#brightephemera

Conflicts of Interest is my favorite, too. Everything came together really well in it, even if I did get stuck for a bit when I realized Savler would absolutely capture Kyrian if given the chance. Fortunately @kmlaney (at least I'm pretty sure that's who it was) suggested I write it and see what happened, since I could always try something else if my concerns were accurate. And it worked out fine.

The game writers didn't seem to know what to do with Bowdaar. As far as I can tell, they got as far as "the Smuggler must have a Wookiee" and stopped. I don't know whether they ran out of time or just weren't actually interested in writing a Wookiee or what. But you can't write fic--or at least I can't write fic--and have a character's dialogue only ever be: "I was a slave. It sucked."

(And if the game really wanted to stick with that, which it seems it did, they should've let him go off and beat up slavers the way Forex goes and beats up Imperials. At least it would be a little less likely to end in diplomatic incidents.)

@brightephemera, @knamil, @depizan

I decided to write a more in-depth answer to this one because all three asks wanted #24. I'm guessing this is in reference to the reverse-chronology thing I mentioned last week, but regardless, here goes.

As all writing tools, flashbacks and flashforwards are useful. I have no issue with them in general. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that we ought to be less prescriptive about writing tools, period. Passive sentences are fine. Adverbs aren’t evil. A story can be complete and interesting without action or conflict. Short sentences with simple, punchy words have no inherent benefits over complex sentences and polysyllabic words. 

Writing tools are like a well-stocked spice box or pantry. Choose what works to make what you want to make. If it tastes good at the end, you made the right (write? Haha? No? ok.) choices.

That said, I can’t deny that conventions exist, and exist for a reason. Typically, stories move chronologically from earlier time to later. That’s how we as humans experience time. It’s familiar. While we personally experience linear time, we also remember things ala flashbacks or predict things ala flashforwards constantly.  

Cutting away from the story for an extensive flashback/forward interrupts the flow. The question becomes: is what you’re telling the reader important enough to share at that particular moment?

Short, maybe one-sentence flashback? I doubt anyone would argue with it. Even then, does it fit the moment? What is the purpose? Why is it here? 

Longer ones? Ah, these are the ones people fight over. Still, if the scene contains information you deem it important for your readers to have, then do it. It informs the story or the character or both. Maybe it suggests a traumatic event from your character’s past. Maybe they perceive something in the way events are unfolding that others miss. Maybe it points to anxiety or overconfidence. Put it in. 

I maintain these are questions best answered in edit and less in the first draft. I find it hard to judge these scenes until I have more of the surrounding story finished. 

Choosing a completely nonstandard chronology asks more of a reader. We aren’t accustomed to stories that unfold that way. In my personal experience, a story that jumps all over its own timeline can be hard to follow, but not impossible. Examples that come to my mind--that I enjoy, I should add--are Catch 22 (book), Cloud Atlas (movie and book), The Prestige (movie), and Hellboy: Blood and Iron (movie). I maintain that the core story, the most important thing the writer wants to convey, can’t be overly complicated if the presentation is nonlinear. Otherwise it gets lost.

Speaking of Lost...

I have little to no patience with flashbacks or forwards when they appear for the sole purpose of hiding things from the reader/viewer, or because everyone else is doing it. When Lost was popular (which I did not watch), the hopping around the timeline thing became so common I hated it. The Event (2010 TV, I managed one and a half episodes before bailing) seemed determined to show only the dull connecting bits of its story, cutting away every time they might move the plot forward. Megamind was a fun movie; it’s opening was an unnecessary complication.  If I read/see one more “I suppose you're wondering how I got here” beginning that doesn't need to be there, I am going to break things.

OC + Emoji challenge from my twitch stream:

I was struggling to come up with a good story for the first prompt so I’ll focus on the second.

The Lovely Lekku Cantina, Nar Shaddaa

“Sorry for ruining your vacation like this, Shan, but not all of us can run off from the SIS every time we want to have an adventure.”

Theron winced, rubbing his temple several times. “I thought we’d moved past those kinds of comments.”

”I never let a good opportunity slide.” I took a sip of lomin ale from my mug before pushing the container away. “Not everyone at the SIS is as forgiving as I am. And not just the men, but the women and children too.”

”The what? Children don’t work for the SIS.”

”Not the way you and I do, Shan.” I smirked. “We offer unpaid internships.”

He frowned. ”That sounds like something Saresh would have liked.”

I nodded. “Another of her crazy ideas, though not as bad as deciding to try to kill the leadership of the Eternal Alliance in coordination with disaffected Imperials before making a play for control of an alliance made up of Imperials who always hated her and Republic personnel that left her service because of her.”

”Not the best plan,” Theron agreed, “Almost felt like something out of a crappy B-holovid.” He took a long swig from his glass of the strange brown drink he was having before continuing. “Speaking of plans, I’ve come up with one for your problem.”

”You think the Commander will help us investigate this ‘Order of Zildrog and figure out what the hell they’re up to?

Theron leaned forward, a large grin across his face. “Even better. I’ll infiltrate it for you.”

”Ah.” I recalled several instances of Theron’s infiltrations not going as planned in his record. “And the Commander’s okay with this?”

”No, she doesn’t know about it.” He cut me off before I could interject. “Not like it matters - she’s got nothing for me to do. You’d think a skilled SIS agent might at least earn the position of Alliance spymaster but no, that’s Lana’s job.” Theron mimicked a Sith force-choking someone before turning back to his drink.

”Uh, is that a good idea?” I suddenly regretted bringing the matter to his attention. “If the Commander is unaware of the plan, how is the Order going to believe you are anything but a spy.”

Theron grinned, “Simple, I’m going to pretend to betray her first. I’ve even set up an elaborate assassination attempt that will fail, but in a way that leaves some ambiguity as to whether I was genuinely trying to kill her or not. It makes for good drama”

”Weren’t you just criticizing Saresh for relying on poorly conceived plans?”

“Yeah, so?” Theron’s voice was nearly unintelligible, as he was now scarfing down a large piece of bread that had conveniently appeared. “I need to introduce the element of surprise into things.”

I frowned. “What if people are a little too surprised? The Commander is an exemplary Jedi, but others in the Alliance may not be as interested in offering a traitor a second chance.”

”I’ll just reveal the whole thing when it’s all over,” Theron replied breezily. “I’ll be like one of those social experiment things on the HoloNet. Treason against the Alliance Commander Prank, or whatever.”

”This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Do you have a brain injury of some kind?” He shrugged and kept eating. “What if someone else catches you before you can tell the Commander the truth?”

Theron shrugged again as he ordered another round of drinks.

”What if it’s Beniko? I’m not stupid enough to believe all the stories about her but…”

”Lana won’t be a problem,” Theron replied. “She’ll tell the Commander to do all sorts of horrible things to me, the Commander will ignore her and do the right thing and then we’ll go back to running our Alliance like we always do and it’ll be like nothing ever happened in the first place.”

I could feel a headache coming on, so I motioned at the waitress. “We’re going to need more than one round of drinks.”

:D  

1. Dragons, dragons dragons dragons for days. 

2. Sphynx, I really love the idea of a creature who will maim and or kill you if you can’t answer a riddle. 

3. Chimera, let’s take this lion snake goat, give it wings and have it breath fire. It’s hilariously terrifying. 

4. Spider people, like Loth goddess of the drow, but as a species. Body of a spider, torso of a person…but with a couple more eyes. Arachne? but that’s just one person/creature. 

5. Siren, weather they’re interpreted as winged, or as an offshoot of merfolk. Luring sailors to their death with songs, appealing to their deepest desires is a concept that’s always appealed to me. 

Aaahhh, Vette’s buddies! Ciner, you’re great!

I love that scene for so many reasons. Vette did have some major positive influence on Ciner. Yet, it still bugs me, that Vette is wearing that damned shock collar in the video despite Ciner removing it at the first opportunity.