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**dreamshell** · 06-16-2015, 01:18 PM

Cool plants:
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19 Lesser-Known Travel Destinations To Visit Before You Die
Eric Lafforgue's albums
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Waters of the Sama-Bajau "Sea Nomads," Orang Laut

**Vesnic** · 06-16-2015, 06:44 PM

Originally posted by dreamshell View Post

...and get us started on a different, perhaps more optimistic train of thought.

Thanks for that thinly veiled jab at me for being the forum downer. In case you hadn't noticed, I also tend to be the one to wake things up after long periods of stultification and I start interesting conversations and keep them going, whether they be optimistic, pessimistic or nothing-istic at all, just exploratory.

Over the years, I have also shared a great deal on here about my travels and experiences, with the inclusion of several photos of places whose pictures I took in a positive frame of mind. Imagine that! Perhaps you just haven't been around long enough, but yeah, thanks for that overlong list of completely random places. I'm sure it will enrich the level of optimism here immensely. And once again, thanks for shitting on my efforts to share my feelings, to imbue those feelings with some heart and soul as well as ideas. That's not an easy thing to do in the virtual world or in the real one.

But you know what? I've got some great snaps I took in Cornwall, which I see made it onto the list at least twice. Seeing as I'm by far the best traveled here, all you had to do was ask and I could have spun you a thrilling yarn or two. But perhaps you're afraid there might be an element of negativity in one of my stories, in which case I can always just send you a picture of a pretty Cornish garden and it will no doubt be a thousand words worth of inspiring.

**dreamshell** · 06-16-2015, 08:11 PM

...Jesus Christ, Ves. :|

Okay, despite the fact that you've sort of summarily taken a dump on my first attempt at creating a thread (something you indirectly inspired in a positive way), I'll attempt to respond diplomatically.

1.) There was no "thinly veiled jab" at you for being a "forum downer." Sure, you've written some pretty heavy and even downright depressing stuff from time to time, but I would neither blame nor mock you for it (if that's indeed what you think I'm doing with this, which... why would I waste my time?). When I mentioned wanting to add something optimistic, it wasn't some personal backlash against you - real humble of you to imagine so, by the way. But since you brought it up, the conversation in the other thread had indeed gotten a little dolorous, and this forum tends to be pretty sardonic besides, so I thought why not actually be a constructive member (and since I seem to need to preface my intent all the time, the concept of "being a constructive member" is also not a jab at you) and provide somewhere for us to discuss this thing that I was already thinking about and feeling personally inspired by? None of it is an attack on you; I've enjoyed our conversations. Hell, I've told you before I appreciate the things you bring to the forum.

2.) Thanks for whipping out the "guess you haven't been here long enough" card so quickly, it's nice to know the few years I've been here (albeit quietly) mean so much. (Fine, that's not very diplomatic, but c'mon. What do you want me to do, archive-binge the entire forum?)

3.) I didn't know you'd been to Cornwall. I don't know much about your travels at all. You mention Germany a lot, and in a rather bad light, yes. Look, I don't begrudge you your right to complain at all. But putting aside the fact it never even occurred to me to ask you about your own adventures - which I would certainly be open to hearing about - can you blame me for having been disinclined if I did? No, we don't need to be vapid shiny happy people all the damn time, but I don't see why sharing a few places is somehow trampling upon your freedom to vent your frustrations when you need to, nor anyone's ability to have meaningful discussion. However attacked you're at least projecting yourself as feeling right now, I sort of have a similar feeling for trying to offer up something of myself in an attempt to try and inspire others creatively and maybe cheer them up a bit.

**End Master** · 06-16-2015, 09:10 PM

Lol.

Well, if my opinion means anything on the matter Dreamshell, I wasn't in a downbeat or depressed mood, but as I've already mentioned before I'm not much of a traveller if I can help it, so I don't have much to contribute to the conversation.

So anyone else want to help out Dreamshell with his questions? DEP? Usoki? Bat? Locke? I'm guessing Locke is a big world traveller. Chubby would probably mention all the places he's been too if he wasn't banned and probably lying in a gutter somewhere. (Probably an American one or possibly Mexican one)

**donteatpoop** · 06-16-2015, 09:36 PM

https://www.google.com/search?q=aban...NCh2RewnM]This is one of my favorites. Yeah, it's just a google image search, but I could click through those over and over again and just let my mind wander where it may.

I guess that's all well and good for post-apocalypse settings, but what else?

I'll be honest. Inspiration hits me usually through one of the following.

I'll be taking a shit without a book to read and have an ah-ha moment.

The shower.

Just before I fall asleep.

And perhaps even more commonly, I'll wake up from a dream and start scribbling in my notepad. I keep a notepad near the bed because I have a lot of dreams that form the fragments of my stories.

Also weed, alcohol, and deep thought.

Another one is talking 'what if' scenario's through with other people.

And another thing I do is look at a story and think; 'what if they had done this instead of that, what would the outcome be?'

Those are the main ways that I get creative. I guess only the first thing I posted really answers what you were saying but I got so distracted by your thinly veiled jabs at my forum presence that I wasn't able to concentrate on finding solid answers to your questions.

No really, though. I do keep coming back to an idea I had as a teen but never seem to do anything with. It's kind of abstract but I think it could be fun. I want to take pictures of the ground. Like go to the park, take some pics. And then, pretend everything is miniature and that these ground pics are the landscape where shit happens. Then draw some houses or villages or buildings or whatnot on the pictures. And build a story from there. Still haven't done anything with it, but I sometimes remember that I thought it would be cool and sometimes through nostalgia actually believe that it can be done.

**End Master** · 06-17-2015, 12:37 AM

Originally posted by donteatpoop View Post

https://www.google.com/search?q=aban...NCh2RewnM]This is one of my favorites. Yeah, it's just a google image search, but I could click through those over and over again and just let my mind wander where it may.

Damn it DEP, some of those pics were of the old place of birth and now I'm homesick again. (Sniff!)

Anyway, I thought of something after all.

I find people's behavior and conversations (regardless of their nature) to play more of a role in terms of writing inspiration, rather than places.

The "place" is still important of course since its where all the action and important events are going to be taking shape in the story, but it's typically the people, monsters, beasts, aliens, etc. that are in it that move things along so I tend to focus more on that instead. (Usually with massive amounts of dialog)

So the place I choose is based more on matching it up with the type of people I want to write about along with whatever strikes my fancy at the moment.

**dreamshell** · 06-17-2015, 05:21 AM

Thanks for the feedback, both of you. DEP, your idea of blowing up pics of ground scenes into landscapes sounds pretty interesting - reminds me of how I'll get ideas for different SF settings or an alien species by watching (television specials on) insects or other small animals. Imagine if a simple tree were big enough to function as an entire city, for example. Also reminds me of that movie 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.'

The abandoned buildings are cool, too. Urban decay has a strange beauty. There's plenty of 'rural' decay around me, but I generally don't take a close look on account of not wanting anything to collapse on me or give me tetanus.

**Vesnic** · 06-17-2015, 09:32 AM

Originally posted by donteatpoop View Post

...but I got so distracted by your thinly veiled jabs at my forum presence that I wasn't able to concentrate on finding solid answers to your questions.

No need to take a bite out of my tail. I didn't do anything to you.

**donteatpoop** · 06-17-2015, 09:10 PM

Originally posted by Vesnic View Post

No need to take a bite out of my tail. I didn't do anything to you.

Sorry. I should have included a tongue-out emoticon perhaps? Just a jab vessy poo. You know I love you.

**donteatpoop** · 06-17-2015, 09:16 PM

I agree with End on people-watching kind of being a motivator too.

Here's one that really works for me. It seems counter-intuitive I think, but taking a break from writing and trying to focus on a different creative process. Like I'm 90% done creating the prototpye for a tile laying card purchasing game. I dind't get to 100% because i started thinking about a story.

Sometime you get burned out. You'll still be writing every day if you're anything at all like me, even if its just a facebook rpg or random forum posts. So you won't be out of practice.

Hey, check out fiasco. One time I was stuck for coming up with something to write and I set up the characters for a story via fiasco, changing roles and what-not to make it fit. Ended up writing a story about a marijuana botonist, the russian mob, and a teddy-bear stuffed with diamonds which was stolen from a russian mobster by a hooker who is dating the botonist. Chaos ensued.

**End Master** · 06-19-2015, 07:07 AM

Heh, I heard about the Fiasco RPG on Tabletop.

Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXJxQ0NbFtk

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj7NcdDh-WM

We tend to play a lot of story driven board/card games rather than outright RPGs, but I'd recommend the "Once Upon a Time" card game (And all the expansions!) as one that encourages a lot of creativity and could spark future story ideas.

**dreamshell** · 06-19-2015, 08:16 AM

Yeah, DEP directed me to the TableTop eps not too long ago and Fiasco looks pretty entertaining. Once Upon a Time looks somewhat similar, but with a fairy tale theme, right? There's also another one called Gloom which is like a Gothic wet dream for a Tim Burton or Edward Gorey fan.

**End Master** · 06-19-2015, 08:57 AM

Yep, I got Gloom and all the expansions as well. (I tend to be a completionist when I really like a game)

I know play throughs of Fortune & Glory, Last Night on Earth and Betrayal at the House on the Hill are on Table Top, and I can definitely agree those are pretty fun and sort of have a story element to them.

Three more story driven games that aren't on there that I'd recommend are Tales of Arabian Nights, Agents of S.M.E.R.S.H. and the B-Movie card game series.

Tales and Agents are almost literally "CYOA the board game." Tales is especially so. It's more about the adventure than whether you win. As you'd expect it's set in the Arabian Nights world so you got djinns, Vizers, magic and a bunch of other stuff related to the setting to encounter.

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3...arabian-nights

Agents is more of a co-op game set in the 70s spy world similar to old James Bond stuff. All the players are trying to stop Dr. Lobo from taking over the world and much like Tales, you get a big ass book of numbered encounters to go through.

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/111105/agents-smersh

The "B-Movie" card game series is a little more like Gloom in that you personally tend to create your own story as you're playing. It isn't necessary, but it makes the game more fun. The original set was horror based, but later on they came out with deck dedicated to old adventure movies, fantasy movies, kung fu movies, etc.

http://boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/B-Movie_Series#

Unfortunately the B-Movie games are out of print, though I'm sure they can still be found. Tales of Arabian Nights is supposed to get a reprint and Agents is already getting another edition.

**donteatpoop** · 06-19-2015, 11:27 AM

I have both Gloom and Once Upon a Time. Not too big on Gloom.

Once Upon a Time is pretty cool though, a storytelling game (not RPG) where you're all working towards steering the story to their secret ending card by getting rid of all their story-element cards until you have only one left (the secret ending) and BOOM secret end it. My kids like the game.

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