These are hardcore questions. Patricia C. Wrede wrote a very intensive list of questions to help you determine the intricacies of your newly invented world.
Usefulness: 5 out of 5
Hot dayum. This is everything you could possibly need to know. I like to imagine that Wrede sat down with Tolkein and took this list straight from his brain. You can chose to ignore all the "trivial" things, like art and culture, for basic world-building, or you can develop a living, breathing society/world/plant. It's a spectrum of awesomeness.
Fun: 1 out of 5
This is another one of my "I like learning herpderp!" moments. However, this is grueling work. There are SO many questions and it takes soo much time. I can't even explain how time consuming this list can be.
Hipster: 3 out of 5
It's okay. This site is sort of well-known, but articles are always a harder to find.
Showing posts with label usefulness=5. Show all posts
Showing posts with label usefulness=5. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Review: Limyaael/Arin i Asolde
Holy carp. This woman is absolutely, mind-bendingly fantastic. Every writer, fantasy or not, needs to read Limyaael's rants. They are glorious. They are perfect. They are quiite a many. But a lot of what she says is important for writers to understand- things like "how not to write a cliche even if your idea IS a cliche". Limyaael has, for all intents and purposes, put an entire creative writing class up on the internet, for free. (This link is to a mirror which houses all of her rants. This is convenient, because they were written on Livejournal, Insanejournal, and other similar sites and only later conglomerated into a giant list.)
Usefulness: 5 out of 5
These are so useful. Yes, technically they are geared towards fantasy writers. Yes, sometimes they are personal opinions of Limyaael. HOWEVER, this woman is so well-written, so well-versed in literature that you can't help but take her seriously. She quotes Swinburne.
Besides that, she often points out things that make writing flat, boring and uninteresting; these are points that any writer can value, whether scifi, YA or fantasy. Limyaael wants you to succeed and is simply explaining what parts of writing can be bolstered and what can be torn down.
It's actually hard to write with the amount of sincere admiration and awe for her that is currently spewing from my every pore.
Fun: 5 out of 5
This is a biased answer. It has to be. Because, honestly, site design wise, Limyaael is using Livejournal. It's boring. It's ugly. It's bugly. Buuut, I love reading everything she writes, be it her stories or poetry on Fictionpress (Limyaael) or her hilarious and well-written rants. I find them incredibly enjoyable and therefore 5 out of 5.
Hipster: 2 out of 5
Limyaael has a lot of sway on the internet. There are a bunch of mirrors of her work out there and, undoubtedly, someone on a forum will bring her up. She is, in my personal opinion, the Plato of the online writing community. Her works are probably the most well-known of any online writer. She may be the only person to have analyzed and written essays about the overall quality of online work.
Usefulness: 5 out of 5
These are so useful. Yes, technically they are geared towards fantasy writers. Yes, sometimes they are personal opinions of Limyaael. HOWEVER, this woman is so well-written, so well-versed in literature that you can't help but take her seriously. She quotes Swinburne.
Besides that, she often points out things that make writing flat, boring and uninteresting; these are points that any writer can value, whether scifi, YA or fantasy. Limyaael wants you to succeed and is simply explaining what parts of writing can be bolstered and what can be torn down.
It's actually hard to write with the amount of sincere admiration and awe for her that is currently spewing from my every pore.
Fun: 5 out of 5
This is a biased answer. It has to be. Because, honestly, site design wise, Limyaael is using Livejournal. It's boring. It's ugly. It's bugly. Buuut, I love reading everything she writes, be it her stories or poetry on Fictionpress (Limyaael) or her hilarious and well-written rants. I find them incredibly enjoyable and therefore 5 out of 5.
Hipster: 2 out of 5
Limyaael has a lot of sway on the internet. There are a bunch of mirrors of her work out there and, undoubtedly, someone on a forum will bring her up. She is, in my personal opinion, the Plato of the online writing community. Her works are probably the most well-known of any online writer. She may be the only person to have analyzed and written essays about the overall quality of online work.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Review: Yarny
Just like all the other "write online" tools, Yarny is pretty sweet. In fact, it is probably the overall frontrunner. It's a writing platform that can work both long-term and short-term. You can use with or without an account (my favorite!) And the interface is rather pleasing, so I can't even complain about that! Hopefully I can come back in a year and say that this site is Dear to My Heart. Fingers crossed!
Usefulness: 5 out of 5
So, Yarny is really great. It is actually totally unfair for me to try to explain it, when Yarny does is so well. (The picture does enlarge, if you click it, and was in fact PrntScr'D straight from the Yarny website.)
Not only is Yarny an online text editor, but it allows you to tag your text and separate it into different "snippets", all of which are searchable. If you have an account, you can save what you've written to look at later. And, even ore delightful is that little section called "People/Places/Things". It allows you to store your research and information pertaining to your story. Genius, no? If Yarny and 750words combined to create a fantastic online word processor with motivational badges, this thing would be 6/5, maybe even a 7/5.
Fun: 3 out of 5
The aesthetic of Yarny is quite nice. It makes me happy. Most of the fun points for this site comes from how very nice it is too look at, without infuriating me during the writing process.
(Thinking about it, it's really hard for any word processor to get high marks for fun, if you look at it objectively. I think I find things fun that most people don't. Like... reading books online or arguing about the minute details of things.)
Hipster: 3 out of 5
So, this was a tough decision. I knew NOTHING about Yarny before trolling through the NaNo forums to find things to post about. However, it is also a sponsor of NaNoWriMo, so it is also plastered all over the website. I gave it a 3 based on my own personal confusion at its existence. Dislcaimer: This is a totally biased result.
Usefulness: 5 out of 5
So, Yarny is really great. It is actually totally unfair for me to try to explain it, when Yarny does is so well. (The picture does enlarge, if you click it, and was in fact PrntScr'D straight from the Yarny website.)
Fun: 3 out of 5
The aesthetic of Yarny is quite nice. It makes me happy. Most of the fun points for this site comes from how very nice it is too look at, without infuriating me during the writing process.
(Thinking about it, it's really hard for any word processor to get high marks for fun, if you look at it objectively. I think I find things fun that most people don't. Like... reading books online or arguing about the minute details of things.)
Hipster: 3 out of 5
So, this was a tough decision. I knew NOTHING about Yarny before trolling through the NaNo forums to find things to post about. However, it is also a sponsor of NaNoWriMo, so it is also plastered all over the website. I gave it a 3 based on my own personal confusion at its existence. Dislcaimer: This is a totally biased result.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Review: Rinkworks Name Generator!
Rinkworks is one of my favorite places on the web, specifically because of their Book-A-Minute series. As someone who is from the Internet, you would've thought I'd already know about their name gen. Nope. Not a clue. This is proof that people on the internet don't look past what they're looking for/at.
Usefulness: 5 out of 5
Let me tell you why this is so useful, because I've been giving a lot of perfect scores for these gens. THIS is useful because it is the first and only generator I've found that truly let's you control what is generated. The Advanced System has a damn instruction manual to teach you how to gnerate names based on YOUR personal preferences. I would explain it here, but it's quite long and honestly, I haven't completely mastered it yet. But it's the perfect generator for someone who's attempting to build their own culture. You can define vowels, consonants or even strings of letters to include in the names.
And, say that's too much work for you (as it would be for me in the midsts of NaNo-frenzy). Rinkworks also has a thorough "Simply" interface that cane generate names from, if I can count correctly, 33 different categories. Including Pokemon. And, well, you'll always have me at Pokemon.
Fun: 2 out of 5
The Advanced interface really drops points for the overall fun. Yes, I want to give it a 5 out of 5 because POKEMON, but I didn't. That was responsible of me, wasn't it? Due to the fact that you have to read a long instruction manual to use this tool, it really drags you down.
Hipster: 4 out of 5
The actual Rinkworks site is more of a 3 out of 5. The Book-A-Minute thing is pretty damn funny and gets visitors coming. The Name Generator, however, is hidden enough that I didn't see it until now (which I'd like to say is years after first finding the site, but I honestly can't remember). While this could just mean that I'm blind as a bat or oblivious, I'm going to instead assume that it's just hidden away and only sneaky people can find it. It's gentler on my ego.
Usefulness: 5 out of 5
Let me tell you why this is so useful, because I've been giving a lot of perfect scores for these gens. THIS is useful because it is the first and only generator I've found that truly let's you control what is generated. The Advanced System has a damn instruction manual to teach you how to gnerate names based on YOUR personal preferences. I would explain it here, but it's quite long and honestly, I haven't completely mastered it yet. But it's the perfect generator for someone who's attempting to build their own culture. You can define vowels, consonants or even strings of letters to include in the names.
And, say that's too much work for you (as it would be for me in the midsts of NaNo-frenzy). Rinkworks also has a thorough "Simply" interface that cane generate names from, if I can count correctly, 33 different categories. Including Pokemon. And, well, you'll always have me at Pokemon.
Fun: 2 out of 5
The Advanced interface really drops points for the overall fun. Yes, I want to give it a 5 out of 5 because POKEMON, but I didn't. That was responsible of me, wasn't it? Due to the fact that you have to read a long instruction manual to use this tool, it really drags you down.
Hipster: 4 out of 5
The actual Rinkworks site is more of a 3 out of 5. The Book-A-Minute thing is pretty damn funny and gets visitors coming. The Name Generator, however, is hidden enough that I didn't see it until now (which I'd like to say is years after first finding the site, but I honestly can't remember). While this could just mean that I'm blind as a bat or oblivious, I'm going to instead assume that it's just hidden away and only sneaky people can find it. It's gentler on my ego.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Review: Behind the Name: Random Name Generator
I will be doing a review of the Behind the Name website later in the semester, as far as naming websites go. However, since we're on the topic of generators, I wanted to review their Random Name Generator.
Usefulness: 5 out of 5
Now, I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Noooo Meghan, Behind the Name can't be a 5! It's only one generator!" And, technically, Some of You, you'd be correct. If I was basing the usefulness of a site on how many generators it had, Behind the Name would get a 1. However, that's not what this rating is based on. The usefulness of this one generator is exorbitant. This generator can name anyone. You can use it for a YA novel, maybe, the name of the sexy Italian male lead. Or maybe you need it for a historical piece, some Norse vikings off to conquer the world. Maybe you're naming some fantasy characters- You could use a less well-known culture to pull names from, or just pick the "Witch", "Fairy", or "Kreatyve" options. Hell, you can even name Transformers style. This generator packs some serious heat.
Fun: 1 out of 5
Outside of the short list of "interesting" options (Witch, Transformer, Hippy), this generator is not very much fun. Okay, I'm being really nice saying that. This generator is boring. You go to it, hit your buttons and move on. No playing around here.
Hipster: 2 out of 5
Behind the Name itself is a pretty well known website. It contains the history and etymology of not just first names, but surnames as well, so it's the kind of site that is frequented by more than just writers. This little generator sits on the sidebar just waiting for you to click it. However, the shoddy layout and graphics of BtN may make finding things a little difficult- It's hard to look at something so ugly for so long.
Usefulness: 5 out of 5
Now, I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Noooo Meghan, Behind the Name can't be a 5! It's only one generator!" And, technically, Some of You, you'd be correct. If I was basing the usefulness of a site on how many generators it had, Behind the Name would get a 1. However, that's not what this rating is based on. The usefulness of this one generator is exorbitant. This generator can name anyone. You can use it for a YA novel, maybe, the name of the sexy Italian male lead. Or maybe you need it for a historical piece, some Norse vikings off to conquer the world. Maybe you're naming some fantasy characters- You could use a less well-known culture to pull names from, or just pick the "Witch", "Fairy", or "Kreatyve" options. Hell, you can even name Transformers style. This generator packs some serious heat.
Fun: 1 out of 5
Outside of the short list of "interesting" options (Witch, Transformer, Hippy), this generator is not very much fun. Okay, I'm being really nice saying that. This generator is boring. You go to it, hit your buttons and move on. No playing around here.
Hipster: 2 out of 5
Behind the Name itself is a pretty well known website. It contains the history and etymology of not just first names, but surnames as well, so it's the kind of site that is frequented by more than just writers. This little generator sits on the sidebar just waiting for you to click it. However, the shoddy layout and graphics of BtN may make finding things a little difficult- It's hard to look at something so ugly for so long.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Review: Seventh Sanctum
Seventh Sanctum is a website that is dear to my heart. I have used it hundreds of times to flesh out details in a novel. It is a "generator" site- Hundreds of lines of code created to produce random outputs in certain categories. My favorite section of the site? The Naming Generators. It contains 23 different generators that can name characters in styles from "Dark Elf" to "Western". It also contains naming generators for places, taverns and pirate ships.
Usefulness: 5 out of 5
This website is so incredibly useful. Say you need to describe a slew of potions in a magician's den for your high fantasy epic? Potion Generator. Say you need some technologies from the far future or, more accurately, some crazy sounding devices for your Dr. Who fanfiction? SciFi Tool Generator. Best of all is the "Writing" section of the site, which contains over a dozen generators for plots and story ideas. Have no idea what you want to write for NaNoWriMo? No problem! Just pick your favorite plot generator and you'll have a novel idea in no time. The Sanctum also has extensive links to other generator sites, organized by what section you're looking in. Not only is the site itself super useful, but it is just as happy to send you somewhere else if you aren't getting what you need.
Fun: 5 out of 5
A lot of generators on this site are just hilarious. The Cat Being Name Generator, for those of us writing werepanthers or anime-style catgirls, can suggest names in the vein of Thundercats, with offerings like Felinni and Caracal-a. The Humor section, though small, contains generators for Questionable Spells, Questionable Anime Attacks, and Evil Animal Minions like the "berserk android squirrels!"
Hipster: 1 out of 5
This is a judge of how obscure this website it. The Sanctum is not obscure. You will hear mention of on almost any writing forum on the Web. A good portion of the site's following are artists from Deviant Art, a highly popular art-post and critique website. Deviant Art users participate in art contests based on the Sanctum's many generators. With such a widely known and popular website tied so closely to the Sanctum, it is one of the least obscure writing tools on the great wide Web.
Overall, the Sanctum is an incredibly convenient site for the NaNo months as it decreases the amount of time you need to spend on logistics and the time-consuming act of "being creative". Instead of agonizing over what would be the best name for the IT department working with the cops to try and catch your murderer, you can just click a button and bam, "Bureau of Programming Installation and Implementation".
Usefulness: 5 out of 5
This website is so incredibly useful. Say you need to describe a slew of potions in a magician's den for your high fantasy epic? Potion Generator. Say you need some technologies from the far future or, more accurately, some crazy sounding devices for your Dr. Who fanfiction? SciFi Tool Generator. Best of all is the "Writing" section of the site, which contains over a dozen generators for plots and story ideas. Have no idea what you want to write for NaNoWriMo? No problem! Just pick your favorite plot generator and you'll have a novel idea in no time. The Sanctum also has extensive links to other generator sites, organized by what section you're looking in. Not only is the site itself super useful, but it is just as happy to send you somewhere else if you aren't getting what you need.
Fun: 5 out of 5
A lot of generators on this site are just hilarious. The Cat Being Name Generator, for those of us writing werepanthers or anime-style catgirls, can suggest names in the vein of Thundercats, with offerings like Felinni and Caracal-a. The Humor section, though small, contains generators for Questionable Spells, Questionable Anime Attacks, and Evil Animal Minions like the "berserk android squirrels!"
Hipster: 1 out of 5
This is a judge of how obscure this website it. The Sanctum is not obscure. You will hear mention of on almost any writing forum on the Web. A good portion of the site's following are artists from Deviant Art, a highly popular art-post and critique website. Deviant Art users participate in art contests based on the Sanctum's many generators. With such a widely known and popular website tied so closely to the Sanctum, it is one of the least obscure writing tools on the great wide Web.
Overall, the Sanctum is an incredibly convenient site for the NaNo months as it decreases the amount of time you need to spend on logistics and the time-consuming act of "being creative". Instead of agonizing over what would be the best name for the IT department working with the cops to try and catch your murderer, you can just click a button and bam, "Bureau of Programming Installation and Implementation".
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