Miles Lacey
Archmage
Yes... sticking a knife into a heater, getting electrocuted and blowing out the power to an entire neighbourhood was a step too far. Granted I was five and it was 1975 but still....
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Bore Me
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Yes... sticking a knife into a heater, getting electrocuted and blowing out the power to an entire neighbourhood was a step too far. Granted I was five and it was 1975 but still....
Miles Lacey
Archmage
I used to work as a bureaucrat so I discovered the reason behind all that form filling (which is even more boring to process than to fill them out). It's called accountability. You have to account for every decision, every action and every cent as all of these things can be subject to review or inspection by politicians, other bureaucrats, the public and the courts at any time. If it wasn't for bureaucracy you wouldn't know how much money the local Ministry of Social Development managers spent on "team building strategies" last year at the local brothel.
My experience with working with bureaucracy actually inspired both the Ministry of Internal Security and the Ministry of Magical Affairs in my work in progress.
Working as a bureaucrat where getting information from people to determine their entitlement to social security payments taught me that the most powerful interrogation tool is creating fear on the basis of what people think you can do and the fear of what you can actually do. Implying or showing that you have the full weight of the State behind you is even more powerful. I have read literally hundreds of books on man's inhumanity to man and the last thing I want to do is to subject my main character to that so I have gone for playing on their fears instead. I think it's called psychological torture.
The soup kitchens are based on the kitchens and dining areas of a marae (Maori meeting house) where I have stayed from time to time over the years.
My experience with working with bureaucracy actually inspired both the Ministry of Internal Security and the Ministry of Magical Affairs in my work in progress.
Working as a bureaucrat where getting information from people to determine their entitlement to social security payments taught me that the most powerful interrogation tool is creating fear on the basis of what people think you can do and the fear of what you can actually do. Implying or showing that you have the full weight of the State behind you is even more powerful. I have read literally hundreds of books on man's inhumanity to man and the last thing I want to do is to subject my main character to that so I have gone for playing on their fears instead. I think it's called psychological torture.
The soup kitchens are based on the kitchens and dining areas of a marae (Maori meeting house) where I have stayed from time to time over the years.
Orc Knight
Auror
I did find something, though I don't exactly find it boring. Weirdly enough. Working out how things like orcish and elvish farmsteads and their communes get along. What they farm, which may be some pretty exotic beasties and crops. Be it raising prized aurochs and larger cattle, goats and dinosaurs. And figuring out their crops and some of the seasonal stuff. And the cultures of those small communities. It does involve stuff like figuring out recipes and the like.
Kathará
Acolyte
For me, the most boring thing is mapping, but I know readers love a good map because I love a good map. Having a great map can be crucial in world building, yet I still find it tedious and often times difficult to create one.