Masyn

Oh yikes, I just realized I missed a letter in my title. Sorry— there’s supposed to be an ‘r’ after the ‘p’ in present— or apparently, ‘pesent’. 😛

Thanks for the quick definition— I think I get it now.
Yes, I agree one hundred percent with what you said about perfect characters.
Books without hardships? *Shudders*. Disgusting. A perfect story where everything is just hunky dory all the time would be worse even than a character that way.
And now we are out of a discussion. Can you think of…[Read more]

Remind me, what’s dystopian again? Is it the genre where the government basically has control of everything? Just curious, and couldn’t remember.
That’s an intriguing point you made about characters being more likeable if they are closer to perfect. I can definitely see where you are coming from, but how far would you carry that? Personally, I…[Read more]

I’ve not read a ton of romance novels (none, in fact, unless you count Austen and some of her contemporaries) but I’ve read too many stories to count that have love stories in them. And thus far, I have not encountered the pine needles and cedar shavings thing. Lucky me, right?
Now, I write fantasy, so a lot of my thought process works towards…[Read more]

Florida! That’s nothing like Ohio, let alone the Hocking Hills! 🙂
I’m glad to be on this forum.

Hey, I enjoyed it immensely! Thanks for starting this topic, Hope. I love discussion. (I’m sure you couldn’t tell). 😉

Hm… Edwin Brook. The name sounds pleasing to the ear, but to me it does not sound particularly dramatic. (Which you may have done on purpose, for all I know— maybe he’s not a dramatic character).
The name definitely brings an image to mind— I’m seeing a tall young man with dark brown hair, somewhat hazel-ish eyes, and a quiet, dignified…[Read more]

Haha, so in other words, ‘I’m starting to grow a tad bit weary of wrangling over this topic and would appreciate it if someone would start a new one’. I feel for you, believe me.
But allow me to clarify one thing: my question was not does God use such people, since duh, obviously He does, but is it somehow okay (morally right) for them to lie…[Read more]

Oh boy, and here I was thinking all along that we were mainly trying to determine whether spying was right, as it is a form of deception! Well, that clears up a lot. What other ways are there to lie in war? I can’t think of any off the top of my head.
Nevertheless, Daeus, some of the points you made above in your last really long comment (I am…[Read more]

For me, I believe the line would be drawn between what is right and wrong in war as soon as any act departed from self defense. Taking spoil is a necessary part of war if you are in a foreign country and desperately in need of supplies, but I would not defend it if it was simply for the sake of gathering ‘stuff’ that you could grow rich on or…[Read more]

One way to do this is to introduce a gossipy character who has profound interest in all types of background information, and introduce a curious stranger who will then ask this gossipy person questions. One thing you have to remember though if you take this approach is that gossipy people often get the narrative slightly wrong or exaggerate the…[Read more]

Okay, no problem. I know what it’s like to have weird, troublesome computers and bad connection!

Yes, that’s how I was leaning when I read and typed out the passage, but I wanted to post it just in case I was missing something.
That being said, I do not agree that it is wrong to lie in war. Let’s think about it for a moment. Lying in war is not lying for your own personal gain or even on a personal level in any way. Yes, it is lying, but war…[Read more]

Daeus, you asked for other instances of lying in the Bible. I found one that you missed, and maybe it will shed some light on this. 2 Kings 10: 18-30. I do not pretend to have all the answers or even understand this perfectly myself, but I am seeking truth, and I believe one of the best ways to do so would be discussion. Here is the passage for…[Read more]

Wow. Thanks— that will be so helpful. Is there anything you guys don’t think of?

The only outward signs of such conversations I ever seem to exhibit come in the form of wide, silly grins plastered all over my face whenever one of my characters says something particularly witty or unexpected. My family calls it to my attention all the time, but so far, I don’t think any have actually caught me in the act of speaking aloud. But…[Read more]

Good idea, Daniel!
You’ve got a point there. Just give them something that will make them stand out immediately, and they will be more memorable. Of course, this wouldn’t work for every character— imagine giving an evil baron an allergy to broccoli. Somewhat… incongruous. But a very good idea just the same.

Do that often enough, Daeus, and you’ll eventually get to the point where you can tap them on the shoulder and say ‘hey, I want to talk to you— got a minute?’ and they’ll stop whatever they’re doing, turn around, look you full in the face, and talk to you— with very little effort on your part. I know this sounds crazy, but I never said I was…[Read more]