Writing Resources and Random Useful Trivia

[Darrik]

Because sometimes it is USEFUL to have a thread which answers such important questions as

1) What happens to a body when it dies?


http://writerswrite1.wordpress.com/2013 ... ter-death/
http://science.howstuffworks.com/body-farm1.htm



2) Where can I find obscure words and archaic forsoothery forthwith?

http://phrontistery.info/archaic.html



3) I am full of fear, so much fear... but what is the name for it?

http://phobialist.com/
(Turns out, the fear of phobias is Phobophobia. So now we know.)

On the topic of fear, nothing is scarier than creepy children. Let this be your research material: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comme ... est_thing/



4) Some things I fear come in groups, but what do we call those groupings?
A Glossary of Collective Nouns: http://thatcheerfulchapeau.tumblr.com/post/61659087093/



5) Ahoy me hearties, my pirate is ready t'shiver all your timbers, yoho, but how can I tell a topgallant from a fo'c'sle?

Ship Types (and images)

http://www.thepirateking.com/ships/ship_types.htm
http://www.plimsoll.org/diversityofship ... efault.asp

All about sails, masts, and rigging

http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Post/1216397

(Funnily enough, Wikipedia has one of the best single-page glossary of nautical terms I've found thus far)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_nautical_terms

Ship roles (Thanks, Jerial)
http://www.thepirateking.com/historical/ship_roles.htm



Over time I will add to this, but I thought I would share some of the things lurking in my link folders

Feel free to add to this thread with your own 'go to' reference pages

[Saruna]

This makes me happy.

http://www.swordforum.com/forums/forum.php

One of my favorites for when you're trying to find a weapon, or get started on researching specific weapons. Most people in that forum back their shit up with links, and a lot of them make their own weapons, which can add nice little details.

Otherwise most of my resource links are map related. How did that happen?

Oh well, if any of you are interested, the two main ones:

http://jc.tech-galaxy.com/bricka/climate_cookbook.html

Pretty much weather for dummies.

http://www.meteorologyclimate.com/koppe ... cation.htm

Useful when you're using the one above and trying to keep track of what is where and all of that.

(I have to go to work now, morgan is uhhh. . .threatening to go without me. Yeah time to go to work!)

[Jerial]

http://www.sfwa.org/2009/08/fantasy-wor ... questions/

^This. Awesome for covering all the basics, and even though it's designed for new worlds, I've used it in Thar before.


http://www.nanowrimo.org/forums/writing ... eads/69288

^I used to be bad at writing combat. BAD. xD


http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/A ... AntiHeroes

^This site. Will EAT your life. One of my favorite pages.


http://eclectics.com/articles/character.html

^Another crazy awesome site. This is how I do my character apps.



I don't know if these helped but they helped me.

[Metarie]

Grammar GIrl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Writing
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

[Darrik]

Another resource which occasionally supplies some interesting and unusual information is the Art of Manliness.
http://www.artofmanliness.com/category/manly-skills/

As a man with a mighty beard, the page name pleases me. But it's the contents that will be of interest to most.
Here are some of my favourites:

HOW TO....

Splint a leg!
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/11/2 ... -fracture/

Remove a fish hook from your finger!
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/09/2 ... ur-finger/

Bridle and saddle a horse!
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/08/0 ... e-a-horse/

Build a small game snare!
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/03/2 ... val-snare/

Field dress the squirrel your snare just caught!
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/01/1 ... -squirrel/

Kick down the door to a stranger's house so you can use their kitchen to cook the squirrel!
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/10/2 ... ted-guide/

Sink a knife in the poor sod resisting your sudden entry!
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/10/2 ... e-butcher/
(I've actually done this when I was encamped next to some colonial-era re-enactors. A LOT of fun. The knife-throwing, that is. Not the break-and-entry murder thing. I've never done that. Just to be clear =p )

...or a Tomahawk if knives aren't your thing!
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/08/0 ... -tomahawk/

Relax from all the murder and break-ins by winning at the fair!
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/09/2 ... air-games/

Go back to the house and set it alight! With flint and steel!
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/01/0 ... and-steel/

Forecast the weather like a boss!
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/10/2 ... iel-boone/


There's lots more, of course. The page is a timesink.

[Metarie]

Found this nice tidbit for anyone playing doctor ... and I don't mean in THAT way!

http://www.susf.com.au/files/Chapter_6_ ... usness.pdf

[Jerial]

http://www.vondanmcintyre.com/Pitfalls.html

The ten (err, thirteen) commandments of writing. By Vonda McIntyre, who is a combination of a writing role model and a person with an awesome surname.

[Darrik]

Some links which have helped me over the years regarding fighting and combat RPs
For now, I'm going to stick with some hand-to-hand links, but will likely later come back and add some links vis-a-vis weapon combat.


Regarding knockouts and concussion

http://heavyfists.com/difference-knockout-concussion

This response: http://forums.sherdog.com/forums/8486470-post6.html to forum thread http://forums.sherdog.com/forums/f11/wh ... ut-341613/

A medical perspective (Thanks Metarie!) http://www.susf.com.au/files/Chapter_6_ ... usness.pdf


Technique regarding attack and defense

I have found in general that, for those who haven't dabbled in or dedicated themselves to a martial art, the very best resource these days is youtube. Pick a style as inspiration for a character, watch some vids, read some theory , and figure out how to write what you see in action.

But sometimes one wants something more general for characters who simply practice old-fashioned pugilism and street thuggery, and advice on boxing and street tactics have often served me as a good grounding point for such characters.


Defense:

http://heavyfists.com/boxing-defensive- ... d-the-best
http://heavyfists.com/three-foundations ... ng-defense
http://heavyfists.com/how-to-take-a-punch
http://heavyfists.com/beginner-boxing-tips
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/05/0 ... ple-steps/
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/06/3 ... efootwork/
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/07/1 ... i-defense/


Offense

http://heavyfists.com/increase-punching-power
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/07/2 ... -jabcross/
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/08/1 ... kuppercut/
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/09/0 ... binations/

[Darrik]

This and the next post shall be wholely and solely information on Chinese Culture, Sailing, Navigation, Combat, and Weaponry. The idea is to get enough real-world context before I try to give Tian Xia some love with piratical shenanigans.

As a mental note, given this is the driving force behind my motivation, the wiki page on Wuxia narrative themes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuxia#Them ... d_settings

This Post will be about sea culture and naval warfare

===Chinese Ships===

The Junk, or Chuan - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_%28ship%29
The Junk in history and combat - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_history_of_China
Junk rigging - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_rig
The Rudder - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudder#China
Junks used bulkheads instead of ribs in the hull - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulkhead_( ... n)#History

Lots of lovely pics - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Junk_(ship)


===Sailing and Navigation===


Navigation:
http://ageofex.marinersmuseum.org/index ... tool&id=16
http://www1.chinaculture.org/created/20 ... _69885.htm

http://www1.chinaculture.org/created/cr ... oneer.html

Navigation Tools:
The Lead Line: http://ageofex.marinersmuseum.org/index ... ntool&id=3 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sounding_line#Sounding
The Compass: http://www1.chinaculture.org/created/20 ... _69887.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Great ... ns#Compass
Mileage Plotting - http://www1.chinaculture.org/created/20 ... _69886.htm


===Warfare and Combat===
(more to come)

Notes on Infantry formation and tactics
Wei-Suo system of Ming Dynasty: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/638912/weisuo and http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index. ... wtopic=318

http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index. ... y-tactics/
http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index. ... ming-army/

Strategy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty-Six_Stratagems
http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_p ... ?TID=10571

Chinese swords - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_swords


===Historical context===

The Ming Dynasty, by all appearance, will be a good starting place for sea culture and piracy

Ming Dynasty research: http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=35
Rank badges: http://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/explor ... terns.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_square


===Historical Individuals as inspiration===

As a contender for the most badass pirate ever, I present Ching Shih. She had a fleet of approximately 300 junks, manned by over 20000 pirates. Her fleet's reign of terror ended with a government amnesty: "If you can't beat them, convince them to go straight"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ching_Shih


As an extra, here is information from a modern junk recreating a voyage of Zheng He:
http://www.dragonvoyage.com/ship/rig.shtml

More on Admiral Zheng He, who earned enough frequent sailor points to qualify for a 'lifetime (and death) at sea' achievement:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zheng_He

And ladies: Zheng He's junk was bigger than any other man's. Oh my:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Zheng ... us%27s.jpg

[Darrik]

As part of preparation for submitting a write-up of Tian Xia to the World Development forum for evaluation, I'm doing a bit of research on the Song Dynasty as a foundation model to tinker with.

Inspiration in the form of inventions - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_inventions


===Culture===

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_Dynasty
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of ... ng_Dynasty
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of ... ng_Dynasty

Inspiration for names: http://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/chinese


===Magical monks, oh my!===

Or, the research links which will lead to them, at least
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenghuang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunlun_Mou ... mythology)


===Hierarchy and Advancement===

Meritocracy and advancement - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_examination
Rank System - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine-rank_system
Rank Badges - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_square

Structure of Governance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Secretariat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Depa ... Ministries


===Gambling===

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan-Tan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mah_Jong
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pai_Gow


===Maps and Notes on Area Names===

A useful link to help with creating Tian Xian town/village/place names: http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/chinalan.htm

At present time for region names, I've referred to a map of 5th century BC china referenced at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Lu

Specifically the map found here:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... en.svg.png

I noticed that Ji on that map matches up nicely with Ji on the Thar Shaddin map here:
http://www.tharshaddin.com/w/images/3/3 ... educed.jpg

[Metarie]

I know I have these posted somewhere else, but here they are again! Because creating a language is beyond me, I happily give credit to those who can! I use these sometimes when Ree speaks Elvish - not to be confused when she is just looking for a cheeseburger, ahunh hunh hunka hunka burnin' love ooooo!

Jhonen Olain's Eberron Journal ~ Common to Elven translator
http://eclipsegaming.pbworks.com/f/aere ... lator.html

The Grey Company Elven Phrases
http://www.grey-company.org/Circle/language/phrase.htm

http://www.elvish.org/

and this one http://www.arwen-undomiel.com/elvish/phrases.html

[Ryu Jun-Seong]

http://www.movoto.com/blog/novelty-real-estate/ninja/

Because everyone needs to know.

[Darrik]

Once more unto the fray, with links to aid in general research. My current research theme has been acrobatics and assassins.

Parkour - because nothing says 'badass assassin' like treating the world as your private swing set and jungle gym
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/07/1 ... o-parkour/

Poisons, Poisons, Poisons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_poisonous_plants
http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2008/09/ ... er-plants/
http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/poison.html

Knives - everybody loves knives, and assassins love to hide them
http://www.deathvalleymag.com/2010/08/2 ... ife-daily/
http://www.squidoo.com/hidden-knives

Walk this way - but not so loud
http://delamagente.wordpress.com/2009/1 ... -silently/

[Saruna]

http://www.carillion.eastkingdom.org/basic_garb.html

I didn't know some of that, so I figured it would come in handy for others as well. Talks mostly about clothing misconceptions in the middle ages.

[Saruna]

http://i.imgur.com/ahOjLz8.gif

I did not know some of these things about google searching.