Some things to think about. · 5:16pm Jul 28th, 2012
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." - Walt Disney
"Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate, so that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared." - The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli
"Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster; and if you gaze into the abyss the abyss gazes into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
I find these to be the three greatest and truest quotes ever made. One speaks of defying the worlds expectations and beliefs. The next, the true nature of man, and how to deal with them. The final, a reminder to be wary of becoming that which we fight. Smart men.
I just wanted to share before I moved on. Anyone interested may share a quote in the comments if they so wish and I'll opinionate as always.
So, I want to hear some opinions! Now I doubt I'm the only one who's noticed the sudden sprouting of these new "studios." Razorbeam and Krushnazag both have two different studios that they are taking part in. I'v read the articles both made, and honestly, I fail to see the point. Now it is to be remembered that I respect both of these writers. I also ask that no one regurgitates something I already read on their post, that's not useful.
I will be the first person to tell you that I am in the right fandom, with the wrong skill set. Writing is... a time consuming bitch and a half. It really is, and I very much so enjoy it. But being able to art, draw, paint, digital rendering, etc., is really the stronger skill. There are many talented artist out there, many in the brony community. John Jesco, Kevin Sano, 7nights, practically endless fucking list of mad skill. And these talented individuals, can take a image and bring it to life. Now to be fair, writers do the same with words, most better than me. But more than that, they have a truly active community based around their work and what they do.
For instance, if I were to live stream me typing a story it would be the most uneventful shit ever; however, to watch someone draw, paint, digitalis, etc. is really cool and fun. People get on watch and chat with the artist and other fans. Another thing I find is unique to the artist community is that they can make a little money on the side doing something they love, about something they love. Truth is, no one is gonna commission me to write a story, and that's probably for the best. It's a lot easier to have something described or shown to you and then do it justice in a picture, than it is to create a world, a series of events, and a situation that all flows smoothly and still pleases the recipient with what they wanted. It takes me many, many, many hours to write one chapter of a story. A skilled artist can do a piece in an hour or less. Hell, I watched Kloudmutt last night do multiple pieces, that look amazing, in 15-20 minutes. I would like artistic skills, but I would never trade my ability to write for them. You see, I'm not whining, I'm just stating a fact I find interesting and thought provoking.
Normal rules, drop whatever question or comment you want down below, and I will respond to the best of my amazing ability!
P.S. I know most of you are thinking, "Shut up and write more clop, or at least more of Eternal." I'm working on it. But hey, food for thought.
Just get the next SahSLL out please. Every time I see a favorite story of mine updated, I hope it's that story. I loved the new chapter of Eternal, but I'm still waiting for that and the Maid Rarity story to be updated.
Yes, write more Eternal. But yeah, writing is a bitch. A good drawing takes 3-5 hours of work, sometimes more (I've watched my friend draw HQ stuff so this is what I gather). Writing a good chapter of 3-5k words takes 12+ hours. Especially if you have editors telling you to rewrite parts.
255584
Once again, I apologize. It's my fault.
255584 Still not my fault. Blame the Olympics. Ironically, something I still have no hand in. If it makes you feel better I'm working on Weekend.
255597 Aren't you the editor who lost their computer?
255598 Are you watching the Olympics? Well at least Weekend is being worked on.
255595 Tell me about it. I already got the, I'v made lots of notes, speech from my editor, and he isn't even done with it. Gonna be a long night when I get that back.
255600
Dude I definitely have the feels on ya there. Every time I've had a free moment to write this week, I've gotten proofread/editing requests, and I don't advertise as a proofreader. I should have said no... But I like to help people. Plus one was a story from my own editor, and at least it's really good so I don't mind that.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes
"Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable." -Bruce Lee
"He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future." -Adolf Hitler
"The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic." -Joseph Stalin
"Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results." - General George S. Patton
255599 No, he is not. No, I am not.
255608 Some of us just like to watch the world burn.
255617 Oh okay then.
255597
How does it feel to be the one to say that for once? Lol, its all good. Editor brohoof? /)
255611 Have to admire Hitler and Stalin for their realism at least.
Funny how the actually strong men are the romantics.
I wish I could believe this one, I really do, but people are idiots.
255599
No, I'm the editor who slept in and had to leave all his stuff on a computer at one house. I can't believe that I slept until 10:00. I am also the one who is watching the Olympics. More specifically, the opening ceremony.
255600
Now, I am at my Mom's house and I have all the edits I made at my Dad's house here, too. So, now, everything is at one house.
255632 Hallelujah!
Also, I usually don't wake up until 10 am. Notably, I go to bed around 3-4.
255626
Ah, but there is always courage. After all, Nietzsche said that courage is worth more than charity.
255635
Yeah... that doesn't work for me. I get all cranky if I sleep too late. I hate wasting time like that.
255632 Ah, I see.
255636 Indeed. Still, we know my opinions on charity. A facade among fools. Still courage is something with which the world can not do with out. For it is fear that drives us, and courage that allows us to face that fear.
6 hours of sleep doesn't seem like much time wasted to me.
255678
But two more than eight is for me.
255688 True.
255626
Love them so much, mainly because they are true.
Knowing Bruce Lee said something so romantic, is awesome, showing a side of what you are not truly known for is a big deal.
Also With Hitler and Stalin, whom were very intelligent men, show realism in every word they speak. Even though their ideals and practices were not the greatest, but they held truth to what they speak.
255709 Indeed.
Of all the intelligent people I've spoken to and read works from, Terry Pratchett has got to be the most profound. Anyone with a brain can say one or two intelligent things in their life, but he somehow finds a way to say thousands of them and make most of them incredibly funny to boot. Here are a few of my favourites:
“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.” - Diggers
“Some humans would do anything to see if it was possible to do it. If you put a large switch in some cave somewhere, with a sign on it saying 'End-of-the-World Switch. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH', the paint wouldn't even have time to dry.” - Thief of Time
“It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.”
"Stories of imagination tend to upset those without one."
“If cats looked like frogs we'd realize what nasty, cruel little bastards they are. Style. That's what people remember.” - Lords and Ladies
“It's not worth doing something unless someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren't doing it.”
“I'll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there's evidence of any thinking going on inside it.”
“The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they've found it.” - Monstrous Regiment
“Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can."
“Over the centuries, mankind has tried many ways of combating the forces of evil... prayer, fasting, good works and so on. Up until Doom, no one seemed to have thought about the double-barrel shotgun. Eat leaden death, demon...”
“There isn't a way things should be. There's just what happens, and what we do.”
“Seeing, contrary to popular wisdom, isn't believing. It's where belief stops, because it isn't needed any more.”
And my personal favourites:
“God does not play dice with the universe; He plays an ineffable game of His own devising, which might be compared, from the perspective of any of the other players [i.e. everybody], to being involved in an obscure and complex variant of poker in a pitch-dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a Dealer who won't tell you the rules, and who smiles all the time.”
“The stories never said why she was wicked. It was enough to be an old woman, enough to be all alone, enough to look strange because you have no teeth. It was enough to be called a witch. If it came to that, the book never gave you the evidence of anything. It talked about "a handsome prince"... was he really, or was it just because he was a prince that people called handsome? As for "a girl who was as beautiful as the day was long"... well, which day? In midwinter it hardly ever got light! The stories don't want you to think, they just wanted you to believe what you were told...”
“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET," Death waved a hand. "AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME... SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point"
MY POINT EXACTLY."
256181 Fucking brilliant.
I would totally hit that switch. Without a second thought.
“It's not worth doing something unless someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren't doing it.” I never realized my life motto, "I'm living just to piss of the people who want me dead." was put into such nicer terms.
The guy made a Doom reference. Instant win!
I do so enjoy such Poker games.
Death is wise.
256192 He is indeed, he also doesn't hold with cruelty to cats.
256194 I noticed.
Niccolo Machiavelli actually has a huge list of amazing quotes. If you have never read The Prince you should. I believe you would enjoy it vastly.
256199 Never did, something I need to get around to I suppose, thanks for the tip!
256205 Happy to oblige.
Wait... The prince was written entirely in sarcasm by a french writer who was placed in jail for publishing his criticism of the government. I'm not entirely sure about that quote.
256239 Well actually, rather the piece was satirical or not is debated as he himself never made the claim. He was in jail for a very short period of time, though he was tortured. He wasn't just a writer, but also a politician.
See, the thing is,
art? It's two dimensional. Literally and figuratively. You can look at it as long as you want, interpret it how you want, but all it's ever going to be is a flat image on a piece of paper. Add another dimension for sculpting, baking (there's some damn good pony cakes out there), knitting, etc, etc.
But writing? It's four dimensional. Not only do you have a tangible world, with many different and hidden facets, but they progress and grow. You don't get that in art. Movies, perhaps, but they will never be as immersive unless someone invents a thoughts-and-feelings injector.
When I read, and as often as I can when I'm writing, I'm fucking there. I see through the characters' eyes. Their thoughts are mine. Their perceptions are mine. You get to know them. Who you like, who you hate. And you watch the story unfold. You fall in love. You mourn a loss. You laugh. You cry. You smile. You sigh. You don't want it to be over, yet you feel oddly... complete when it is.
Some say writing is an art. Others say it's a skill. It's neither. It's a conscious effort. You might not have the hand-eye coordination for drawing or knitting or sculpting. You might not have the talent and drive it takes to compose music. You might not have the vision of concept it takes to be a movie director. But goddamnit, if you can pick up a pen or tap on a keyboard, or dictate to someone who can, then you can fucking write.
256963 *slow clap* Well said, well said. You forgot Video games notably which depending on the game can be very 4 dimensional.
I really want cake now.
It is funny thought my hand eye coordination is rather impressive, years of martial arts and video games. I think my problem stems from perfectionism. No matter what I draw, it's never good enough. So then I erase and by the end I have some lines and tons of eraser marks.
257048
Humans are nowhere near perfect. Every religion, every philosopher, and every scientist in the world have said that since the beginning of time.
That's one big thing about life. Hopefully tomorrow, you'll be better than you were today, and hopefully today, you're better than you were yesterday.
I'm rather disappointed that I forgot video games, especially since I'm working on one. They're... somewhere in the middle. Yeah, you can get involved and explore, and buried so deep in them that you forget what's reality and what's not, but you're still living in someone else's imagination.
A written story is yours when you read it. You can skip ahead, read it backwards, glance at the last page—yeah, you'll be confused as hell, or maybe even spoil the whole book for yourself, but you still have that freedom. You can make the characters look however you want them to, sound however you want them to, even act however you want them to. The words on the paper are only a guide.
260766 And that's what spoilers are for!
Also perfection is a sick joke of a twisted mind. After all, to reach perfection means to have limits.