Tanya
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Post by Tanya on Aug 17, 2017 20:56:23 GMT -5
Where do you come up with ideas for your stories? This is kinda discussed throughout a couple of topics. Sometimes its easier for others if those ideas are in a single topic. The other topics gave ideas to help answer. This does not.
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Post by scibert on Oct 31, 2017 3:33:45 GMT -5
Sometimes, I come up with them randomly, or a song or a scene will inspire me. Maybe an idea someone's discussing or sending my way will get me to write.
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Post by DrLeftover on Dec 18, 2017 10:55:26 GMT -5
I'd been kicking around ideas for "squid 3".
I had a couple of things that way, some character notes, even a 'setting' that might work, but nothing to drive the story.
No answer to the question, as I always put it, "why am I telling you this story".
And then, over a year out, While at work, doing an absolutely MINDLESS task for hours on end, listening to lousy 'today's best music' and other people chatter on about whatever they talk about....
I had an idea.
No, I mean I had THE idea.
It hit me complete and fully formed.
The reason for the third book to exist, a plot device that addresses several central questions of existence- such as: "what is it that makes us Human and 'them' Not?", and even just how far civilian control of the military should go, or shouldn't go.
Oh, yes.
On break I wrote some quick notes, then when I got home, I put them on the page existing ideas I had for that book.
Then, yesterday.....
"in space, all roads are long" the Squid Guys are the Good Guys: Three
Supreme Commander Muller Allied Headquarters Farpoint City, planet Thera (Therron) "I'm not a diplomat. I've never even seen a movie about one," I said to the three High Counselors of the civilian government of our Alliance.
Mister Takie shook his head, setting his thick almost fur-like hair waving, "They won't talk to anybody else. And one of them named you by name. You evidently made a good impression on their delegation after the battle at Parsons Asteroid Field."
"It wasn't much of a battle, the Annuaki fleet was beginning to pull out before we even got there. All we had to do was go to the mining facilities and let the slaves loose."
"Doesn't matter, with the Oon, the military conducts all treaty negotiations. It doesn't matter if it is for a trade deal, or to define a common border, or even like this, to distribute formerly enemy held star systems between rival powers."......
--
"And Away We Go!" - Jackie Gleason
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Post by DrLeftover on Dec 24, 2017 17:46:29 GMT -5
Been plugging at it pretty steadily for the last week or so when there's nothing else going on.
Up to page 17, give or take 12,500 words, and just getting to the main plot.
And still going.
.
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Post by DrLeftover on Jan 20, 2018 13:12:03 GMT -5
50 pages, 37,000 words
still going
(quoted) Paige Taylor I briefed the General on our progress. And he briefed us on his. However, in spite of their Negotiator's statement that something could be done to streamline the process, it seemed that it was still going to take forever.
"According to the Host we dealt with. There will be one more exchange session here. Then one on their ship. Then one on one of our ships. Then back here. And so on. And this will be for each Negotiating Officer. Before the final treaty is presented to you and their, whatever he's called." Neec had the schedule up. "And, Eugene, each session on board the ships will be on a separate day. So this will take at least five days. Before it comes to you." "Eugene?" I said with raised eyebrows. "A long story. You'll be all right, and so is her calling me that instead of Supreme Commander." "I'm not going to say a word," I looked around, "so what's worth eating around here. The meal we got at break wasn't." "I had to explain what I wanted to the Host out there, once they got the idea they brought me a decent sandwich and some chip like things. It was better than Panna food." "My shoes would be better than Panna food," Neec said with surprising emotion in her voice. "And I really need to get out of this uniform, it is beginning to bother my skin." "Me too, but I'm not going to be naked," I said to her and unfastened the jacket I had been sweating in, "but you can, that's fine. And if the Hosts don't like it we'll say it is your approved uniform by the Supreme Commander." The General nodded, "In fact, I will say that. Maybe it will push them to get us out of here faster."
Specialist Baracus and Lieutenant Ripley were the next ones to arrive. They were so wiped out it took both of them a good ten minutes to realize that Neec was really out of uniform. As was I, but at least I was wearing my underwear and a towel while I ate. "They even wanted to know whether the Panna improved AKs were available on the black market where they might get sold across their border," Baracus said. "I told them that every time we bust a shipment that's been rerouted, they're always heading the other way. That we hadn't found any substantial arms dealers interested in Oon territory because, evidently, there's not enough profit in it to make the risk worth while." Ripley nodded slowly, "They liked that answer."
Finally Qi-Shi and Tain arrived. Both of them looked like they'd been through the wringer. "Now I know why they sent so many designees to the meeting. Each one had about an hour's worth of material. Some of them, two, or more. Plus the speech by their Lead." "Speeches by the lead," Tain said as he undressed and went to wash his skin that was showing signs of erupting in a rash from the uniform. "Every time they changed." "Yes," Qi-Shi said, "between presentations and questions by the others, the Lead would talk about how important what they'd just said was, and how important what was coming up was. It was like he was animated and they just played the same thing over and over." He took a deep breath. "Did we pack anything to drink, I mean booze. And where's the food." "Yes, to the booze," I answered and went to find my travel kit, "In case I had trouble sleeping down here in a strange room." In a minute I was back with a bottle of New Bundaberg. "It's almost as good as the original, only the Panna decided to improve the process when they rebuilt the old place up in Queensland. And since they improved the process on Earth, they make it for me on the ship as well now." "The Panna making Australian rum on a spaceship," the General said slowly. "Sounds right to me, I'll get the cups. There's food over here." I laughed at him in spite of our situation and the topic as Qi-Shi opened the bottle and smelled it. "Bit sweet," he said of the smell, then he tasted it, "it'll drink." "That it will" the General was already holding his cup out for a refill as Qi-Shi poured some for Ripley and Baracus. Then I even managed to play some music on my pad and we discussed whether or not Tain's rash qualified him for an 'injured in the line of duty' medal.
(end quote)
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Post by DrLeftover on Jan 30, 2018 18:32:47 GMT -5
Coming along.....
-- --
Supreme Commander Muller
... ...
And then we were on the shuttles heading back to the Courage.
"General?" Jan said to me as we waited for clearance to approach the landing bay that was recovering a fighter patrol ahead of us. "Yes?" "Now that the mission is successfully completed, are you going to disband your staff?" "Meaning you guys?" I looked at, well, I'm not sure if Jan struck me as more male or female, and I hate calling anybody an 'it', except Panna who really are. Two of the other Pax indicated that Jan was speaking for them as well. The one called Kon was developing a rather intense scowl, but when I caught his eye, he almost nodded. "Yes," Jan continued, "we have developed relationships with several of your staff and do not wish to be separated from them."
I wasn't expecting that.
"You, and...." I glanced over at my human, and allied, staff. "All of us," Neec said. Several of my people nodded or shrugged or, in one case, looked at me and then suddenly found their own shoes of intense interest.
I had to hold up a hand for a moment to have time and space to contemplate that.
First contact with an unknown alien race with a military that was able to keep the Annunaki at bay for hundreds of years or more? OK, apparently I'm all right at that. Dealing with sabotage of a major warship by our own security division? I think I did OK with that. Even picking up a passenger craft of what appeared to be a large group of Annunaki defectors? I'm good, no problem. But trying to referee a liaison between several human crewmembers, male and female, and several other crew from the Pax? Where's the nearest battle, I'll get into a fighter and go.
"OK, ahhh, we've still got to deal with the separatists, and let the Alliance know that they're going to be hosting an Oon ambassador, and sort out the mess with Security. So for the time being, you guys aren't going anywhere." I glanced back and forth at the Pax and the rest. "But in the mean time, can we keep a lid on this?"
"Yes, General. Thank you, sir."
"Get us clearance to land," I said to the pilot, "I need a drink."
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Post by DrLeftover on Feb 13, 2018 20:21:24 GMT -5
Pushing 50,000 words, over 80 pages, coming to a head.
--
Admiral Kahn Singh Profile of Courage I don't know how many Panna came onto the command deck, and I looked at the images from the monitoring cameras to try to figure it out. Both lift doors and the deck one passage door opened, and Panna poured into command. Then they just formed a large mass of the creatures, and stood there. Some of them shuffled a little, others looked around with their eye stalks, but most of them just stood there.
I recognized one near the front as one of the ones that had worked on the cloaking device. I took a step toward it and asked if I could help them with something. "Yes, Admiral," it answered. But then it didn't say anything else. Instead, it's eye seemed to be focused on the engineering station. So I stood there and waited. "We're thinking about it, Admiral." The one next to it said. "Yes, thinking." "We need to see the engine display." "Yes."
That reminded me of something. Your average Panna has about the same level of intelligence as your average human. They are also partially telepathic with each other when in close proximity, and fully telepathic when touching. From what those that have looked into this sort of thing tell me, two linked Panna are still only about as smart as an above average human because a significant part of their brain is still devoted to keeping them alive. However, when you have four or more, the processing power of the linked brains increases exponentially because they only need so much for their own combined life support, so that if you have ten, you're looking at something like the combined intelligence of maybe twenty or more above average humans. And it increases from there. Right now, on our command deck, I still don't know how many Panna there were, and they were all touching, And thinking.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked them.
One of the smaller, somewhat younger, ones on the corner by the environmental station moved a little and looked at me, then it answered for the group. "We're doing the calculations for the faster engine dynamics. The power consumption. And the time space distortion field for the size of the ships." "Which ships?" "This one, the Vindicator, and the Blade of Redemption. We're doing it for all three to make sure it works." I didn't know what else to say, so I told the young one that that was fine that they could do all the thinking they needed to do.
And they did.
I sent a message to the Supreme Commander that he might want to come to the command deck to see this. He did. We stood together in the corner by the relief station and drank tea and watched the Panna think. They shuffled. And moved in something of a circulating pattern in their group. Then later they'd shuffle some more. Some of the command crew came to the end of their shift and left, being relieved by others, and the Panna were still thinking. For a long time.
...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2018 12:05:18 GMT -5
I woke up at 2 in the morning yesterday because I had a story idea. They come whenever they feel like it, regardless of whether I am trying to relax or not. Other times I get story ideas via lucid dreaming or daydreaming.
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Post by DrLeftover on Apr 2, 2018 15:30:06 GMT -5
I woke up at 2 in the morning yesterday because I had a story idea. They come whenever they feel like it, regardless of whether I am trying to relax or not. Other times I get story ideas via lucid dreaming or daydreaming. The last time I had an dream that was a story idea, it was a nightmare. (all puns at no extra charge!) The Vengeance of the Mirror Guildthemediadesk.com/newfiles6/mirror.htm.
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Post by DrLeftover on Jun 23, 2018 16:55:23 GMT -5
I finally had a day with NOTHING else happening and was able to wrap Squid 3
.....
"Sometimes I just have to step back and think about where I'm at, and what I'm getting ready to do. I mean, who would have ever thought I'd be, even We would be, out here, howevermany millions upon millions of miles from home, on a giant alien spaceship, getting ready to sign a treaty with another group of aliens whose military is staffed by people who were made in a factory and may have a built in kill switch to keep them in their place, and its only been what, two and a half years since the world we knew was laid flat." Paige was thoughtful for a minute. "Sir, do you remember from your academy history classes something called Project Sign?" "Oh, yeah, the original Blue Book from, what, just after World War Two." "Yes, sir. Remember in that final report, they didn't say this sort of thing was impossible, basically, they only said humanity couldn't do it, right then." "Yeah, it took awhile, but..." I looked around, "and we needed some help, but we did it." "Yes, sir."
End of it all
....
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