Forum: Author Hangout

On the other hand, if the protagonist (male) is able to satisfy five women in the course of three hours without any pharmacological help and with copious amounts of ejaculate, people accept it. Ergo: readers (and writers) have more knowledge about guns than about sex.

Or they are more willing to accept sex fantasies in stories than they are gun fantasies.

Ergo: readers (and writers) have more knowledge about guns than about sex.

Perhaps they 'get off' on guns because their only other practical sexual experience is masturbation..?

Think about it. A world class sniper would take all day to move stealthily into their chosen hotel room, put on a condom and then wait...

:)

A male sniper wouldn't get up close, he'd ejaculate from afar...

I could inseminate you from Stuttgart und still create ze proper effect.

it is not fungible

I am unsure what you think fungible means here, but I'm pretty sure it's not what it really means.

Saying it's not variable and not fungible in the same sentence is a contradiction.

Money is fungible. Every dollar is just like every other dollar they are identical (in the attributes that matter) and interchangeable.

How important are the details to the story? Can you gloss over them with vague generalities?

Take the guns and caliber issue.

The answer is not very, I hope. Certain things have to happen in professional settings for the story to progress, but I've taken liberties with the professional processes, as anyone with detailed experience will notice.

To my horror, a search identified two occurrences of the string 'gun' in my story so far. The story provides no proof that either occurrence is instantiated by a real weapon. So by mentioning gun-porn, I've rather shot this topic in the foot :(

AJ

So by mentioning gun-porn, I've rather shot this topic in the foot :(

Guns don't kill topics. People talking about guns kill topics...

:)

Definitely not a gun porn story!

Gun porn would be a .44 Magnum taking a shot at a .38 LadySmith hoping she was a Mannlicher...

Though, surely there's room for more than one (outdated) type of fantasy story.

I would agree in general, but I also think that a broadly defined generic "fantasy" tag would be largely useless. We would need to get Lazeez to agree to add more fantasy sub-category tags.

Maybe a Fantasy grouping with High Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery (Conan as an exemplar), Fairy Tail and maybe Science Fantasy (for those who want to be picky about Star Wars type stories vs hard science fiction)

Elvis is the singular of Elves, hence the story qualifies as High Fantasy ;)

Nope. That kind of elves would be fairy tail not high fantasy. :P

Most of SOL's categories are purely sexual in nature, so the other SOL sites are easier to catalogue/classify.

They're ideal for authors who write for specific subgroups (ie. kinks), but it has trouble adapting to traditional literary categories.

If Lazeez was less reluctant about adding new tags, I don't think it would be that difficult to adapt.

The current category search shows 14 groupings of which 10 are explicitly sexual and 4 are not.

Fantasy

"Fanta is available in a wide variety of bright, bubbly and instantly refreshing flavors: Orange, Grape, Pineapple, Strawberry, Grapefruit, Wild Cherry, Mango, Apple, Peach, Berry, Fruit Punch, Green Apple, Blue Raspberry, Cherry Limeade and Kiwi-Strawberry."

Fanta C is probably one of the Cherry flavors.

Fanta C is probably one of the Cherry flavors.

Fanta Sea is sushi flavor. :)

Fanta Sea is sushi flavor. :)

Oooh, bearded clam - my favourite! :)

give me a fun story over a great one anyday

Shad

I noticed that too. And am worried about that too.
Although I can't complain too much, my fans rock!

Shad

You own the story and are simply loaning it to readers.

Like Taverns just loan the beer they sell, it comes back at the latrines. Like Republicans they Go Pee. And tell voters "You're a nation."

Thanks, that's what I'm worried about.

Me too.

Shad

That's not how it is supposed to work.

The idea is that you are creating a distortion wave in space time, the distortion wave "pushes" the ship forward.

The distortion wave not being a physical object isn't bound by the laws of relativity. And since the space around the ship is moving rather than the ship itself, the ship's velocity remains zero for purposes of relativity even though it appears to go from point A to point B faster than the speed of light.

the space around the ship is moving rather than the ship itself

So are you saying that the space around the ship travels from A to B faster than the speed of light.? If so, what happens if there is an asteroid in the path between A and B.? Does the 'space' collide with it? Is the asteroid absorbed into that space?

If so, what happens if there is an asteroid in the path between A and B.?

This is something that has been put out there as a theory for FTL travel by real physicists.

I don't pretend to understand all the details of it.

As I understand it I would think that there are several possibilities. Exactly which one applies may depend on many factors including the mass and velocity of the obstacle.

A big factor is does this work more like Star Wars hyperdrive where you plot a course, go into FTL and have to hope for the best when you drop back out, or more like Star Trek warp drive where you can see the outside universe and maneuver around obstacles on the fly.

Assuming more like hyperdrive or just fail to see the obstacle in time.

1. The distortion wave pushes the asteroid out of the way.

2. The object gets pulled into the distortion wave and the space/time bubble around the ship, at this point collision with the ship itself is probably inevitable and likely catastrophic.

3. An obstacle large enough to have significant gravity might disrupt the distortion wave dropping the ship back into normal space/time.

4. By this theory, the ship exists in an isolated bubble of space/time while traveling using the posited method. It's possible that it simply won't interact with anything in normal space/time while doing so, and the only point at which a collision is possible/relevant is when dropping out of FTL back into normal space time.

Assuming more like hyperdrive or just fail to see the obstacle in time.

I think you missed option 5. In the event of a collision the outcome is catastrophic. At FTL speed the ability to sense objects in your path in time to adjust course is.... zero?

At FTL speed the ability to sense objects in your path in time to adjust course is.... zero?

No, I mostly think if we could actually build a Star Trek type warp drive, that an ability to create some kind of radar like sensor system that would operate at FTL speeds and distances would not be implausible.

No, I mostly think if we could actually build a Star Trek type warp drive, that an ability to create some kind of radar like sensor system that would operate at FTL speeds and distances would not be implausible.

Sure, provided whatever 'radar like sensor' projects a 'beam' that travels at 2 x FTL, because to 'read' it you need the return signal...

Probably more like 10x. The Star Trek universe has FTL communications using "subspace radio" that travels at least an order of magnitude faster than the maximum velocity of a starship.

The Star Trek universe has FTL communications using "subspace radio" that travels at least an order of magnitude faster than the maximum velocity of a starship.

Thank you..!! I needed a good reason to giggle and somehow seeing a fictional TV series used as if it were fact... Well, thanks.. :)

Thank you..!! I needed a good reason to giggle and somehow seeing a fictional TV series used as if it were fact... Well, thanks.. :)

None of what we have been discussing on this thread regarding FTL travel could be called fact.

A big factor is does this work more like Star Wars hyperdrive where you plot a course, go into FTL and have to hope for the best when you drop back out, or more like Star Trek warp drive where you can see the outside universe and maneuver around obstacles on the fly.

It's a bit more complicated for Star Trek. That's actually one of the normal use cases for the Deflector dish, it will (somehow) attempt to "move" objects out of the Ship's path of travel as it is moving at warp speed, obviously there is a size limit, at which point they'd alter course slightly(because their FTL sub-space scanners detected the object) and go around it instead.

That's like locking yourself inside your car. Unless it's one of those Victorian era keyhole doors, you don't need a key to lock/unlock the door from the inside.

In most areas of the US it would be a building code violation for a commercial/public building to have doors that have to be unlocked to be opened from the inside.

Just as glaring in that passage, unless it's an all glass door rather than a solid door with a window in the upper half, it shouldn't be possible to see the keys in the lock.

A plastic door company tried to sell me on the virtues of a front door that locked when slammed shut, and then needed a key to open it from the outside but not from the inside. However, if you had a key, you could double-lock it from the inside, necessitating a key to unlock it from the inside too.

Again, there is a difference in most jurisdiction's building codes as to what is allowed for commercial/public buildings and what is allowed for private residential buildings.

Doors that require a key to unlock from the inside are allowed for residential but not for commercial/public buildings.

For commercial/public buildings all doors (excluding revolving doors) must open from the inside even while locked as a matter of fire safety. But then you have to have a normal door near the revolving door, again so people can evacuate in an emergency without having to unlock the doors.

However, if you had a key, you could double-lock it from the inside, necessitating a key to unlock it from the inside too.

That's like almost every front door here in the Netherlands. The double lock is what we call "night lock" but I doubt it's ever used to lock yourself inside. The funny thing is that when I go out and double lock the door, everyone still inside needs a key to get out. Uhmmm... not so funny in case of a fire but some people use it to keep little children from going out the front door unsupervised, usually the key is left in the lock which a little child can't operate.

Nowhere, in the entire episode, is there ANY mention of what made then local NYC crime a Federal offense

1. It wouldn't necessarily have to be a Federal offense. The FBI sometimes gets pulled into state/local cases to provide assistance/expertise the locals don't have. This is most common in serial killer cases.

2. For it being a federal offense, it gets complicated and esoteric so I don't blame the show for staying away from it.

However, current DOJ policy is that federal jurisdiction can attach for any crime based on commerce clause authority if any tool used to commit the crime once traveled in interstate commerce. Try to avoid that these days. This policy is a back door to a general federal police power.

A lot of what would normally be considered state crimes have been duplicated in federal law (in case the crime crosses state lines or happens on federal land).

Yes, the DOJ thinks they have the authority to prosecute a simple murder because the murder weapon traveled in interstate commerce 40 years before the murder was committed.

The courts have never dealt squarely with this and whether or not it's legitimate.

I will be honest, one author I love but will not name is pretty antagonistic to the military. And in one story he stated over and over you sign the contract, then take the test. So you may get stuck with a job you hate. SO in other words do not join the military.

That is wrong, it is the exact opposite. And it always had been. I understand taking "artistic license", I do it a lot. Occasionally place in something anachronistic say for story reasons, but when they write completely wrong out of laziness, I tend to move on.

Depending on time frame, he could be right, or partially so, even now. IIRC, the current paradigm regarding the ASVAB didn't exist until outcry over the [i]recruiting[/i] of the mentally handicapped to fight in Vietnam. Which is where they began to be required to test first, and anybody in the bottom quintile was disqualified outright, the next 10% or so was "negotiable" depending on various factors. (20 years ago, the cutoff for all branches was at the 30% percentile for intelligence, but a couple branches could get waivers for as low as the 27th)

Yes, the current paradigm is test enlistees to verify they're "capable" of performing the job they're signing up for, and they attempt to schedule them to ensure that is what they get.

But there were, and probably still are disclaimers attached to those contracts. If your personal training gets delayed for any reason(for example an illness or injury during bootcamp which causes you to be set back in training) and that spot you signed up for, and were scheduled to be trained for goes away. At which point you're entirely at the mercy of "the needs of the military (branch)" and what they have available to you. Or in other words, "Sign the contract, then we'll tell you what you're going to get."

Of course, the military hates it when things go off-track, so they'll generally move heaven and earth to put things "back on track" before it reaches that point, but sometimes, it just cannot be helped.

The military changed a lot between the 1970's and when I got out, I imagine it has changed more since then, but probably not as much as it did going from say 1970 to 1998(and Tailhook in particular).

The all volunteer force, the 24/7 news cycle just itching for a public scandal to obsess over, and modern communications connectivity makes for a very different realm than the draft-era force that could do pretty much whatever it wanted(within certain, very widely and vaguely defined bounds) with minimal concern about what was going to be heard about back home.

But then you have things like Vet TV kicking around to (allegedly) demonstrate just how different things are from how many (post 9/11) vets view things and how the wider population views the military.

Most people know what the IMI Desert Eagle .44mag semiautomatic pistol is.

Actually, I didn't know about that. In terms of the Desert Eagle, I think more people in the US would think of the .50AE version.

Their first offerings were in .357 and .44mag. I believe they made a .41mag version as well. I'm not a fan of them as they are hard on the brass and finicky about the load, but for anyone not reloading, they work fine.

Their first offerings were in .357 and .44mag.

Yeah, but the .50AE version is better known.

Yeah, but the .50AE version is better known.

That's a subjective statement at best. The .44 version first put it on the map.

It's neither here nor there though. Some accuracy is important in a story 'if' the author is calling out specific known makes and models.
That concern is easily defeated by introducing an imaginary firearm.

For the imaginary version, a basic understanding of the mechanics is all that is necessary.

The larger problem is cognitive dissonance moments (CDM). Firearms, computer coding, food, alcohol, welding, horse riding, doesn't matter the subject, it's the cognitive dissonance moments that jars a readers mind. Too many inaccuracies gives a CDM. That breaks the story flow in the readers mind.

The more well known subjects are the largest source of such moments. There is far less trouble with the more esoteric subjects.

True.
There is a story by JRyter where his MC spends a paragraph going on about the new unleaded ethyl gasoline that his parents store now sells. Ethyl is short for tetra-ethyl lead, so he is going on about unleaded leaded gasoline.

Makes as much sense as a dark skinned albino.

dark skinned albino.

Sorry, but that's actually a thing :(

Cite required.

Albinism is by definition the complete lack of pigment in the body. That's why a true albino has pink eyes, the only color in the iris is from blood.

The cases I vaguely remember are from the animal world where albinos, with pink eyes, have dark-coloured fur or feathers.

Nope, those aren't true albinos.

There are pseudo albinos in both the animal kingdom and and the human population that are missing the pigment in only parts of the body, but a true albino has no pigment anywhere.

ETA: It should be noted that true albinos are extremely rare.

Albino animals almost never survive to adulthood in the wild.

true albinos are extremely rare.

"Prevalence of the different forms of albinism varies considerably by population, and is highest overall in people of sub-Saharan African descent. Today, the prevalence of albinism in sub-Saharan Africa is around 1 in 5,000, while in Europe and the US it is 1 in 20,000."

Today, the prevalence of albinism in sub-Saharan Africa is around 1 in 5,000, while in Europe and the US it is 1 in 20,000."

Yes, for partial albinos. Full (no pigment anywhere) albinos are rarer than that.

Cite required.

Try this link.

Albinism

Albinism affects the production of melanin, the pigment that colours skin, hair and eyes. It's a lifelong condition, but it doesn't get worse over time.

People with albinism have a reduced amount of melanin, or no melanin at all. This can affect their colouring and their eyesight.

Albinism is caused by faulty genes that a child inherits from their parents.

Symptoms of albinism

Hair and skin colour

People with albinism often have white or very light blonde hair, although some have brown or ginger hair. The exact colour depends on how much melanin their body produces.

An African girl with albinism. She has pale skin and short, light blonde hair.
Very pale skin that burns easily in the sun and does not usually tan is also typical of albinism
Eye colour

Someone with albinism can have pale blue, grey or brown eyes. Eye colour depends on the type of albinism and the amount of melanin. People from ethnic groups with darker pigmentation tend to have darker coloured eyes.

So, unless you are being 'purist', albinos come in a variety of shades and colours.

AJ you owe me a [censored] :)

Do you buy new equipment each time of have you found a way to sterilise it?

I'd never be so sadistic as to have your equipment sterilised. Washed gently and handled tenderly has always been more than effective to achieve my aim...

To bad your aim has, umm... lost accuracy... Calibre is fine, the load however...

Oops, heading towards gun porn again...

:)

Shame about my hair-trigger and the time it takes to reload :(

There are those who believe that perfection has to have a flaw to be truly beautiful.

See..? I can be nice... Don't get used to it.

:)

It's not a thing. Even African decent black genetics with albinism lack melonin/pigment in their skin. Without melonin, no color.

Even African decent black genetics with albinism lack melonin/pigment in their skin.

True albinism isn't just a lack of melonin/pigment in the skin, it's a total lack of any pigment in the entire body, white hair and pink irises(pink from the blood vessels).

True albinism isn't just a lack of melonin/pigment in the skin, it's a total lack of any pigment in the entire body, white hair and pink irises(pink from the blood vessels).

That's not exactly true.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/albinism/symptoms-causes/syc-20369184
https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/5768/albinism

I think you're missing the point. For many stories, like the one I'm working on now, the lead character has NO history with guns, and while he's wrestling with how to defend himself from potential killers, describing what kind of weapon it is and how he oils and maintain is are utterly inane.

No, I'm not missing the point. Though possibly you are. The comment I was responding to was about getting details wrong, not leaving them out.

My first comment on this thread recommended using vague generalities and avoiding specifics.

But for the gun-porn enthusiasts, many will reject any book which does not go into obscene details about a weapon, describing it like it's the characters own penis.

Screw them. You can't satisfy them unless you are a gun expert, and even then, half of what the gun-porn enthusiast think they know about guns is bass ackwards Hollywood crap.

For me, I'll drop any references to make and model, as there's NO reason for the character to know the difference. Will that cost me readers? Likely, but my (non-gun-porn) story was never for them anyway.

I agree with the approach. As to it costing you readers? Yeah, probably a few, but I don't think there are as many of them as you think, they are just vocal about it.