gdp's Comments

Notes From the Lizard Lair : General Comments

Fri, 23 Jan 2015 20:14:33 +0000

If you mean, creation of entire star systems and such, I think there is one such book out there and I have a copy of it somewhere, but I can't recall the title. Not very helpful, I know....

Notes From the Lizard Lair : General Comments

Fri, 23 Jan 2015 19:43:14 +0000

Funny you should ask, Jesse. There are many world-building books out there, unfortunately most are of a very hit-and-miss quality, IMO. I would recommend the books I wrote myself. You can find three titles here: http://www.storybones.net/bookstore/world-buildin... They are also available at Amazon and B&N (World Building Tips Vol 2 will not be at major retailers until Monday). Designing fictional settings is a particular interest of mine - check out the World Building Academy, which I founded to help spread info in this regard: http://world-building.com

Notes From the Lizard Lair : RPG theory & game design online

Tue, 13 Aug 2013 10:31:58 +0000

Thanks for the links and additional info, Winchell. I need to make a more orderly study of this stuff and it helps to marshal the resources. :)

Notes From the Lizard Lair : Back in Time With Living History: the PBS "House" Projects

Mon, 24 Jun 2013 07:56:56 +0000

I share your interest. I think it's a fascinating concept, and short of actual time travel, it's about the only way to get a truly immersive experience of being transplanted into another era. Even historical renactors don't have such steadfast period-correct settings and social isolation for such extended periods. I also wish they'd do more follow-up on the people about their experiences. It seems to be life-changing and personally transformative for many who go through it. I hope they'll come up with another one of these living experiments soon!

Notes From the Lizard Lair : Do Writers Need a Blog?

Thu, 3 Jan 2013 15:37:22 +0000

Glad it was helpful. Re writing for the tribe: when you do it right, I don't think there's a disconnect between that and being true to yourself. You look for that aspect of yourself that is passionate and enthusiastic about X (for whatever X may be, singular thing or a cluster of related things), and that's what you write about. This is sending up a flair, and your tribe will gravitate to that content and to you. It sounds to me like you are simply refining and more narrowly targeting/focusing your vision of what it is that you are passionate about. That's a good thing! That's the best magnet you can employ, and it's what people really respond to. Why write about "science fiction" if it's "time travel," specifically, that really grabs you? It sounds like you're on the right track. :) BTW I also have an ongoing fascination with time experiences and time-travelish things. I look forward to reading your stuff in that regard! And the Whovian stuff as well.

Notes From the Lizard Lair : My Favorite 19th Century Housekeeping Guides

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:56:11 +0000

Glad you found it useful, Beth! I like using these old-timey recipes for home cleaning/waxing/polishing, etc. They are easy to make with common ingredients and environmentally friendly, and still work just as well as back when. :)

Notes From the Lizard Lair : Women Warriors and Chest Size: Three Factors to Consider

Tue, 3 Apr 2012 16:04:42 +0000

What terrific points you make in your comment, especially useful for gamers and writers. I especially like the considerations you point out about the positioning of weapons, thigh guards, and how the under-advantaged fighter takes on a superior foe. In almost all rpg systems, there is an egalitarian assumption that women fighters are essentially equivalent to men, and from a phyiscal standpoint are not disadvantaged out of the gate. It's easier to manage a game system that way - but those differences *could be played up (and in some systems, are). Also, in fantasy writing, there is no excuse not to take a more realistic view of these things: not that women are "weaker" in combat, but simply that their challenges are different, and what it takes to surmount them. Good point too about Elizabeth Moon and Deed of Paksenarion. She is indeed a former Marine (I've written about her military fiction writing here: http://www.deborahteramischristian.com/writing/mi.... Also, you might be interested to know that I will be interviewing her at length in the next couple of months, mainly on the subject of world building, and some of that interview will be aired on my Alien Tourist podcast (which will premier later in April). Signing up for my newsletter is a good way to stay informed of these upcoming events. ;) (Form's at top left column.)

Notes From the Lizard Lair : Women Warriors and Chest Size: Three Factors to Consider

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 23:18:59 +0000

Great point, Sean. The more muscle mass women build, the less fatty tissue they tend to have and breast size can become relatively smaller than on a more sedentary woman of the same build. I don't think from a gaming perspective that one needs to spend a whole lotta time fixated on women's chests (though I know there is a gamer segment that will disagree with that ;), but insofar as there are anatomical practicalities to consider, things like the universal "one size fits all" armor purchase is far from realistic (whether in games or stories). I thought a totally great treatment of this subject is in Mary Gentle's historical fantasy series "Ash: A Secret History", in which the eponymous mid-Renaissance heroine, the female captain of a mercenary troop, is now and then particularly concerned about the fit of her armor, and has fits when her custom-built armor is stolen from her. (That's a great book, btw. A trilogy, also available as single books.)

Notes From the Lizard Lair : Back in Time With Living History: the PBS "House" Projects

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 05:45:40 +0000

Hi, Tiffany, That's a good question. I haven't heard anything about a 'house' style show in some years. Many of these series (like Regency House Party, 1940s House, and so on) were actually produced by British television, so there might be something brewing across the pond that just hasn't made it here yet. Meanwhile, though, I did come across this tidbit. Not exactly a live-in house experience, but an interesting behind-the-scenes slice of life about Edwardian times: Secrets of the Manor House. This was set to start airing in January 2012. I assume it's run its course now, but might be on YouTube, dvd, or elsewhere around the web.

Notes From the Lizard Lair : Improving Sales and Income in Ebook Publishing

Sat, 4 Feb 2012 14:48:43 +0000

Yeah. I understand the reluctance. It is a psychological leap to make. FWIW highly successful internet marketer Don Crowther says, and I quote, "1 of the top 5 mistakes online marketers make is: Not Testing!" The basic caution here being, never assume that any element of your internet marketing is working optimally: tweak it, test it, watch your metrics and tweak again, until you concretely identify what brings in the best responses. There are a whole lotta things about selling on the net that are counterintuitive. One non-fiction book seller I know, for instance, experimented with literally tens of different price points for his nf books - and found the single price that sold best was $8.97, specifically, by several percentage points of response. His theory was that the number in cents was just unusual enough to draw customers' eyes, and so make them take a second look at the item (and so lingering with it longer, end up purchasing). It widely outperformed the more traditional (and "intuitive") .99 figure. At any rate, what works best for your material will continue to be a question mark until you actually test it. Think of it as an ongoing experiment with a cash reward at the end of the process. Good luck, and let us know how it goes! Once you're done melting down, of course. :D

Notes From the Lizard Lair : Improving Sales and Income in Ebook Publishing

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 06:57:11 +0000

Well, you know - if no one ever bought stories priced at $2.99, there would simply be no stories selling at that price at amazon (or any value greater than .99). ;) I respectfully suggest that your dollar-conscious metric (price-per-story value in a collection) is not the calculus used by all buyers. Besides, if you put one or two out at $2.99, and there are no takers, you can always lower the price afterwards. It is nearly impossible (from a buyer's perspective) to raise an item price once it's advertised as costing X, but very feasible to lower the price if/as necessary. Then people also perceive a bargain. Basic sales psychology, and unrelated to actual value of an item (if one can even put an "actual" price on subjectively valued art.)

Notes From the Lizard Lair : I'm Plotting... (Splintegrate & other updates)

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 02:39:48 +0000

I wish a tool by itself were totally a silver bullet. I find they can make the process easier but we still have to show up to work (!). LOL. Congrats on the offer from Pink Raygun! Don't get discouraged, if they don't want one thing - I'm sure sooner or later you'll give them something they'll love. You have such a unique voice, more people deserve to hear it. :)

Notes From the Lizard Lair : Intacto - a Movie on the Manipulation of Luck (Review)

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:57:00 +0000

Ha! That's a striking thing to remember. That was a visceral sound, wasn't it? And an crazy yet sensible-in-context scene. I love quirky movies like this.

Notes From the Lizard Lair : Stargate Universe Review

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:38:16 +0000

Hey, good point, and you force me to go googling to find out more. :) You're right, "As of 2377, the crew complement was at 146," says Wikipedia. I must have been thinking of ST:TNG numbers. Still, Voyager always felt like a larger mass, more distant crew in the background (outside of the star circle prominent in the stories), and Destiny seemed fewer/more intimate. Maybe because the ship was so big, and the few people in it rattling around like peas in a pod. On a related note, social scientists observe that the most people we can comfortably keep track of with bonds of (relatively) close association is 150; beyond that number people in our network blend into others who are "out there" and not part of our really interactive connections. (It is no coinkydink that the average user on Facebook has an average of 150 friends). So both of these shows have a body count that is within that outer limit of 150, beyond which we (emotionally) deal with groups of "those people" rather than "my familiy and friends". The smaller the group, the more rapidly the "friend and family" association emerges. For this reason, I would argue that Destiny's crew must necessarily have become closer knit, simply because their numbers were 1/3 smaller than those of Voyager. I was amused by Colonel Young toasting the family they had become (in the last episode, iirc), including even the "crazy uncle" that was Dr. Rush. I think that's reflective of that small(er) group bonding dynamic.

Notes From the Lizard Lair : Neuron Growth and Semiconductors: Cyberpunk in the Lab

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:59:17 +0000

Thanks for the link!

Notes From the Lizard Lair : Neuron Growth and Semiconductors: Cyberpunk in the Lab

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:58:24 +0000

Glad you liked the article. That concept of Weis's that you describe sounds interesting. I see the sense of it and am kind of surprised that we don't (yet) see more bio-techy angles on systems control (well, aside from whatever biotech is inherent in cyberpunk and its premise of hardwired human/machine interfacing). Definitely a great field for speculation.

Notes From the Lizard Lair : Li-Wan's Revenge: A Ghost Story

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:58:37 +0000

Thanks, Em! The story would not be the same without your contribution. :)

Notes From the Lizard Lair : How to Banish Rules Lawyers in RPGS

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 15:14:04 +0000

Welcome back to the gaming fray. :) Glad to hear your friend is finding ways to enjoy the game without second-guessing GM decisions. I understand where that comes from, but it's a certain game killer for so many, many reasons. It's nice to have alternatives.

Notes From the Lizard Lair : Smoking and Race on Pan Am: a CYA Start From a 'Mad Men' Competitor

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:28:28 +0000

You're right, there are a lot of shows that are completely white and watched by black audiences. But any time one token black person is introduced to an otherwise all-white show, I question the motives and rationale behind it. There is also network-level concern about diversity and color casting - it is not dominant in the decisions made (obviously), and if the primary demographic is perceived to be white, it may not weigh in the casting/scripting decisions at all. But there have long been network diversity guidelines in place, and there are entire programs within the network umbrella intended to create diversity in shows. So the claim that board meetings simply don't think that way is incorrect. The diversity push has been institutionalized and is now at the heart of entire programming initiatives. Notably, this link which points to one such program, happens to be the program promoted by Disney for their productions, which lies behind the anomalous "black stewardess when there weren't any" decision. Decisions like this are no accident.

Notes From the Lizard Lair : The Truthsayer's Apprentice

Thu, 4 Aug 2011 13:51:18 +0000

See my update from June of this year. I'm writing a novella that extends the Loregiver story line this fall. Not a continuation of Truthsayer's Apprentice per se, but still it advances the overarching story. I'm looking forward to getting back into that story!