Mint Foie +Aftermath & other short adventures! Update 3/10/16

Spoiler!

-I've just always subscribed to the thought that anything you say, you can say it kindly. People who appear coarse simply haven't developed the skill needed to communicate kindly.

-I suppose this is why I spend so much time narrating from a minor character's perspective. It's easier to communicate ideas through their eyes than to try to express things from an odd character's perspective. Though I'd argue, less interesting. I need to get away from that. What's the point of adding something unique and alien if you aren't going to express it in detail?

-Light is easy. After all, our light is damaging enough that it can cause death in minutes without earth's protection, even 5 lightminutes away from the sun. If it is strong and concentrated enough to appear as spears of light, it would cause instantaneous burns.
Darkness, however, is not an actual thing. So it would be harder to incorporate. So, you've already done the hard part.

Spoiler!

- I agree with the sentiment, but unfortunately there is no shortage of people that choose to be unpleasant to others. Even if it's contrary to their real feelings, they will try to push others away out of fear of being hurt. Hedgehog's dilemma and all that.

- Light = heat is pretty standard, but even then there's a lot of play when it comes to interpreting how that would affect someone. Is it like a big magnifying glass that scorches someone? Is it like a microwave that cooks them from the inside out? It can be pretty grizzly!

Spoiler!

The most realistic would be the magnifying glass. Electromagnetic waves are absorbed by molecules exposed to them, exciting them and turning into thermal energy. If a beam of light is concentrated enough to appear as a white spear, I would assume it has a large amount of energy to transfer.
A quick study of electromagnetic radiation should be enough to get some ideas, especially if you look up what happens to an unprotected body in space.

And yes, too many people act with hostility. And those acts should not be encouraged. Because of that, I'd rather have more pleasant roll models in media, and see repercussions for less pleasant characters.
But, people have just decided that the meaner someone is, the more fun he is to watch. And so I'm stuck watching jerks.

Spoiler!

I honestly can't stand it. The constant pessimism, the "moral grays" where the hero is an asshole, and the villain has some sob story to make him sympathetic. It's over-done and boring. It actually makes me very angry when people tear down what's good and pretend they are more mature and/or intelligent for it.

But I digress. In this particular case, River's antagonism isn't wholly mean-spirited. Think about the name-calling like a drill sergeant before a fresh batch of cadets. He doesn't actually think they are all worthless, lily-livered panty waists, it's just that a little negative reinforcement can be a better motivator.

Her general demeanor could stem from a troubled past. Surely someone with her interests would have been unpopular growing up, possibly even picked on by others. Growing distant would be a natural response to such an environment.

Maybe I'll put her in another story to explore these ideas better.

It could be a while before my next short. My mood's been going south again. Hopefully it'll pass.

Spoiler!

I'm just getting bored of it. A morally questionable hero and a sympathetic villain were neat when they were new (in the 90s), but now it's nothing but. I get that heroes need to make hard choices and villains have reasons for doing what they do, but sometimes people are just selfish dicks and people stand up to them. Show me more of that. There was a reason Disney styled fairy tales became popular, after all. Hell, there's a reason the bible became popular.

I did sense River's goodness though. She originally came off as a girl in her own world who doesn't follow society's rules. And despite her sharp edges, her good will was obvious.
I suppose that's why I like her. She's her own person with her own likes, without forgetting about other people. So despite my trying to dislike her for her insults, she won me over.
Also, she was really hot in my head. That probably helped.

Ah, I'm sorry to hear. Writing is tough, and it requires a certain mindset. If it makes you feel any better, I've been averaging ten minutes worth of text every two months. So at least you won't be too far behind.

Here I am, four months later with nothing to show for it.

Yet.

I've got a new short in the works, but as of this moment there's little more than a paragraph. This week's been very busy, and next week promises to be even more wild, but I'll try to sit down and do something this weekend. Sorry for the tease.

Welcome to the club!

A little more than a paragraph? Progress. Looking forward to it.