On Obsession and Living in Fantasy
Dreamseeker
to my roleplay livejournal and I thought it might be a good topic to
discuss here as well.
It's, uh... really long, by the way. I can write a lot when I get
going...
Call it an essay. ^_~
*copies and pastes*
When it comes to the topic of obsession, I am something of an expert,
having had a decade's worth of experience. In fact, the start of it
was a very clean-cut point in my life, when a number of key factors
came together to thoroughly end the innocent period of my childhood. I
was twelve years old, my parents were divorced, I learned that this
was due to my mother's increasing alcoholism which I'd been happily
oblivious to until then, and it was in that year that I discovered
anime, beginning with a series called The Slayers, and was swept into
my first real obsession.
It took three years to find and watch the entire series, since the
recent rise of anime in the US had only just begun at that point, and
during those three years I found myself strangely absorbed, my
thoughts always returning to the same theme, and always searching for
ways in which other parts of my life could be compared to some aspect
of Slayers. The obsession did not begin to fade until another story
took it's place. This was Final Fantasy. VIII was the first I played,
and this was the first in a long chain of obsessions in which I became
tied dangerously close to a particular character, not in an admiring
way, but by relating myself to said character.
It started as an innocent game. I was already prone to daydreaming,
playing out scenes between story characters in my mind, and during my
time with Slayers I'd grown quite familiar with fanfiction, which is
really the same concept put to writing. I had not been impressed with
the act of self-insertion, but I still wanted a way to bring myself
closer to the story. At that point I was only a distant observer, no
matter how often I stared at the pictures painted in my head.
So I came up with the reincarnation theory.
It was self-insertion, but instead of nosing my way into a story that
already had enough characters, I became one of those characters. This
in turn allowed me to tie the daydreams in with my my own life. I
could go through my daily activities just as I always did, and all the
while I would have a warped "parallel reality" playing out in my mind,
in which myself and my friends were the reincarnations of the story
characters. I never said anything, of course. I acted naturally, and
no one else involved in my fantasy was even aware that I'd created an
alternate reality for them. What started as a silly game very quickly
teetered onto the line between reality and fantasy. I wondered... and
sometimes I went with my dog to the flower field, just in case someone
was waiting for me.
It isn't possible to live vicariously through fantasy unless you
yourself are part of that fantasy, in some way. This is important,
because this was where I crossed a point of no return, as it were.
Before, my daydreams had been only a distraction, just like reading a
book, playing a video game, or watching TV. If the religious aspects
of my raising had not been so open and explorative, perhaps
reincarnation would never have occurred to me, but as things were, it
was only a matter of time. If it hadn't been Rinoa first, it would
have been one of the others, and there were many.
Some were just speculative, only worth a few days of contemplation
before I moved on. Others lingered for years. Among them, the most
persistent - and those which evoked the strongest emotional reactions
- were Vanyel Ashkevron from the books by Mercedes Lackey, and Riku
from Kingdom Hearts. Both males, oddly enough, but gender had stopped
mattering. I saw too much of myself in them, and I felt what they
felt.
I am not the only one who has said such a thing, and often I myself am
skeptical when some young, emotionally unstable fan claims to really
know their fandom character, but from a purely observational
standpoint, I will say here and now that it is quite possible to
recreate the emotions described in a character and feel an echo of
them yourself. It is most easily done by remembering events of your
own life which evoked similar feelings, and imagining yourself in the
character's place. I had been sensitive to the emotions of others for
as long as I could remember, and learning how to tune that empathy
towards fictional characters was something I did long before the true
obsessions started. Originally it was just a natural way to more fully
understand and enjoy the story. Already having the skill, though, made
sliding into the more dangerous mindset that much easier.
For years I was divided, logic against emotion. I could feel these
other existences, unreal as they were, and I wanted to be part of
that, but at the same time I knew that such believes verged on
insanity. Another factor that aided the delusion, of course, was the
wish I'd had since early childhood to find a way into another world.
If I couldn't get there in this life, the thought that I'd been part
of one in the past was almost as comforting.
Despite the ever increasing protests from my logical side, the
reincarnation daydreams did not stop until I found an even easier
obsession to fall for. The online roleplaying game titled World
Refugees, which began in the summer of 2007 and was supposed to end
last winter, but continues on even now. It It was quite ironic,
actually, because throughout the first half of the story, I thought,
"this is perfect! It's the first game I've really enjoyed without
wanting it to be real!" This was because the character I associated
with - myself, in this case - was in a position that had very little
chance of ending happily, and what's more, she was incapable of strong
emotion, be it positive or negative. I delighted in the game, but from
a perfectly safe distance, and I did not daydream about it except to
plan out future plot points.
Then, just past the half-way point, things changed.
It started when the idea of the Dreaming was presented, a universe
composed of thought, in which the imagination and willpower of the
inhabitants determined the shape of the world and everything in it.
There was the essence of my deepest, most impossible wishes, and
suddenly anything was possible.
The very first thing I did was to come up with a plan which would
allow the dream a chance to continue, even if my part in the game did
not end well. An escape, so that my character and, if possible, her
ally could survive and eventually try again, if only in my own
imaginings.
I could ramble on quite a bit about World Refugees and exactly why it
had such an effect on me, but the ultimate point is that this story
brought together all of my most sought-after dreams, gave me not some
other character to associate with, but myself, and thus became the
deepest in a long history of obsessions, and the one most difficult to
control.
In the past I could always count on some new story coming along and
pulling me away from whichever one had my attention at the time, and
that gave me a measure of control and distance, no matter how
delusional some of my thoughts might have been. The facts remained
that those characters were not me, and while their worlds were
interesting, no single one felt like my home or paradise. The fit was
not perfect, and so I could always slip out. And what's more, letting
the dream end was never painful.
Songbird's life is different. She suffers, yes, but I suffer just as
much from here and unlike in her reality, I have no relief to look
forward to in the future. It is painful, this obsession, and not fun
at all. I cry, too often, and until recently - until Song regained her
ability to feel emotion - I almost never cried. Where before I would
make an effort to match my emotions to those of my focus character,
now I cannot free them from her.
I hoped that when the game ended, things would change and I'd be able
to slowly pull myself away, but the game did not end. The happy ending
was broken, and Song's emotions were thrown into disarray. I stay now
because I'm still waiting for the end. I need to see it, to have the
myriad of possibilities locked down into a single un-reality, like the
end of a book or a game. I don't think it will solve the problem, but
it will settle the emotions, and then, maybe, I can move on.
There may be a bright side to this, as painful and troublesome as it's
been. I don't think it will be possible to revert back to the old way
of latching onto some distant story and forcing it to become mine.
Nothing could match the story of World Refugees in that way. Instead
of changing the character, I was changed, and my hope is that this
will be the end of all that useless fantasy. The last one. And though
it is disruptive now, it must pass eventually. Then, maybe, I can
start living in this world.
Until then, I am at least trying to do something useful with it. I've
managed to convert the basic plot into an original story and am
attempting to write a novel, hopefully publishable, as one of my more
realistic dreams is to be a successful author.
--
Dreamseeker
also called Song
Bearer of one Ponder Point
Winner of the Silver Medal for Most Posts in April 2007 (461)
Creator of the Subspace Choklit Pockit
Owner of a Never-Emptying-Favourite-Drink Flask, an Endless-Cookie-of-
Doom, and a Comb of Chaos
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[empathy and dreams] Tc+ E+++
Draco18s
@a5g2000pre.googlegroups.com>, Ryu....@gmail.com says...
> Actually this has nothing to do with Otherkin. It's something I posted
> to my roleplay livejournal and I thought it might be a good topic to
> discuss here as well.
>
> It's, uh... really long, by the way. I can write a lot when I get
> going...
> Call it an essay. ^_~
>
> *copies and pastes*
>
> When it comes to the topic of obsession, I am something of an expert,
> having had a decade's worth of experience. In fact, the start of it
> was a very clean-cut point in my life, when a number of key factors
> came together to thoroughly end the innocent period of my childhood. I
> was twelve years old, my parents were divorced, I learned that this
> was due to my mother's increasing alcoholism which I'd been happily
> oblivious to until then, and it was in that year that I discovered
> anime, beginning with a series called The Slayers, and was swept into
> my first real obsession.
I've inserted myself into stories--both as becoming a character, and
creating a new one--but never to that degree.
Though I do often feel that my real life is somewhat lacking.
--
Lord Draco18s
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S+ I-# V++ Q++ Tc+++[C++]/Tc--- E+
"Yum!" |> v-v-v-v |>
| , , .|. | n | .|.
'. |_/| | |'''''''''''| | \
(q p),-| | HERSHEY'S | |'-._ ))
/_(/ | | CHO|"|LIT | | ) '-.___//
---W"W----'-'----'-'----'-'----------'--------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bearer of the Bronze Medal for Most Posts in March 2007 (283)
Bearer of the Gold Medal for Most Posts in April 2007 (826)
Holder of the Scroll of Nobility from Lady Viriatha for that win
Simon Richard Clarkstone
> When it comes to the topic of obsession, I am something of an expert,
> having had a decade's worth of experience.
> I had not been impressed with
> the act of self-insertion
A neat trick if one is capable of it.
:-| :-S :-o :-D
[...]
> So I came up with the reincarnation theory.
Or rather, you re-invented it.
[...]
> I could go through my daily activities just as I always did, and all the
> while I would have a warped "parallel reality" playing out in my mind,
> in which myself and my friends were the reincarnations of the story
> characters. I never said anything, of course. I acted naturally, and
> no one else involved in my fantasy was even aware that I'd created an
> alternate reality for them.
Ah, well, TV has taught you something good then.
> The online roleplaying game titled World
> Refugees, which began in the summer of 2007 and was supposed to end
> last winter, but continues on even now.
[...]
> She suffers, yes, but I suffer just as
> much from here and unlike in her reality, I have no relief to look
> forward to in the future. It is painful, this obsession, and not fun
> at all. I cry, too often, and until recently - until Song regained her
> ability to feel emotion - I almost never cried. Where before I would
> make an effort to match my emotions to those of my focus character,
> now I cannot free them from her.
[...]
> Instead
> of changing the character, I was changed, and my hope is that this
> will be the end of all that useless fantasy. The last one. And though
> it is disruptive now, it must pass eventually. Then, maybe, I can
> start living in this world.
It is stories like that that get RPGs declared to be Tools Of Satan.
> Until then, I am at least trying to do something useful with it. I've
> managed to convert the basic plot into an original story and am
> attempting to write a novel, hopefully publishable, as one of my more
> realistic dreams is to be a successful author.
A fantasy-author related blog, but interesting to read generally:
First, with most comments: http://limyaael.livejournal.com
then, after the switch: http://limyaael.insanejournal.com
Set aside a few months to read it. ;-)
The navigation on both of those is bad, with features like only being
able to see the 20 most recent of any tag, and pages for individual
entries not having the date on them ANYWHERE. You don't suppose that
people reading this blog entry in the future would want to know the date
it was written do you? No, let's put the time of day on there instead.
*cough*
Just go through them in order, or partial index might help:
http://coyotecult.com/communities/sfandf_critters/references/limyaael.php
--
Simon Richard Clarkstone:
s.r.cl?rkst?n?@dunelm.org.uk / s?m?n_cl?rkst?n?@yahoo.co.uk
Citizen, listen: Kurt Vonnegut did not intend _The Euphio Question_
as a resolution to the Fermi Paradox. (Even he wasn't that depressing.)
Mondariloth
Hash: SHA1
Simon Richard Clarkstone wrote:
>> Instead
>> of changing the character, I was changed, and my hope is that this
>> will be the end of all that useless fantasy. The last one. And though
>> it is disruptive now, it must pass eventually. Then, maybe, I can
>> start living in this world.
> It is stories like that that get RPGs declared to be Tools Of Satan.
No, no, no, no. That is flat wrong. What makes RPGs declared as "bad" is
religious reactionaries looking at the material, seeing monsters and
demons, or reading portions of the magic-use sections. They assume the
book is a game in name only, and really a satanic manual.
I was raised by (otherwise well-meaning) people that called D&D a
"gateway to Satan", and they meant it.
Anybody can get sucked in to any story, fantasy or not, and find a deep
connection to a character in it. Heck, I read 'The Horse Whisperer' when
I was 15, and I copied the mannerisms of one of the characters for weeks
because of how much I wanted to be in that book.
- --
Sgt. Mondariloth, retired
- ----
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new
landscapes but in having new eyes. --Marcel Proust
DC2.Dw[H] Gm/? L~ W T85k Phkfwlt Sks,wf Cbl-@gr-,wwh Bfl A27 Fr^+++
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Anvil*
*snip*
> no matter how often I stared at the pictures painted in my head.
> a warped "parallel reality" playing out in my mind,
> it is quite possible to recreate the emotions described in a character
> and feel an echo of them yourself.
> suddenly anything was possible.
*snip*
> brought together all of my most sought-after dreams...
*snip*
> the one most difficult to control.
> She suffers, yes, but I suffer just as much from here and unlike in
> her reality, I have no relief to look forward to in the future.
> It is painful, this obsession, and not fun at all.
-----
thoughts drift by
-----
being like hand-mirrors good stories, reflecting facets of self
heroes/villains kindness/cruelty
even aspects male/female humble/fantastic real/unreal
painful we might be so dark / imperfect / disjointed / incomplete
being a lifetime process self discovery, fitting each puzzle piece
facets having so many shapes / so many sizes
seeing ourselves truly can bring both pain/joy
seeing this differently perhaps, your reality is not mine
so far from the edge of solid reality one could drift as lost
my hope that you find/fit enough facets that your self is secure
wishing you inner peace
--
Anvil*
Dreamseeker
> thoughts drift by
> -----
> being like hand-mirrors good stories, reflecting facets of self
> heroes/villains kindness/cruelty
> even aspects male/female humble/fantastic real/unreal
> painful we might be so dark / imperfect / disjointed / incomplete
> being a lifetime process self discovery, fitting each puzzle piece
> facets having so many shapes / so many sizes
> seeing ourselves truly can bring both pain/joy
>
> seeing this differently perhaps, your reality is not mine
> so far from the edge of solid reality one could drift as lost
> my hope that you find/fit enough facets that your self is secure
> wishing you inner peace
> --
> Anvil*
Thank you Anvil.
And I really enjoy your manner of speech. The thoughtfulness behind it
reminds me of a very dear friend of mine.
This is probably just trivial coincidence, but your mirror comparison
is unusually fitting in my case, as I have Situs Inversus. Means my
organs are reversed, heart on right side instead of left, and such. I
am essentially a mirror image of what a human body should be, which
brings up all sorts of odd little thoughts. The world on the other
side of the looking glass.
--
Dreamseeker
Anvil*
> Thank you Anvil.
>
-----
Welcome, though believing your organs are where they should be
(bracelet notifying others who might assume prudent perhaps)
having unique viewpoints reflections of self, time/mood dependent
seeming different parts of self due to aspect/proximity
should be continuous this process, filling a lifetime discovering
difficult so we try our best, allocating some time at least
finding/introducing our facets to ourselves, seeing how they fit
more solid/more whole with time, knowing who we are
pondering now your opposite, creating images to your words
brings lighter thoughts this
be well,
--
Anvil*
Simon Richard Clarkstone
> Simon Richard Clarkstone wrote:
>>> Instead
>>> of changing the character, I was changed, and my hope is that this
>>> will be the end of all that useless fantasy. The last one. And though
>>> it is disruptive now, it must pass eventually. Then, maybe, I can
>>> start living in this world.
>> It is stories like that that get RPGs declared to be Tools Of Satan.
>
> No, no, no, no. That is flat wrong. What makes RPGs declared as "bad" is
> religious reactionaries looking at the material, seeing monsters and
> demons, or reading portions of the magic-use sections. They assume the
> book is a game in name only, and really a satanic manual.
>
> I was raised by (otherwise well-meaning) people that called D&D a
> "gateway to Satan", and they meant it.
I was mistakenly attributing more perceptive ability to such people than
you are, it seems.
> Anybody can get sucked in to any story, fantasy or not, and find a deep
> connection to a character in it. Heck, I read 'The Horse Whisperer' when
> I was 15, and I copied the mannerisms of one of the characters for weeks
> because of how much I wanted to be in that book.
But people will have different susceptibility to this kind of thing.
For example, I don't find deep connections even with people I meet,
never mind ones I only read about ;-).
Dreamseeker
> > No, no, no, no. That is flat wrong. What makes RPGs declared as "bad" is
> > religious reactionaries looking at the material, seeing monsters and
> > demons, or reading portions of the magic-use sections. They assume the
> > book is a game in name only, and really a satanic manual.
>
> > I was raised by (otherwise well-meaning) people that called D&D a
> > "gateway to Satan", and they meant it.
>
> I was mistakenly attributing more perceptive ability to such people than
> you are, it seems.
You seem even more argumentative than usual. I'd have to agree with
Mondariloth, if only because cases such as my own are probably too
rare to inspire the common aggression of Christians towards RPG games.
My own neighbors think that even Pokemon is of the Devil, and I
certainly don't think they've been exposed to a story anything like my
own.
> But people will have different susceptibility to this kind of thing.
> For example, I don't find deep connections even with people I meet,
> never mind ones I only read about ;-).
That, on the other hand, is a given, but the fact remains that
connecting emotionally to fictional characters on some level is a
fairly common occurrence. There are plenty of examples of this if one
dares to venture into the fandom realm of the internet.
--
Dreamseeker
Lord Flame Stryke
news:0pSdnQoKoddZCqPX...@giganews.com:
>> Anybody can get sucked in to any story, fantasy or not, and find a
>> deep connection to a character in it. Heck, I read 'The Horse
>> Whisperer' when I was 15, and I copied the mannerisms of one of the
>> characters for weeks because of how much I wanted to be in that book.
> But people will have different susceptibility to this kind of thing.
> For example, I don't find deep connections even with people I meet,
> never mind ones I only read about ;-).
I could connect deeply with you, but this is a PG-13 forum..... };=8�
Lord Flame Stryke
--
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rubere, suppositus, magus. Holder of the Scroll of Nobility from Lady
Viriatha, Keeper of the Wand of Sparklies in its case from Hex, Wielder
of the Lady Viri Signature 4x8 from Ysable, Eater of the Mint Cheesecake
from Whisper, Mate to Lady Viriatha, Owner of Flame Stryke's Windex�
Factory, Lord Balloonmaker, Borrower of the Ebony Wood Fife from
Luxatos, Accepter of the Small Statue of a Green Dragon Covered in Ice
Cream Toppings from Juniper, Employer of a miniature Jester doll from
SeaKing, Bearer of the Magic Ever-Bill from SeaKing, Carrier of the gold
piece from whisper: o, Builder of Dragon Fyre Keep, First Dragon of
Realism, Giver of the Pickaxe of Icebreaking to Kalos, Winner of the
*shiny* riddle award from Pegasus, Wearer of the big *shiny* medal of
posting-ness from Pegasus, Taker of the Gold Medal for Most Posts in
March 2007 (369), Aquirer of the little blue flower from Pegasus,
Requirer of the .sig barber as informed by Lady Viriatha
--
"Windows XP crashes about 3 times a day..... If my computer's on, the
number rises exponentially." -- Flame Stryke
Lord Flame Stryke
news:f186b243-86a1-49e5...@j12g2000vbl.googlegroups.com:
>> But people will have different susceptibility to this kind of thing.
>> For example, I don't find deep connections even with people I meet,
>> never mind ones I only read about ;-).
> That, on the other hand, is a given, but the fact remains that
> connecting emotionally to fictional characters on some level is a
> fairly common occurrence. There are plenty of examples of this if one
> dares to venture into the fandom realm of the internet.
I connect with the main characters of whichever book I'm reading, loving
some, hating others..... That's what the authors intended. I also put
myself into the stories, and rewriting them in my mind to include what
I'd do to change the story.....
But I've never attributed myself to being one of the characters, no
matter how close our personalities match.....
Lord Flame Stryke
--
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Draco nigrum, oculi rubere, suppositus, magus.
Holder of the Scroll of Nobility from Lady Viriatha, Keeper of the Wand
of Sparklies in its case from Hex, Wielder of the Lady Viri Signature
4x8 from Ysable, Eater of the Mint Cheesecake from Whisper, Mate to Lady
Viriatha, Owner of Flame Stryke's Windex� Factory, Lord Balloonmaker,
Borrower of the Ebony Wood Fife from Luxatos, Accepter of the Small
Statue of a Green Dragon Covered in Ice Cream Toppings from Juniper,
Employer of a miniature Jester doll from SeaKing, Bearer of the Magic
Ever-Bill from SeaKing, Carrier of the gold piece from whisper: o,
Builder of Dragon Fyre Keep, First Dragon of Realism, Giver of the
Pickaxe of Icebreaking to Kalos, Winner of the *shiny* riddle award from
Pegasus, Wearer of the big *shiny* medal of posting-ness from Pegasus,
Taker of the Gold Medal for Most Posts in March 2007 (369), Aquirer of
the little blue flower from Pegasus, Requirer of the .sig barber as
informed by Lady Viriatha
--
"You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have,
for instance." -- Franklin P. Jones
Dreamseeker
> > But people will have different susceptibility to this kind of thing.
> > For example, I don't find deep connections even with people I meet,
> > never mind ones I only read about ;-).
>
Your name really does suit you, Flame Stryke.
--
Dreamseeker
Lord Flame Stryke
news:1ca85a62-6520-4bb2...@f19g2000yqo.googlegroups.com:
>> > But people will have different susceptibility to this kind of
>> > thing. For example, I don't find deep connections even with people
>> > I meet, never mind ones I only read about ;-).
>> I could connect deeply with you, but this is a PG-13 forum..... };=8�
> Your name really does suit you, Flame Stryke.
Oh? That wasn't a flame, merely an opportune amusing posting.
Lord Flame Stryke
--
DC2.D~ Gm L120f60t180w W T Phawlt Sks Cbk,ere' Bfl A+++! Fr+++ Nm M+ O
H+ $ Fc~ R+++! Ac+++ J+ S++ U! I# V+++! Q Tc++ E++ Draco nigrum, oculi
rubere, suppositus, magus. Holder of the Scroll of Nobility from Lady
Viriatha, Keeper of the Wand of Sparklies in its case from Hex, Wielder
of the Lady Viri Signature 4x8 from Ysable, Eater of the Mint Cheesecake
from Whisper, Mate to Lady Viriatha, Owner of Flame Stryke's Windex�
Factory, Lord Balloonmaker, Borrower of the Ebony Wood Fife from
Luxatos, Accepter of the Small Statue of a Green Dragon Covered in Ice
Cream Toppings from Juniper, Employer of a miniature Jester doll from
SeaKing, Bearer of the Magic Ever-Bill from SeaKing, Carrier of the gold
piece from whisper: o, Builder of Dragon Fyre Keep, First Dragon of
Realism, Giver of the Pickaxe of Icebreaking to Kalos, Winner of the
*shiny* riddle award from Pegasus, Wearer of the big *shiny* medal of
posting-ness from Pegasus, Taker of the Gold Medal for Most Posts in
March 2007 (369), Aquirer of the little blue flower from Pegasus,
Requirer of the .sig barber as informed by Lady Viriatha
--
"I wanna touch the sky, I'll spread my wings and fly." -- Bon Jovi,
"Every Day"
Dreamseeker
> Oh? That wasn't a flame, merely an opportune amusing posting.
I meant that you're HOT. Geez, making me spell it out ruins the subtle
humor. :p
--
Dreamseeker
Rhainor
Dreamseeker
> Subtle humor usually doesn't work very well on the interwebs.
It can work perfectly fine. It just depends on the people involved.
--
Dreamseeker
Fledgling Raquiri
>
> I connect with the main characters of whichever book I'm reading, loving
> some, hating others..... That's what the authors intended. I also put
> myself into the stories, and rewriting them in my mind to include what
> I'd do to change the story.....
>
> But I've never attributed myself to being one of the characters, no
> matter how close our personalities match.....
>
> Lord Flame Stryke
Whenever I'm reading a book or watching a movie, I'm there in my
imagination, usually as a small (6-ish feet long) dragon talking to
the characters, urging them to do what I want, flaming or growling at
their enemies, etc. Reminds me of the role my spirit guide/daemon/
soulbond/imaginary friend/whatever-the-hell-he-is, Phantos, plays in
my life. Except that I directly talk to Phantos, whereas the
characters never really notice me. Maybe Phantos is someone in a
parallel universe or something watching my movie and pretending he's
in it.
No one needs to comment on how unlikely that is.
Lord Flame Stryke
912baf...@j12g2000vbl.googlegroups.com:
>> Oh? �That wasn't a flame, merely an opportune amusing posting.
> I meant that you're HOT. Geez, making me spell it out ruins the subtle
> humor. :p
Ah..... Yes, as I had to say to my mother recently, if you have to
explain it, it's not a good joke };=8�
Lord Flame Stryke
--
DC2.D~ Gm L120f60t180w W T Phawlt Sks Cbk,ere' Bfl A+++! Fr+++ Nm M+ O
H+ $ Fc~ R+++! Ac+++ J+ S++ U! I# V+++! Q Tc++ E++
Draco nigrum, oculi rubere, suppositus, magus.
Holder of the Scroll of Nobility from Lady Viriatha, Keeper of the Wand
of Sparklies in its case from Hex, Wielder of the Lady Viri Signature
4x8 from Ysable, Eater of the Mint Cheesecake from Whisper, Mate to Lady
Viriatha, Owner of Flame Stryke's Windex� Factory, Lord Balloonmaker,
Borrower of the Ebony Wood Fife from Luxatos, Accepter of the Small
Statue of a Green Dragon Covered in Ice Cream Toppings from Juniper,
Employer of a miniature Jester doll from SeaKing, Bearer of the Magic
Ever-Bill from SeaKing, Carrier of the gold piece from whisper: o,
Builder of Dragon Fyre Keep, First Dragon of Realism, Giver of the
Pickaxe of Icebreaking to Kalos, Winner of the *shiny* riddle award from
Pegasus, Wearer of the big *shiny* medal of posting-ness from Pegasus,
Taker of the Gold Medal for Most Posts in March 2007 (369), Aquirer of
the little blue flower from Pegasus, Requirer of the .sig barber as
informed by Lady Viriatha
--
"All syllogisms have three parts, therefore this is not a syllogism." --
Herd Thinners
Lord Flame Stryke
news:tNWdnS9tPuDmRN7X...@earthlink.com:
> Dreamseeker wrote:
>>> Oh? That wasn't a flame, merely an opportune amusing posting.
>> I meant that you're HOT. Geez, making me spell it out ruins the
>> subtle humor. :p
> Subtle humor usually doesn't work very well on the interwebs.
Or on people not used to it.....
Lord Flame Stryke
--
DC2.D~ Gm L120f60t180w W T Phawlt Sks Cbk,ere' Bfl A+++! Fr+++ Nm M+ O
H+ $ Fc~ R+++! Ac+++ J+ S++ U! I# V+++! Q Tc++ E++ Draco nigrum, oculi
rubere, suppositus, magus. Holder of the Scroll of Nobility from Lady
Viriatha, Keeper of the Wand of Sparklies in its case from Hex, Wielder
of the Lady Viri Signature 4x8 from Ysable, Eater of the Mint Cheesecake
from Whisper, Mate to Lady Viriatha, Owner of Flame Stryke's Windex�
Factory, Lord Balloonmaker, Borrower of the Ebony Wood Fife from
Luxatos, Accepter of the Small Statue of a Green Dragon Covered in Ice
Cream Toppings from Juniper, Employer of a miniature Jester doll from
SeaKing, Bearer of the Magic Ever-Bill from SeaKing, Carrier of the gold
piece from whisper: o, Builder of Dragon Fyre Keep, First Dragon of
Realism, Giver of the Pickaxe of Icebreaking to Kalos, Winner of the
*shiny* riddle award from Pegasus, Wearer of the big *shiny* medal of
posting-ness from Pegasus, Taker of the Gold Medal for Most Posts in
March 2007 (369), Aquirer of the little blue flower from Pegasus,
Requirer of the .sig barber as informed by Lady Viriatha
--
Lord Flame Stryke
news:708bfb78-afb0-4acd...@l31g2000yqb.googlegroups.com:
> On Jun 23, 6:38 pm, Lord Flame Stryke <FlameStr...@Gmail.com> wrote:
>> I connect with the main characters of whichever book I'm reading,
>> loving some, hating others..... That's what the authors intended. I
>> also put myself into the stories, and rewriting them in my mind to
>> include what I'd do to change the story.....
>> But I've never attributed myself to being one of the characters, no
>> matter how close our personalities match.....
> Whenever I'm reading a book or watching a movie, I'm there in my
> imagination, usually as a small (6-ish feet long) dragon talking to
> the characters, urging them to do what I want, flaming or growling at
> their enemies, etc. Reminds me of the role my spirit guide/daemon/
> soulbond/imaginary friend/whatever-the-hell-he-is, Phantos, plays in
> my life. Except that I directly talk to Phantos, whereas the
> characters never really notice me. Maybe Phantos is someone in a
> parallel universe or something watching my movie and pretending he's
> in it.
> No one needs to comment on how unlikely that is.
Not really. The way I see most authors is that they don't imagine the
events, they're seeing into an alternate reality and just recording what
they see.
Lord Flame Stryke
--
DC2.D~ Gm L120f60t180w W T Phawlt Sks Cbk,ere' Bfl A+++! Fr+++ Nm M+ O
H+ $ Fc~ R+++! Ac+++ J+ S++ U! I# V+++! Q Tc++ E++ Draco nigrum, oculi
rubere, suppositus, magus. Holder of the Scroll of Nobility from Lady
Viriatha, Keeper of the Wand of Sparklies in its case from Hex, Wielder
of the Lady Viri Signature 4x8 from Ysable, Eater of the Mint Cheesecake
from Whisper, Mate to Lady Viriatha, Owner of Flame Stryke's Windex�
Factory, Lord Balloonmaker, Borrower of the Ebony Wood Fife from
Luxatos, Accepter of the Small Statue of a Green Dragon Covered in Ice
Cream Toppings from Juniper, Employer of a miniature Jester doll from
SeaKing, Bearer of the Magic Ever-Bill from SeaKing, Carrier of the gold
piece from whisper: o, Builder of Dragon Fyre Keep, First Dragon of
Realism, Giver of the Pickaxe of Icebreaking to Kalos, Winner of the
*shiny* riddle award from Pegasus, Wearer of the big *shiny* medal of
posting-ness from Pegasus, Taker of the Gold Medal for Most Posts in
March 2007 (369), Aquirer of the little blue flower from Pegasus,
Requirer of the .sig barber as informed by Lady Viriatha
--
"In Boston, it is illegal to hold frog-jumping contests in nightclubs."
-- Herd Thinners
Kalos Kalyre
> Fledgling Raquiri <raq...@gmail.com> wrote in
> news:708bfb78-afb0-4acd...@l31g2000yqb.googlegroups.com:
>
>> On Jun 23, 6:38 pm, Lord Flame Stryke <FlameStr...@Gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I connect with the main characters of whichever book I'm reading,
>>> loving some, hating others..... That's what the authors intended. I
>>> also put myself into the stories, and rewriting them in my mind to
>>> include what I'd do to change the story.....
>>> But I've never attributed myself to being one of the characters, no
>>> matter how close our personalities match.....
>> Whenever I'm reading a book or watching a movie, I'm there in my
>> imagination, usually as a small (6-ish feet long) dragon talking to
>> the characters, urging them to do what I want, flaming or growling at
>> their enemies, etc. Reminds me of the role my spirit guide/daemon/
>> soulbond/imaginary friend/whatever-the-hell-he-is, Phantos, plays in
>> my life. Except that I directly talk to Phantos, whereas the
>> characters never really notice me. Maybe Phantos is someone in a
>> parallel universe or something watching my movie and pretending he's
>> in it.
>> No one needs to comment on how unlikely that is.
>
> Not really. The way I see most authors is that they don't imagine the
> events, they're seeing into an alternate reality and just recording what
> they see.
I read somewhere that Anne McCaffrey once cried at having to kill a
character in the Pern series. When somebody suggested she just rewrite
that scene so the character wouldn't die, she responded that things just
didn't work that way.
Draco18s
dear...@comcast.net says...
It was the Masterhaper Robinton, if I recall correctly.
--
Lord Draco18s
DC2.Dw Gm L- W- T Phvwalt Sks Cag^ Bco|# A- Fr++ Nu M--- O H+ $ Fo R+++
Ac+ J+
S+ I-# V++ Q++ Tc+++[C++]/Tc--- E+
"Yum!" |> v-v-v-v |>
| , , .|. | n | .|.
'. |_/| | |'''''''''''| | \
(q p),-| | HERSHEY'S | |'-._ ))
/_(/ | | CHO|"|LIT | | ) '-.___//
---W"W----'-'----'-'----'-'----------'--------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bearer of the Bronze Medal for Most Posts in March 2007 (283)
Bearer of the Gold Medal for Most Posts in April 2007 (826)
Holder of the Scroll of Nobility from Lady Viriatha for that win
Fledgling Raquiri
wrote:
> In article <h26be4$81...@news.eternal-september.org>,
> deari...@comcast.net says...
>
>
>
>
>
> > Lord Flame Stryke wrote:
> > > Fledgling Raquiri <raqu...@gmail.com> wrote in
Well, stories do tend to take on a life of their own. Characters too.
Simon Richard Clarkstone
>>> No, no, no, no. That is flat wrong. What makes RPGs declared as "bad" is
>>> religious reactionaries looking at the material, seeing monsters and
>>> demons, or reading portions of the magic-use sections. They assume the
>>> book is a game in name only, and really a satanic manual.
>>> I was raised by (otherwise well-meaning) people that called D&D a
>>> "gateway to Satan", and they meant it.
>> I was mistakenly attributing more perceptive ability to such people than
>> you are, it seems.
>
> You seem even more argumentative than usual.
I see that other sides of many debates tends to use strawman of my side,
so, in an effort to think the best of them, I hoped that the DnD-hating
Christian was a strawman too.
> I'd have to agree with
> Mondariloth, if only because cases such as my own are probably too
> rare to inspire the common aggression of Christians towards RPG games.
> My own neighbors think that even Pokemon is of the Devil
Hehehe.
>> But people will have different susceptibility to this kind of thing.
>> For example, I don't find deep connections even with people I meet,
>> never mind ones I only read about ;-).
>
> That, on the other hand, is a given, but the fact remains that
> connecting emotionally to fictional characters on some level is a
> fairly common occurrence.
Maybe I am unusual then. I tend to like a plot or setting, rather than
"connecting" with characters. I can also appreciate the form of
writing, like whole radio plays done in Iambic pentameter.
Terrana
<Flame...@Gmail.com> wrote:
>Not really. The way I see most authors is that they don't imagine the
>events, they're seeing into an alternate reality and just recording what
>they see.
I'm by no means a professional author - certainly, I've never even
tried to get published - but when I've written short stories in the
past, this is more or less what I do.
--
Terrana
Lord Flame Stryke
news:h26be4$81g$2...@news.eternal-september.org:
>>> Phantos, plays in my life. Except that I directly talk to Phantos,
>>> whereas the characters never really notice me. Maybe Phantos is
>>> someone in a parallel universe or something watching my movie and
>>> pretending he's in it.
>>> No one needs to comment on how unlikely that is.
>> Not really. The way I see most authors is that they don't imagine
>> the events, they're seeing into an alternate reality and just
>> recording what they see.
> I read somewhere that Anne McCaffrey once cried at having to kill a
> character in the Pern series. When somebody suggested she just rewrite
> that scene so the character wouldn't die, she responded that things
> just didn't work that way.
Also, there are some plot points that need characters to do certain
things, and if dying is that thing, then they've got to do it.....
I know some authors and artists constantly talk about how they planned
one thing, but the subjects decided something different, so they had to
go with it.....
Lord Flame Stryke
--
DC2.D~ Gm L120f60t180w W T Phawlt Sks Cbk,ere' Bfl A+++! Fr+++ Nm M+ O
H+ $ Fc~ R+++! Ac+++ J+ S++ U! I# V+++! Q Tc++ E++
Draco nigrum, oculi rubere, suppositus, magus.
Holder of the Scroll of Nobility from Lady Viriatha, Keeper of the Wand
of Sparklies in its case from Hex, Wielder of the Lady Viri Signature
4x8 from Ysable, Eater of the Mint Cheesecake from Whisper, Mate to Lady
Viriatha, Owner of Flame Stryke's Windex� Factory, Lord Balloonmaker,
Borrower of the Ebony Wood Fife from Luxatos, Accepter of the Small
Statue of a Green Dragon Covered in Ice Cream Toppings from Juniper,
Employer of a miniature Jester doll from SeaKing, Bearer of the Magic
Ever-Bill from SeaKing, Carrier of the gold piece from whisper: o,
Builder of Dragon Fyre Keep, First Dragon of Realism, Giver of the
Pickaxe of Icebreaking to Kalos, Winner of the *shiny* riddle award from
Pegasus, Wearer of the big *shiny* medal of posting-ness from Pegasus,
Taker of the Gold Medal for Most Posts in March 2007 (369), Aquirer of
the little blue flower from Pegasus, Requirer of the .sig barber as
informed by Lady Viriatha
--
"Hackers make toys. Crackers break them." -- Peter Seebach
Draco18s
s.r.cla...@dunelm.org.uk says...
> Dreamseeker wrote:
> > That, on the other hand, is a given, but the fact remains that
> > connecting emotionally to fictional characters on some level is a
> > fairly common occurrence.
>
> Maybe I am unusual then. I tend to like a plot or setting, rather than
> "connecting" with characters. I can also appreciate the form of
> writing, like whole radio plays done in Iambic pentameter.
How about a novel with no verbs?
--
Lord Draco18s
DC2.Dw Gm L- W- T Phvwalt Sks Cag^ Bco|# A- Fr++ Nu M--- O H+ $ Fo R+++
Ac+ J+
S+ I-# V++ Q++ Tc+++[C++]/Tc--- E+
"Yum!" |> v-v-v-v |>
| , , .|. | n | .|.
'. |_/| | |'''''''''''| | \
(q p),-| | HERSHEY'S | |'-._ ))
/_(/ | | CHO|"|LIT | | ) '-.___//
---W"W----'-'----'-'----'-'----------'--------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bearer of the Bronze Medal for Most Posts in March 2007 (283)
Bearer of the Gold Medal for Most Posts in April 2007 (826)
Holder of the Scroll of Nobility from Lady Viriatha for that win
Simon Richard Clarkstone
> Kalos Kalyre <dear...@comcast.net> wrote in
> news:h26be4$81g$2...@news.eternal-september.org:
>>
>>> Not really. The way I see most authors is that they don't imagine
>>> the events, they're seeing into an alternate reality and just
>>> recording what they see.
>> I read somewhere that Anne McCaffrey once cried at having to kill a
>> character in the Pern series. When somebody suggested she just rewrite
>> that scene so the character wouldn't die, she responded that things
>> just didn't work that way.
>
> Also, there are some plot points that need characters to do certain
> things, and if dying is that thing, then they've got to do it.....
>
> I know some authors and artists constantly talk about how they planned
> one thing, but the subjects decided something different, so they had to
> go with it.....
It's not magic and it's not unique to authors. As a programmer I have
found the problem often has a mind of its own. I introduce an
abstraction, as a synonym for something that is laborious to type or to
stop low-level things needing to know about high-level ones, and it
snowballs, becoming an important abstraction that shortens and clarifies
the program. It is merely that certain major aspects or consequences of
complex systems are not apparent without the familiarity which comes
from implementation.
Simon Richard Clarkstone
> Not really. The way I see most authors is that they don't imagine the
> events, they're seeing into an alternate reality and just recording what
> they see.
I doubt it. And some authors could find that insulting.
Lord Flame Stryke
>> Not really. The way I see most authors is that they don't imagine
>> the events, they're seeing into an alternate reality and just
>> recording what they see.
> I doubt it. And some authors could find that insulting.
That's their opinion versus my opinion. Neither of us can be wrong in
this, nor can we be right.
Lord Flame Stryke
--
DC2.D~ Gm L120f60t180w W T Phawlt Sks Cbk,ere' Bfl A+++! Fr+++ Nm M+ O
H+ $ Fc~ R+++! Ac+++ J+ S++ U! I# V+++! Q Tc++ E++
Draco nigrum, oculi rubere, suppositus, magus.
Holder of the Scroll of Nobility from Lady Viriatha, Keeper of the Wand
of Sparklies in its case from Hex, Wielder of the Lady Viri Signature
4x8 from Ysable, Eater of the Mint Cheesecake from Whisper, Mate to Lady
Viriatha, Owner of Flame Stryke's Windex� Factory, Lord Balloonmaker,
Borrower of the Ebony Wood Fife from Luxatos, Accepter of the Small
Statue of a Green Dragon Covered in Ice Cream Toppings from Juniper,
Employer of a miniature Jester doll from SeaKing, Bearer of the Magic
Ever-Bill from SeaKing, Carrier of the gold piece from whisper: o,
Builder of Dragon Fyre Keep, First Dragon of Realism, Giver of the
Pickaxe of Icebreaking to Kalos, Winner of the *shiny* riddle award from
Pegasus, Wearer of the big *shiny* medal of posting-ness from Pegasus,
Taker of the Gold Medal for Most Posts in March 2007 (369), Aquirer of
the little blue flower from Pegasus, Requirer of the .sig barber as
informed by Lady Viriatha
--
(1) Alexander the Great was a great general. (2) Great generals are
forewarned. (3) Forewarned is forearmed. (4) Four is an even number.
(5) Four is certainly an odd number of arms for a man to have. (6) The
only number that is both even and odd is infinity. Therefore, all
horses are black. -- Herd Thinners