3,276 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,217 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)

The book ending for Apollo is written!!!  Now for Joseph ... time to take that boy mountain climbing. I'm probably going to jinx it, but I'm shooting to have them both up this weekend. Almost done. Just a little more. C'mon, you can do it. Finish line is in sight. Just a few more meters.

K, note I said meters. Pretty soon I'll be spelling words weirdly, using excessssive s's. Then I'll start writing dates backward. I feel like the guy in Australia's back country with only Apple Maps to guide him. I've tried four times to change my address with Social Security to an international address, and it still isn't working. I may have to write them a letter. Guaranteed to work. Pfft. (I should mention that I found a place in the dialogue for God to say pfft. I still need a place for bzzt.)

Nite.

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3,277 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Lord Chancellor Sir Francis Bacon

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3,278 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

bimmy wrote:

Woof

Worf

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3,279 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(213 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)

I agree with Amy, although with slightly less mania. I'm medicated against that, you see. Hint, Amy. :-)

Part of what I like about your novel, Janet, is that it takes me to another time and place in our reality. I like to slow down from time to time in that setting to take in the scenery, the culture, etc. of that time period. No hard stops needed, just blend the stuff in with passing references.

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3,280 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,905 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)

I love some of the stuff my characters stumble into. Big theme for book two just dropped in my lap a couple of chapters ago. One chapter remaining!

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3,281 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,217 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)

Seabrass wins a prize for fastest turnaround on a review. Apparently, he was lurking in the shadows.
K, get in there and let me know if there's more I can do with Lady Kay before Amy gets there.

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3,282 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,217 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)

I'm missing the appeal of Girl Genius, but then I never understood the humor in Calvin and Hobbes either, until I saw one day that Hobbes was a stuffed toy. Then it was hilarious. It's the Calgary winters. Slows the brain. The sleeping pills don't help.

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3,283 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(19 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)

Thanks for the suggestions, all. I went with blushed severely. It's short (better for that scene) and clear, without going omniscient.

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3,284 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,217 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)

Post-Battle chapter is up. It pulls together all remaining story threads. Lady Kay makes an important appearance.
Only one chapter to go. Amen.

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3,285 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(33 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

I just discovered that the new menu stays on screen even as I scroll down the home page. Terrific!

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3,286 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(33 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

The See More Inline Reviews button on my Android phone takes me back to my home page. Not sure if that's related to these latest changes.

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3,287 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Release the hounds!

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3,288 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(33 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Yup, your portfolio is visible. Goodness are you prolific.

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3,289 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(33 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Sol, the interface on my android phone is excellent!

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3,290 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(33 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Janet, you can click on the TNBW logo on the upper left to go to your home page. That's probably easier than lining up the mouse on the home icon. I imagine some new users may not know that the logo is clickable. I didn't when the site was first rolled out.

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3,291 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,217 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)

Kdot wrote:
Norm d'Plume wrote:

Perhaps a "blaster" with multiple settings?

1. I forgot the sunscreen
2. I'm wearing a red shirt
3. BBQ
4. Liquify
5. Reactors look balmy compared to this
6. Mushroom cloud
7. The sun is jealous
8. Sh*t, I just melted the planet
9. We don't need no stinkin' solar system
10. Big bang

You have too much time on your hands. Bzzt.

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3,292 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,217 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)

I took out the part about sentient AIs a while ago. It detracted from the opening chapter, although I hope to incorporate AIs becoming sentient spontaneously somewhere else. I thought it was cool.

Right now I'm trying to define the characteristics of flesh eaters. Something cool and violent. Can penetrate boarding suits, blow up heads, overload low-power shields, destroy inanimate objects, make people bleed profusely and/or burn flesh.

Perhaps a "blaster" with multiple settings?

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3,293 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,217 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)

njc wrote:

You can design the exploding shells to be mini-EMP generators, too.

What would the effect be of the EMP?

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3,294 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,217 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)

Actually, I just remembered that the Balrog had a pure energy whip in LOTR. I knew I'd seen it somewhere.

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3,295 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,217 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)

Amy, it's fiction set 2000 years from now. Nanoids take as much or as little time as desired. Kind of like the way a blaster causes bleeding of seared flesh. tongue  Can the wound at least bubble? Or perhaps a non-searing form of energy, used specifically to cause maximum bleeding. Invented by the Professor and built by Acme.

NJC, thanks for the suggestion. I'll review all the places where weapons are used to see if I can use your gun. Perhaps I'll use a variety of weapons. I have an electric whip in mind, too, although I'm sure it's been done.

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3,296 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(33 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Randall, your portfolio is visible.

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3,297 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Barcalounger in Zzz.

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3,298 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(33 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

SolN wrote:

If eveyone finds it annoying, we can stick the menu at the top on mobile. We could also do the same on desktop.
Sol

Sol, if you move the menu to the top on the desktop, where would you put the TNBW control, the search button, and the drop-down menu? Below it? I'm not sure I'm picturing it correctly.

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3,299 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(33 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

njc wrote:

Seems to work okay, but the saturated color is a bit distracting.

That dark blue does kind of stand out, doesn't it? I would recommend a different color, something lighter, that doesn't dominate the screen.

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3,300 Reply by Norm d'Plume

(1,217 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)

Thank ye, kindly. Firing bullets with one or two nanoids inside doesn't have the same story impact as a good old-fashioned head-splattering/heart-exploding blast. I could use a reservoir of nanoids that "blast" out of the gun, which then go to work at disassembling the target. Of course, that's gotta be one hell of a reservoir to use it in a prolonged firefight. It would probably "need" to be a blast, otherwise a simple nanoid-supressing bullet-proof suit would be impervious to attack. The punch from the blast weakens the boarding suit, and then the nanoids can get inside. Or, a two-part blast (basic blaster fire followed by nanoids in each shot). Meh.

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