Interviewing Characters: Follow the Energy - Conversations with Dale On November 13, 2007 I ran out of plot for the NaNoWriMo novel I was writing. I had no idea what to write next. That’s not uncommon for NaNo novelists, but I hadda do something to jiggle myself loose. In NaNoWriMo, word count is everything, and I couldn’t afford to fall behind. So I tried something I hadn’t tried before: I interviewed my characters. Well, that turned out to be more interesting than I’d anticipated. I didn’t use any pre-planned questionnaire. Instead, I did what I do in many real-life interviews: Follow the energy. Ask a question that invites the character to tell me something newListen for emotional intensity in the answer. Rather than describing this process in detail, I’ll let you read the interviews as I conducted them, unedited. Some background: The novel involves a time loop. In the first plot, Dan Roberge murders his wife Faith and her lover Zorem. The interviews: In the second plot, Amy Anderson saves her son from drowning in a pond on the family farm.
Marco Polo - Exploration Two years later, Niccolò and Maffeo sailed to Acre in present-day Israel, this time with Marco at their side. At the request of Kublai Khan, they secured some holy oil from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and then backtracked to Acre to pick up gifts, papal documents and two friars from newly elected Pope Gregory X. The friars quickly abandoned the expedition, but the Polos continued on, possibly by camel, to the Persian port city of Hormuz. Kublai, who generally relied on foreigners to administer his empire, took Marco Polo into his court, possibly as a tax collector. After many years of seeking a release from service, the Polos finally secured permission from Kublai to escort a young princess to her intended husband Arghun, the Mongol ruler of Persia.
KateMonk This is a collection of names from around the world which was initially intended to help provide character names for live role-players. It includes short historical backgrounds, male and female first names or personal names, and surnames or family names, from many countries and periods. The author is not an expert in onomastics or history so would like to apologise if any mistakes have been made. All names included are from genuine sources to the best of her knowledge, but this is not an academic study and should not be relied upon by re-enactment societies which require specific dates and instances of occurrence for the names they use. New webmaster's note: This onomastikon was compiled by Kate Monk and hosted by Sal Robertson at gaminggeeks.org.
Science Fiction Writer Robert J. Sawyer: On Writing — Dialogue SFWRITER.COM > How to Write > On Writing: Dialogue by Robert J. Sawyer Copyright © 1996 by Robert J. Sawyer. All rights reserved. Writing convincing dialogue is one of the hardest things for new writers to master. Here's the kind of dialog you read in many beginners' stories: "What happened to you, Joe?" Here's how real people talk: "Christ, man, what happened?" See the differences? Also note that in the first example, the speakers refer to each other by name. A few other features of real human speech demonstrated in the second example above: when relaying to a third party a conversation we had with somebody else, we usually only directly quote what the other person said; our own side of the conversation is typically relayed with considerable bravado, and the listener understands that what's really being presented is what we wish we'd had the guts to say, not what we actually said. Now, which of the above examples is better? "Christ, man, what happened?" "Interchangeable?"
Water Cures in Ancient China Water Cures in Ancient China Water is the source of every thing on earth, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) uses it as an important ingredient for healing. The well-known pharmacopoeia, the Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), has classified water into different types, as the ancient Chinese held that water could exert diverse effects according to its source, for example: The tradition of water cures occurs in many cultures. It is well accepted that bathing can be a remedy for healing or health maintenance. In Chinese culture, baths are not just for sanitary reasons but also an integral part of rituals.
A History of Irish Surnames: Is Yours Here? – Ancestry Blog The earliest known Irish surname is O’Clery (O Cleirigh); it’s the earliest known because it was written that the lord of Aidhne, Tigherneach Ua Cleirigh, died in County Galway back in the year 916 A.D. In fact, that Irish name may actually be the earliest surname recorded in all of Europe. Until about the 10th century in Ireland, surnames were not passed down from generation to generation. Instead, surnames were patronymic, or based on someone’s father’s name. A person was identified by his given name plus “mac,” meaning “son of,” followed by his father’s name. For instance, Brian mac Colum was Brian, son of Colum. The female form of “mac” is “nic,” shortened from the Irish iníon mhic. Alternatively, the prefix “o” was sometimes used in place of “mac” and meant “grandson of” or “descended from.” There were no fixed surnames, so a surname changed every generation or two. But even without hereditary surnames, those names still hold clues. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. — Leslie Lang
Character Chart for Fiction Writers - EpiGuide.com If you're a fiction writer -- whether you're working on a novel, short story, screenplay, television series, play, web series, webserial, or blog-based fiction -- your characters should come alive for your reader or audience. The highly detailed chart below will help writers develop fictional characters who are believable, captivating, and unique. Print this page to complete the form for each main character you create. IMPORTANT: Note that all fields are optional and should be used simply as a guide; character charts should inspire you to think about your character in new ways, rather than constrain your writing. Fill in only as much info as you choose. If this character chart is helpful, please let us know! Looking for more character questionnaires / charts?
Religion and gods in ancient Egypt Religion governed life at all levels of Egyptian society. Ancient Egyptian coffin painted with winged serpent Photographer: © Australian Museum From natural forces like the rise and fall of the Nile and the passage of the sun, to death, healing, childbirth and prosperity – all were inseparable from gods and magic. Religion Throughout Egypt's history beliefs and practices were constantly changing though the themes of fertility, rebirth, death and resurrection generally remained constant. The ancient Egyptians had a tendency to merge new beliefs with the old ones rather than simply replace them. Gods We know of hundreds of gods and goddesses worshipped by the ancient Egyptians as their names, personalities and appearances have survived in the artwork the civilisation left behind. Local areas had local gods, with each city or region often having their own deities that they worshipped. Anubis was the jackal-headed god of embalming and mummification and the patron god of embalmers.
Babylonian Names The Akkadians The Akkadians lived in northern Babylonia and spoke a Semitic language. Their main city was Akkad or Akkade (Sumerian Akkede or Agade). Sargon, who lived between 2469 and 2242 B.C., is credited with founding the city of Akkade and of founding the first major empire in the region. Power then passed to the people of the southern city of Ur. The Babylonians Around 1900 B.C. the city of Babylon became a major power under the Amorites. Female Names Adeeshuduggaat (S) Ahassunu (3) Ahati-waqrat - a slave (3) Ahatsunu (N) Alittum (3) Amata (N) Anagalmeshshu (S) Anagalshu (S) Arahunaa (S) Arwia (3) Ashlultum - A queen of Sargon. Banunu (N) Belessunu (3) Beletsunu (N) Enheduana - Daughter of Sargon, high priestess of Ur and early poet, who wrote in Sumerian. Gashansunu (S) Gemegishkirihallat (S) Gemekaa (S) Gemeti (S) Humusi (3) Ia (S) Iltani (3) Ishtar-gamelat (3) Ku-Aya (3) Ku-Baba - A tavern hostess who usurped the throne in Kish only a short time before the "Dynasty of Akkad". Or Asia
Character Chart FAVORITES Color: Music: Food: Literature: Expressions: Book: Quote: Expletive(s) (swears): Mode of transportation: HABITS Smokes: What? How often? Drinks: What? How often? SELF-PERCEPTION One word character would use to describe self: One paragraph description of how character would describe self: What does character consider best physical characteristic? Immediate goal(s): Long range goal(s): How does character plan to accomplish goal(s)? How character react in a crisis (calm/panic/etc.)? Jewelry? Owns a computer? © (c ) copyright 1990-2011 Rebecca Sinclair ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Authors Note: I worked hard on this. ~ Permission is granted to LINK TO the Fiction Writers Character Chart. ~ Permission is granted to print out a copy of the Fiction Writers Character Chart FOR PERSONAL USE ~ Permission is NOT granted to copy and/or use the Character Chart in print and/or electronic form (including the internet) without express written permission)
Ancient Egyptian Soldiers - Warriors of Pharaoh Ancient Egyptian soldiers were the main ingredient of what made ancient Egypt a great civilization. The military might of ancient Egypt was what translated the Pharaoh's ideas and tactics into a reality. It is also what kept ancient Egypt continuous for over 3,000 years. This temporary army only lasted for as long as the campaign was alive, and then dispersed once it was done. The young men would go back to their old jobs and villages. Once it was seen how much of an advantage having a permanent army would be, it was set up in the New Kingdom and the career of a soldier was created. So there were now 2 ways to be part of the army: National Service - You could just join as an adult recruit to train/serve for a year or two, with the possibility of being called back to serve any time after that.Military Career - You were signed up as a child to serve in the army your whole life. Some military men rose to such great power as to become kings themselves... Ancient Egyptian Military Training
Appendix:List of Proto-Indo-European nouns Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary Jump to navigationJump to search This is a semasiological index of Proto-Indo-European nominal stems. Kinship[edit] Body parts[edit] Body organs[edit] Human feelings and qualities[edit] Celestial terms[edit] Times of day[edit] Seasons[edit] Atmosphere[edit] Wholeness[edit] Terrain[edit] Fire[edit] Parts of trees[edit] Flora[edit] Insects[edit] Marine animals[edit] Birds[edit] Land animals[edit] Domestic animals[edit] Animal products[edit] Vegetable food[edit] Other products[edit] Tools[edit] Dwelling[edit] Social terms[edit]
Tami Cowden | Author I am happy to say that The Complete Writers’ Guide to Heroes and Heroines is now available on Kindle! And even better – so is Fallen Heroes: Sixteen Master Villain Archetypes! What are the Sixteen Master Archetypes? The word "archetype" was coined by Carl Jung, who theorized that humans have a collective unconscious, "deposits of the constantly repeated experiences of humanity.... a kind of readiness to reproduce over and over again the same or similar mythical ideas...." The observations my coauthors and I made are that there are recurring character types who have starred in story after story, entertaining and informing the human experience for millennia. At his or her core, every well-defined hero or heroine is one of the respective archetypes. But beware when trying to decide what archetypal family to which a character belongs. I am serious – what the character does is not the defining element. “Any archetype can do anything – the question will always be why.” Top