http://greatwolf.blogpeoria.com/2007/11/06/some-rambly-thoughts-about-flowers-for-mara/ Just a quiet corner of the Net where I will come to sit and think and write. Maybe you will find that I have something worthwhile to say. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:21:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://greatwolf.blogpeoria.com/2007/11/06/some-rambly-thoughts-about-flowers-for-mara/#comment-22657 Seth Ben-Ezra Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:30:36 +0000 http://greatwolf.blogpeoria.com/2007/11/06/some-rambly-thoughts-about-flowers-for-mara/#comment-22657 Thanks, Emily. I'll definitely keep you in the loop. I'm thinking that I'm fast approaching the point where I can do the initial alpha playtest. You know, the one where you try out what you have to find out what's broke versus what's <i>really</i> broke. ;-) Thanks, Emily. I’ll definitely keep you in the loop. I’m thinking that I’m fast approaching the point where I can do the initial alpha playtest. You know, the one where you try out what you have to find out what’s broke versus what’s really broke.

]]> http://greatwolf.blogpeoria.com/2007/11/06/some-rambly-thoughts-about-flowers-for-mara/#comment-22655 Emily Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:12:38 +0000 http://greatwolf.blogpeoria.com/2007/11/06/some-rambly-thoughts-about-flowers-for-mara/#comment-22655 This is beautiful, Seth. I look forward to hearing more. I'd love to playtest it when time comes. This is beautiful, Seth. I look forward to hearing more. I’d love to playtest it when time comes.

]]> http://greatwolf.blogpeoria.com/2007/11/06/some-rambly-thoughts-about-flowers-for-mara/#comment-22122 Raquel Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:11:20 +0000 http://greatwolf.blogpeoria.com/2007/11/06/some-rambly-thoughts-about-flowers-for-mara/#comment-22122 My random thoughts on your random thoughts-- I would lean towards the Pastor having a flower, since before we'd settled on making him a young guy with his own story arc to complete, but it does make it a little weird if he can see Mara. Maybe you could set up a minimum number of 'scenes' (or comparable story chunks) before he and Mara can be in the same scene. That would give him a chance to dump his flower early in order to help everyone else, and if he doesn't, he ends up getting sucked into the Mara confusion just as badly as everyone else. That still makes him a special character (which I personally think works fine), but very much a human character. I feel like the scenario loses a lot of punch if you add any more helpful/supportive characters, but you could always add in one of Caleb's parents as a pregen. (We've discussed about how helpful they are...) Say, his father's dead now, and his mother's "nice" but expects everyone to be as she thinks they should and throws a very dignified royal hissy fit when they're not. On the flip side, I've always thought the Pastor probably had a housekeeper--a nice little old lady, but who thinks a cup of tea fixes everything. Would you think the person to read at the end should be somehow determined by the system? Maybe something as simple as an informal vote on who had the most moving/fitting gravside scene? Oh, and this is a niggly little point, but plastic flowers are tacky. Silk, oragami, crocheted or leather flowers I could handle. Not plastic. If I have more random thoughts I'll let you know... My random thoughts on your random thoughts–
I would lean towards the Pastor having a flower, since before we’d settled on making him a young guy with his own story arc to complete, but it does make it a little weird if he can see Mara. Maybe you could set up a minimum number of ’scenes’ (or comparable story chunks) before he and Mara can be in the same scene. That would give him a chance to dump his flower early in order to help everyone else, and if he doesn’t, he ends up getting sucked into the Mara confusion just as badly as everyone else. That still makes him a special character (which I personally think works fine), but very much a human character.
I feel like the scenario loses a lot of punch if you add any more helpful/supportive characters, but you could always add in one of Caleb’s parents as a pregen. (We’ve discussed about how helpful they are…) Say, his father’s dead now, and his mother’s “nice” but expects everyone to be as she thinks they should and throws a very dignified royal hissy fit when they’re not. On the flip side, I’ve always thought the Pastor probably had a housekeeper–a nice little old lady, but who thinks a cup of tea fixes everything.
Would you think the person to read at the end should be somehow determined by the system? Maybe something as simple as an informal vote on who had the most moving/fitting gravside scene?
Oh, and this is a niggly little point, but plastic flowers are tacky. Silk, oragami, crocheted or leather flowers I could handle. Not plastic.
If I have more random thoughts I’ll let you know…

]]> http://greatwolf.blogpeoria.com/2007/11/06/some-rambly-thoughts-about-flowers-for-mara/#comment-22120 Seth Ben-Ezra Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:49:02 +0000 http://greatwolf.blogpeoria.com/2007/11/06/some-rambly-thoughts-about-flowers-for-mara/#comment-22120 And already I'm changing my mind about the title. "A Flower for Mara" sounds better to me. And already I’m changing my mind about the title. “A Flower for Mara” sounds better to me.

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