Bramblethorn
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Surely almost any three points can form a cross?
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- Thread starter LaRascasse
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Surely almost any three points can form a cross?
KeithD
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When they're all on the same linear line?
LaRascasse
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The point was that when you extrapolate from the 3 points to the supposed location of the last body, the logic falls apart.
KeithD
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Twasn't a point connected to my post.
AvroAnsonXIX
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SamScribble
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A quick check of the rules tells me that points are not required.
In the event of a tie, the judges shall toss a coin.
TadOverdon
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Research (uh, I mean Googling) online is easy, takes you places and lurns ya thangs that you didn't know you'd be interested in. It also kills an hour on Sunday morning while you have a second cup of coffee and put off starting a new scene. LOL
I wanted to know what kind of private jet one of my characters could afford to own that would have the range to get from LAX to French Polynesia or thereabouts.
All I probably really need to know the cabin layout and whether there's necessarily crew other than the pilots. Nice-to-have: take-off and landing distances.
Settled on a GIV-SP, which you can pick up used for a song (15 million, maybe). A G650ER will set you back 70 or 80 million.
But I can't mention the model, range, etc. in the story because then it looks like I looked some shit up and am regurgitating it (my viewpoint character wouldn't know that stuff and couldn't care less).
The useful part: passenger capacity, oh yeah, better call that thing at mid-cabin a divan rather than a couch.
But I got to learn about range maps and nose around the Internet Archive for a bit, downloading specs and diagrams that Gulfstream no longer maintains on the current website at the desired level of detail for its older products.
I wanted to know what kind of private jet one of my characters could afford to own that would have the range to get from LAX to French Polynesia or thereabouts.
All I probably really need to know the cabin layout and whether there's necessarily crew other than the pilots. Nice-to-have: take-off and landing distances.
Settled on a GIV-SP, which you can pick up used for a song (15 million, maybe). A G650ER will set you back 70 or 80 million.
But I can't mention the model, range, etc. in the story because then it looks like I looked some shit up and am regurgitating it (my viewpoint character wouldn't know that stuff and couldn't care less).
The useful part: passenger capacity, oh yeah, better call that thing at mid-cabin a divan rather than a couch.
But I got to learn about range maps and nose around the Internet Archive for a bit, downloading specs and diagrams that Gulfstream no longer maintains on the current website at the desired level of detail for its older products.
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soflabbwlvr
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This is my approach also. If a story is set in Florida, I use a mixture of real places and some I invent. If it is anywhere else, I invent the locations.
I like to use real locations for two reasons. One, I can more easily describe the setting and the logistics of the place. Two, readers appreciate mentions of places they know. And therein lies the trap of using real places you don't know. Readers who are familiar with a real location can easily spot mistakes, like going the wrong way on a one way street, or stopping at a non existent floor of a landmark building. Those are just two examples of what can go wrong.
Kumquatqueen
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Yes, my morning was spent researching degrees related to architecture and their prerequisites, and strolling round Istanbul on StreetView...
And establishing transfer times from the old Istanbul airport. There's lots of.details I gloss over but travel feasibility is something that really jars when it's clearly wrong (eg every story that has someone land at London Heathrow or Gatwick, step out into Arrivals within 10 minutes, and a cab takes them to Soho within half an hour. We're talking an hour or two, and a.train, mate.)
And establishing transfer times from the old Istanbul airport. There's lots of.details I gloss over but travel feasibility is something that really jars when it's clearly wrong (eg every story that has someone land at London Heathrow or Gatwick, step out into Arrivals within 10 minutes, and a cab takes them to Soho within half an hour. We're talking an hour or two, and a.train, mate.)
HappySpouse
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If that's what you like then run with it, but your concern about the degree of difficulty seems legitimate. So, I thought, How would I do it? I would have material printout out and handy while writing so I didn't have to be switching windows and breaking my flow.
I'd pick the location of my next spy-venture and look up famous landmarks or noticeable features. Then, I would find them on a map to see the layout of the places that my spy's journey would cross to see if it was practical, or if I needed to add/subtract locations. I would annotate pictures of the places with any pertinent information that I might want to use. Then, perhaps most importantly I would print out a map and mark all of those locations.
Then I feel like I could just write and let characters make their own decisions. If they needed to run thru and alley, I could glance down and see what street they would pop out on, and know they needed a car to get to safety at the embassy.
I'd pick the location of my next spy-venture and look up famous landmarks or noticeable features. Then, I would find them on a map to see the layout of the places that my spy's journey would cross to see if it was practical, or if I needed to add/subtract locations. I would annotate pictures of the places with any pertinent information that I might want to use. Then, perhaps most importantly I would print out a map and mark all of those locations.
Then I feel like I could just write and let characters make their own decisions. If they needed to run thru and alley, I could glance down and see what street they would pop out on, and know they needed a car to get to safety at the embassy.
TadOverdon
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Dude I know who grew up in DC says his family all used to laugh when X-Files would reference places around the city and area, because while a lot of the show's action was set there apparently no one considered research about the place worthwhile. So they'd have a deal where Mulder and Scully drove to an Air Force base in West Virginia from somewhere in Maryland in half an hour.
TadOverdon
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Google Earth is the best thing ever. Even if I'm making a place up it's worth the time to Street View around a city street somewhere in Europe to pick up details. I've traveled enough in the last twenty years to have good memory references to start with in many cases.
PriestOfIshtar
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Style
It's a style, & it's done for effect. That effect in a spy thriller is to establish a strong sense of place, where the "exotic locale" is sometimes half the point. At the same time, if you are aiming for a large, global audience, you don't want to get the place *wrong* -- as in "There's no place like that to hide on that street! This author's full of it."
But that's typically not what people read erotica for: they are not dreaming of a life of adventure and wealth without the constraint of law (or physics).
Instead they are dreaming of a life of sex and more sex without the constraint of law (or biology).
Conclusion: you should be good with a light touch in this regard.
It's a style, & it's done for effect. That effect in a spy thriller is to establish a strong sense of place, where the "exotic locale" is sometimes half the point. At the same time, if you are aiming for a large, global audience, you don't want to get the place *wrong* -- as in "There's no place like that to hide on that street! This author's full of it."
But that's typically not what people read erotica for: they are not dreaming of a life of adventure and wealth without the constraint of law (or physics).
Instead they are dreaming of a life of sex and more sex without the constraint of law (or biology).
Conclusion: you should be good with a light touch in this regard.
MelissaBaby
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I recently spent a whole lot of time trying to suss out the difference between a forest ranger and a game warden. My conclusion: Not enough to worry about.
PriestOfIshtar
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Isn't it just federal vs. state? So it would be appropriate depending on which park is a relevant location... national or state?
MelissaBaby
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I don’t know about other states, but there are state forest rangers in Maine, and they do more than just police the parks. They are pretty much the woods cops everywhere.
PriestOfIshtar
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Now you have me curious!! At the national level, there are three distinct branches Forest Rangers, Park Rangers, and Game Wardens; states may or may not follow suit along the various duties, but this website was definitely helpful:
Forest Rangers, Park Rangers, Game Wardens!
((( You reach a new low when you waste time researching other people's stories, in addition to your own. Taking "vaccuming the cat" to new lows. )))
TadOverdon
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So, if I say that someone drove up to meet a jet "at Luxivair SBD" is that going to be unforgivably more obscure than something like "the private terminal at San Bernardino?" I've already mentioned the airport by name once early in the book and this sentence is about thirty thousand words later.
If I were using LAX or JFK I wouldn't think twice.
I sweat this stuff sometimes, mainly early in the morning when I can't really get the story engine in my brain to turn over.
If I were using LAX or JFK I wouldn't think twice.
I sweat this stuff sometimes, mainly early in the morning when I can't really get the story engine in my brain to turn over.
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gordo12
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I've used the detail technique in various stories. The most extreme example is "Following Laura's Footsteps." Readers gave me kudos for all the research I put into it. Some also called it boring. Now I do the research but use it for light details. For instance, is it possible to drive from A-B? Is there a waterfront restaurant with Tiki huts for two over the water (yes)? What's on their menu? (appys) etc. Those details get mentioned but only in passing.
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Haulover
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I believe details are needed, though it isn't necessary to describe them to the point that it bores the reader.
The details add authenticity to the story, and makes the story more real, more believable (if that's what you're going for).
I like to pepper the details with a brief description. I want my readers to be able to visualize where I'm putting them, and I insert enough detail and description to maintain the credibility and the visualization I'm going for.
But CAVEAT : You can't rely on Google Street View. If you get a detail wrong and a reader knows the area better than you do, you instantly loose all credibility, and your hard work and research will be for nought.
Using a few authors for (vague) examples of style :
In full-length novels, I like Frederick Forsyth's style as a guide for the level of detail to be included.
For colorful descriptions of a scene, I like James Lee Burke's style ... but without his incessant repetition.
For brevity and pacing, you can't beat Dick Francis.
The details add authenticity to the story, and makes the story more real, more believable (if that's what you're going for).
I like to pepper the details with a brief description. I want my readers to be able to visualize where I'm putting them, and I insert enough detail and description to maintain the credibility and the visualization I'm going for.
But CAVEAT : You can't rely on Google Street View. If you get a detail wrong and a reader knows the area better than you do, you instantly loose all credibility, and your hard work and research will be for nought.
Using a few authors for (vague) examples of style :
In full-length novels, I like Frederick Forsyth's style as a guide for the level of detail to be included.
For colorful descriptions of a scene, I like James Lee Burke's style ... but without his incessant repetition.
For brevity and pacing, you can't beat Dick Francis.
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jaF0
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Basic gist of the Park Fuzz ...
The national level in the U.S. has the Rangers employed by the US Forest Service. These are the ones people generally know as forest rangers (Hey Mr Ranger Sir, is that a pic-a-nic basket in your hand ?) There are a few other agencies devoted to national parks and historical places. Most have full police powers nationwide. Some are more restricted.
State levels are either conservation agents or game wardens that are responsible for wildlife, hunting and resource conservation. They are generally state police officers with full police powers. Some states also have separate park rangers or security by some other name that cover state parks and recreational areas as well as state buildings. They may or may not have full police powers.
-----------------
Setting the scene ...
I may say someone's home or office. I don't feel the need to describe the carpet, wall paper, furniture, paintings on the wall, etc. unless there is some reason a character notices something.
The national level in the U.S. has the Rangers employed by the US Forest Service. These are the ones people generally know as forest rangers (Hey Mr Ranger Sir, is that a pic-a-nic basket in your hand ?) There are a few other agencies devoted to national parks and historical places. Most have full police powers nationwide. Some are more restricted.
State levels are either conservation agents or game wardens that are responsible for wildlife, hunting and resource conservation. They are generally state police officers with full police powers. Some states also have separate park rangers or security by some other name that cover state parks and recreational areas as well as state buildings. They may or may not have full police powers.
-----------------
Setting the scene ...
I may say someone's home or office. I don't feel the need to describe the carpet, wall paper, furniture, paintings on the wall, etc. unless there is some reason a character notices something.
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SimonDoom
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Getting back to the OP's original question -- how will the details be received? -- I don't think it matters much.
You don't want to have the wrong details, of course. You don't want to write a story set in Paris and describe scenes with details and get them all wrong. Most readers won't have a clue, but some will, and they may be annoyed.
I admire writers who place their stories in specific settings and take the time and research to be able to describe the settings with appropriate and accurate detail. I'm not one of those writers. My stories are set in generic American urban and suburban settings, for the most part, that are fictional composites of places I've been and am familiar with, or plausible extrapolations of them. I sometimes will include details regarding topography and plants and nature because, well, I know something about that and it's the kind of thing I notice. For instance, the Summer contest story I'm working on will be set on one of the Hawaiian Islands. Probably Kauai. I've been there, and I intend to pepper the story with some things that I recall from my time there. But I'm not going to be too specific and I have no intention of being scrupulously accurate in my description of the beaches that the characters visit. They will be fictional beaches that are somewhat like the real beaches on Kauai.
But street names, store names, restaurants -- I just make it all up. That gives me the freedom to be flexible on detail and accuracy. I can say whatever I want to about Blumpkomptonville, because it exists only in my imagination.
If you look through the stories that have been very successful at Literotica, I think you'll find that attention to detail of this kind is completely unimportant to success. That's not to say you shouldn't do it. I think there are authors who take pleasure in feeling like they've really nailed a setting in the way they describe it in their story, and that's a perfectly legitimate thing to want to do.
You don't want to have the wrong details, of course. You don't want to write a story set in Paris and describe scenes with details and get them all wrong. Most readers won't have a clue, but some will, and they may be annoyed.
I admire writers who place their stories in specific settings and take the time and research to be able to describe the settings with appropriate and accurate detail. I'm not one of those writers. My stories are set in generic American urban and suburban settings, for the most part, that are fictional composites of places I've been and am familiar with, or plausible extrapolations of them. I sometimes will include details regarding topography and plants and nature because, well, I know something about that and it's the kind of thing I notice. For instance, the Summer contest story I'm working on will be set on one of the Hawaiian Islands. Probably Kauai. I've been there, and I intend to pepper the story with some things that I recall from my time there. But I'm not going to be too specific and I have no intention of being scrupulously accurate in my description of the beaches that the characters visit. They will be fictional beaches that are somewhat like the real beaches on Kauai.
But street names, store names, restaurants -- I just make it all up. That gives me the freedom to be flexible on detail and accuracy. I can say whatever I want to about Blumpkomptonville, because it exists only in my imagination.
If you look through the stories that have been very successful at Literotica, I think you'll find that attention to detail of this kind is completely unimportant to success. That's not to say you shouldn't do it. I think there are authors who take pleasure in feeling like they've really nailed a setting in the way they describe it in their story, and that's a perfectly legitimate thing to want to do.
BuckyDuckman
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I've read stories where the location feels like one of the characters of the story. In those cases, I suppose the details matter more.
For my story "My Sister the Christmas Cruise Slut" - I did a ton of research into cruise ships. Personally, I have zero interest in taking a cruise. I've never been on one, although I know lots of people who love them. Does my research lend a bit of credibility to the story?
Nah, it's an incest story and all anyone cares about are the brother and sister fucking, haha!
For my story "My Sister the Christmas Cruise Slut" - I did a ton of research into cruise ships. Personally, I have zero interest in taking a cruise. I've never been on one, although I know lots of people who love them. Does my research lend a bit of credibility to the story?
Nah, it's an incest story and all anyone cares about are the brother and sister fucking, haha!
lovecraft68
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I had a friend who does some beta reading for me compliment me not just on a small detail, but recalling it later in the story.
In this case the detail was a woman who had always been a play it safe somewhat vanilla type taking the plunge and setting up an online one night stand hook up. Just for the occasion she bought an insanely high pair of fuck me heels that she had to walk slowly in and even then wasn't completely steady.
My reader, who is female, said that was a nice touch a lot of guys wouldn't add as of course all women were born to be able to dance in stripper shoes.
But later on when she's excited and leading the guy to her bedroom, she's strutting all sexy in front of him...than stumbles and bangs into the wall....so I got an extra point for her remaining clumsy, keeping in character as not exactly being a seductress, and she didn't learn to navigate the shoes in one chapter.
For me details like that, clothing, appearance, maybe a personality trait, a phrase they tend to repeat, adding things like that and keeping them consistent (I've read stories where dresses, and panties...even eyes and hair somehow change colors) is more important than a ton of description about the city, or house etc....the character is the story not where the character is.
In this case the detail was a woman who had always been a play it safe somewhat vanilla type taking the plunge and setting up an online one night stand hook up. Just for the occasion she bought an insanely high pair of fuck me heels that she had to walk slowly in and even then wasn't completely steady.
My reader, who is female, said that was a nice touch a lot of guys wouldn't add as of course all women were born to be able to dance in stripper shoes.
But later on when she's excited and leading the guy to her bedroom, she's strutting all sexy in front of him...than stumbles and bangs into the wall....so I got an extra point for her remaining clumsy, keeping in character as not exactly being a seductress, and she didn't learn to navigate the shoes in one chapter.
For me details like that, clothing, appearance, maybe a personality trait, a phrase they tend to repeat, adding things like that and keeping them consistent (I've read stories where dresses, and panties...even eyes and hair somehow change colors) is more important than a ton of description about the city, or house etc....the character is the story not where the character is.
