Random spewings...
Space Child
Uh-oh, shouldn't have encouraged me. I just had two things to say...
I really wish Mike Stackpole would reemerge because now I feel like I'm
allowed to tell him how cool he is, having actually read his work now. So
if you're out there, Mr. Stackpole, you are an amazing author and I want
to be just like you when I grow up.
On the off-topic Trek/SeaQuest stuff...anyone hang out in the SciFi
Channel's Caption This? It's a MST3K spinoff wherein people can caption
whatever's playing on the scifi channel at the time from their webpage.
Anyway, I always try to catch it during SeaQuest and I think some friends
of mine are mad at me because I don't love it and therefore shouldn't be
allowed to make fun of it. These are the same friends who tried to
explain a Trill to me tonight and gave up after 45 minutes. I'm sorry.
Rogue Squadron I understand. I even get (shudder) ysalamiri. But all that
symbiote stuff is just too weird. Give me a stalwart hero in an X-Wing
any day of the week. Well, i have to run because my friends finally
insisted that I should just watch DS9 and figure it out from there.
Vote Wedge- no small creatures will ever live in his body.
-Jess
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <Pine.OSF.3.96.98022...@mhc.mtholyoke.edu>,
Space Child <jsl...@mtholyoke.edu> wrote:
>
> Uh-oh, shouldn't have encouraged me. I just had two things to say...
Mwa ha ha ha. But we love having you here, Jess. :o)
> I really wish Mike Stackpole would reemerge because now I feel like I'm
> allowed to tell him how cool he is, having actually read his work now.
Isn't it neat?
> So
> if you're out there, Mr. Stackpole, you are an amazing author and I want
> to be just like you when I grow up.
I just want to add, since the subject came up...ditto!! And I'm reading
_Talion: Revenant_ right now (just bought it), and it's keeping me from my
schoolwork! _Good_ book! :-)
> On the off-topic Trek/SeaQuest stuff...anyone hang out in the SciFi
> Channel's Caption This? It's a MST3K spinoff wherein people can caption
> whatever's playing on the scifi channel at the time from their webpage.
That's really fun. If the SFC webpage would stop kicking me out of
Netscape... ::grr::
> Anyway, I always try to catch it during SeaQuest and I think some friends
> of mine are mad at me because I don't love it and therefore shouldn't be
> allowed to make fun of it.
Now, I'm addicted to sQ, and I recognize how bad most of it was. For a few
brief shining moments (season one) it was a beautiful show...and then NBC
killed it. ::sigh:: But I never mind ppl making fun of it.
> These are the same friends who tried to
> explain a Trill to me tonight and gave up after 45 minutes. I'm sorry.
> Rogue Squadron I understand. I even get (shudder) ysalamiri. But all that
> symbiote stuff is just too weird. Give me a stalwart hero in an X-Wing
> any day of the week. Well, i have to run because my friends finally
> insisted that I should just watch DS9 and figure it out from there.
Well, the doc on DS9's sexy, but there's some wierd stuff going on there.
Stay with SW, it's superior anyway. :-)
--Prophet Kristy
glad to see de-lurking
Vote Wedge, the true animist warrior god.
--Antilles/Celchu '00--
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
Jim Fisher
>That's really fun. If the SFC webpage would stop kicking me out of
>Netscape... ::grr::
Netscape may be your problem -- 3.01 can crash my system without blinking an
eye [Windows NT workstation 4.0, service pack 3, 64 MB EDO RAM], and
Communicator brings the entire system to a crawl, even if it's the only
thing running. IE is the way to go if you want stability, although 4
crashes a lot more than 3. [of course, neither crash anywhere near as much
as any version of Netscape that I've used...]
-- Jim Fisher
-- http://echo.simplenet.com/humor
-- http://echo.simplenet.com/wedge
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <6d1149$nl1$1...@nntp.epix.net>,
"Jim Fisher" <kill...@epix.net> wrote:
>
> >That's really fun. If the SFC webpage would stop kicking me out of
> >Netscape... ::grr::
>
> Netscape may be your problem -- 3.01 can crash my system without blinking an
> eye [Windows NT workstation 4.0, service pack 3, 64 MB EDO RAM], and
> Communicator brings the entire system to a crawl, even if it's the only
> thing running.
Which is why I _don't_ have Communicator. The thing is slothful, and not an
imporvement on Navigator IMHO.
> IE is the way to go if you want stability, although 4
> crashes a lot more than 3. [of course, neither crash anywhere near as much
> as any version of Netscape that I've used...]
What?! Let's not get into the Microsoft=Antichrist argument. I'll just say
that, I don't run IE (I deleted the damn thing) and it still crashes.
I think my problem is from my university server. In fact, I'm nearly sure of
it.
--Prophet Kristy
each to their own (browser, I mean)
Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.
Michael A. Stackpole
Space Child wrote:
>
> Uh-oh, shouldn't have encouraged me. I just had two things to say...
>
> if you're out there, Mr. Stackpole, you are an amazing author and I want
> to be just like you when I grow up.
Jess,
Please, raise your sights and do something truly useful with your life.
True story: Right after having gotten the X-wing contract I was on a
plane and feeling pretty damned good about myself. heck, the person
sitting next to me was actually reading a SW book. I was thinking that,
maybe, someday, I'd have someone sit down next to me with one of my own
books. As I said, I was feeling pretty smug at that point.
Then the Flight Attendant came on the intercom and asked if there was a
doctor on board the flight. About three rows behind me a guy was having
some chest pains. Right then I realized that what I do, while very cool
and fun and enjoyed by many, really isn't the end all and be all. I'd
have pitched it all to have been a doctor at that point. (The guy
survived the flight and didn't seem to be having a heart attack.)
Best,
Mike STackpole
Michael A. Stackpole
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
>
> I just want to add, since the subject came up...ditto!! And I'm reading
> _Talion: Revenant_ right now (just bought it), and it's keeping me from my
> schoolwork! _Good_ book! :-)
Hey, thanks for snagging T:R. Too many of my colleagues maintain
there's no crossover from media books to original material. I've know
for years this isn't true, provided the author does a good job when
writing in someone else's universe, but it's nice to have it confirmed
here.
Now you all just need to get copies of Aaron Allston's DOC SIDHE, which
is a great book.
Best,
Mike STackpole
BPHauman
In article <34F530...@sprintmail.com>, "Michael A. Stackpole"
<mstac...@sprintmail.com> writes:
>>So if you're out there, Mr. Stackpole, you are an amazing author and I
>>want to be just like you when I grow up.
> Right then I realized that what I do, while very cool
> and fun and enjoyed by many, really isn't the end all and be all.
> I'd have pitched it all to have been a doctor at that point.
Mike,
The fact that you feel this way is a definite indication that you are a fine
human being and that Jess could do much worse in the role model department.
And while I have your attention... damn fine set of books you have there! And I
heartily approve of Aaron carrying the standard while you do other things...
can't wait for more.
Brandy
Brandy
-------------------------------------------------
A chance to live again
To breathe the air, let freedom in
To face the world a different man
Be who I might have never been
- Shaw/Blades
je...@macrowerx.com
Michael A. Stackpole (mstac...@sprintmail.com) wrote:
: Space Child wrote:
: >
[*snip*]
: > if you're out there, Mr. Stackpole, you are an amazing author and I want
: > to be just like you when I grow up.
: Jess,
: Please, raise your sights and do something truly useful with your life.
*snipagain*
: Then the Flight Attendant came on the intercom and asked if there was a
: doctor on board the flight. About three rows behind me a guy was having
: some chest pains. Right then I realized that what I do, while very cool
: and fun and enjoyed by many, really isn't the end all and be all. I'd
: have pitched it all to have been a doctor at that point. (The guy
: survived the flight and didn't seem to be having a heart attack.)
What a fantastic story, and I'm sure a most humbling experience. I wonder
if this story has made its way into your writing somehow. I can imagine
Wedge on a transport or some such feeling good about being a kick ass
pilot and even thinking confidantly that if anything happens to the pilot,
he can take over... when someone is then in need of a doctor.
Mike, what you do *is* important. Without art, culture dies. I know that
*I* need to escape into someone else's imagination from time to time, just
to survive in this crazy world we have made for ourselves. When I read
about Corran vaping Squints, it is I in that cockpit having an adventure.
You may not have saved me from chset pains, but pains in my spirit? Those,
you have helped relieve.
--
/--------------------------+ / "This is the weopon of a Jedi Knight.
| Anakin Starkiller (*) |--|--|--| \ Not as clumsy or random as a blaster.
| je...@MacroWerx.com |--|--|--| / An elegant weapon for a more civilized
\------------------------- + \ time." -- Obi Wan Kenobi
http://www.MacroWerx.com/~jedi/
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <34F531...@sprintmail.com>,
mstac...@sprintmail.com wrote:
>
> hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
> > I just want to add, since the subject came up...ditto!! And I'm reading
> > _Talion: Revenant_ right now (just bought it), and it's keeping me from my
> > schoolwork! _Good_ book! :-)
> Hey, thanks for snagging T:R. Too many of my colleagues maintain
> there's no crossover from media books to original material. I've know
> for years this isn't true, provided the author does a good job when
> writing in someone else's universe, but it's nice to have it confirmed
> here.
I'll definitely confirm that. And I can tell everyone that you're equally
talented writing fantasy _and_ SW. :-)
> Now you all just need to get copies of Aaron Allston's DOC SIDHE,
which
> is a great book.
Ooh, I'm getting birthday money on Monday, I'll bet. Shopping time for me!
Where do I start with your other books, Mike? They didn't have them all at
the store I was at, but I was confused about most of them. (Which is why I
ended up with T:R.) They must have been different publishers, with different
lists on the inside cover.
--Prophet Kristy
I needed more books to read anyway
Vote Wedge, who's already on the shelves--five times!
Kristy Henscheid
je...@MacroWerx.com wrote:
::huge snip::
Ack! I missed the original post from Mike. Please, please let it show
up on DejaNews...I hate being left out...
> Mike, what you do *is* important. Without art, culture dies. I know that
> *I* need to escape into someone else's imagination from time to time, just
> to survive in this crazy world we have made for ourselves. When I read
> about Corran vaping Squints, it is I in that cockpit having an adventure.
You took the words right from me...
> You may not have saved me from chset pains, but pains in my spirit? Those,
> you have helped relieve.
Amen! Mike, Aaron, you guys are the coolest.
--Prophet Kristy
where, oh where, did the previous post go?
Jim Fisher
>Which is why I _don't_ have Communicator. The thing is slothful, and not
an
>imporvement on Navigator IMHO.
No, it's an improvement over NS3 in the fact that it doesn't crash NT on a
regular basis.
>What?! Let's not get into the Microsoft=Antichrist argument. I'll just
say
>that, I don't run IE (I deleted the damn thing) and it still crashes.
Regardless of your opinion of Microsoft, IE is a solid product. IE4 is a
little buggy at times, but still vastly superior to anything Netscape has
written.
Kristy Henscheid
Jim Fisher wrote:
> Regardless of your opinion of Microsoft, IE is a solid product. IE4 is a
> little buggy at times, but still vastly superior to anything Netscape has
> written.
Yeah, actually, I've never heard anyone who uses IE trashing it. Just
like ppl who use Netscape don't trash it. ::shrug:: I'm a little bitter
right now because the university server is messed up, and I can't get to
my email. And that's _not_ Microsoft's fault :-)
--Prophet Kristy
and now, back to Wedge
Michael A. Stackpole
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
> Where do I start with your other books, Mike? They didn't have them all at
> the store I was at, but I was confused about most of them. (Which is why I
> ended up with T:R.) They must have been different publishers, with different
> lists on the inside cover.
Kristy,
The lists in the Star Wars books are complete and in chronological
order. The Warrior books, which kick off the BattleTech stuff I've
written, are being reprinted this year, with the first one on the
stands. The Blood of Kerensky books, which start the current cycle of
Btech novels are in print. Natural Selection and Assumption of Risk can
be tough to find, but are out there. The rest are in print, though (in
order, Bred for War, Malicious Intent and Grave Covenant).
The reasons the lists differ is because certain publishers won't list
books by other publishers. They all get the same list from me, but only
Bantam prints it unadulterated in the SW books.
Mike
Michael A. Stackpole
je...@MacroWerx.com wrote:
> Mike, what you do *is* important. Without art, culture dies. I know that
> *I* need to escape into someone else's imagination from time to time, just
> to survive in this crazy world we have made for ourselves. When I read
> about Corran vaping Squints, it is I in that cockpit having an adventure.
>
> You may not have saved me from chset pains, but pains in my spirit? Those,
> you have helped relieve.
Thanks for the above. I agree, but differ on one minor point: I
personally think the label ART is one that is granted after a century or
so of consideration. What I am very content and happy and proud to be
doing is entertaining folks. I fully recognize the need to escape, and
love knowing that I let folks do that. And if someone carries something
more away from the books, heck, that's super. It's just real important,
I think, for me to recalibrate my reality gauge so I don't get thinking
I'm so very important. Forgetting that I'm just a human like all the
others is something I refuse to do.
Best,
Mike
P. S. Now that Aaron, he's a total alien... :)
Aaron Allston
Michael A. Stackpole wrote:
> I'm so very important. Forgetting that I'm just a human like all the
> others is something I refuse to do.
[...]
> P. S. Now that Aaron, he's a total alien... :)
<lofty sniff> Don't listen. Genetically, I'm almost pure human.
=======================================================================
= Aaron Allston [*] E-Mail: all...@io.com =
= Writer [*] Web: http://www.io.com/~allston/ =
=======================================================================
SKOLFIELD
> Aaron Allston <all...@ix.netcom.com>
>Date: Sun, Mar 1, 1998 11:57 EST
>Message-id: <34F99379...@ix.netcom.com>
Aaron sniffed:
>Michael A. Stackpole wrote:
>> I'm so very important. Forgetting that I'm just a human like all the
>> others is something I refuse to do.
>
>[...]
>
>> P. S. Now that Aaron, he's a total alien... :)
>
><lofty sniff> Don't listen. Genetically, I'm almost pure human.
Ahhh, this is nice, isn't it? Now instead of us picking on Brett we can stick
back and watch Mike and Aaron pick on each other........
thanks guys.
"You can fool some of the people all the time,
and all the people some of the time,
but you can't fool all the people all the time."
att.to Abraham Lincoln
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <34F91F...@sprintmail.com>,::demolition work::
> Forgetting that I'm just a human like all the
> others is something I refuse to do.
After having interacted with you on this NG for the past several months (which
is a _really_ cool thing--I sure wish Katherine Kurtz were on _that_ NG), I'll
attest that you're a real person. Quite a neat person, as a matter of fact!
You're just one who can share some really great stories with the rest of us.
:-)
--Prophet Kristy
big hugs for our authors...
May the Great One be with you, always.
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <34F99379...@ix.netcom.com>,
all...@io.com wrote:
> Michael A. Stackpole wrote:
> > P. S. Now that Aaron, he's a total alien... :)
>
> <lofty sniff> Don't listen. Genetically, I'm almost pure human.
I guess we have to take your word for it, don't we? ;-P (So, WedgeFans...which
one do we believe? ::grin::)
--Prophet Kristy
and three cheers too
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <34F91E...@sprintmail.com>,
mstac...@sprintmail.com wrote:
> Kristy,
>
> The lists in the Star Wars books are complete and in chronological
> order. The Warrior books, which kick off the BattleTech stuff I've
> written, are being reprinted this year, with the first one on the
> stands. The Blood of Kerensky books, which start the current cycle of
> Btech novels are in print. Natural Selection and Assumption of Risk can
> be tough to find, but are out there. The rest are in print, though (in
> order, Bred for War, Malicious Intent and Grave Covenant).
Thanks! Now I have it from the authority. :-) Where does _A Hero Born_ fit
in? I was wondering if _Once a Hero_ went with it, or you just happened to
write two books about heroes. (Well, they're _all_ about heroes, obviously,
but you know what I mena.)
> The reasons the lists differ is because certain publishers won't list
> books by other publishers. They all get the same list from me, but only
> Bantam prints it unadulterated in the SW books.
Well, it's nice to see that they, at least, are unbiased. Of course, I need
to save my money for the X-wing comics...:::crosses her fingers and prays they
all come out in trade paperback:::
--Prophet Kristy
good thing I found a new author...Katherine Kurtz is writing really slow.
Rogue...nothing else. (saw it on a shirt today, immediately thought of Wedge)
je...@macrowerx.com
: > Mike, what you do *is* important. Without art, culture dies. I know that
: > *I* need to escape into someone else's imagination from time to time, just
: > to survive in this crazy world we have made for ourselves. When I read
: > about Corran vaping Squints, it is I in that cockpit having an adventure.
: >
: > You may not have saved me from chset pains, but pains in my spirit? Those,
: > you have helped relieve.
: Thanks for the above. I agree, but differ on one minor point: I
: personally think the label ART is one that is granted after a century or
: so of consideration. What I am very content and happy and proud to be
: doing is entertaining folks. I fully recognize the need to escape, and
: love knowing that I let folks do that. And if someone carries something
: more away from the books, heck, that's super. It's just real important,
: I think, for me to recalibrate my reality gauge so I don't get thinking
: I'm so very important. Forgetting that I'm just a human like all the
: others is something I refuse to do.
Ok, I will let you be humble and *try* not further inflate any ego you may
have kept for yourself! :) Just one minor point on the defintion of
"art". One of the best defintions of art thati have found is in Scott
McCloud's masterpiece _Understanding Comics_. Basically, (and I paraphrase
*greatly* here) anything not DIRECTLY related to our urges to eat,
survive, or mate is art. Now being a professional writer, you may debate
me again weather or not the X-Wing series is "art" by that definition.
What I am basically saying is that you don't need art to sit around a
century to attain "arthood", just lasting arthood. :)
: P. S. Now that Aaron, he's a total alien... :)
Now, now... play nice!
Michael A. Stackpole
Kristy,
A Hero Born and An Enemy Reborn are two books in a fantasy series that
is distinct and apart from Once A Hero. OAH is, in my opinion, my best
single novel, and is a fantasy. It was one of the two novels LFL read
before deciding to approve me for the line.
To the best of my knowledge, all the X-wing comics, save the first
story arc, will be coming out in collections. BattleGround Tatooine
should be coming soon, and has a forward from Timothy Zahn. (I did the
forward for DARK FORCE RISING's adaptation collection, so turn-about was
fair play.)
Tim and I also have a collaborative story (ala SIDE TRIP) coming up in
the May and August editions of the STar Wars Adventure Journal.
Best,
Mike
Michael A. Stackpole
je...@MacroWerx.com wrote:
> Ok, I will let you be humble and *try* not further inflate any ego you may
> have kept for yourself! :)
As Aaron can attest, working in the game industry is a good way to help
one annihilate ego, or make a stab at it. At Origins (big game
convention) someone who looks a lot like me hosts the Game Critics
awards in which we lampoon all that is evil and egotistical in our
field. As I noted in one of the novels, I'm egotistical enough to think
I can control my ego. And I've gotten good at it over the years.
Just one minor point on the defintion of
> "art". One of the best defintions of art thati have found is in Scott
> McCloud's masterpiece _Understanding Comics_. Basically, (and I paraphrase
> *greatly* here) anything not DIRECTLY related to our urges to eat,
> survive, or mate is art. Now being a professional writer, you may debate
> me again weather or not the X-Wing series is "art" by that definition.
Consuming art might well let what I do fall under that definition, but
for me, the urge to pay bills, eat food, etc., can be linked to what I
do. the point is well made, though, and under that definition, I guess I
would concede there's a lot of art in what I do.
>
> What I am basically saying is that you don't need art to sit around a
> century to attain "arthood", just lasting arthood. :)
Ah, but if it doesn't last, what's the point? :)
Best,
Mike
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <34FA7D...@sprintmail.com>,
mstac...@sprintmail.com wrote:
> je...@MacroWerx.com wrote:
> > Ok, I will let you be humble and *try* not further inflate any ego you may
> > have kept for yourself! :)
> As Aaron can attest, working in the game industry is a good way to
help
> one annihilate ego, or make a stab at it. At Origins (big game
> convention) someone who looks a lot like me hosts the Game Critics
> awards in which we lampoon all that is evil and egotistical in our
> field.
Heh...on that note, I was just thinking today as I walked to class that gaming
must have prepared you guys well for this line of work. Creating characters,
and putting tham in situations, an' all 'dat.
> As I noted in one of the novels, I'm egotistical enough to think
> I can control my ego. And I've gotten good at it over the years.
:-) I _love_ that scene about ego. It's one of my faves throughout the
series.
--Prophet Kristy
snipped, because I have nothing to add (it's Monday...)
May the Great One be with you, always.
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <34FA7C...@sprintmail.com>,
mstac...@sprintmail.com wrote:
>
> Kristy,
> A Hero Born and An Enemy Reborn are two books in a fantasy series that
> is distinct and apart from Once A Hero. OAH is, in my opinion, my best
> single novel, and is a fantasy. It was one of the two novels LFL read
> before deciding to approve me for the line.
Ding! ::light bulb:: Okay, now I understand. Thanks. I'll probably snag OAH
once I finish T:R. :-) (It's good. I'm glad it's long. I hate reading good
books really fast--they get over too soon.)
> To the best of my knowledge, all the X-wing comics, save the first
> story arc, will be coming out in collections.
YAY!!! ::falls on knees, thanks appropriate deities::
Sigh, I guess I'll have to hunt for the first one. Why isn't it coming as a
collection? (At the time I thought it was rather strange they were starting
with TPA. Now I see why.)
> BattleGround Tatooine
> should be coming soon, and has a forward from Timothy Zahn. (I did the
> forward for DARK FORCE RISING's adaptation collection, so turn-about was
> fair play.)
Yay...I look forward to seeing it.
> Tim and I also have a collaborative story (ala SIDE TRIP) coming up in
> the May and August editions of the STar Wars Adventure Journal.
Argh! You're so hard to keep up with! I still haven't gotten to see the
_first_ collaboration (although I'm meaning to pick up that Tales of the
Empire book for that very purpose)...
--Prophet Kristy
breaking from T:R to post here ;-)
May the Great One (and His Historians) be with you!
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <19980301195...@ladder02.news.aol.com>,
> >> others is something I refuse to do.
> >
> >
> >> P. S. Now that Aaron, he's a total alien... :)
stick
> back and watch Mike and Aaron pick on each other........
> thanks guys.
::giggle:: I thought that was pretty kewl too.
And that "lofty sniff"...what a great description. No wonder you're an
author, Aaron. ;-)
--Prophet Kristy
lowly admirer
May the Great One be with you, always.
Aaron Allston
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu (Prophet Kristy) wrote:
> Heh...on that note, I was just thinking today as I walked to class
> that gaming must have prepared you guys well for this line of work.
> Creating characters, and putting tham in situations, an' all 'dat.
Mike's experiences may differ from mine, but my feeling is that
role-playing scenario design helps the fiction writer in a couple of
ways but is no help at all in most others.
I think the place it helps most is contingency plotting. Because of the
non-linear nature of most role-playing adventures, we have to spend a
lot of effort coming up with scads and scores of alternate paths for the
characters to take to reach their goals. With luck, we'll be able to
choose the best of those for development.
In second place is world-building. With role-playing game supplements,
we have to do a tremendous amount of world-building -- not just maps and
lists of characters, but also basic assumptions of how things work, and
what ramifications those choices have on the various "systems" of the
setting.
Unfortunately, game experience doesn't help that much in developing
characters in fiction. The process of creating the character may be the
same, but forms of expression are so different between games and fiction
that there's very little crossover benefit. Character descriptions in
games consist largely of notes you might put together as recommendations
to an actor about to play a role, while character presentation in
fiction is a very different technique -- one in which you are already in
the character's head and putting him through paces where he can
demonstrate his personality. Write a scene with two characters, and
you'd better be able to multitask (not just task-switch) personalities.
Three characters, even harder. And so on.
There you have it. One long-winded response to a concise question. <g>
fr...@pathcom.com
In article <34FA7C...@sprintmail.com>,
mstac...@sprintmail.com wrote:
>
> Kristy,
>
> A Hero Born and An Enemy Reborn are two books in a fantasy series that
> is distinct and apart from Once A Hero. OAH is, in my opinion, my best
> single novel, and is a fantasy. It was one of the two novels LFL read
> before deciding to approve me for the line.
>
> To the best of my knowledge, all the X-wing comics, save the first
> story arc, will be coming out in collections. BattleGround Tatooine
> should be coming soon, and has a forward from Timothy Zahn. (I did the
> forward for DARK FORCE RISING's adaptation collection, so turn-about was
> fair play.)
>
> Tim and I also have a collaborative story (ala SIDE TRIP) coming up in
> the May and August editions of the STar Wars Adventure Journal.
>
> Best,
> Mike
>
>
Another reason to continue to bug the ppl at the local comic book stuff to
start carrying more stuff that has nothing to do with the X-men...
Sabrina
bbastabl
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
: mstac...@sprintmail.com wrote:
:> To the best of my knowledge, all the X-wing comics, save the first
:> story arc, will be coming out in collections.
: YAY!!! ::falls on knees, thanks appropriate deities::
Oh, Jeez, like Mike Richardson's ego isn't big enough already! Not
content to be the publisher of the most succesful independant comic book
company of the 80's and 90's, now you make him a god! <Grin>
: Sigh, I guess I'll have to hunt for the first one. Why isn't it coming
: as a collection? (At the time I thought it was rather strange they
: were starting with TPA. Now I see why.)
The reason probably has to do with the fact that, in all honesty, it
wasn't that good. "The Rebel Opposition" introduced alot of the
characters that would become important to the later stories, but the
interior art was mediocre, and somewhat inconsistent, and, it pains me to
say this, but some of the plotting was pretty bad. Like the X-Wing
hooking a TIE's solar panel with his lasers, and then ripping the TIE's
wing off. It had me looking back fondly at the Marvel Comics run, as they
used the same stupid trick in one of their early stories. I thought it
was stupid then, I think it was stupid now, and if I were Dark Horse, I
would be trying to sweep it under the rug, too. Sorry, Mr. Stackpole!
:> BattleGround Tatooine
:> should be coming soon, and has a forward from Timothy Zahn. (I did the
:> forward for DARK FORCE RISING's adaptation collection, so turn-about was
:> fair play.)
:
: Yay...I look forward to seeing it.
Bugger. I buy the individual issues when they come out, and miss out on
the author's forewords in the collections. <Sigh> They just want me to
buy both, I guess. BTW, if anyone is still looking for the TPB of "The
Phantom Affair", I can get one or two from my shop for y'all.
Brett Bastable Calgary, Alberta Canada
:==8O8==: ===========================================================
_Western_Wind,_When_Wilt_Thou_Blow?_ Anonymous, 15th Century
Western wind, when wilt thou blow?
The small rain down can rain?
Christ, if my love were in my arms,
And I in my bed again.
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <34FB43B5...@ix.netcom.com>,
all...@io.com wrote:
> hens...@novell.uidaho.edu (Prophet Kristy) wrote:
>
> > Heh...on that note, I was just thinking today as I walked to class
> > that gaming must have prepared you guys well for this line of work.
> > Creating characters, and putting tham in situations, an' all 'dat.
>
> Mike's experiences may differ from mine, but my feeling is that
> role-playing scenario design helps the fiction writer in a couple of
> ways but is no help at all in most others.
> There you have it. One long-winded response to a concise question. <g>
Cool. Thanks. I love getting inside info from you guys! :-)
--Prophet Kristy
you learn something every day!
Coming soon to a bookstore near you...
--Antilles/Celchu '00--
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <34fbb...@news.nucleus.com>,
bbastabl <bbas...@nucleus.com> wrote:
> hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
> : mstac...@sprintmail.com wrote:
> :> To the best of my knowledge, all the X-wing comics, save the first
> :> story arc, will be coming out in collections.
> : YAY!!! ::falls on knees, thanks appropriate deities::
> Oh, Jeez, like Mike Richardson's ego isn't big enough already! Not
> content to be the publisher of the most succesful independant comic book
> company of the 80's and 90's, now you make him a god! <Grin>
Well...um...I meant the deities to whom I was praying that the RS comics would
come out in TPB...but, whatever. :-P
--Prophet Kristy
worshiping Wedge mainly
Coming soon to a comics store near you...
Michael A. Stackpole
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
>
> Sigh, I guess I'll have to hunt for the first one. Why isn't it coming as a
> collection? (At the time I thought it was rather strange they were starting
> with TPA. Now I see why.)
As it worked out, the first story arc wasn't that good. For the trade
paperbacks, they decided, quite rightly, to lead with the hottest story
we had going. Of course, by not getting the comics as they come out, you
do miss out on Baron Fel and Wedge's sister...
>
> Argh! You're so hard to keep up with! I still haven't gotten to see the
> _first_ collaboration (although I'm meaning to pick up that Tales of the
> Empire book for that very purpose)...
Hmmm, the plan isn't working. YOu were supposed to pick that book up
right away. I'll have to tell Bantam "More Wedge content!"
Mike
Michael A. Stackpole
Aaron's dead on the mark when he notes that gaming experience helps a
writer in plotting and world building, but not so much in character
development. If you look at fantasy fiction, it's fairly easy to pick
out the gamers: great worlds, tight plots, lousy characters.
I generally recommend the book CHARACTERS AND VIEWPOINT by Orson Scott
Card (Writer's Digest Books) as a great place to get some perspective on
creating characters.
Best,
Mike
Michael A. Stackpole
bbastabl wrote:
>
> hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
> The reason probably has to do with the fact that, in all honesty, it
> wasn't that good. "The Rebel Opposition" introduced alot of the
> characters that would become important to the later stories, but the
> interior art was mediocre, and somewhat inconsistent, and, it pains me to
> say this, but some of the plotting was pretty bad.
Well, as the guy who wrote the plot, I wince when I hear this, but I
have to agree. If the scripter had actually followed my plot, the story
would have been much better. Precisely because of his inattentive and
stupid variations from my plot, the instructions that went out with each
story outline from that point forward were VERY explicit about what
could and could not go on in the series. So, without that first lousy
series, the quality level might not have come up as far as it did in the
later books.
Like the X-Wing
> hooking a TIE's solar panel with his lasers, and then ripping the TIE's
> wing off. It had me looking back fondly at the Marvel Comics run, as they
> used the same stupid trick in one of their early stories. I thought it
> was stupid then, I think it was stupid now, and if I were Dark Horse, I
> would be trying to sweep it under the rug, too. Sorry, Mr. Stackpole!
That X-wing/TIE tag thing was what caused me to specifically state in
the guidelines for stories that the X-wings are a fighting machine, they
do NOT play tag. Their weapons are zeroed at a minimum of 250 meters and
that's where they kill things. Believe me, when I saw that tag thing
come through in the pencils, I was not pleased.
It might also seem coincidental that the second story arc killed the
wookiee introduced into the series by the scripter of the first story
arc. To suggest I'm that vindictive would be, ah, what's the word I
want?
Correct, I guess. :)
Anyway, Brett, you state succinctly what I tried to state
circumspectly.
Mike
fr...@pathcom.com
In article <34FBBB...@sprintmail.com>,
mstac...@sprintmail.com wrote:
>
> bbastabl wrote:
> >
> > hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
>
> > The reason probably has to do with the fact that, in all honesty, it
> > wasn't that good. "The Rebel Opposition" introduced alot of the
> > characters that would become important to the later stories, but the
> > interior art was mediocre, and somewhat inconsistent, and, it pains me to
> > say this, but some of the plotting was pretty bad.
>
> Well, as the guy who wrote the plot, I wince when I hear this, but I
> have to agree. If the scripter had actually followed my plot, the story
> would have been much better. Precisely because of his inattentive and
> stupid variations from my plot, the instructions that went out with each
> story outline from that point forward were VERY explicit about what
> could and could not go on in the series. So, without that first lousy
> series, the quality level might not have come up as far as it did in the
> later books.
>
Edition" where the scripter does actually follow your story to the
letter...Rebel Opposition did have a few good points...It is the first story I
can think of that capitalized on the fact that Leia and Winter closely
resemble eachoter, although I admit ive read only about half of the marvel SW
collection. they are hard to find here in Toronto. It introduced Dllr, a
character I really liked. I was sorry to see him go in "The Warrior
Princess". Most importantly, It gave Wedge a chance to lead a military
movement outside of his X-wing...to admittedly varying levels of success and I
think that is important to prove that he is a rebel of many skills.
> Like the X-Wing
> > hooking a TIE's solar panel with his lasers, and then ripping the TIE's
> > wing off. It had me looking back fondly at the Marvel Comics run, as they
> > used the same stupid trick in one of their early stories. I thought it
> > was stupid then, I think it was stupid now, and if I were Dark Horse, I
> > would be trying to sweep it under the rug, too. Sorry, Mr. Stackpole!
>
> That X-wing/TIE tag thing was what caused me to specifically state in
> the guidelines for stories that the X-wings are a fighting machine, they
> do NOT play tag. Their weapons are zeroed at a minimum of 250 meters and
> that's where they kill things. Believe me, when I saw that tag thing
> come through in the pencils, I was not pleased.
It does seem a bit unlikely. All the other SW stuff describes X-wings as
being ships better designed for spaceflight rather than atmospheric ...from
that I always got the impression that they were a bit fragile, but not
as much as an A-wing...and something like using the s-foils to rip the solar
panel off of a TIE would do as much damage to the x-wing as to the TIE.
> It might also seem coincidental that the second story arc killed the
> wookiee introduced into the series by the scripter of the first story
> arc. To suggest I'm that vindictive would be, ah, what's the word I
> want?
>
> Correct, I guess. :)
>
> Anyway, Brett, you state succinctly what I tried to state
> circumspectly.
>
Best,
Mike
what can I say....er....it was a good move.
Sabrina
Jim Fisher
>The reason probably has to do with the fact that, in all honesty, it
>wasn't that good. "The Rebel Opposition" introduced alot of the
>characters that would become important to the later stories, but the
>interior art was mediocre, and somewhat inconsistent, and, it pains me to
>hooking a TIE's solar panel with his lasers, and then ripping the TIE's
>wing off. It had me looking back fondly at the Marvel Comics run, as they
>used the same stupid trick in one of their early stories. I thought it
>was stupid then, I think it was stupid now, and if I were Dark Horse, I
>would be trying to sweep it under the rug, too. Sorry, Mr. Stackpole!
I didn't like Nunis' penciling either... I just don't like his Wedge -- the
version he did for the Heir to the Empire sourcebook is horrendous....
SKOLFIELD
>bbastabl <bbas...@nucleus.com>
>Date: Tue, Mar 3, 1998 03:20 EST
>Message-id: <34fbb...@news.nucleus.com>
>
literary critic Brett wrote:
> in all honesty, it
>wasn't that good. "
> I thought it
>was stupid then, I think it was stupid now, and if I were Dark Horse, I
>would be trying to sweep it under the rug, too. Sorry, Mr. Stackpole!
>
>
Why Brett, what a refreshing post! I find the lack of kissing up to be a heady
departure for you. Keep up the good work!
bbastabl
Michael A. Stackpole <mstac...@sprintmail.com> wrote:
: bbastabl wrote:
:> The reason probably has to do with the fact that, in all honesty, it
:> wasn't that good. "The Rebel Opposition" introduced alot of the
:> characters that would become important to the later stories, but the
:> interior art was mediocre, and somewhat inconsistent, and, it pains me to
:> say this, but some of the plotting was pretty bad.
: Well, as the guy who wrote the plot, I wince when I hear this, but I
: have to agree.
You don't know how difficult it was to write that critique, knowing that
you were responsible, and present in the NG, and so talented otherwise.
I'd always assumed that there had been some glitches related to the first
time through (after all, the pilot episodes of most TV shows tend to be
weak and in need of touch up work).
: If the scripter had actually followed my plot, the story
: would have been much better. Precisely because of his inattentive and
: stupid variations from my plot, the instructions that went out with each
: story outline from that point forward were VERY explicit about what
: could and could not go on in the series. So, without that first lousy
: series, the quality level might not have come up as far as it did in the
: later books.
To get into the background of this again, would it be fair to say the
first arc was plotted using the looser "Marvel Comics" style of scripting,
and that the later ones have had you delivering a full script? Even if
you are not actually scripting the work. But, if the first arc forced the
improvements we've seen since, I can live with it.
And, out of curiousity, would you feel right telling us how you had the
story plotted, and where the scripter took the unexpected left turns? Or,
would you rather "forever hold your piece."
:> Like the X-Wing
:> hooking a TIE's solar panel with his lasers, and then ripping the TIE's
:> wing off. It had me looking back fondly at the Marvel Comics run, as they
:> used the same stupid trick in one of their early stories. I thought it
:> was stupid then, I think it was stupid now, and if I were Dark Horse, I
:> would be trying to sweep it under the rug, too. Sorry, Mr. Stackpole!
:
: That X-wing/TIE tag thing was what caused me to specifically state in
: the guidelines for stories that the X-wings are a fighting machine, they
: do NOT play tag. Their weapons are zeroed at a minimum of 250 meters and
: that's where they kill things. Believe me, when I saw that tag thing
: come through in the pencils, I was not pleased.
That I can believe. Had it been plotted generically as "three pages of
dogfighting", and then the scripter put in this atrocity, or had you
worked out the action in more detail, and he just chose to ignore you?
Given your detailed descriptions of dogfights in the novels, I would
assume the latter scenario, but then again, I can't believe a professional
would do that to another's work. But, as you say, things improved
exponentially with "The Phantom Affair", which is a good thing. After
"The Rebel Opposition" I was _this_ close to dropping the series. <Shrug>
: It might also seem coincidental that the second story arc killed the
: wookiee introduced into the series by the scripter of the first story
: arc. To suggest I'm that vindictive would be, ah, what's the word I
: want?
:
: Correct, I guess. :)
Interesting insight into your character, and how characters develop (or,
don't) in an ongoing work of fiction. So, was the Wookie character an
entirely out of the blue insertion, or a modification of an intended
character?
: Anyway, Brett, you state succinctly what I tried to state
: circumspectly.
That's me. Ask anyone around here, and they will agree that "tact" is not
my strong point. "Tack", certainly, but not "tact". And, for the record,
I hadn't seen your circumspect acknowledgement of the weakness of the
first arc until nearly a day after I posted my commentary.
With deepest respect,
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <34FBB9...@sprintmail.com>,
mstac...@sprintmail.com wrote:
> hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
> > Sigh, I guess I'll have to hunt for the first one. Why isn't it coming as
a
> > collection? (At the time I thought it was rather strange they were
starting
> > with TPA. Now I see why.)
> As it worked out, the first story arc wasn't that good. For the trade
> paperbacks, they decided, quite rightly, to lead with the hottest story
> we had going.
Probably a wise decision, I guess.
> Of course, by not getting the comics as they come out, you
> do miss out on Baron Fel and Wedge's sister...
::pout:: Brett? Can you get one of those for moi? ::smiles sweetly::
> > Argh! You're so hard to keep up with! I still haven't gotten to see the
> > _first_ collaboration (although I'm meaning to pick up that Tales of the
> > Empire book for that very purpose)...
> Hmmm, the plan isn't working. YOu were supposed to pick that book up
> right away. I'll have to tell Bantam "More Wedge content!"
Well, Mike, that should go without saying! We _always_ want more Wedge
content! At times I almost want more Wedge content in the X-wing books! ;-)
I know, I want to pick up books right away, but as a starving college
student, sometimes it isn't quite possible. Maybe I could dust bookshelves
for them...
--Prophet Kristy
alms for the student?
May the Great One be with you, always.
--Antilles/Celchu '00--
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <34FBBA...@sprintmail.com>,
mstac...@sprintmail.com wrote:
> If you look at fantasy fiction, it's fairly easy to pick
> out the gamers: great worlds, tight plots, lousy characters.
::scornful noise:: Sorry, I beg to differ there, Mike. Your characters are
awesome. (Aaron's are too!) Don't belittle yourself. You're a very talented
writer.
--Prophet Kristy
having just finished Talion: Revenant, which was _great_!
Michael A. Stackpole
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
>
> ::scornful noise:: Sorry, I beg to differ there, Mike. Your characters are
> awesome. (Aaron's are too!) Don't belittle yourself. You're a very talented
> writer.
Kristy, modesty prevented me from mentioning that Aaron and I are the
writers who spoil the grading curve for the others. :)
Glad you liked Talion: Revenant. Not bad for a first novel, I thought.
Best,
Mike
Michael A. Stackpole
bbastabl wrote:
> You don't know how difficult it was to write that critique, knowing that
> you were responsible, and present in the NG, and so talented otherwise.
Don't sweat my being here. I don't mind opinions, even critical ones,
when they're based in fact and, as in this case, are right.
> To get into the background of this again, would it be fair to say the
> first arc was plotted using the looser "Marvel Comics" style of scripting,
> and that the later ones have had you delivering a full script?
The scripting WAS looser, but it wasn't a Marvel story creation
process. The basic problem was that I'd assumed the scripter knew the
universe as well as I did, and I was proven very wrong.
> And, out of curiousity, would you feel right telling us how you had the
> story plotted, and where the scripter took the unexpected left turns? Or,
> would you rather "forever hold your piece."
The insertion of the whole Wookiee subplot was not mine and the
planetary governor who popped in late was supposed to be another scene
with the true villain of the piece. The scripter lost track of who was
whom in the middle of the book, hence this one weird scene where this
guy flits through and is never seen again. And the weird
cat/stormtrooper armor was all his thinking, too, which was dumb. The
core of the plot was mine, but all this ephemera was added which just
didn't work.
>
> That I can believe. Had it been plotted generically as "three pages of
> dogfighting", and then the scripter put in this atrocity, or had you
> worked out the action in more detail, and he just chose to ignore you?
It was a very loose [insert dogfight here], but so it was in all the
other books. The difference came in the guidelines that evolved after
this first book.
>
> : It might also seem coincidental that the second story arc killed the
> : wookiee introduced into the series by the scripter of the first story
> : arc. To suggest I'm that vindictive would be, ah, what's the word I
> : want?
> :
> : Correct, I guess. :)
>
> Interesting insight into your character, and how characters develop (or,
> don't) in an ongoing work of fiction. So, was the Wookie character an
> entirely out of the blue insertion, or a modification of an intended
> character?
Out of the blue and I hated it the second I saw it because it was a
retread of the Han Solo/Chewie story. I HATE retreading like that.
Best,
Mike
SKOLFIELD
>"Michael A. Stackpole" <mstac...@sprintmail.com>
>Date: Tue, Mar 3, 1998 03:03 EST
>Message-id: <34FBB9...@sprintmail.com>
the noted Wedge historian wrote:
<snip>>Hmmm, the plan isn't working. YOu were supposed to pick that book up
>right away. I'll have to tell Bantam "More Wedge content!"
Yes, yes. You can never have too much of a good thing. Although I have to ask
the question--exactly how much weight DO you have with Bantam?
Jim Fisher
>Hmmm, the plan isn't working. YOu were supposed to pick that book up
>right away. I'll have to tell Bantam "More Wedge content!"
Hell, I picked up Tales from the Empire and I own every issue of the
Adventure Journal already.... <g>
AFA telling Bantam... we might be better off telling Randomhouse/Del Rey,
with them having the new contract and all... ;-)
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <34FE58...@sprintmail.com>,
mstac...@sprintmail.com wrote:
> hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
> >
> > ::scornful noise:: Sorry, I beg to differ there, Mike. Your characters
are
> > awesome. (Aaron's are too!) Don't belittle yourself. You're a very
talented
> > writer.
> Kristy, modesty prevented me from mentioning that Aaron and I are the
> writers who spoil the grading curve for the others. :)
As long as you think you can keep your ego under control. ;-)
> Glad you liked Talion: Revenant. Not bad for a first novel, I thought.
Yeah, not bad for a first try. :-) If I ever get my email working again, you
may just get a letter about that book!
--Prophet Kristy
what to read now?
Coming to a bookstore near you,
Noell Milota
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
>
> In article <34FE58...@sprintmail.com>,
> mstac...@sprintmail.com wrote:
[snip]
> > Glad you liked Talion: Revenant. Not bad for a first novel, I
> > thought.
Not bad for _any_ novel, let alone a first. My husband and I both loved
it. :)
> Yeah, not bad for a first try. :-) If I ever get my email working
> again, you may just get a letter about that book!
>
> --Prophet Kristy
> what to read now?
If you haven't read them yet, I highly recommend Once A Hero and A Hero
Born, both by Mike. I enjoyed them as much as Talion: Revenant, though
in different ways. Both excellent books, in my opinion.
If you're still looking for something to read, and you like fantasy, I
also highly recommend Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (though the
wait between books has gotten brutal lately).
--
Noell Milota <no...@sprintmail.com>
Hoping for sequels to Talion: Revenant, Once A Hero, and A Hero Born!
Ben Yendall
Is the four part short story that you wrote with Timothy Zhan also published in an
anthology of AJ stories with other quite decent shorts?(ie. tales from the empire
edited by Peter Schweighofer) expandiing on corrans relationship with his father
from what I have read of each of you:
Mr Zahn nows how to do long range plotting slightly more throughly
With your writings the plot 'seems' less predicatble
Decent colabertaion, both sets of origional characters were well done by both
parties and the story was entertaining
In Specter of the Past Zahn seemed to stay quite true to what I understood of your
charatcers and you used Talon Karde very effectively and aleast to me very in the
X-Wing books.
Question: What would you suspect by your writing what wedges' startship piloting:
X-wing skill would be? On account of having tried some of the piloting he's done
are not inline with the west-end games scorce book stats.
Ben Yendall
Jim Fisher wrote:
> >Hmmm, the plan isn't working. YOu were supposed to pick that book up
> >right away. I'll have to tell Bantam "More Wedge content!"
>
> Hell, I picked up Tales from the Empire and I own every issue of the
> Adventure Journal already.... <g>
>
> AFA telling Bantam... we might be better off telling Randomhouse/Del Rey,
> with them having the new contract and all... ;-)
Quite true or is it that they got the ruddy contract back? (splinters of the
minds eye, the han solo trilogy and the lando calrisian trilogy)question what
are the rules for sensors in vol:5
I have been looking around my city and cannot find a copy for sale
BPHauman
> If you're still looking for something to read, and you like fantasy, I
> also highly recommend Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (though the
> wait between books has gotten brutal lately).
Ayuh. I got given all seven of these suckers about 4 months ago... and I'm
about 150 pages into book #6. Whew!
The only time I stopped reading them was to read WS <g>. I hope to get thru #6
in time to read I, Jedi.
Speaking of which, the more I hear about this one the more I wanna read it....
Brandy
-------------------------------------------------
A chance to live again
To breathe the air, let freedom in
To face the world a different man
Be who I might have never been
- Shaw/Blades
bbastabl
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
: mstac...@sprintmail.com wrote:
:> Of course, by not getting the comics as they come out, you
:> do miss out on Baron Fel and Wedge's sister...
:
: ::pout:: Brett? Can you get one of those for moi? ::smiles sweetly::
Umm, sure, I think my shop still has all four of the "In The Empire's
Service" story arc, and "The Making of Baron Fel" one shot, and I know
that they still have the "Family Ties" two parter. Send me your snail
mail address and I will send the sacred documents your way. Who says I
can't be sweet and considerate when I want to be? <Grin>
:> hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
:> > Argh! You're so hard to keep up with! I still haven't gotten to
:> > see the _first_ collaboration (although I'm meaning to pick up
:> > that Tales of the Empire book for that very purpose)...
:> Hmmm, the plan isn't working. YOu were supposed to pick that book up
:> right away. I'll have to tell Bantam "More Wedge content!"
:
: Well, Mike, that should go without saying! We _always_ want more Wedge
: content! At times I almost want more Wedge content in the X-wing books! ;-)
Wedge! Wedge! We Want More Wedge! Wedge! Wedge! Waaaaaa-aaaaaay
Wedge!
: I know, I want to pick up books right away, but as a starving college
: student, sometimes it isn't quite possible. Maybe I could dust
: bookshelves for them...
Pssst! Get a part time job in a book store -- you earn money, get an
employee discount, and will know in advance when new books are going to be
coming out. Cool, eh? Too bad I had to put myself through University by
working at a gas station, or else that would have been the job for me!
May Literacy be with you, Always!
bbastabl
:> first arc was plotted using the looser "Marvel Comics" style of scripting,
:> and that the later ones have had you delivering a full script?
:
: The scripting WAS looser, but it wasn't a Marvel story creation
: process. The basic problem was that I'd assumed the scripter knew the
: universe as well as I did, and I was proven very wrong.
Ahh, I see. So, have you established a trivia quiz to ask prospective new
scripters to determine whether they actually know the background material?
I can see it now -- "What ... is the Tantive IV? Who ... is Captain
Antilles? What ... is the airspeed of a Swallow?" <Grin>
:> And, out of curiousity, would you feel right telling us how you had the
:> story plotted, and where the scripter took the unexpected left turns? Or,
:> would you rather "forever hold your piece."
:
: The insertion of the whole Wookiee subplot was not mine and the
: planetary governor who popped in late was supposed to be another scene
: with the true villain of the piece. The scripter lost track of who was
: whom in the middle of the book, hence this one weird scene where this
: guy flits through and is never seen again.
And this, I assume, would also explain why the Rogues were given the same
information twice, as though they'd never heard it before, and acted
surprised by it both times? I'd've thought that the editor would have
been on top of this situation. <Shrug>
: And the weird
: cat/stormtrooper armor was all his thinking, too, which was dumb. The
: core of the plot was mine, but all this ephemera was added which just
: didn't work.
As much as I enjoyed the original Marvel Comics run at the time, I have to
admit they were pretty cheesy at times, and this plot device felt like
more of the same. Lame super-hero plotlines, disguised as an SW story,
was the standard practice during the Marvel days, and I had got to
thinking that this was the only way that comics _could_ do SW, and then
"TPA" came out, and I felt like I was watching still frames from the next
movie. Maybe it was just Mr. Biukovic's artwork, but I believe it was
definitely a story that was true to the spirit of SW that really hooked
me. Thanks for making it work.
:> That I can believe. Had it been plotted generically as "three pages of
:> dogfighting", and then the scripter put in this atrocity, or had you
:> worked out the action in more detail, and he just chose to ignore you?
:
: It was a very loose [insert dogfight here], but so it was in all the
: other books. The difference came in the guidelines that evolved after
: this first book.
You live, you learn. I'm glad you got it straightened out so quickly.
:> : It might also seem coincidental that the second story arc killed the
:> : wookiee introduced into the series by the scripter of the first story
:> : arc. To suggest I'm that vindictive would be, ah, what's the word I
:> : want?
:> :
:> : Correct, I guess. :)
:>
:> Interesting insight into your character, and how characters develop (or,
:> don't) in an ongoing work of fiction. So, was the Wookie character an
:> entirely out of the blue insertion, or a modification of an intended
:> character?
:
: Out of the blue and I hated it the second I saw it because it was a
: retread of the Han Solo/Chewie story. I HATE retreading like that.
Totally agreed on that point. I couldn't believe it when I read the
circumstances surrounding the Wookie's involvement. I think that there is
room for other Wookie character's, but, please, no more Life Debts to
humans. Of course, when the Wookie was killed in the second arc, I
thought maybe it had been planned all along to show just how serious the
Life Debt was, and Elscol's subsequent deterioration into reckless near
insanity a study on the effect that loss can have on some one. I never
dreamed it was ... a petty and vindictive act by one author against
another. <Grin> I suppose it could be viewed as a case of art by
accident, what with my reading more into the story than was there.
bbastabl
SKOLFIELD <skol...@aol.com> wrote:
: literary critic Brett wrote:
:> in all honesty, it wasn't that good.
: and
:> I thought it was stupid then, I think it was stupid now, and if I
:> were Dark Horse, I would be trying to sweep it under the rug, too.
:> Sorry, Mr. Stackpole!
:
: be a heady departure for you. Keep up the good work!
<Spluttering indignantly> What? Me kissing up!?! I can be accused of a
lot of heinous crimes, but "kissing up" is not one of them! Sheesh! I
guess it is time for me to make some gratuitously crass and sexually
deranged comments!
Unless, you were being facetious, and this was an attempt to make me
overreact ... Naah, couldn't be!
Could it?
Aaron Allston
Ben Yendall wrote:
> question what are the rules for sensors in vol:5
Assuming vol:5 refers to WRAITH SQUADRON, I don't quite understand the
question. Rules for sensors?
("All sensors must sit quietly at their desks. There will be no talking
between sensors. Sensors may not look at one anothers' papers. When a
sensor's name is called, he will stand up to answer the question put to
him.")
=======================================================================
= Aaron Allston [*] E-Mail: all...@io.com =
= Writer [*] Web: http://www.io.com/~allston/ =
=======================================================================
Michael A. Stackpole
Noell,
thanks for the plug on Once a Hero and A Hero Born. An Enemy Reborn,
the sequel to AHB, is currently on sale.
I'd also recommend J. Gregory Keyes' THE WATERBORN as a very cool
fantasy, and Dennis L. McKiernan's Caverns of Socrates as agood into to
Dennis' high fantasy. Dennis is a great writer, and I love his work, but
his high fantasy language can take some getting used to. Dennis is to
Tolkein what American Football is to Rugby.
Best,
Mike
Michael A. Stackpole
SKOLFIELD wrote:
> Yes, yes. You can never have too much of a good thing. Although I have to ask
> the question--exactly how much weight DO you have with Bantam?
Um, not much, really. Bantam is very kind in listening to suggestions,
but now that the SW universe is with Del Rey/Ballantine, my influence
with Bantam is really besides the point. <G>
Best,
Mike Stackpole
Michael A. Stackpole
Ben Yendall wrote:
>
> Is the four part short story that you wrote with Timothy Zhan also published in an
> anthology of AJ stories with other quite decent shorts?(ie. tales from the empire
> edited by Peter Schweighofer) expandiing on corrans relationship with his father
Yes, it's in TALES OF THE EMPIRE, as a matter of fact.
> from what I have read of each of you:
> Mr Zahn nows how to do long range plotting slightly more throughly
> With your writings the plot 'seems' less predicatble
> Decent colabertaion, both sets of origional characters were well done by both
> parties and the story was entertaining
> In Specter of the Past Zahn seemed to stay quite true to what I understood of your
> charatcers and you used Talon Karde very effectively and aleast to me very in the
> X-Wing books.
Tim and I check each other's work, so that's why the charcters remain
true to the original author.
> Question: What would you suspect by your writing what wedges' startship piloting:
> X-wing skill would be? On account of having tried some of the piloting he's done
> are not inline with the west-end games scorce book stats.
I treat the WEst End stuff as Gospel, so that's why the correspondence
you've noticed is there.
Best,
Mike
fr...@pathcom.com
In article <34FFB2...@sprintmail.com>,
the Bantam contracts are done? I wonder of Del Rey is going to actually
acknowlege the existence of the Bantam stuff so that future newbies will be
able to keep track of the Star Wars chronology...
Sabrina
Noell Milota
>Noell,
>
> thanks for the plug on Once a Hero and A Hero Born. An Enemy Reborn,
>the sequel to AHB, is currently on sale.
<grinning from ear to ear>
Thank you for letting me know about An Enemy Reborn, and especially for
writing it. I'll definitely pick it up this weekend. :)
--
Noell Milota <no...@sprintmail.com>
==================================================================
Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize
a mistake when you make it again.
-- F. P. Jones
==================================================================
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu
In article <6dqdu3$em4$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,
fr...@pathcom.com wrote:
> So, when does all the publishing move over to Del Rey anyways? after all of
> the Bantam contracts are done?
Good question. I missed why the publishing contract switched companies,
anyway...I must not have been paying attention again.
> I wonder of Del Rey is going to actually
> acknowlege the existence of the Bantam stuff so that future newbies will be
> able to keep track of the Star Wars chronology...
I hope so, but it seems to me that Del Rey is not very good about listing
books by other publishers. ::shrug:: I guess we'll see.
--Prophet Kristy
homework? nah, it's only saturday.
Coming to a bookstore near you...
--Antilles/Celchu '00--
fr...@pathcom.com
In article <6dsfsl$jji$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,
hens...@novell.uidaho.edu wrote:
>
> In article <6dqdu3$em4$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,
> fr...@pathcom.com wrote:
> > So, when does all the publishing move over to Del Rey anyways? after all
of
> > the Bantam contracts are done?
>
> Good question. I missed why the publishing contract switched companies,
> anyway...I must not have been paying attention again.
>
> > I wonder of Del Rey is going to actually
> > acknowlege the existence of the Bantam stuff so that future newbies will
be
> > able to keep track of the Star Wars chronology...
>
> I hope so, but it seems to me that Del Rey is not very good about listing
> books by other publishers. ::shrug:: I guess we'll see.
>
> --Prophet Kristy
> homework? nah, it's only saturday.
>
got the contract for all the new SW novels..they only mention that they are
doing all of those coffee-table type SW books and the novellization for the
prequels...
Sabrina
SKOLFIELD
> bbastabl <bbas...@nucleus.com>
>Date: Fri, Mar 6, 1998 01:54 EST
>Message-id: <34ff9...@news.nucleus.com>
Brett spluttered:
><Spluttering indignantly> What? Me kissing up!?! I can be accused of a
>lot of heinous crimes, but "kissing up" is not one of them! Sheesh! I
>guess it is time for me to make some gratuitously crass and sexually
>deranged comments!
>Unless, you were being facetious, and this was an attempt to make me
>overreact ... Naah, couldn't be!
>
>Could it?
Well I was so disappointed when you didn't overreact to my post about you and
Quiara that I felt I had to try again. Thank you for not letting me down this
time.
Your Humble and Grateful Servant,
Ben Yendall
Aaron Allston wrote:
actualy no it involes adveture journal vol 5 of the sw rpg 2nd edition
bbastabl
SKOLFIELD <skol...@aol.com> wrote:
: Brett spluttered:
:><Spluttering indignantly> What? Me kissing up!?! I can be accused of a
:>lot of heinous crimes, but "kissing up" is not one of them! Sheesh! I
:>guess it is time for me to make some gratuitously crass and sexually
:>deranged comments!
:>
:>Unless, you were being facetious, and this was an attempt to make me
:>overreact ... Naah, couldn't be!
:>
:>Could it?
:
: Well I was so disappointed when you didn't overreact to my post about
: you and Quiara that I felt I had to try again. Thank you for not
: letting me down this time.
Arrgh! I hate it when they do that!
I'll get you for that, Gadget! Maybe not today, maybe not tommorrow, but
someday, soon, and when you least expect it --- Bang! Zoom! To the moon,
Alice, To The Moon! Or, cliches to that effect.
May the Puck be with you, Always!
HB Pencil
If the editor who inherited the series at the tail end of "Rebel Opposition"
may chime in:
The decision to publish the TPB of "The Phantom Affair" first was based on the
following factors: 1) Despite the lurching nature of the publishing schedule on
the issues due to the immensely talented but oh so late Eddy Biukovic, TPA
remains one of the most highly praised story arcs in XWRS, as well as in the
rest of the DH SW publishing program. 2) why rerun a dramatically flawed work,
if not for money? I won't say that Dark Horse is above that, but the quality
issue was a compelling argument when it came time to start the XWRS trade
paperback program.
Y'always gotta throw away the first pancake, etc. etc.
Peet Janes
Dark Horse Comics/pe...@dhorse.com
fr...@pathcom.com
In article <199803180417...@ladder03.news.aol.com>,
hbpe...@aol.com (HB Pencil) wrote:
>
> If the editor who inherited the series at the tail end of "Rebel Opposition"
> may chime in:
> The decision to publish the TPB of "The Phantom Affair" first was based on
the
> following factors: 1) Despite the lurching nature of the publishing schedule
on
> the issues due to the immensely talented but oh so late Eddy Biukovic, TPA
> remains one of the most highly praised story arcs in XWRS, as well as in the
> rest of the DH SW publishing program.
Hold on....maybe ive been under my rock working on my essay for Politics class
for too long...but what do you mean by the "oh so late Eddy Biukovic?"
2) why rerun a dramatically flawed
work,
> if not for money? I won't say that Dark Horse is above that, but the quality
> issue was a compelling argument when it came time to start the XWRS trade
> paperback program.
> Y'always gotta throw away the first pancake, etc. etc.
> Peet Janes
> Dark Horse Comics/pe...@dhorse.com
>
Sabrina