Activity for Incognito‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Edit	Post #38295	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #37294	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #36276	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #35775	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #35491	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #33956	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #32772	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #32735	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #32158	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #31788	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #31686	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #31010	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #30994	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #30987	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #30788	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #29604	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Edit	Post #29578	Initial revision	—	about 5 years ago
Question	—	How to write an inversion of a messianic trope? I want to do a story revolving around the inverse of the Christian tale in the bible. In it, the savior sent by God is tempted by the adversary, similar to how Jesus is tempted by the devil in the desert. However, he ultimately succumbs to his human weaknesses and betrays his purpose, becoming subser... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	what techniques or approaches can I use to explore distasteful concepts while also making them necessary? In my story democracy crumbles in a nation, replaced by a powerful dictatorship. Our world has been invaded by servants of the elder god, Nyalathotep. Governments have been fighting back for years, only delaying the inevitable loss of our species. The only one successfully holding its own and represe... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	How do you deal with an abrupt change in personality for a protagonist? The crawling chaos, Nyalathothep, has formed a cult on the mortal plane devoted to his cause which worships him as a god. This cult has been operating in secret for thousands of years, sowing destruction and chaos throughout humanity's history. He has sowed his taint into their genetics, providing a ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	How can I push a protagonist to a moral event horizon without making them a sympathetic Sue? We human beings have no control over our destiny, and it is arrogant and foolish to think as such. Our fates are decided by a group of dark gods who control the strings of time. It is they who design a destiny for us, molding and shaping it to suit their purposes. No matter how hard we resist or what... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	How can I design a "rational" religion that eliminates faith as a requirement? Faith is defined as a belief in God based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof. Religion and science can be seen to oppose one another due to conflicts between people of those practices. In my world, I have a technocracy that has joined those opposing forces. Rather than religion competing wit... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	how can I showcase the internal struggles between a man and his demons? The character in this story is a human-demon hybrid. He is good natured on a normal day, but because of the demon genes and blood coursing through him, as struggled with certain urges his entire life. Demons are chaotic creatures that revel in destruction and enjoy causing pain simply for the sake of... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Question	—	How can I make distinctions between a hive-mind and a super consciousness? Not sure if this is a worldbuilding or writing question, but here it goes. In this setting, gods of humanity are beings of absolute order that exist in another plane of existence. They are constantly at war with chaos, and defend the mortal world from that influence. As a result, they live according... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Question	—	how can I portray a culture that practices human sacrifice as not being uncivilized? In our world, we consider human life to be precious and valuable. It is meant to be preserved, and a deliberate act of taking a life is considered deplorable by society. This is considered normal. The people of this setting also consider life to be valuable, as it was given to them by the gods. As it... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Question	—	How can you humanize infanticide of the evil-tainted? The world is surrounded by an alternate realm called the spirit world. Humans existed as separate physical entities, but maintain an attachment to the spirit realm due to their connection with god. When a child is ready to be born, it must pass through the spirit world into the physical. There are m... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Question	—	How should you use sexually deviant monsters in fantasy? terror is a real and powerful thing. A monster is ever-so-slightly scarier if it violates you in some way. there have been many of these types of creatures seen in myths and fairy tales. This goes beyond the cliche succubus concept, and includes monsters such as the liderc and the pobobawa. Many... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Question	—	How do you know if your story concepts contradict each other? This country has a long line of female rulers going back since its inception. Due to a divine connection with the goddess, only queens can inherit the throne, and rules as both leader of the nation and the country's religion. Any girls born to her will be in line to inherit the throne, with sons neve... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Question	—	How do you make sex magic feel like a natural part of a setting? In this world, witchcraft is practiced openly and is a neccessary function of society. Men cannot use magic directly, but possess much more mana than women. There are some spells that a witch may not have the neccessary amount of mana to perform, or it would be extremely difficult for her to do it he... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Question	—	Can you frame ritual suicide in a "positive" light? Eons ago, there was a war among gods that came close to destroying humanity and the mortal realm. Gods depend on humanity, and their destruction would inevitably hurt them as well. At the conclusion of this war, a pact was signed among the gods to prevent this cataclysm from happening again. Gods can... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Question	—	How do you normalize a taboo custom in a setting that most readers would not agree with? This setting' world is populated by witch covens that function as both royal houses and political entities. They are matriarchial, with witches had the head of families who directly control their houses and have indirect control over smaller branch clans. The concept of marriage works very differentl... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Question	—	How do you escalate a story's plot after killing the Big Bad? Everyone remembers the Death Star and how it was supposed to be the most potent superweapon in the Star Wars-verse. Then in the Expanded Universe, they needed to add tension to the series since the Emperor was gone and kept pumping out new superweapons to the point where it became crazy. This ultimat... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Question	—	How do I know if a concept is sexist or not? In my story's world, witchcraft is a respected institution, with the most powerful practitioners being at the top echelons of society. Due to this, society traces its lineage through matrilineal lines. A witch has the power to summon a familiar by using her body as a conduit between the mortal and et... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Question	—	How graphic should a grimdark fantasy setting be? Should a setting go into the gritty details of the horrible things that happen to show how awful they are? (Torture, brutal violence, rape, etc)? Or does grimdark work better when its subtle and leaves things to the readers imagination? When does a dark fantasy setting become just gore porn? And how ... (more)	—	over 6 years ago