Recent content by Dan

Thank-you so much! This is an incredible, and exhaustive list, and just what I need for my research :) I'd add another thank-you to your post if I could!

You can do anything you want. People may not like it, but you can still do it. :) There is a lot of sensible advice in this thread though. It is worth weighing up the pro's and con's that it will have upon your stories impact.

Ordered a copy yesterday :)

I probably won't make it big, for the simple reason that it isn't my ultimate goal. I just want to have fun being creative. I do occasionally think 'Hey! When I finish this book perhaps I can self-publish and sell some copies' - It's nice to dream sometimes, but if I don't then I won't be...

You could change the spear to a one of about 6ft and have a small, but heavy shield. The spear can be used to stab, swing, and deflect other spears, while the shield can be used for deflecting spears and swords, as well as being used a heavy-blunt weapon to either unbalance the enemy, or knock...

I haven't done a lot of in-depth world-building, so my advice should be taken with a pinch of salt. My current approach (for writing) is to create a single spreadsheet in Google documents, which has multiple forms inside it; everything from the timeline / history, to characters and locations...

My ideas typically start in a very visual form; I'll envision a specific scene, or a character and then I'll rapidly build out from there. Sadly this usually happens (99% of the time) just before I am about to enter a deep sleep, so I forget most of ideas come the morning. I've managed to...

I haven't read all of the replies. The PDF linked to (Thank-you to a member from the recent 'horse meat' thread for pointing this out) below has a section all about man-made hazardous situations, and one of those is a Nuclear scenario, it presents quite a lot of information on the types of...

You may need only the most major events from the surrounding nations, and perhaps only events that directly effect your main nation. If you build up a timeline of events in which external nations have perhaps attacked, or settled down in one of your provinces of your nation then you can attach...

Thank you T.Allen, I have made adjustments so that it is a tipped bolt, but it hits bone which makes it (I assume) harder to pull out as it would have impacted with a great force. The soldier dies, so I don't have to run-around in circles to explain how he lives ;)

Thank you both for keeping the awesome information coming! :) I've pasted what happens in scene (Well most of it. It is still a work-in-progress), just to give you's all a better idea of the situation. I have changed a number of vital bits a) Harris, the guy who gets shot dies, b) He gets shot...

I would very much like to see your research paper! :) I can send you my email address via PM if required? Well I shall add a tip of some kind, and one that can easily break off. Would it make sense for an archer who 'did not' want to kill anyone, to make use of a soft metal, perhaps lead...

That is of tremendous help, thank you! :) That has given me yet another idea - If thin leather could stop such a weapon then it could actually give my story some solid-grounding. The 'rebel' firing the crossbow bolt does not intend to kill anyone, hence the wooden arrow being fired. Injuring...

Didn't see your post PrincessMiranda (Forgot I had the tab open... for two hours~ heh). I could work in what you've mentioned for when he gets hit in say the chest, or having the arrow impact the upper-part of his arm (Aiming for his upper-chest area / heart).

Thanks Greg! Having reading through your reply, and looking over what I've wrote, I have come to the conclusion that I should probably change the action. I think it'll be stretching the realism to expect the guy to a) live, and b) be picked up and placed onto a horse, straight after being...