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[JoshuaFH]

Can't I just skip over boring details? What does it matter what their power source is or where their made? Can't I just saying something vaguely scientific sounding and be done with it?

Besides, what I have in mind is nothing like anything you guys are implying. The story isn't ABOUT the hanzers, it's about the pilots. I mention so much in the technical details that the hanzers are customizable, and that will be a major part of the story. All of the characters have their own personal hanzer that only they can pilot (since they all have finger print locks on them, which is something I should have mentioned in the details), and all the pilots give their hanzers names, and all have vague emotional attachments to their machines.

What I'm trying to say is, that the hanzers aren't treated like simple war machines, but are extensions of the characters themselves.

Besides, while it may be generic, I'm of the belief that the execution is much more important than the premise idea. Something can be original and new and still be dull, while something unoriginal can still be interesting, it's all about the execution. This is what I'm working on.

[Hungry]

SKIP OVER DETAILS?! VAGUELY SCIENTIFIC SOUNDING?! First rule of universe creation; The more solidly scientific or future scientific details you make something have the more believe-able and easy to explain it will be.

For example a scene stateing that a truck is broken because it is shot to hell, is terrible compared to one stating that a humvee's driveshaft took an armor peircing round and is completely hopeless.

The main appeal to DF is that it follows this rule, and if you type those words together again you better not do it here.

[JoshuaFH]

I don't want to skip over important details Hungry, I want to skip over boring things that the audience won't care about.

Like, if I were introducing a country. I might say that it has less production ability and thus a smaller hanzer army, but I won't bother to go into the details of it's GDP, dull trade agreements, or othersuch if it's not relevant to the plot. Is that reasonable?

Though, if you really want to know, the hanzers could be powered by very abundant and cheap high-power batteries that are encased in armor with the hanzer. They could be called "Deuterium Batteries" or something. Deuterium is vaguely scientific sounding, I know it has something to do with hydrogen.

Bam, details.

[Hungry]

OK, I see you think I ment detail in the story. I dont, I intended Universe not story, it is good to set up a good solid universe where rules from the universe aply into the story facts.

In a Universe it will tell you that the grass in a certain feild is a herbaceous graminoid with its coloration closest to such and such shade of green contains clorophyl and produces oxygen while consuming carbondioxide water and light and is closest in genetic comparison to wild wheat.

While in a story it will say its a flowing feild of green shaded wild wheat.

If you set the rules of a universe as strict as reality, it will be more constant.

This would be considered a "setting bible" by the way, for example starwars has a "bible" some 4-5+ feet high.

Also for the story its self you shouldn't wonder around in time in the middle of a chapter.

[JoshuaFH]

I feel I don't understand you, what does the setting bible do again?

Is this meant to prevent plot holes or somesuch? Like, as a fact sheet for myself so I don't go off and accidentally forget a rule to my own universe and do something that shouldn't be possible within the story?

[Outcast Orange]

That is a primary use. We readers like to be able to contrast facts easily.

[Hungry]

Ninja'd, and agreed.

Liquid realities are bad.

[JoshuaFH]

Is this something that is learnt in like, a writing class or something? Because I can't say I've ever attended any sort of formal education on how to write better.

[Outcast Orange]

I don't think so, but we are readers, and we want consistency and facts galore.
Please us for cookies.

[JoshuaFH]

I don't know how, this is the first time I've been exposed to this idea. Do I have to indulge in Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness?

[Hungry]

No, you dont have to make it to technical you dont even have to make it readable as long as it contains the information your all set.

[JoshuaFH]

I know know where to start, is there an outline I can follow so as to easily be able to identify when I've hit "Setting Bible" standard?

[Hungry]

There really is no standard, you just start with what you identify is the whole scope of where the story may go and write it down on something or type it somewhere where it will be safe for as long as you plan to write the story.

Write down in detail the entire life (or just relivant information) of characters, cities, places where the story goes, vehicles, technology, relations(how something is connected to something else) maps, doodles, who knows who and when first mets, and events.

A good setting bible wont be done until a story is done, and should contain more detail and be much longer then the story.

A good start would be the world, where, when, history, inhabitants, composition, looks, everything and anything relivant, but keep it separate from the actual story, work your way though characters as you put them in, technologies as you put them in, groups, ect...

Spoiler: What an example? (warning poor details) (click to show/hide)

If you want an, uh, example heres a link that connects to a few early articles of my story's bible like a year and a half old, and many of the details have been elaborated on in 20+ page actual thing... http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g44/badwolf535/Story%20124/

[Willfor]

I would, personally, recommend reading these. I'll admit, a lot of them are for writing fantasy, but there are a lot of ones that apply to general writing topics. Also, you don't have to agree with her, but you'll begin writing at a bit of a higher level if you do. There are also a number of articles you can read across the web by googling for writing advice on any given topic.

ALSO, I recommend for a personal reference a tiddlywiki. These can be remarkably handy. It's a wiki you can download, and everything stays on your computer while you can still edit it wiki-style.

[JoshuaFH]

Thank you very much. I'll see what I can do with all this.

Mayhaps I can organize in a meaningful way.