Archives

Worldbuilding Bingo – ‘Verse in Need of a Name, Card 1

Oct3

To fill a bingo on card one of my Worldbuilding Bingo Card: Oppression & rebellion, road systems, luxuries, calendar.

In my new world for my YA paro-drama, different characters.

Aemula hated going up into the mountains, especially this time of year. The roads were shit, since they didn’t head anywhere “useful”, just up to the isolated villages and the hillfolk who ran them. The rain made everything even worse, until her vehicle was squooshing through mud and chugging along at a pace slightly slower than her walking speed.

They always sent her up after the last of the Spring celebrations were over, so everyone in the hills felt slighted by the government – again. They sent her up with announcements, rulings, and trinkets, and expected her to come back with glowing reports, convinced citizenry, and quality trade goods.

Aemula hated it, but she went up because nobody else in the Remote Territories office could get anything back at all. At least when she talked to the hillfolk, they sent her back still able to file a report. They’d send up old Teb Ghrory from accounting one year and he’d come back missing a hand and four teeth: hunting accident. Everyone in the tiny village of Lakeview stuck to the same story, and Teb hadn’t been talking at the time, so no punishments had been laid down.

Aemula knew why she came back with all her teeth and both hands. Everyone in the Remote Territories office knew, just like they knew why she was working Remote Territories in the first place.

The country was scattered with these little pockets of rural living, places that the Main Office couldn’t quite force out of their homes and couldn’t quite bring into line with the rest of the nation while they were — like the name said — so remote. The hillfolk weren’t Aemula’s people, but it wasn’t like the fisherfolk were any more friendly to outsiders — or any easier to get to.

She had spent weeks with the mechanics at the Main Office, trying to get them to understand what she needed. They were the best possible mechanics that the country could put out. They were well-trained, brilliant, and very skilled. And over ninety percent of their time was spent dealing with the main roads and the Main Office vehicles that traveled them.

The main roads and the back roads might as well have belonged to two different nations. The main roads were smooth, maintained, and all the latest technology went into keeping them clear and easy to travel. The back roads were gravel and old, old asphalt, pitted and potholed, up-kept only enough that a government vehicle could get through if it absolutely needed to. But it needed bigger tires, suspension of some sort, and a system of gears that most Main Office vehicles just never had a use for. Once she’d explained, one of the mechanics had hugged her. It turned out that they really did enjoy a challenge.

It didn’t mean she hated going into the mountains in the wet of early spring any less, but at least she could get up there in relative comfort and — more importantly, even to Aemula — safety. This vehicle wouldn’t roll, it wouldn’t get stuck in exactly the wrong spot, it would not run out of fuel on the top of a mountain, and it was bulletproof and very nearly flame-proof.

The last two might be the most important. Spring visits to the mountains had more than one reason to be awful, and the roads weren’t even the biggest reason. The lowlands and the central towns were in the middle of Daybreak, their celebration of survival and winter’s-past indulgence.

It would be all over the airwaves, it would be on the bulletins, and it would be in the fireworks set off in the lowland cities. Even up in the lowlands, they wouldn’t be able to avoid it.

And instead of sending her up there with spices and new fabric, salt and fresh fruit and rare imported candies, the Main Office would – like they did every year – send Aemula to the mountain people with trinkets. Cheap recycled-metal statues of the Leader. Storybooks for the children telling them all about the glories of the Testing and the wonders that could be found down in the main cities. Honey-candies that any granny could make, impressed with the Main Office seal, with”clever” saying printed on their waxed paper wrappings.

It was no wonder they tended to send Main office agents back missing limbs, missing teeth, or just missing entirely. It was no wonder they liked to steal the Main Office vehicles and then claim that they’d fallen off a cliff somewhere. There were a lot of cliffs around the highlands, after all, and some of them were unmarked and just off the edge of the road.

Aemula gritted her teeth and maneuvered her vehicle around yet another hole in the road. She was only a half-hour or so from the first town on her circuit, and the sky was clear at the moment. She needed to focus on her presentation. She needed to focus on her bright smile and the sarcastic edge, on her fisher-folk drawl she spent most of the year carefully scrubbing away.

“Hey, all youes,” she murmured. “The Main Office, well, you know how it is. They pass out candy and I get to count heads. So let’s get the candy part done and then I can show you what else I managed to bring in.”

The contraband was illegal, by nature. But there were more than a couple reasons the Remote Territories head honchos kept sending her out here to the hillfolk, and it wasn’t just because she could survive the walk out, if her vehicle vanished.

next card: http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1188156.html

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1180389.html. You can comment here or there. comment count unavailable

Worldbuilding Bingo~

Oct3

I’m doing this, from [community profile] allbingo, because of [personal profile] inventrix and [personal profile] clare_dragonfly

The goal is to write one story using a bingo on each card.

I think what I’m going to do is start with the first card with new-world-for-YA-stuff and then as I go, maybe also do stories for other worlds: Expectant Wood, Things Unspoken, Fae Apoc, Reiassan. ”

As always, open to suggestions!

Worldbuilding

Exports Oppression & rebellion Mineral resources Building materials
Sun(s) Road system Safety precautions Nations
Mountains Luxuries Axial tilt Political factions
Arctic circle Calendar Furniture Ranks & titles

Culturebuilding

Art Subcultures Fashion – Home Decor Entertainment
Work and Vacation Currency and Commerce Fashion – Clothes Timekeeping and Punctuality
Education Housing Arrangements City Layout Gender Identity and Roles
Fashion – Body Types Access to Technology Healthcare Daily Worship

Group Dynamics

Group Purpose Leaders Failures Loyalty
Group Cohesiveness Generations Former Members Conflict Resolution Style
Challenges Role Fluidity / Rigidity Sense of Group Identity Rivalries
Acquiring New Members Common Arguments Alliances and Cliques Diversity / Homogeneity

Characterbuilding

Sexuality Honesty / Duplicity Integrity / Hypocrisy Social Role
Work / Career / Vocation Mentors / Inspirational Figures Kinesthetic / Physical Intelligence Hot-Button Topics
Living Arrangements Response to Stress Verbal / Linguistic Intelligence Musical / Rhythmic / Harmonic Intelligence
Influential Past Events Past Traumas Interests Education

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1171922.html. You can comment here or there. comment count unavailable

Worldbuilding for Preptober… Some Basic Questions

Oct2

First, a disclaimer:

Normally, I world-build accidentally: I start writing a story and then end up building a setting around it.

This works decently for me, but it ends up with a couple problems, the biggest of which is artifacts of old ideas hanging around (seems like that part in the Matrix where they meet the vampires, etc.): is it Calenta, Calenna, Catenna? And shouldn’t that be an initial K anyway?

Sometimes I start with a mood, or a specific scene – Emrys being forced by his vow to kneel for Shahin, for instance – or a feeling. That determines certain things: if the mood is oppressive-government-control, there must be an oppressive government. If a vow forces someone to their knees, then vows have that power.

A lot of times, the worldbuilding comes from a question or a plot bunny or just an idea that appeals to me. That stuff is organic, and sometimes it Tribbles, grows out of control, and is hard to track.

Sometimes, I answer questions, and those questions set things in place, and lead to more questions. For instance, right now I’m pondering how a sexist, tightly-gender-bound matriarchal monarchy (Tír na Cali) handles transpeople (Carefully).

But before you get more than a few drabbles in a world, there a few questions even I like to answer first (after you’ve picked a broad genre, of course)

  • Is this on Earth? If not, where are we?
    • Sci-Fi offers in-and out-solar system, in- and out-galaxy, space ships, asteroids, and the question of whether or not they’ve ever heard of Earth (Star Wars for a “no”; Star Trek for a “yes.”)
    • Fantasy offers: second-world, a place that is in no-way Earth (Middle Earth); a place that one travels to FROM earth (Narnia); a place that is disturbingly earthlike but the countries have different names (too many to name).
      Science Fantasy (Darkover, Pern) offers… lots of options, mostly combining the first two.

  • What is the scope of the magic or science? For instance, can it:
    • Cure disease
    • change someone’s appearance
    • Travel long distances quickly or instantaneously
    • shift between universes
    • Kill
    • Make someone love you; make someone obey you.

  • How far-reaching is your government, and how powerful?

  • And what form of government is it, and is it benign or malevolent or… other?

To be fair, that last one can be hand-wavey for a while in, say, urban fantasy, if you’re talking about the governing body of your magical group, not the government of the real-world-like “normal world.”

As a note, while urban fantasy is often set in “a world just like our own, except xx beneath the surface,” I’ve read some interesting books where the world is NOT just like our own in some critical ways, and/or the magic is overt, not at all beneath the surface.

And as a second note, in any urban/modern fantasy setting, or cyberpunk/Shadowrun-like setting, you’ll have to figure out the scope of both your magic and your technology…

…which is where I am. And, because it’s a post-apocalyptic setting…

…First I have to figure out how badly everything was ruined, then how long ago it was ruined, and then how much they have built back up, and in what directions.

That being said, I think the magic is totem-based, with superimposed animal spirits and some *ahem* non-animal spirits.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1179665.html. You can comment here or there. comment count unavailable

World’tober… building a world in 31 days

Oct1

It’s October! That means Nano is just a month away!

And, ack, I need a world.

I thought I’d try to go through my worldbuilding process, such as it is, and break it down into thirty easy posts.

Today, I’m cheating. This is the easy stuff.

First

Pick, loosely, a setting genre:

Realism?
Urban Fantasy/Magical Modern? (not quite the same thing but hey, broad strokes)
Post Apocalyptic?
High Fantasy/secondary world? (Thanks to [personal profile] lemon_badgeress for a reminder of the term)
Cyberpunk?
Sci-Fi/Space Opera?

In my case, after a couple polls and some discussion, I’m writing a post-apocalyptic urban fantasy.

That means magic, technology, grit, and ruins.

Of course… lots of my settings are one or both of those: Cali, Addergoole/Fae Apoc, the Planners, Unnamed Water Apocalypses 1 & 2, What-If/Ninefold… So, obviously, this is only the very broadest stroke.

But it’s an important stroke.

What about you? What genre is your setting?
Can you think of any clear options in setting I missed up there?

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1179410.html. You can comment here or there. comment count unavailable

The Hellmouth Job, Chapters 17 & 18 (A Leverage/Buffy Fanfic)

Sep29

Part I
Part Ia
Part II
Part III
Chapters 7 & 8
Chapter 9 & 10
Chapters 11 & 12
Chapters 13 & 14
Cahapter 15 & 16

Sixteen: The Introduction, Part 2

“We’re too old for this place,” Sophie commented at the door. “You know that, don’t you?” She checked her lipstick in her compact.

“Yes, of course. It’s a teenaged hangout. And?”

“And nothing, of course. I just wanted to be sure you knew it.”

“You wanted to be sure I agreed with the we there. We’re not teenagers, Sophie. I’m not sure we ever were.”

They shared a long look, then shook their heads in mutual understanding. “Nah,” they agreed as one, and entered the Bronze.

The place was as advertised: A hangout for the young and, occasionally, for those who just wished they were young. Tara and Sophie were neither, but they were grifters, and in this case, it stood them in good stead. They wandered to the bar, where the bartender did them the favor of carding them.

His eyes travelled over their licenses. “Wouldn’t have believed it,” he offered chivalrously, of the entirely-made-up birthdates on their forged papers. “But you’re legal. Here you go, ladies, one whisky on the rocks and one sex on the beach.”

“You’re so sweet, thank you.” Tara overtipped and sipped her drink, watching the crowd. “So they come here often?”

“If they come out, it’s the only reasonable place to come out. Tara, what aren’t you telling Nate?”

“Nothing I’m going to tell you either, Sophie.”

“But Tara,” Sophie cajoled, “We’ve been friends for years. Why wouldn’t you tell me?”

“Because one, knowing could get you killed. You remember the Diamond of Saleem?”

“Oh, that awful thing? And every thief in the world wanted to steal it, but there was no way to do it without dying awfully? I remember. And I didn’t tell you, because you were having one of those weeks where you had to steal everything nobody else could. Like the Lost Tome Of Ebackanial.”

“I still have that,” Tara admitted. “I couldn’t get anyone to believe that I had the real thing.”

“-Since the real thing can’t be stolen, of course. Buyers can be so stupid sometimes. Tara, what does this have to do with the Diamond of Saleem?”

“The things I’m not telling you, I don’t think you could keep your hands off of them. And they’re dangerous, get-you-killed dangerous, worse-than-killed dangerous. Are those are targets?” She pointed one well-dressed toe across the room.

“Dorky guy matches. Blonde girl matches, and there’s the dark-haired one, pretending not to be interested. Tara,” Sophie’s voice took on a lazy, cajoling tone, “is this about demons?”

“Sophie!” Tara hissed it out in an angry admonition. “What do you think…” She took out her earpiece and dropped it in a small silk bag, then did the same for Sophie’s. “What possessed you?”

“Nobody, today, although there was that one time in Berlin… relax. I’ve known about the demonic since I was a wee girl. And here we are on the Hellmouth.”

“Here we are on the Hellmouth…” Tara agreed slowly. “Sophie, why exactly did you call me in?”

“Call you in?” Sophie aimed an innocent look over her glass. “All I did was tell you where we were going. You filled in the rest.”

“We don’t grift friends.” Tara sat up straighter and frowned.

Sophie chuckled over her glass. “Oh, look at you. I’m sorry, but you’re as funny as Nate when you think you hold all the cards. Tara, I’ve known what you are since he first time we met, but I couldn’t very well say ‘I need an expert in demons, please come help,’ now could I? You’d have shut down and stopped talking to me for months. Like the Diamond of Saleem thing. Now hsst, here comes the boy.”

The boy sauntered over, goofy smile telling the world he knew he was ridiculous and, what’s more, he didn’t care, thank you very much. He put his elbows on the bar next to Tara before turning to both of them. “Ladies.” The waggle of his eyebrow was both corny and charming. “Buy you a, um, a non-alcoholic, legal drink?”

“You’re sweet to ask.” Tara waved her glass languidly. “Are all the boys in this town so sweet?”

So they were going Russian. Sophie shifted her position and got ready for the charm offensive.

Eighteen: The Escape

Xander smiled uncertainly between the two women.

“Uh, sweet? That’s, no, not everyone here, no ma’am, that is, no miss. Lots of people might be nice or kind or even gentlemanly, but sweet, that’s all me, just Xander. That’s what my girlfriend says, oh, well, that’s the thing.” He attempted something like a bow. “My girlfriend. She’s the one over there making dagger-eyes at both of you, which is probably of course because you’re lovely. So, can I buy you a drink and return to my seat before she kills me, ma’am?”

“He is so very sweet,” the blonde one repeated. Her accent was thick. Russian maybe. “We keep him?”

“Mm. Maybe we do. And girlfriend too.” The darker one ran her fingers up Xander’s arm. “Could be fun.”

Vampire? Xander thought, but they were far too warm for that. He was far too warm. Everyone was…

Xander fled.

next: http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1185157.html

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1178273.html. You can comment here or there. comment count unavailable

Edally Academy Chapter 43B: Wrong in the Aether

Sep19

“Class,” Enrie agreed. She took Saydrie’s offered hand, bowed to both women much as he had, and waited the half-second for Taikie to do the same before they strolled out of there.

Holding Saydrie’s hand let her control the pace to that stroll; she was pretty sure if she hadn’t been, they’d have

Read on:
http://www.edallyacademy.com/2016/09/19/chapter-43b-wrong-in-the-aether/

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1175491.html. You can comment here or there. comment count unavailable

Foedus Planetarum – The Tod’cxeckz’ri Paper Part Interlude

Sep16

First: The Tod’cxeckz’ri Paper Part I

Previous: The Tod’cxeckz’ri Paper Part VI

I wanted to poke at these guys again, so here’s a little ficlet, since the bit between Part Vi and this seems to have stalled me.

Jahnan woke to the sound of muffled clinking very near her. She opened her eyes to find Yira Trembane less than a meter away, diligently working at the Tod’cxeckz’ri collar locked around his neck.

“Stop that,” she snapped. her head hurt. Her eyes hurt. Everything hurt. “You’re still my bounty, and I’m still going to turn you in.” She put a hand over her eyes to block out the light. “Wait. Did I fall asleep? There’s no time for that.”

“You were knocked out. We were knocked out.” When she peeked at him, Yira had put his hands back in his lap and disappeared whatever he’d been using as a lockpick. “We were talking to that — that thing, whatever it was—”

“Brain slug,” Jahnan muttered. Those only existed in children’s sensie vids, she was pretty sure, but that’s what the thing had looked like.

“That thing. And then the air got thick. I woke up first. I out-mass you,” he added defensively.

“Don’t try to take the collar off. For one, I am still turning you in for the bounty, and for another, we don’t know what it’ll do to you.”

“Glad my well-being is so foremost in your mind.” He stretched, and Jahnan’s eyes followed the movement. Even sitting, his fingers touched the ceiling, which itself seemed to be made of something soft and pliable. “Now can we try to escape, or do you have more orders for me, kozel-wife?”

Every time he used the Tod’cxeckz’ri term that meant mistress, Jahnan noted, Yira sounded a little less sarcastic about it.

They had to get her ship back, and fast.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1174499.html. You can comment here or there. comment count unavailable

Conlang all year round – Augovernust in September

Sep13

I’m going through 365 Conlang thingies beyond #Lexember (which is missing October…) one month a day (or so) up to September.(?) I just realized I wrote a Julectuary last week and never finished filling things in, so that will come soon.

In the meantime… Augovernust. Today I thought I’d write my “quotes and excerpts” policy, especially pertinent in light of sites like (link) that like to strip your blog content and repost it.

For published works, please see the publisher in question for excerpt rights.

For works published online — on my blogs or one of my serials, for instance — you may quote up to 50 words or 10% of any given piece*, whichever is smaller, without permission — simply provide a link to the site the piece is posted on and give credit to Lyn Thorne-Alder.

Please do not post longer excerpts without explicit written permission from me, which you may request via PM or via e-mail. In all cases, please provide a linkback to the original work and credit to Lyn Thorne-Alder, or an appropriate bibliographical listing.

* For the purposes of this policy, a “piece” is considered the entirety of a story, regardless of the number of posts. Edally Academy is a piece; Fourth Husband is a piece.

Morphambruary 1
Febmanteau 1
Polysemarch 1
DisMayCourse
Juneme 1
Julectury 1
Augovernust 1
Morphambruary 2
Febmanteau 2
Polysemarch/Juneme2
Juneme 2/2.5
✒️
Julectury 2

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1171979.html. You can comment here or there. comment count unavailable

Starting a New Setting (yes, again)

Sep8

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

The idea is more or less a project written in the vein of Dystopic YA stories, with a heavy dose of [twitter.com profile] broodingYAhero. I’m not doing nano, just doing a project I start writing in November… or something. It’ll be derivative, of course: that’s the whole plan.

Anyway, above is poll question #1: Where is it?

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1170578.html. You can comment here or there. comment count unavailable