Part 3! Developer's Thoughts

 https://www.deviantart.com/saviorfoxowlis/art/N-Era-W-Call-of-the-Wolves-p3-Count-Von-No-One-969679116

 Spoilers below: 

Creating this chapter is one of my favorite parts of the story insofar. I loved writing this. Admittedly this is kinda a weird chapter to me chronologically because I know certain things the characters don't yet, but I forgot they don't know what they know so like I had to keep reminding myself that no one knows until now that the Ethereal King is part of the Fangs of Liberty/FOL. 

I wanted an almost horror-like sentiment with this chapter. Count Sylva doesn't even start off as that suspicious, but you can already see Cyras being a step ahead. 

(Cyras sniffed a couple of times and glared. She said, "So, Sylva—")

("No, I insist," Count Sylva said, just a bit too quickly.) 

Cyras, at this point, already smells the Wilder on Count Sylva. 

I also liked this build-up:

(The fox scanned the room. Everything smelled okay. In fact, everything was pretty fresh and vibrant and detergented, and even the mirror in the recess of the room was clean and clear and focused on nothing in particular. The nightstands had carved, vine-like legs and were topped with a complementary candy bowl and glasses of pure water. The corners of the ceilings were clean and devoid of cobwebs and security cameras. The window, that pointed away from the courtyard where the portal was, instead focused on the stars glittering around the moon.) 

If you notice, what is going on is that Cyras is slowly scanning each part of the room suspiciously. That's why I added a random "and security cameras" to inch that something's not right and Cyras' alarms are running on high alert. 

Coincidentally, I was listening to Spongebob music and a scare chord hit while I was editing this part. 

Some notes about the structure of the castle: The castle is four walls. The residential rooms are in the western wing, they dined in the southern wing. The garden shed was hanging out about the western wing, and that's where the lawn is. The courtyard is in between the walls while the shed is beyond the walls, outside the main castle. That's typically how castles look. So that's where they have to go through the walls into the courtyard. 

Usually, I'd explain in story, but I figure that was said well enough, or implied well enough. I just wanted to get some castle architecture notes out of the way for those wondering. This isn't for convenience. 

Anyway, let's hope next chapter comes out soon.

 https://www.deviantart.com/saviorfoxowlis/art/N-Era-W-Call-of-the-Wolves-p3-Count-Von-No-One-969679116https://www.deviantart.com/saviorfoxowlis/art/N-Era-W-Call-of-the-Wolves-p3-Count-Von-No-One-969679116

For Better Worldbuilding: Rants About Kingdoms and Cities

Greetings, mutants.

I think Bad Worldbuilding is when there's a kingdom with the best artists, a kingdom with the best scholars, and a kingdom with the best military.

Great worldbuilding is when they're all the same kingdom.

Bluntly put, the richer a country, the more likely they're going to do great with all three. You kinda need money to support the arts. Someone needs to be paying the artists. Someone needs to be paying the scholars. Someone needs to be paying the military. 

This is why the first universities appeared in Africa during the Golden Age of Islam. They had lots of money. Lots of money tends to attract lots of smart people, and smart people tend to bring in lots of money.

Also stop with the "100 people live in this city". All you'd get is farmers and coal miners. Your kingdom is not gonna be 4 square miles. That's not a kingdom, that's a backwater village in the Middle of Nowheresville, Kentucky.

Most major countries have about 100,000 or so square miles. In fact, the top 77 countries on the planet have over 100,000 square miles.

Germany: 137,000 

England: 130,000 

France: 247,000 

Singapore is a bit of a weirdo only having 281 square miles but being really powerful monetarily. 

Your kingdom, at four square miles - unless they're a remote island with no strategic necessity, no natural resources, not in the way of a major trade route - is gonna get eaten immediately.

"Lol, yeah, but I'm working with some medieval-" 

Shang Dynasty China had 30 million people at one point. That's not medieval—that is ancient china, before Rome, and had 600,000 or so square miles. 

Egypt had millions of people, about 600,000 or so square miles.

If we get to Rome, we have millions of people. Around 0—199 CE, we have one million people in Rome city proper! And 60 million people overall in the empire. At an area of over 5 million square miles.

Also Empires are coalitions of kingdoms and emperors rule over said empires. The only reason China called their leaders emperors is because China is less one country, and more a bunch of different countries and kingdoms. 

 

Question: Who's My Favorite Character(s) to Write?

No one asked the question, but for archive purposes, I'll label this as a question - who is my favorite character to write? 

Cyras has clearly become my mascot. She's even my representative, my ambassador. If I'm writing with someone, she's the first one I send out. This is partially because of how malleable she and her story are. The main parts really are just: -She was born somewhere else, she's not used to the customs where she's at now, and where she's at now is someplace different. A very universal theme, and with her curiosity, she can always move forward. 

She can be a lot more nurturing or a lot more antagonistic and violent. This isn't to say she has no set personality, just that there's plenty of parts to tap into. She's not rebellious; she's just not trusting of the law, and does, in fact, work for the Empress. 

Anyway, so I use her the most in roleplays. But that being said, is she my favorite to write? 

In the sense of in general, yes. But for emotional scenes, to be honest, I find myself more in tune with Lilu a lot of times. She's either the awkward person in the background or the one making everything awkward. I find her very understandable. I also tend to enjoy having her bully Ahmond or making sarcastic remarks, where she doesn't really seem to mean anything to the same extent that Rosod might with her viciousness.

I find Owlis probably the most difficult to write for, then Rosod. For Rosod, a lot of the case is that I can't really showcase most of her trauma that's clearly happening off-screen. In Owlis' case, she's just a wild card. 

But then again, Cyras is easiest and funnest to write, but I feel like a good Owlis is worth her weight in saffron. 

Alright, well that's my thoughts.

Question: N:Era and Revisions

"So I'm curious, what chapter had the most rewrites? If I had to guess it'd be COTW because it's the first one."

This was a part of a series of questions about revisions so I'm going to talk briefly about the revision process.

Each N:Era story usually starts as inklings of ideas that I eventually put together. This is what creates the chaotic and disjointed feel of each story that ends up wrapping together in the end despite the disparate elements. In what way does Owlis wanting Ahmond to pay back a loan, Cyras' birthday party, and someone selling Lie Detectors, logically link? In the same way that ghostly disturbances, some depressed otter girls mismanaged anger, and theft on a train link. Just because some pieces are flower pieces, and some are building pieces, doesn't matter when together they create an image of a beautiful cottage by a river stream. 

So usually, I come up with the bigger idea and do lots of pre-writing beforehand, and then I get down to littler details, until eventually I end up writing the actual chapters. I usually don't assign scenes to chapters until later down the line. At some point I realize what scenes go to what chapters. These aren't like episodes of MLP where I can go, "Okay, so this happens here, and this happens there". These are chapters. I have more leniency with how I define what or where as a section of time.

I have to then fix logical holes in the plots, or character issues, or other macroissues, and at that point, then I might start defining chapters. If necessary. 

One thing that does help define a chapter, however, is my structure follows a mix of Kishotenketsu and ten point structure. 

Chapter 1 is always my inciting incidences. The characters aren't actively in the plot yet. 

Chapter 2 usually has the characters entering the plot, and this is the First plot point. 

Chapter 3 is where I introduce a pinch point. An antagonistic force makes their first aggressive attack. Something that makes us go, "Wow." 

Chapter 4 is around the halfway point where I let out a big development until chapter 5. 

Chapter 5 is where I usually have a chapter of "now for something COMPLETELY different". An aspect that seems irrelevant, but later redefines the entirety of before. For example, again, the Purple Lady has Owlis appear for the first time ever and we later find out Cyras is both royalty and divinty. 

Chapter 6 is another pinch point. The antagonist makes a move and now things are heated up. Cyras and co. are going to fight back. 

Chapter 7 is the counterattack. Everything leads up to finale. 

Chapter 8 is the finale. Cyras does whatever shenanigans win her the day, but then there's usually a more emotional resolution to the plots with an odd solution. 

A lot of sections of story can be cut or others remolded long before I get a chance to start defining the chapters as chapters rather than impressions.

So when revising the chapters, we're already pretty far into the process. However, there's plenty of elements to look at for revision. I may, for instance, realize certain scenes need to be clipped, or the chapter may not be resolving or adding anything. 

I have to ask each scene what the goal of this scene is? Ideally, a scene needs to achieve at least three of the following: Develops characters, develops world, develops history, develops world, adds a new element, solves a mystery, brings a mystery, or foreshadows. 

I have to ask if the characters act right? Is this in-character for Cyras? Would she speak like this? Would she have taken another option? I especially like to put my characters in situations that I have no idea how to resolve. I firmly believe that creativity expands with limits. Cyras escapes a wood prison easily with magic, but if the prison cannot be escaped that way, that's a limit that makes me think. Okay, well can she unlock the lock with her claws? Well let's say her claws are clipped. And so on and so forth. 

I have to ask if the prose makes sense? Is this too effusive or is this not effusive enough? Do the words and cadence fit the feeling of the story? 

I also detest open and straightforward story-telling and dialogue. Who could ever listen to someone who says their emotions directly and their thoughts and goals clearly? Spongebob is more passive-aggressive and indirect than these blunt people. 

Then of course, where's the flow? Does this really need to be explained, or would this explanation do better somewhere else? 

Seven revisions are usually the minimum of revisions I make. 

Afterwards comes editing. Editing is usually done by me shifting the font and sizing things up. I look for out-of-place words, wrong POVs, awful metaphors, misplaced commas. Then at some point I shove that into Google Docs and see what Grammarly says, and they go, "Don't type: Cyras was the best of the girls at playing Towers the card game." Instead, "Cyras played Towers TCG best of Team N:Era". 

Personally, I'm beginning to suspect after doing the Grammarly, I should go and take a look myself. They're really great because I can't figure out what a compound or compound-complex sentence is to save the life of me, nor can I understand when to put commas in one or not. 

 

 

 

Oh right, the actual question. 

Ahem, I dunno. 

 

N:Era Call of the Wolves part 2 is out! Development thoughts . . .

https://www.deviantart.com/saviorfoxowlis/art/N-Era-Worlds-CotW-P2-The-Rising-Flood-967478167

This is part two of Call of the Wolves. I don't usually editorialize on my own stories for obvious reasons, but this one was severely cut. 

Spoilers:

Originally, they went to the bar, went out damming, went back to the bar to get Bellafauna, and went out damming again. 

I wasn't quite pleased with how placid this chapter felt, however, I wasn't about to add unnecessary battle scenes or any obstacles that wouldn't naturally occur. Outside of restructuring the entire chapter to add in situation, there wasn't much to do. Besides, building up later situations is more important to me anyway, such as Cyras being recognized more often. I also made sure there is a new development or new bit of information each page, so we're finding out more about this very dull and lifeless land. 

On the other end, I was glad to add in some more of the German vibes to this place. Before posting, there was at least one or two hours of me wrassling with Grammarly. And of course, before that is the hours and hours of revising. Between writing and published, 2/3rds of my time on a story will be spent on rewriting. 

Unfortunately, I lost some resources so I am having to rebuild my own writer's checklist so I can make sure I maintain a quality that I deem acceptable for my stories and for my readers. 

My favorite part was making some of the jokes at the bar, such as Cyras slapping and whapping Ahmond and poking her in the eye. 

Hopefully you have some joy in reading this. Thank you.

https://www.deviantart.com/saviorfoxowlis/art/N-Era-Worlds-CotW-P2-The-Rising-Flood-967478167 https://www.deviantart.com/saviorfoxowlis/art/N-Era-Worlds-CotW-P2-The-Rising-Flood-967478167

N:Era Minecraft Days 26 - 75!

 

I've spent the last fifty days exploring. What I mean by this is I went down into a cave, a big scary cave, and got myself some iron and some diamonds. (Don't get too attached, I lose my pick like near immediately). 

I wanted to know what was everywhere, essentially. I will admit to a liberal usage of peaceful mode. 

I went through the jungle for example, and tried to reach the end of the area within a day.

I did get majorly lost. I thought that was the end, as soon as I got here in this snowy place, but that actually links to the Savannahs. I ended up finding my way back with f3. 

I want to find something of each area, and maybe even every structure. 

At some point, in my house, a creeper blew up my window while I was on the overhang. I had no idea they could sense my underneath the overhang, and  so I marked where the explosion was and there's my bed.

Try. Harder.

I thought one day I'd "like to see the people across the sea". Turns out that was a birch forest and I created this dock, and I ended up finding a massive cave that had like, 100 of exposed iron. I've got all my iron needs fixed. MAybe this is where I got the diamond pick actually. All I know is at one point I jumped off a mountain and thought I'd hit water. I didn't. 

I found my first structure, and that was an underwater structure. Well, as I was getting there, a few friends without the r were nearby.

These guys kept coming up behind me, brought me to two-and-a-half hearts. But I managed to beat them all back and I found buried treasure. Too bad that was way too deep in the water and felt more hassle than that was worth. Maybe one day I'll go back, but for now, no. 

At the end of the day, a lot of structures are really good for the early game, but not for the midgame. I feel like I can find diamonds more competently than dealing with the treasure. What I would really get is heart of the sea. Honestly, more structures need unique elements. 

In the darkwoods forest, I did find a lava pool and tried to quick portal. And eventually, I managed to find my place in the nether back to my first portal near home. And then I thought, "Hey let's go to 500 spots away from our portal in nether and build another portal, that way this goes through the dark forest." 

 

I've pretty much always wanted to nether portal like this, just nether travel. 

I was like "huh, more darkwood forest. Wait, is that floating dirt something I put there?" Anyway, I was gonna go and get some drink when I turned around. 

Yup!

What's interesting is I almost stopped a few blocks before I created my nether portal. 

I almost stopped here in this warped forest. 

But nooo, I had to go to this basalt delta. If I hadn't I might have been mobbed by pillagers. Speaking of

I haven't seen any of them, just other mobs. I was on peaceful when I spawned in, so maybe that's why? I went to easy then as I inspected more. I hope the Illagers will spawn, particularly the Evoker.

But yeah, this is their island, and there's some Taiga to explore. My current hope is a village might be nearby. I've been looking for villagers for a while now. 

Anyway, I was thinking of moving on to creating outposts of my own, and having some Summer homes, but so far, I think there's still lots to explore. Why settle now?

I definitely want to get myself some foxies from the Taiga though. I got some books that can help me with building up a library. That would be backa t home, however. I'm thinking of making my home in the taiga so I'm not too stuck in a dark forest.

Despair Poem

 The father, ocean king Despair 

Archaic? Classic? Master or Tyrant. 

These thoughts submerge myself

I swim towards him still. 

N:Era Minecraft! Days 1 - 25

 I put N:Era as my Minecraft seed. 

Was, how do you say, kinda creepy. What you see now is an oak forest/jungle. 

Almost immediately this place looked like Cyras' birthland, lol. Like, forest into jungle with a beachy cliff. I half-cursed myself for not just using this as a model! There's even a savannah and a swamp, and I think over the Mangrove swamp is a desert! 

The first night went terribly. Somehow zombies got up into my first platform base and began swarming me, and of course, I needed to get my gear, so I kept dying. 

Near spawn, I created a new base, along with a small barnyard so I could make some cow friends. My current projects are that, and also involving "the tree at the top of the world". Naming landmark features feels important to me for whatever reason.

I've never really played with bamboo but that's provided scaffolding. Honestly, the amounts of flora and fauna is amazing. I've always been afraid of slaying animals because in my first survival world back in 1.8(ish) I actually raided my whole spawn area. 

I don't really wanna explore any or many caves, and this spawn has none of that. I've got cocoa however, and squids. I also made a book that just says "Cyras Wuz Here". 

Off in the distance, you can see a white silhouette, and that was my first glimpse of the "Tree on the top of the world". 

This is her, in the close up. 

This giant mountain is slowly going to get a bridge. I'm planning on using clays and bricks for that. My plan is to link the mountain together a bit - although I do like the climb! I've even gotten to enjoying doing backdives. 

Soon as I first entered the swamp, I realized this was my new home now, lol.

I didn't really record much after this point for whatever reason. I know I got attacked by a couple of Pillagers, and the Pillager Captain, but I've got him pretty done out. I've gotten the walls of my house filled in and that's good because monsters kept getting at me, even on my overhang.

I'm working on my house, my stables (with seven cows so far!), and eventually, I'd like to see what's beyond and out there, that way I can get Mesas. Explore the badlands. And my main goal is to strike the Darkwoods Mansion, once and for all. 

Some interesting notes: There's a couple of turtles at the beach. There's pandas and bees. So I guess I'm pretty near everything. I'm also trying to get some blue wool.