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Good idea, Sol. How about making a contest that requires points to enter and not money? I have a feeling that a lot of aspiring authors would like to enter a contest, but simply don't have the money. A payout of points would be the prize. If you tie a percentage of the amount of entry points to the prize, then the more that enter would raise the payout amount.

Bill

Now that you mention it, I see the trend you pointed out. Over the years I have posted quite a few stories/novels here and had two of them go on to be published, giving credit where credit was due on the Acknowledgements page to those who helped greatly in the success. Beginning early this spring, the level of readership/reviews did seem to drop off. I must include myself as a glaring example of this phenomena however. I've been a total sloth in reviewing as much as I had before. Instead, I find all sorts of excuses to keep from logging in and commenting/reviewing. For that I apologize. I like your phrase "drive-by comments" as it accurately describes many of those I have seen on other's posts.

I have been involved in an ongoing personal health and family struggle, but can now see the light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel. In the past nine months or so I've hardly touched pen to paper, so to speak, and my work on my latest novel, a sequel, has suffered. I hope I will get my act together, overcome my massive writer's block, and continue as before: reading, reviewing, chatting in a forum, and generally returning to this site much more often than I have been lately.

Bill

W. E. B. Griffin, an author I greatly admire, tends to add detailed descriptions in certain places if it is pertinent to the story. He does tend to overuse naming the persons involved in a conversation or otherwise engaged in some activity in the story. For instance, he might have a conversation between Lieutenant General Archibald Frogerty Millhouse and Brigadier General Randolph George Whateverhisnameis. He will introduce them at the beginning of the conversation and then use their full names and titles every third or fourth exchange. This, in my opinion, is way over the top. he does this in most every novel he's written.

As for other descriptions, he might start with a rather vague scan of the immediate area, then add more details as the chapter continues and the characters react to surroundings.

I tend to add too much detail and stage direction. I've tried to watch this, and have set "traps" in my writing software to help catch these bits of "fluff".

Bill

You might give this a try. I've used it before.

https://rollforfantasy.com/tools/solar- … reator.php

Granted that this assumes only one sun, but what if your populated planet was only under the influence of ONE sun at a time? You specify a figure 8 orbit. Why not have it under gravity well of Sun A then cross to Sun B in mid-season. it would make for interesting effects on the planet in question, that's for sure. (Tides that swoosh from east to west and back; rotation speeds up or slows depending on which of the suns it is nearest (changes length of day/night cycles; creates animals impervious to diurnal cycles, or migratory cycles; etc.)

I can help with other details if you wish.

The site above is part of a fabulous site. Extremely useful in every way. https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/

Bill

Sorry to hear this, Alan. Best wishes to you and the rest of your family.

Bill

I know what you mean, DIrk. I've started little vignettes in Word with file titles like "Visit to the Doc" or "Surprise Samurai Attack", but haven't reached sufficient motivation to string them together with more text. I'm in the Summer doldrums, I guess.

Bill

Hilarious! I see some of my early mistakes there.

Bill

Nobody called their male friends "dude". The use of "man" came about with the advent of Elvis Presley movies. "Don't mess with me, man."

Women would rather have been boiled in oil than call another woman "Bitch".

Bill

Hi, Rachel. You have to host your picture on a posting site, then use the URL in your site post using the Image icon. You can't host pictures on your own computer. It has to be a web site. I use my own web site, so I don't know any online hosting services. Google might give you a few free hosting sites.

Bill

The secret is: I have two daughters. One in Boulder (where I am currently cat-sitting while she is in Ireland) and another south of Ft. Worth, who has had lots of tornado activity lately.

Bill

Hi, JP. You got to WPAFB just the same time we arrived in Beavercreek for me to take a job. How about that?

The rain/hail/rain sequence was here in Boulder. The last couple of weeks has seem some really out-of-normal weather almost everywhere. I'm here to cat-sit for my daugthter while she's visiting Ireland for two weeks.

Bill