving parent but overcome with sorrow and grim understanding of what must be done?
Edited by Swordofknowledge on Mar 31st 2025 at 8:36:52 AM
Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar WalllaceWould a variation of "rest in peace" work? It'd communicate the whole "please just stay dead" thing, while being much gentler, depending on execution and all that jazz.
Read Otr of the Flame (She/Her)![]()
Another alternative would be something on the lines of "be human, and die this time", or something to emphasise the fact that dying would be the last humane thing the character could do.
Edited by C105 on Mar 31st 2025 at 6:13:00 PM
Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.![]()
@ Marchen:
I don't know why I never even considered "rest in peace" as part of that line. I think it seemed so...I don't know, average that I skipped right over it. But you're right, it would be a bit softer than my original idea.
@ C105:
That last part is a really strong aspect of this as well, trying to showcase the father's realization that his son is an overtly negative force that needs to be put down for the sake of the world's people, as horrible as that sounds.
@ Marchen and C105:
Thinking over both your suggestions, I wonder if this would be better for reasons I'll explain:
- 'You don't have to worry anymore, (Main Characater's Name). Whatever happens from here on, we'll survive it and come out on the other side. So please just go back to being a human, and rest in peace."
It's intended to be reassuring to his son that even without him his family will be able to survive (since his entire downward spiral into evil and apocalyptic madness is because of a desire to protect them) and asking/hoping that he'll die and spare both the world and himself from suffering. The "go back to being human" aspect is him referencing his son's I Just Want to Be Normal desire to go back to being the Ordinary High-School Student he was before everything happened.
Edited by Swordofknowledge on Mar 31st 2025 at 9:50:29 AM
Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
@ Nukeli:
Unfortunately I cannot help here but I can very much feel empathy for this plight.
I tend to think in "pictures" and combined with the fact that I'm inspired by a lot of visual media, I have a hard time translating it into the written word.
Ultimately the only real advice I can give is to be very detailed and vivid with your descriptions. I do it already because I'm quite fond of that writing style, and it definitely helps when trying to marry images and words.
Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
Noting for the sake of not splintering discussion that this has already been asked (and I've given at least one response) over in The Quick Questions About World Building Thread
What would be a good way to find out that a person who is seemingly well known around town is actually newcomer, long after the fact?
To explain—-when my main character's grandfather appeared in his hometown, forty-eight years prior to the start of the story, he used his ability to "insert" himself into the collective memories of the town's werewolf citizens.
Since this is a pretty big section of the community, it appeared to a lot of people that he had been there his whole life, and those humans who didn't know him just took it for granted that they'd forgotten him since so many of their neighbors "knew" him for years. It worked well as a cover for him to better hide himself from the organization that wanted to wipe out his family bloodline.
Here is where my question lies: There is a side plot (which ties into revelations of the main storyline) where a group of characters is looking into the now long-dead grandfather's background. They slowly realize that this man who seemed to be a lifelong citizen and pillar of the community was an outsider who supernaturally altered the minds of others to create a place for himself in their community.
How would they go about doing this? At this point he has been dead for around forty-five years, so a lot of time has passed. Would looking through old town records do the trick? Or interviewing people who "knew" him and finding inconsistencies and "cracks" in their stories also help?
Edited by Swordofknowledge on Apr 1st 2025 at 5:53:25 AM
Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
I assume this was before the time of photography (or at least before it became very widespread)? A complete lack of any pictures of the character before a certain date could be a clue - especially for instance in an occasion (such as a ceremony, like a wedding) where people remembered him.
There would also be a complete lack of any official records concerning him - postal address, telephone number, etc. Similarly, there would be no records of him in any employee rosters anywhere in the region.
Finally, depending on how the power works, cross-referencing the memories of people could reveal some contradictions. Even if the power the character uses allows to keep all modified memories coherent, following up every memory about the character would eventually lead to other discrepancies in official records (if everybody remembers him going to another city for instance, there would be no trace of him in this city at this time).
Of course if for some reason every record has been erased or if this happened much further in the past (though apparently people can still be alive to remember him), things may be much more difficult.
Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.
@ C105:
Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it.
I just wanted to answer this one. This event occurred in 1960 and happened in rural Maine. So, photography was certainly a lot less advanced than it is now, but it was pretty available and prevalent. The idea of him missing in photos was actually part of what inspired me to think of this plot point.
Apart from that, again thank you. It's intended to be a long-reaching and labor-intensive investigation so those are definitely paths the characters could take, especially that last part about the False Memories causing their own discrepancies that can be spotted if one just looks closely enough.
Edited by Swordofknowledge on Apr 1st 2025 at 8:09:37 AM
Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar WalllaceAbout how long do you think it may take for a crew of fishermen, lost at sea (navigating based on the bizarre notes of their missing navigator and one crew member's ability to hear ghosts), to transition from a group of average-if-quirky workers to some sort of band of rogues and thieves? Like raiding other ships, stealing resources, completely breaking the social order and basically falling to some sort of anarchy?
This takes place in a medieval-esque fantasy world for context (think ATLA tech level probably), and the boat is taken far off shore. My goal is for the story to be made of multiple connected short stories, and the crew will show up and be referenced in other stories as being lost, and then pop up and be mistaken for some sort of wild pirate crew due to their deterioration.
I do intend for there to be actual pirates and probably a rogue naval captain running some sort of island cult that the fishermen get into conflict with. Possibly also a sea-monster. It's, uh, not a great sea to be lost in, and the circumstances of their situation will only compound. I just don't want this to seem unrealistically fast; the story can stretch over a decent period of time, but I don't want it to stretch, like, years or something. Just long enough for it to be plausible that these guys would descend into theft, scavengery, and general hijinks that can make others view them as some sort of insane crew of freaks, rather than a lost, but heroic, fishing crew on some bizarre quest.
I'm sure this could definitely happen as resources run out and times get desperate, sanity is bound to be slipping; I just need a rough time frame.
Edited by WarJay77 on Apr 1st 2025 at 12:10:12 PM
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallHow many countries actually use doorknobs, versus handles?
I've never seen a knob in Finland, and i don't remember seeing any in Sweden or Norway either when we drove through it.
I don't remember about foreign shows and movies i've watched, but in American media it seems every door has a knob and nobody uses handles.
~*bleh*~![]()
The question that I keep bumping into when I consider the matter is that of why, if they come into contact with other boats and ships—i.e. to raid them—do they stay lost?
Why not ask for help the first time that they encounter a manned ship? Or if conflict is initiated by the people on that ship, after winning through why not make use of that ship's resources (including, one would hope, charts) to find their way home...?
Is there something pushing them to banditry, rather than escape?
That is, I'm finding it hard to consider an answer to the main question when I don't know what it is that's keeping them lost.
My Games and Asset Packs![]()
It's widely variable across regions, much more so countries, and depends a lot on when the buildings were built too. (Both come in and out of fashion, for instance there was a whole period in several countries where glass became super cheap and everyone was getting glass knob doors)
It's essentially impossible to know without manually visiting various regions and checking.
Luckily, knob-handles have existed longer than (what I think you're asking about) lever-latch handles, of which both long-handled and knobbed variants (at least two thousand years) and knobs and lever-handles have existed with each other for around two centuries, so there's little risk of anachronism.
x3 @ War Jay 77:
I would have to second Ars Thaumaturgis' question about why they do not simply use the people they encounter as a means of returning back to civilization as opposed to sinking into barbarism and banditry? After all, surely one of those groups would be willing to offer them resources and/or directions, either willingly or due to the threat of harm, as the lost crew become more and more desperate.
I'm sure the answer is because the plot demands it, but it is something to consider.
Now, one of the ways I could see this happening is if these encounters with other people are few and far between and happen only once in a blue moon. In that case, I'd say that it would likely take a few months of complete isolation for the crew to become desperate, hungry and irate enough to resort to brutal actions towards others.
However, time itself isn't the only factor, it also depends upon the behavior/nature of those they meet in those rare moments of seeing other humans. Suppose the first crew they meet after a long time is completely heartless or unwilling to help, resulting in a clash that they win, after which they loot the other ship. That would lower their threshold for violence in a case of It Gets Easier, and after a few more of such encounters, they might just preepmtively attack those they come across.
All of this again is a mixture of time and circumstances, so I'd say a few months for the first steps into piracy and then around a year or more of constant isolation combined with occasional encounters with less-than-helpful people.
Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar WalllaceKind of a "two in one" question, although I'll start with the more important one.
Does the following situation count as a Hive Mind? In my story, all the werewolves, regardless of their origin, nationality, ethnicity, or means of becoming a werewolf all share a psychic link to one another's minds.
It is stronger in some circumstances and weaker in others (members of the same pack have a strong connection to each other's minds while it is weaker in werewolves from different packs, and things like language barriers force them to exchange nonverbal images and emotions). But the connection is always there, and in rare cases where something threatens their species as a whole, every one of them will feel a vague unease or sense of alarm.
This connection exists all over the world, and no matter where they may travel, they are always attuned to each other. Again, they have their own individual personalities (well, within a few hard limits) shaped by the circumstances of their lives, but this mental bond with each other is absolute.
Here is my second (less important) question. Is the following sentence a good—if Purple Prose-esque—way of describing this bond:
They are like flowers, having sprung forth from the same all-encompassing vine.
Edited by Swordofknowledge on Apr 2nd 2025 at 5:13:51 AM
Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar WalllaceAh, good question guys. Well it's a combination of those other boats not being friendlies (i.e., they're the real pirates or that evil naval crew, because they went very off course into dangerous and mostly uncharted territory), and the desperation of the quest that they sort of end up fixated on (find whoever their crewmate is hearing call out to them, find the old navigator as well).
So I can imagine them attempting to get help at first only to discover the situation they're in, as the other boats nearby are not willing to help them and they sort of need to adapt quickly. Sanity Slippage will be playing a role too I think; once they're lost in dangerous waters and surrounded by enemies, they will probably stop thinking of things like "getting help", especially by the time others encounter them. Sword's idea of the first clash and them entirely destroying the enemy crew is pretty accurate to what I think would actually happen.
This is kind of an idea that came to me yesterday in a flood of other ideas so I hadn't fully thought it threads yet. Really guess I just wanted to know if it was something that could be plausible and happen in a good enough timeframe.
A few months is a bit longer than I had in mind, but it's probably the most realistic. There are supernatural forces at play and the crew doesn't need to deteriorate entirely, more just go kind of wild and go from "ordinary fishing crew" to "wild Ragtag Bunch of Misfits plundering from the pirates and freaking everyone out". Given that one naval crew also went insane here, I sort of envision these waters to be a hostile enough environment that it's sort of known for causing sanity slippage. It just has that effect on people. Foggy and rocky and vast and confusing, and full of crews navigating in circles and getting into conflict.
I do still intend for them to be heroes, just very misunderstood and suffering from enough sea madness to embrace some sort of psuedo-pirate lifestyle while they desperately chase their quest and deal with the actual villains.
All that said, if it still seems implausible, I can figure something else out to get the same sort of concept without stretching realism.
Edited by WarJay77 on Apr 2nd 2025 at 12:23:24 PM
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
@ War Jay 77:
Glad I could help! I can definitely sympathize with having an idea that seems amazing and then realizing that there are a thousand holes in it that undermine it. So I'm glad I could help "stabilize" it, so to speak.
The funny thing is that I was kind of lowballing it; I imagined that it would have taken much longer, but a few months along with that kind of unrelenting stress would likely break these people down into losing their morality and perhaps even sanity.
Does anyone have any thoughts on either one or both of the question I asked above?
Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace

The one previously mentioned and the disputed spinosaurus maroccanus?
Pagetopper, typical
Edited by Trainbarrel on Mar 29th 2025 at 7:41:58 PM
"If there's problems, there's simple solutions."