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Tcr
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Posts posted by Tcr
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So, recently, I found that several people around suffered from a lack of motivation and inspiration, myself included. It's coming back for me, thankfully.
But, my questions, and maybe this can help others, is:
Where do you find inspiration? What do you do when you lack motivation? What do you do to get your muse working again (instead of taking breaks repeatedly)?
In my case, a lot of inspiration come from everyday life, movies, books, et cetera. My motivation... That, I don't know... Often times, I just get an idea and want to run with it.
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On 11/26/2018 at 12:53 AM, HannibalPorter said:
The issue is that I can’t think of a stable enough environment for a relationship-focused story in that kind of world. Usually, if everyone looks like a Cronenberg monster, then people will want to fix that.
I may be exceptionally late... Probably exceptionally late... But... To add a two cents worth from someone who loves, reads, writes, and watches sci fi…
The idea of monsters is all relative in terms of appearance. Centuries after everyone is twisted genetically, the "monsters" would become every day and would not be. It will just be the norm for people.
That said, you can write the characters merely as any other, then a relationship environment can be created.
I don't know... Maybe I'm rambling... atop being late.
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Well, like I said on your wall post: They'd be nuts not to take your work.
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30 minutes ago, JayDee said:
I reviewed your AFF Holiday oneshot too, but that got replied in the thread there
...d’oh, I’m normally good about spoiler warnings or else doing my best to keep spoiler free. I’ll go delete and edit it. Sorry about that!
Lol. Okay, you have a point... Welcome to this Tcr Nuthouse. And don't worry, JayDee. It's okay
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Another on Strange Tales from Stranger Places. This one from @JayDee (who I believe is a first on mine, so... Welcome to tcr's nuthouse?... lol).
From JayDee on March 07, 2019
Part 1 oneshot–The perspective from the alien works amazingly well. It also made me smile some, imagining the big alien trying to get some sleep when a capsule hits it’s dwelling. Can’t roll over and go back to sleep with that sort of thing going on!
I was happy to see the tent code up the top, and this one delivers in a brief hot scene. The tentacles changing color with desire was a neat touch. The idea of so many more drawn by the pheromones... I guess it could either go Nightmare or Night out round Temple Bar.
I enjoyed this’n!
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The perspective from the alien works amazingly well. It also made me smile some, imagining the big alien trying to get some sleep when a capsule hits it’s dwelling. Can’t roll over and go back to sleep with that sort of thing going on!
I'm glad you thought so, JayDee. I kind of struggled with just how much to present about them in order to keep it hidden (hopefully no one reads the reviews, lol). Not to mention the opposite, being how much to reveal so it's not out of nowhere. It made picking words for every day actions that much more interesting. Lol. And LOL. Nope, just plain nope... no sleep there.
I was happy to see the tent code up the top, and this one delivers in a brief hot scene. The tentacles changing color with desire was a neat touch. The idea of so many more drawn by the pheromones... I guess it could either go Nightmare or Night out round Temple Bar.
I enjoyed this’n!
I admit, the colour change was a last minute addition to add some unique features to Zenia and her race. And I'm glad it was a hot scene... First time writing tent scene, so I was nervous. Lol. (I know what I intended, but I like hearing what people think of it).
I'm quite happy you did. Look forward to hearing more from you.
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Chapter 20 (Courage and Cowardice) is posted.
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Chapter 22 (The No Win Scenario) is posted.
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And, from the always great @CloverReef, on Strange Tales from Stranger Places, Come What May:
From PlagueClover on March 06, 2019
First of all, I just want to say that this was well written.
Though there were a few typos. I'll give one example:
It wasn't so much a valley as more skin to Valles MarinerisBut those typos didn't really detract from it. It flowed fairly smoothly and was quite reminiscent of Mass Effect. Well done. I enjoyed it.
Thank you. I really had several false starts for the challenge, so it means a lot to hear it was well written. Second... Maybe Hades Valley was more skin... lol. Yeah, I wrote it mostly on my phone and for some reason, my phone really wants either a snuff story, exceptional PWP, or implied bestiality... Kind of scary... I think it's possessed.
I'm glad you liked it and I'm glad another inspiration for the overarching Last Full Measure universe came through. (On a side note, I seriously debated showing a backstory for Adara...). Thanks, Clover.
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And, from the oneshot collection, Strange Tales from Stranger Places, a review from @Sinfulwolf!
From SinfulWolf on March 05, 2019
"Come What May"
A short, and to the point little tale, that acomplished it's goal well. Interesting to see Celeste again, especially since it's not focussing too too much on her past, as her off shoots seem to do sometimes. I think it could have been a bit longer. Build up some tension on the mountain there, let the danger seep in just a bit. As is, it's mostly just being told it's dangerous.
Thank you, Sinful. I had a rough time with this prompt before settling on writing in the LFM universe. I'm glad, though, that you found it interesting to see Celeste again. (It is her past, though... lol. The opening takes place one year after Christmas, Bloody Christmas) I didn't intentionally dwell on the dark side of the immediate aftermath of Mars. Admittedly, I agree, I should have let the danger sink in more.
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Well, we have a twofer today... One from @Sinfulwolf on Hunted and an anon on Last Full Measure... Both greatly appreciated.
Hunted:
From SinfulWolf on March 04, 2019
A very combat focussed chapter, and it's quick paced and brutal. You are certainly much better now than you were at the start of this story. The improvement is notable. However, this chapter is rather short and it's all just the one fight. I think this chapter could have been combined with the last, and the story would have moved forward just as much.
You're most likely right. I did break the chapters for a couple reasons I can distinctly remember... 1) I wanted to add a little suspense into the mix (in the case of Lucretia, who appeared behind) and 2) I didn't want to whiplash the readers in the chapter with too much back and forth. Im not sure it worked as well as I had hoped, though.
And thank you. I have tried to take some suggestions. And vampires aren't my norm, so I am a little out of my zone... But I'm glad you've noticed. And I hope you're still enjoying it.
Last Full Measure:
From ANON - boop on March 04, 2019
I'm really liking the main character! She's so strong and just unf, also very hot. I Love your writing style it flows so well and is descriptive!
Short, sweet, and too the point. Lol. Thank you, Boop. I'm glad you really like Celeste. And I don't know what unf stands for, but judging from the after statement, I'm going with a compliment (and I'm glad you think she's got, too...) She probably the most broken of the characters I have written this far, so I hope she continues to be really liked
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As for my writing style…
Thank you.
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Chapter 9 (To Be Young Again) is posted.
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And back to Last Full Measure (and @InBrightestDay). Another review to keep the shelves clean
(so shiny...).
From InBrightestDay on February 28, 2019
Well, finally getting around to the latest chapter of this. Sorry for how long it's taken!
So...Celeste's problems just got a lot more serious, as far as I'm concerned. If she's literally jumping awake a split-second from killing someone, that's not just a problem, but a pretty disqualifying one. Like, she could kill someone if she's nappingand they try to wake her up. Once they're down on the planet, I feel like that's going to be a massive problem.
In other news...
“Are there are questions?”
Hudson: "How do I get out of this chickenshit outfit?"
Sorry. It was the first thing that came to mind.
There is something I'm wondering about with regards to that Q&A scene, though.
“Any idea of hostiles in the area?” Staff Sergeant Tsu asked. Celeste shot her friend a quick glance, but said nothing to Lian.
“No intelligence on hostile numbers yet, no, Staff Sergeant,” Hamilton said. “We’re going in blind.”
Aren't they in orbit? Shouldn't they be able to see the colony from space? I mean, sure, that won't tell them about hostiles inside of buildings, but they would know whether or not there were troop formations or vehicles outside.
***
Well, finally getting around to the latest chapter of this. Sorry for how long it's taken!
As always, never need to apologize. It's always a pleasure to get a review and seeing one from my fan, it's always great. As long as you're enjoying it.
So...Celeste's problems just got a lot more serious, as far as I'm concerned. If she's literally jumping awake a split-second from killing someone, that's not just a problem, but a pretty disqualifying one. Like, she could kill someone if she's nappingand they try to wake her up. Once they're down on the planet, I feel like that's going to be a massive problem.
It's a substantial and quite disqualifying issue. It will be touched on further down the line, in a different manner of effect. I did want to show that Celeste shouldn't be out there (a lot of it being her pushing her father to throw some weight around (something she did on Mars to disastrous results)). It's also a major play throughout the story, so I hope I work it out properly.
In other news...
“Are there are questions?”
Hudson: "How do I get out of this chickenshit outfit?"
Sorry. It was the first thing that came to mind.
Lol. "When they said alien, she thought they said illegal aliens sign up."
"Fuck you, Hudson."
"Any time, anywhere."
Bringing Aliens to mind, never apologize! Lol. Like I said, it and several others were inspirations for LFM. Besides, Hudson's one of the best of that group. Lol.
There is something I'm wondering about with regards to that Q&A scene, though.
“Any idea of hostiles in the area?” Staff Sergeant Tsu asked. Celeste shot her friend a quick glance, but said nothing to Lian.
“No intelligence on hostile numbers yet, no, Staff Sergeant,” Hamilton said. “We’re going in blind.”
Aren't they in orbit? Shouldn't they be able to see the colony from space? I mean, sure, that won't tell them about hostiles inside of buildings, but they would know whether or not there were troop formations or vehicles outside.
This is definitely an issue, too. They say I saw it, they were able to scan the base and colony, but not find lifesigns (kind of like modern sonar) and the colony is kind of like spotting an anthill from a plane in flight. It's not huge. I know, this doesn't discount imaging technology (which I should have stated the terraforming provides a heavy cloud cover and rain... but I didn't think of that until 10
.... I'm bad, I know 
...).
Thank you, InBrightestDay. I hope I have your interest piqued for nine and ten
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Chapter 19 (Getting Through It) now posted.
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Chapter 31 (To Hell and Back) is posted. I hope everyone’s enjoying it as much as I have been writing it. And remember, all concrit appreciated.
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With the start of a new challengefic story, welcome to the first review of "Strange Things From Stranger Places", from @CloverReef:
From PlagueClover on February 24, 2019
LOL that was not what I expected at all. Nice little twist. And I like your use of the singular 'They', though I would suggest you thin it out a bit (where possible) to make it feel more natural. Lovely little oneshot, thank you.
I'm really glad you liked the twist. I struggled to find a way to keep it from being too obvious while sprinkling hints throughout in order to make it less out of nowhere. I admit, I might have oversaturated it with They, so accepted.
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3 minutes ago, InBrightestDay said:
I don’t mean to make this sound worse than it was. Trust me, if you actually found out why I was depressed, you’d probably think it was hilarious.
For that, I will definitely take your word for it.
4 minutes ago, InBrightestDay said:I figured he called someone, and eventually word got to Adara. It makes sense, don’t get me wrong, but I still thought it was funny.
Lol. Kind of, but the idea I had was just that Adata had been there walking by and was like "Wtf?" upon seeing the Stellar Navy guy backtrack.
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YAY! Another review from @InBrightestDay. It's always a pleasure, just like with SinfulWolf on Hunted, to read your reviews, InBrightestDay.
From InBrightestDay on February 23, 2019
Chapter 7
Sorry I didn't review this before Chapter 8 came out. I was kind of depressed for a while and didn't have a lot of motivation to write reviews, so now I'm playing catchup.
Well, this was short but definitely enjoyable. I don't know if it had been established before that Celeste had a problem with compulsive sexual behavior, but that's definitely another layer of sad on top of everything else that's happened to her (five times a day seems like a problem rather than a healthy sex drive). I can't decide whether Adara helping her is sweet or sad, given their baggage.
On the funnier side, apparently Celeste found the busiest closet in history. I mean, seriously, what were the odds of that?
***
Sorry I didn't review this before Chapter 8 came out. I was kind of depressed for a while and didn't have a lot of motivation to write reviews, so now I'm playing catchup.
Firstly, you don't have to apologize. Taking care of yourself is a lot more important than reviews. As much as reviews are nice, it's better knowing that you're doing good. Secondly, it's kind of my fault; I pushed 8 in a little early because work schedule bizarre this week.
Well, this was short but definitely enjoyable. I don't know if it had been established before that Celeste had a problem with compulsive sexual behavior, but that's definitely another layer of sad on top of everything else that's happened to her (five times a day seems like a problem rather than a healthy sex drive). I can't decide whether Adara helping her is sweet or sad, given their baggage.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't believe I made it explicit in Chapter 1 or 2 and this was much of an afterthought, as I had already written Chapter 7 (now 8) and someone reading it pointed out that it just seemed the first solo was out of nowhere. So this was kind of to remedy that and explore a little. And yeah, 5 might be pushing it, but I read that occasionally, people have gone for upwards seven... And yeah, Adara is fun to write because she's more a gray area than anything.
On the funnier side, apparently Celeste found the busiest closet in history. I mean, seriously, what were the odds of that?
I will not argue that. She got the worst closet ever. Originally it was only going to be one who found her (one of the Marines), but I could think of a good reason for them to find her or who would... So I wrote the Stellar Navy guy in and had hoped the implication was that Adara saw him and had to investigate. Lol.
But thank you, InBrightestDay. I'm always glad to read your reviews. I sincerely hope that the depression is vanquished as well as you can.
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Chapter 8 (Nothing Short of Hell and Nightmares) is posted. Woo!
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Chapter 7 (Fuck Yourself) is posted... A little bit of a side trip before all Hell breaks loose.
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Chapter 21 (Nine Hundred Years is a Long Time to Hold a Grudge) is posted.
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And to finally catch up on reviews... One from a long way back... Not sure why I didn't get back... RL and forgetful me? But, from @CloverReef on my only fanfic…
From PlagueClover on November 14, 2017
Hi! It's me again... I love this story and I love that you're finally writing fan fiction! Yay! Taka's an interesting character - I'm assuming she's your main here. Maybe she isn't. I find her alienness fascinating. I think my favourite part so far were all the little quirks and gestures you showed with her thingies.
I saw tort and for some reason, my brain went to tentacles. Just so you know. I'm expecting tentacles now. They don't have to be violating school girls. They can just be, you know, chillin'.
Well... First, apologies for taking so long... second... I know you're not a Trekkie (nerd alert incoming...) but yes, Taka is the MC and I can't, unfortunately, take all the credit for her antennae movements. As an Andorian (my personal favourite race...), it was established that the antennae do move. That said, a lot of the inference and implied movements (at least as described) come from my thoughts. I have heard that the post-series books expand on things, but I stopped a long time ago with them... The quirks and gestures are definitely a fun side to write, too... Helps with the non-verbal subtlety…
And there's definitely torture incoming... But there might be some tentacles... They are in a very different area of space with different species... (Dont get me started on the space traveling dinosaurs evolved from hadrosaurs...) So a tentacle or two wouldn't be surprising…
But thank you for your review. And again, apologies for taking forever and a year.
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And another from @Sinfulwolfon Hunted (and again, gotta go back in time for this one...)
From SinfulWolf on December 26, 2018
Getting some sympathetic Guards folk in there. Like to see some variance. Though, is it a fact that they think the Cpl incapable of leading because of scars, or does she believe that? Seems a bit odd for such a military like organization. Though, again with the seemingly experienced getting easily snuck up on. It's happening a lot in this story, is why I'm bringing it up again.
Though, your introduction to the Elite is pretty damned good. Just enough creepiness, and unease.
Getting some sympathetic Guards folk in there. Like to see some variance. Though, is it a fact that they think the Cpl incapable of leading because of scars, or does she believe that? Seems a bit odd for such a military like organization. Though, again with the seemingly experienced getting easily snuck up on. It's happening a lot in this story, is why I'm bringing it up again.
I’m glad you liked the character of Corporal Stamper. I took a little of your advice from our discussions, especially regarding the idea of how the Guards are not really… I can’t remember how you worded it, but basically how they were closer to a cult sort of idea… And that was never the intention to present, especially from the outset (with the dissension in the ranks there that ultimately led to Idun being turned)… So, in came the character of Stamper (and she’ll be back in a later chapter). As for whether she believes it or everyone else believes it, that’s a question I left up to the reader. I wanted it to be a little ambiguous so that there wasn’t one distinct answer (and to allow everyone a chance to put their own twist in there based on how they read the Guard up until that point). And apparently there’s a lot I’m doing wrong here, amidst a lot going right, so that’s a balance… lol. You have a point, again, about the sneaking up.
And that’s great news to me (about the Elite). I wanted them to be as creepy and uneasy as possible. And the reveal that comes up in the next chapter, and consequent chapters to come, I hope will only add to their creepy factor.
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Okay, let’s go backwards in time and answer off @Sinfulwolf for her (highly appreciated and very belatedly replied (on my part)) reviews on Hunted.
From SinfulWolf on August 09, 2018
First... you fuckin tease. That opening bit was a damn tease, and you know it
But, your action scenes are getting better. It was much easier to follow this time around. Which is good considering there is a fair bit of action in this story. So well done! Though, I may suggest laying off on having your vamps get injured so much. They get all sorts of messed up, then recover with a quick sip. It's been happening often enough that I feel I should bring this up, because there doesn't seem to be much of a threat to the vampires, and it's making me question how anyone ever hunted them. Something to keep in mind.
The developing relationship so far though has been quite well written, and I'm looking forward to a few chapters of quiet to see how it will develop. Though... I think at least one more chapter of very loud before that happens.
Thanks for sharing with us all, and looking forward to the next outing.
First... you fuckin tease. That opening bit was a damn tease, and you know it
I believe this was the chapter that I had Cheyenne almost admit her love… (sorry it’s been so long
...) Can’t say it didn’t work, though, you kept reading and coming back to see, . But, yes, I am a ‘fuckin tease’ and quite proud of it. lol.
But, your action scenes are getting better. It was much easier to follow this time around. Which is good considering there is a fair bit of action in this story. So well done! Though, I may suggest laying off on having your vamps get injured so much. They get all sorts of messed up, then recover with a quick sip. It's been happening often enough that I feel I should bring this up, because there doesn't seem to be much of a threat to the vampires, and it's making me question how anyone ever hunted them. Something to keep in mind.
Well, thank you. I do try to take advice and work with it, although I’m sure my beta would argue that (and I wouldn’t disagree with her, either). And, yes, there is quite a bit of action around, and I do agree, perhaps I should have them a little less wounded. As for how the vampires were hunted, I had hoped that the idea presented where the Guard hunted in groups of varying sizes (the age old “safety in numbers”), would have explained some of that, you do have a point about the injuries and sucking someone dry gets them completely healed.
The developing relationship so far though has been quite well written, and I'm looking forward to a few chapters of quiet to see how it will develop. Though... I think at least one more chapter of very loud before that happens.
I’m glad you liked the relationship aspect. I’m not much of a romance writer (...read that as none… lol) and trying to get the relationship dynamic to work was a hard enough sell on its own, but the first polyamorous relationship I’ve written weighed very heavily on my mind. I certainly didn’t want it to be so off that it was laughably bad… And considering my romantic writing, that was a very likely possibility. Hopefully the relationship between the three women continues to be well done.
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Another review from @InBrightestDay. It’s always a pleasure to read your reviews of Last Full Measure and hope I continue to keep you entertained with each chapter as much as I enjoy writing them up.
From InBrightestDay on February 12, 2019
And the awkwardness begins. At the very least, the interactions between Sam and Tirsa are less adversarial than those between Celeste and Adara. This makes sense, of course, given that Sam wasn't cheating; she just didn't want to be in a long distance relationship. That thought is also amusing, since when you say "long distance relationship," you're generally talking about something measured in miles or kilometers, not light-years.
Something I've noticed about the interactions between the crew is that it seems like most of them speak at least three languages, which is neat, since it's something else that suggests aspects of the setting. Given that it's a globally integrated military, perhaps they feature language training as part of basic, or maybe it's not so much a military thing as a general education idea. Either way, it helps get across that there's a lot more international exchange.
All the rookies also seem very excited to see combat. I sense this will not end well.
Finally, as a sci-fi fan, I love that you mentioned kinetic bombardment using Jerry Pournelle's Project Thor term. The basic idea is gaining more traction in popular culture, but it's rare enough that it's still kind of cool every time it pops up.
Just because I’m feeling weird, I’m going to address the last section first… lol.
Finally, as a sci-fi fan, I love that you mentioned kinetic bombardment using Jerry Pournelle's Project Thor term. The basic idea is gaining more traction in popular culture, but it's rare enough that it's still kind of cool every time it pops up.
I wasn’t sure anyone would have the idea of what the Project Thor reference (or, as some people may know it, the Rods from God reference) actually was. I, personally, love the idea and, while I haven’t used it in many of my writing here, I have referenced them in one of my other works not set up here. It’s one of those things that is ‘present’ in reality (even just hypothetically or otherwise) that sounds so sci-fi that some people wouldn’t believe it. It’s much like the railguns referenced in Chapter 5 as being part of the Greyeyes’ complement of weapons. (Speaking of which, historical fun fact… The Greyeyes and the Pegahmagabow-class are named after historical figures… Because… History fanatic!...)
And the awkwardness begins. At the very least, the interactions between Sam and Tirsa are less adversarial than those between Celeste and Adara. This makes sense, of course, given that Sam wasn't cheating; she just didn't want to be in a long distance relationship. That thought is also amusing, since when you say "long distance relationship," you're generally talking about something measured in miles or kilometers, not light-years.
The awkwardness definitely begins… and will continue… I wanted the Sam/Tirsa relationship to be a foil to that of Celeste/Adara. And I certainly wanted to show that Tirsa’s relationship didn’t fall apart (although it was far from mutual with regards to the break-up). And, yes, that was a bit of a hilarity in itself and one that I hoped would have some humour to it. Like you said, ‘long distance relationship’ is usually thought of in miles/kilometers (occasionally, I’ve heard people reference it in terms of hours), but the idea of it being in light years, I got a laugh when I first wrote it in and hoped it translated to other readers.
Something I've noticed about the interactions between the crew is that it seems like most of them speak at least three languages, which is neat, since it's something else that suggests aspects of the setting. Given that it's a globally integrated military, perhaps they feature language training as part of basic, or maybe it's not so much a military thing as a general education idea. Either way, it helps get across that there's a lot more international exchange.
The idea of having other languages involved worried me. I had previously posted a topic on the Forums regarding other languages (last year sometime) and it seemed the common consensus was that most people preferred not to have them (or so it read to me) and I was worried it would be a similar response on here. But, as you said (“suggests aspects of the setting”), to me it provides that multinational force present a little more weight to it and, without excessive prose worldbuilding, gives that build in just the language. Many of them, though, I think I only have speaking two languages (English and a ‘mother’ tongue). And I am personally grateful to those who have helped ( @sweetmamajama, @Windrider Shiva, Yaoichi (Tocuatl)), more so than words can say. Without their help, the world of Last Full Measure would be similar to many other movies and books (that is, everyone speaks English because… Hooray, USA?). That wasn’t something I wanted to happen, I still wanted people speaking their own mother tongues far into the future. Indeed, with PFC Nakanasa’s Cree, I wanted the implication to be that Reconciliation had come to fruition and the attempted cultural genocide from the Canadian government through the residential schools had failed, that Indigenous peoples had reclaimed their cultures and languages.
All the rookies also seem very excited to see combat. I sense this will not end well.
Oh, yeah. Many of those who haven’t seen combat before really want to. But, as I mentioned prior in the story, there’s not many of them who truly have seen it (even the officers) and those who have are highly sought after (or so I hoped was implied). And those that aren’t ‘bloodied’ (haven’t seen combat) are heavily excited at the prospect of being ‘heroes’, although that’s not going to be used. It’s supposed to parallel the feelings of World War I (in that it’s some great mission with a heroic tale they’ll be able to tell people)… And no, nothing ends well in that regard. But the real question, who survives and who doesn’t?
Thank you for your review, as always. I appreciate it and it’s always a pleasure to read yours. I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying it and that you continue to return (so I must be doing something right! YAY!).
On a side note, InBrightestDay, and with a shameless plug (I regret nothing), I do have some sketches (bad ones, I think, but still...) of characters within LFM if you want to see some ideas of what they might look like (according to my thoughts).
Finding Inspiration
in Writers' Corner
Posted
Lol. Neither is mine, and I do the same thing. At first, I struggled to remember the dialogue, too, or even some ideas, but I started bringing a notebook with me and writing things down. (There's an entire scene in Chapter 10 of LFM that I wrote down at work because it just came to me (NSFW dialogue, lol)).