Countdown to NNWM 2012 − 9 Days!

[ladyseishou]

9 days until the start of NNWM


Write from what you know into what you don't know.

— Grace Paley



How is the setting of your story similar to your
everyday world? How is it different, Nano Writer?

Comments

[eien_herrison]

Well, considering I'm writing fanfiction and the world I'm working in is the Pokemon (game) world, it's quite different to the everyday world. Using a pre-existng world means I have a lot of details already in place, but I'm working towards a more 'realistic' pokemon world, with longer travel between cities as well as more details about pokemon logistics and how they might function if they were part of the current world.

I'm in the middle of planning out the world and its logistics (and this year I remembered in time and so can afford a week of plotting and planning), and so far it's coming together nicely -- 4 1/2 pages of background notes and counting.

[ladyseishou]

That sounds very cool! And yeah! for plotting/planning time!

[eien_herrison]

Thanks :) I'm heading back to the RBY years (Gen 1 and in Kanto) but with information from all the generations all the way up to gen 5 (BW/BW2). The only bit I'm having trouble with at the moment is adapting natures in to the story -- natures raise one stat and lower another (e.g. a pokemon with the bold nature has its defense raised 10% but attack lowered 10%) which is all well and good in the games, but a bit more tricky to put in to the story.

[ladyseishou]

I think I understand what you're saying... it will be hard to have your Pokemon's behavior come across "naturally" without the stats flashing out over their head so that the reader gets it, maybe? I would assume (as a reader) that something like defense and attack are intertwined and that you could show that (especially in relationship with another Pokemon) but not to the extent of feeling that it was ten percent better. Maybe you could add an expert to your party who can assess Pokemon skills and tell us as well as your other characters... ? My apologies if I have spoken out of turn...

[eien_herrison]

It's fine :) I think for now I'm just going to avoid describing it in much detail and just have a "some pokemon are faster/have higher defense/have higher attack than others". I've got everything else worked out (HP is health, PP is the energy it takes to attack [high PP = lots of energy = fewer chances to use that attack], the type of attacks) so it's not urgent, just a little annoying.

[dark_kana]

My setting is the everyday world.
The parts where the dreams come in though, that's the Old Japan. With a little touch of fantasy. Perhaps. Still trying to work that bit out.

[ladyseishou]

Oh! How old? My second act takes place in Heian kyo... although my character has to go through quite a bit of this and that to get there ;-)

[dark_kana]

I haven't exactly put a time on it yet... Have to do quite a bit of research first... But... Samurai Old Japan. Perhaps the beginning of the Edo period. But I'm not sure yet... It might just as easily be the Meiji period or something even earlier than Edo... *sweatdrop* Still trying to work and figure it all out... ^^
I'm rather curious about your story. ^^

[ladyseishou]

Different times would give you different perspectives on your character's experience of their everyday world so I suppose it would depend on how you need your character to see their world in comparison to what is lived out in the dream world.

I wrote a story once based on the time just between Edo and the Meiji period (around the time when Perry brought his "black ships" to Japan). I'm a long way from expert (maybe more like passing acquaintance) but if you had any questions I might be able to help.

My story this year is doing double duty as both a NNWM novel and a "big bang" fan fic for the "Hikaru no Go" fandom. If you're familiar with the manga/anime story, you understand the Heian Kyo connection... It is a fascinating period. Imagine a woman writing the world's first novel at a time Beowulf was first being committed to manuscript form.

Sigh. Sometimes I find it too fascinating. Research is taking up more time than I thought. But then again it always does ;-)

[cheyinka]

Well, the only major difference (at least at this point) is that telepathy exists. (That, and, because I think it'd be hilarious, the James Randi Foundation is the organization in charge of certifying telepaths.)

[ladyseishou]

Wait! Telepathy doesn't exist!? ;-)