Recent content by Jared

Here is the summary of a discussion with some linguists with interest in fantasy-world languages. I'd suggest reading through and going to the lingusts' websites.

I would probably choose (2), as long as the role they have is active. (By which I mean they're not a living MacGuffin.) A less-important character could have a huge growth arc or be the one that triggers the move from reaction to action, but if they're not the most integral to the story's...

I would ask a few questions. 1) Who has a largest/most significant character growth/development arc? 2) Who has the largest role in the main plot? Whose absence would be most detrimental to the plot? 3) Who endures the most pain in the main plot? 4) Who makes/leads the decision that takes the...

Do you like it because you know what happens next? If so, readers don't have that perspective. I read the link and agree that there's no strong hook. Any tension of her going out without an adult is being diffused (for me) by the laughing and joking, and them agreeing that he's an overcautious...

I've paid scant attention to these discussions ("it's magic"), but I think people also talk about how big (both dimensions?) the animal's chest has to be to support the amount of muscle necessary for flight.

I'm not sure that they can be just like ours. IIRC, tidal force goes as (moon density)*(moon radius-cubed)/(moon distance-cubed). So to keep the tidal strength the same as on Earth, you have to keep the (moon radius)/(moon distance) ratio constant. But the size-in-the-sky goes as the arctan of...

Were they as advanced as Europeans at the same time? From my knowledge, the answer is no for military technology and depends for scientific and engineering topics. If you would like to see an Aztec-based novel, you might check out the Obsidian and Blood omnibus by Aliette de Bodard. It's a...

Ships (and named vehicles more generally) are typically named after some understood reference (people, places, things). There's a difference between taking control of the Golden Hind and of the Golden Hind, or going to the Shenandoah and to the Shenandoah. I don't know if that's the reason, but...

Names come from somewhere and are generally specific to each people. Look at the cultures and religion you have. Is it really-really-really like modern Christianity? Could you adopt (don't just take, people will spot that) words from Hebrew, Coptic, Aramaic, or some other older language? Were...

All right. Let's start over. You've stated that something is scientifically plausible. The burden of proof is thus on you. I then respond to your evidence. To that end, I would greatly appreciate if you could collect and reiterate what arguments exactly I am supposed to respond to. We...

Astner, I understand that on the internet, there are no faces or intonation. All you have is text. It is very easy to read tone into just words that are not meant. But. I find no way to read what you wrote to me in any light that does not go from abrasive to insulting to offensive...

Winning readers over "because of" and "despite" purple prose are two very different things. I'm very much this way. I consume media to enjoy it. If I read an assigned book before we had to do work on it, it was fine. But if I was going through it with the work in mind...it was work, and thus...

I find this argument to be more than underwhelming. "You can't convince me otherwise" implies that one has no interest in engaging in a discussion. Why even post, then? This strikes me as a combination of the appeal to tradition and appeal to authority logical fallacies. This strikes me as...

The last time I read up on it, it wasn't believed that there were orbits where a planet could do figure-eight orbits around binary stars. The orbits that are stable are those where the planet is an elliptical orbit around one star and the other star is far out, or the two stars are close and the...

The article mentions Google maps and a Twitter feed. I am a little wary of including anything that requires the reader be online for full functionality, let alone point to services that may disappear. I would much prefer that delivery costs drop and everything required just ship with the ebook...