Need Help or Ideas? Come to the Think Tank and Idea Box!

[Intersexed]

Also, another way you could do a character interview, it could help you develop the character. How they respond to a certain question or situation. You write out what they would say or do. Like you're interviewing a real person.

[Zoromaru]

Shaula Al Nair

Since people are being pretty free with their marine mammal information, I was wondering if I could take advantage of it.

I'm working on a short story, and my main character is a sea lion based selkie who likes being around humans quite a bit...she works in ocean rescue during the day, and because of the associated community, decided to volunteer backstage at a theater, where the first few versions of my story have started off...and proceeded to get stuck.

Part of my problem centers on how I'm not really sure how to bring her selkie side into it...I don't want to do the whole stolen pelt thing. She's way more fun to write free, but right now she could be any damp-haired theater tech with a day job.

I also just don't know where to take it...right now I just have the tech crew talking, but nothing's going anywhere. gonk

From what I know about selkies they were pretty anti-social? They preferred to live in the sea if they had a choice, which was shown in the stolen pelt story. Are there more selkies in the area or is she a lone representative?

[Zoromaru]

Xxgothickittie311xX

well i need help wit names, first and last

It would matter on what type of name you want. Do you want a European name? An American name? French? Etc. etc.

I suggest looking through baby name books or finding a baby name site and searching. Last names could be managed by looking at the most frequently occurring names in your local area or the area that you want to be the origin of your character's family etc.

[Zoromaru]

Itoshii~nya

Working on writing a manga but need some help with a part of the plot. The protagonist has a younger sister who is dying from a disease or virus (yet to find something suitable) and the antagonist is trying to get to this little sister to obtain a sample to make a bio-weapon of mass destruction.
The problem is her sister lives but there needs to be a way for the disease or virus to be effective enough for it to be used as a weapon. Been researching diseases all day lol
Ideas? Maybe little sister has an immunity? What does the disease virus do?
Not looking for all details or someone to write this part out for me just hoping for some ideas thrown at me brainstorming and what not.

Since the sister is dying from it, I'll assume you want a fatal disease. The disease could corrode organs, such as breaking down cellular walls until they are just puddles of what they once were. A virus could take over the cells of a particularly important organ to use in reproduction?

[Xxgothickittie311xX]

Zoromaru

Xxgothickittie311xX

well i need help wit names, first and last

It would matter on what type of name you want. Do you want a European name? An American name? French? Etc. etc.

I suggest looking through baby name books or finding a baby name site and searching. Last names could be managed by looking at the most frequently occurring names in your local area or the area that you want to be the origin of your character's family etc.

any names really......i tried baby name books but surnames are hard, I dont want "usual" names. thanks for the help!! smile

[Tenko72]

I have two characters who are work partners. One gets fatally wounded and gives his power source to his partner to use. It gives her all his magical powers, but it has the side effect of turning her into a guy. So, every time she wants to use magic, she has to turn into a guy. Which of the following sound most plausible? Her turning into someone who looks just like her partner, her turning into a male version of herself, or her turning into a male version of herself if she was the same ethnicity as her partner?

[Tenko72]

Shaula Al Nair

Since people are being pretty free with their marine mammal information, I was wondering if I could take advantage of it.

I'm working on a short story, and my main character is a sea lion based selkie who likes being around humans quite a bit...she works in ocean rescue during the day, and because of the associated community, decided to volunteer backstage at a theater, where the first few versions of my story have started off...and proceeded to get stuck.

Part of my problem centers on how I'm not really sure how to bring her selkie side into it...I don't want to do the whole stolen pelt thing. She's way more fun to write free, but right now she could be any damp-haired theater tech with a day job.

I also just don't know where to take it...right now I just have the tech crew talking, but nothing's going anywhere. gonk

It seems like she'd have opportunities to bring it out during her ocean rescue job, especially if sea lions come in, since they're really social. Or a natural predator of sea lions could come in, like an orca, and be hostile towards her. Her co-workers would be, like, "IDK why. It's normally a sweetie-pie."

[I am The Compendium]

Tenko72

I have two characters who are work partners. One gets fatally wounded and gives his power source to his partner to use. It gives her all his magical powers, but it has the side effect of turning her into a guy. So, every time she wants to use magic, she has to turn into a guy. Which of the following sound most plausible? Her turning into someone who looks just like her partner, her turning into a male version of herself, or her turning into a male version of herself if she was the same ethnicity as her partner?

Turning into a male version of herself. Adding identity issues sounds extraneous.

[Idaten Nine]

I'm supposed to write a 250+ word story on a scenario dealing with insurance. My scenario is:

"You lose control of your car and it rolls (kinda). You now have to pay for repairs."

[Gangsta Holmes]

I wanna write a Harry Potter FanFic that involves Severus Snape figuring out he has an heir. What do you think?

[Zoromaru]

Tenko72

I have two characters who are work partners. One gets fatally wounded and gives his power source to his partner to use. It gives her all his magical powers, but it has the side effect of turning her into a guy. So, every time she wants to use magic, she has to turn into a guy. Which of the following sound most plausible? Her turning into someone who looks just like her partner, her turning into a male version of herself, or her turning into a male version of herself if she was the same ethnicity as her partner?

Her turning into a male version of herself, unless the magic is capable of transforming her genes along with her gender.

[DarknessofHeavenandDreams]

Zoromaru

Tenko72

I have two characters who are work partners. One gets fatally wounded and gives his power source to his partner to use. It gives her all his magical powers, but it has the side effect of turning her into a guy. So, every time she wants to use magic, she has to turn into a guy. Which of the following sound most plausible? Her turning into someone who looks just like her partner, her turning into a male version of herself, or her turning into a male version of herself if she was the same ethnicity as her partner?

Her turning into a male version of herself, unless the magic is capable of transforming her genes along with her gender.

Sex. Genes determine Sex while gender is in the mind. Something for the OP to consider.

[Wrenry]

In science-fiction I know nearly anything can be made "real", i.e. Laser Guns, Warp Drive, etc... , with either explaining things as being possible from alien technology or some technology humans discovered in the future. My concern is that the scenario I have isn't strong enough to make it seem "real" so the reader can accept it without having any nagging questions.

Scenario:

The engine of a colonization ship which manipulates the space-time dimensions around the ship and creates a “bubble” that pushes the ship faster than the speed of light allowing "warp speed" malfunctions and propels the ship out and away from the galaxy it was taking the colonists resulting in a lost ship.

300 years later, the descendants of the people from the lost ship are found on a planet in a different galaxy but their technology has regressed to a quasi-Stone Age/Medieval mixture due to the loss of their advanced technology. The loss in technology occurring because the original settlers where those who opted to leave the colonization ship instead of staying on board to try and return to the original galaxy when the planet was found. And when they left the ship for the planet they were only allowed to take some transport shuttles and necessities to the surface before the colonization ship left them to their fate.

Now, my concern is since advanced technology is being used, how can I explain why it didn't find the colonization ship when it got lost in the first place. And also, though I did explain how the descendants technology was lost, would having it fit within that time frame make sense?

[E is for Enigma]

Hullo ladies and gents. I'm in need of a little help with a story of mine. It's still in its early stages, so forgive me for the ambiguity, but I hope the point gets across.

The setting is medieval, and the kingdom is in turmoil. Except, I can't conjure up the reason why. It needs to involve the smallfolk rebelling against their ruler, but I need reasoning and don't have a lot of experience in the subject of why people start rebellion or war.

In this scenario, the King of the realm needs to be the villain, while his daughter becomes the figurehead around which the rebellion forms--but in secret.

Other factors involved are the King's devotion to an old way of magic (worshipping Fey--the masters of Fate), while his late wife and queen, native to the land, relied more on mortal magics (mages, sorcerers and the like).

From what little research I've done on the subject, I realize that raising taxes to nigh unreasonable levels or denying your people their former rights (especially after having been recently bestowed) can be factors, but I'm wondering if you lovely people have any other ideas.

In short, I need good reasons for the peasantry to start a rebellion against the king and for them to be able to do it relatively clandestinely. Any suggestions?

[DarknessofHeavenandDreams]

E is for Enigma

The setting is medieval, and the kingdom is in turmoil. Except, I can't conjure up the reason why. It needs to involve the smallfolk rebelling against their ruler, but I need reasoning and don't have a lot of experience in the subject of why people start rebellion or war.

No offense, but it's set in the medeival period. You've got a thousand years of crap to work with and it'd be a shorter list of what DOESN'T suck about living in those times than what does. they could rebel purely because everything sucks and they don't need to tend fields.

E is for Enigma

In this scenario, the King of the realm needs to be the villain, while his daughter becomes the figurehead around which the rebellion forms--but in secret.

Not sure how that'd work. Princesses and commoners didn't mingle.

E is for Enigma

Other factors involved are the King's devotion to an old way of magic (worshipping Fey--the masters of Fate), while his late wife and queen, native to the land, relied more on mortal magics (mages, sorcerers and the like).

What is the difference between the two? Is it philosophical? Political? Is the disparity because the two sides just don't like each other?