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       #Post#: 1015--------------------------------------------------
       Terra Stregada Discussion board
       By: Lumaria Date: August 2, 2016, 7:41 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I decided to create a new topic because I made enough
       adjustments for Terra Stregada and I think it deserves fresh
       opinions.
       #Post#: 1078--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Terra Stregada Discussion board
       By: HematoLogMeIn Date: August 6, 2016, 3:56 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Having just read through all of the chapter and having a few
       similarities with Raven personally, I firmly disagree. To me, it
       showed that she wants to push her limits, that she wants to see
       what it's like to have something be difficult when what some
       would consider great feats, such as her puzzle-solving skills,
       come so easily to her, likely due to an addictive personality. I
       agree that sex is about intimacy, but I also understand how
       someone can be comfortable with sex but not something like
       sleeping beside their partner.
       Somewhat off topic, please do not talk to me personally about
       Fifty Shades, because there was little-to-no research into the
       BDSM community in that book, and the entire schmuck is just
       hypersexualized abuse. I won't deny that there are some scumbags
       like that in our community, but firstly and foremostly, an
       abuser's history of having been abused does not excuse their
       behavior. I can't bring myself to stand the series, not to
       mention that I've read better written BDSM sex scenes from
       oneshot fanfictions. Fifty Shades is not worth comparing to the
       meager sex scene in Terra Stregada. In my opinion, it should
       never have become so successful. It's toxic.
       Back to the point, though. I think the reason for our huge
       difference in opinion isn't due to whether or not we hold sex as
       sacred, because I certainly do, but rather, I understand the
       more psychological aspects of having odd fetishes since I tend
       to psychoanalyze myself frequently on sleepless nights. I've
       come to many realizations about sex and how it can be more than
       just pleasure or conception. It can be any number of things,
       from control to an escape.
       Her not being able to achieve orgasm doesn't make sense either.
       Let me see if I can explain...From what I understand, Raven
       seems to have a multi-track mind. As such, combined with
       asphyxiation, it's very clear to me that she falls into that
       category of escaping, wanting her mind to just shut up and go
       blank for a little bit. Simultaneously, that can be difficult
       because her mental prowess is simply part of who she is. In
       fact, I have to give Lumaria some major props for pulling off a
       character like that for that scene in particular.
       However, especially towards chapter four, I saw less of "Ugh,
       let's just get this over with" and more of a weak-willed and
       somewhat wishy-washy character who is just going along with
       things. It's a little disappointing, because Raven is quite
       capable. Then again, she lost her purpose, and is kind of in a
       "void" stage of life, and to top it off, it's her main strength
       that contributes to her main weakness, that is,
       she's...incredibly bland, despite being so fun to pick apart.
       She has these mechanisms going on in her head, but her actions
       are just bluh. It might make a little more sense if she took
       some more charge in conversation. I'd recommend looking back and
       seeing how often she said the word "suppose", or otherwise fell
       into monotonous speech patterns. Her giving some more
       intelligent feedback would better suit her character, I feel.
       The support characters are fine, I think, and the main
       antagonist makes sense, so you're pretty set from here. It's a
       matter of turning "okay" into "excellent". There were a few
       confusing parts with wording, but with some serious proofreading
       and some minor tweaking, I'm sure this draft can be finalized
       into something that really gets the job done.
       #Post#: 1086--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Terra Stregada Discussion board
       By: Lumaria Date: August 6, 2016, 12:30 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=HematoLogMeIn link=topic=103.msg1078#msg1078
       date=1470473764]
       Having just read through all of the chapter and having a few
       similarities with Raven personally, I firmly disagree. To me, it
       showed that she wants to push her limits, that she wants to see
       what it's like to have something be difficult when what some
       would consider great feats, such as her puzzle-solving skills,
       come so easily to her, likely due to an addictive personality. I
       agree that sex is about intimacy, but I also understand how
       someone can be comfortable with sex but not something like
       sleeping beside their partner. [/quote] There is something about
       Raven/Caprice that I haven't fully explained yet but in Chapter
       1 she already attempted a quest that she couldn't beat on her
       own. And rather than trying again she still wanted to quit. She
       claims it's because of lack of challenge but it's also part of
       something else.
       I will expand further.
       [Quote]
       Somewhat off topic, please do not talk to me personally about
       Fifty Shades, because there was little-to-no research into the
       BDSM community in that book, and the entire schmuck is just
       hypersexualized abuse. I won't deny that there are some scumbags
       like that in our community, but firstly and foremostly, an
       abuser's history of having been abused does not excuse their
       behavior. I can't bring myself to stand the series, not to
       mention that I've read better written BDSM sex scenes from
       oneshot fanfictions. Fifty Shades is not worth comparing to the
       meager sex scene in Terra Stregada. In my opinion, it should
       never have become so successful. It's toxic.[/quote]
       Thanks for the compliment. I definitely don't want TS to feel
       like a sex centric story. But I used it to give insight on what
       kind of relation Raven and Adam have.
       [Quote]
       Back to the point, though. I think the reason for our huge
       difference in opinion isn't due to whether or not we hold sex as
       sacred, because I certainly do, but rather, I understand the
       more psychological aspects of having odd fetishes since I tend
       to psychoanalyze myself frequently on sleepless nights. I've
       come to many realizations about sex and how it can be more than
       just pleasure or conception. It can be any number of things,
       from control to an escape.[/quote] I am definitely not
       Caprice/Raven. Although I've written her to be more casual about
       sex, I personally hold it as something sacred aswell. But it's
       there to give another side of her relationship. But that scene
       of course wasn't completely about sex as more insight provided
       by adam and her when they talk.
       [Quote]
       Her not being able to achieve orgasm doesn't make sense either.
       Let me see if I can explain...From what I understand, Raven
       seems to have a multi-track mind. As such, combined with
       asphyxiation, it's very clear to me that she falls into that
       category of escaping, wanting her mind to just shut up and go
       blank for a little bit. Simultaneously, that can be difficult
       because her mental prowess is simply part of who she is. In
       fact, I have to give Lumaria some major props for pulling off a
       character like that for that scene in particular.[/quote]
       Could you quote the moment where you thought orgasm? Not that
       I'm concerned too much. But I see it compromised the character a
       bit for you. So I want to note that I didn't intend to make it
       seem like she didn't get an O. The goal was that she could have
       sex with her boyfriend, but not sleep in the same bed.
       [Quote]
       However, especially towards chapter four, I saw less of "Ugh,
       let's just get this over with" and more of a weak-willed and
       somewhat wishy-washy character who is just going along with
       things. It's a little disappointing, because Raven is quite
       capable. Then again, she lost her purpose, and is kind of in a
       "void" stage of life, and to top it off, it's her main strength
       that contributes to her main weakness, that is,
       she's...incredibly bland, despite being so fun to pick apart.
       She has these mechanisms going on in her head, but her actions
       are just bluh. It might make a little more sense if she took
       some more charge in conversation. I'd recommend looking back and
       seeing how often she said the word "suppose", or otherwise fell
       into monotonous speech patterns. Her giving some more
       intelligent feedback would better suit her character, I
       feel.[/quote]
       I wanted her to say certain things but I fully admit chapter 1
       part 4 is one of my weakest pieces yet. Although she was opening
       up. I think I'll do more with that. This also come to the fact
       that I wanted to end the chapter in part 2 or 3. But I was
       constantly told that I needed to end it in a more conclusive
       fashion, so I went with the oneshot approach and have chapter 1
       just lay the foundation and end like a oneshot. So that's why
       part4 may not be the best piece of mine.
       [Quote]
       The support characters are fine, I think, and the main
       antagonist makes sense, so you're pretty set from here. It's a
       matter of turning "okay" into "excellent". There were a few
       confusing parts with wording, but with some serious proofreading
       and some minor tweaking, I'm sure this draft can be finalized
       into something that really gets the job done.
       [/quote]
       If you want me to clarify certain parts, I can. I'll proofread
       it and see what I can do.
       #Post#: 1087--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Terra Stregada Discussion board
       By: HematoLogMeIn Date: August 6, 2016, 12:41 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       For my point on the orgasm, I was referring to Tara's comment. I
       think I got that idea that she did get one from the chapter, and
       it's not a mark on your writing. I probably should use the quote
       thing more often, but it can be such a pain with long posts.
       As for which specific parts I'd want you to clarify, it's more
       like a few lines here and there where it seemed like you were
       going to type one thing, changed your mind, and didn't quite
       adjust the sentence structure. I think one example was when
       Allister was thinking about how well Caprice was doing in the
       fight. The pronoun "you" was thrown in there and the sentence
       was kinda "what?" Another example was when the admins were
       scrambling and I think the word "relationship" came up and it
       seemed like an autocorrect error.
       #Post#: 1089--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Terra Stregada Discussion board
       By: Lumaria Date: August 6, 2016, 12:45 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I'm currently working on it now. Chapter 4 may expand. And I may
       added more. I'm thinking of dividing the chapter up. But we'll
       see.
       #Post#: 1090--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Terra Stregada Discussion board
       By: Orchid Date: August 6, 2016, 12:59 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I saw that you completed it. Haven't read the new parts. But do
       you know how to draw backgrounds? Your descriptions of the game
       are very specific that I would like to see it drawn.
       #Post#: 1091--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Terra Stregada Discussion board
       By: Lumaria Date: August 6, 2016, 1:19 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Unfortunately backgrounds are something that I'm not good at. I
       would like to hire someone perhaps to draw backgrounds for me.
       #Post#: 1258--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Terra Stregada Discussion board
       By: Lumaria Date: September 8, 2016, 7:35 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I've been so busy lately but I finally had time to think about
       this. I originally wanted chapter 1 be divided into 2 chapters.
       I'm thinking more and more about going back to the original
       design.
       I know my stories tend to have a more Anime like when it comes
       to the beginning as for mangas usually start off with a strong
       one shot. But not all manga do.
       Let me know if you feel different.
       #Post#: 1287--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Terra Stregada Discussion board
       By: Orchid Date: September 19, 2016, 10:22 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Sorry for my late repky. I just read it over again and I think
       it's a good idea to split it into two chapters. Although I'm not
       the best at reviews, I would also suggest perhaps explaining the
       mechanics of the game. Even if it's just the basics.
       #Post#: 1301--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Terra Stregada Discussion board
       By: Lumaria Date: September 20, 2016, 10:08 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Tara link=topic=103.msg1077#msg1077
       date=1470470106]
       I haven't read all of it yet, but what I have read of part 1 and
       2 is nothing that strikes me as in major need of fixing, except
       one thing.
       I don't like the sex scene. Sex is something that is sacred, but
       people have turned it into something solely for pleasure. I'm
       not saying that sex is meant only for conception, but that it
       offers another window to get to know your romantic partner
       better. When you're intimate with another person in that way, it
       allows you to become closer mentally. Normally when I see books
       or movies add in sex scenes all I see are two individuals trying
       to pleasure themselves and if I wanted to see that I'd watch
       some pornography. [/Quote]
       When I added it in. It wasn't to promote the idea of sacredness
       sex. We all have our views but just because you share different
       morals doesn't mean it shouldn't be in the story.
       Also just because I added it in the story doesn't mean I share
       the same value.
       [Quote]
       Maybe you did intend for that to tell us something about her,
       but obviously you were being very cryptic about it. Normally in
       your dialogue you're very blunt. Like you're screaming at the
       reader "Here's some information about this character!" And then
       suddenly the sex scene comes up and you get quiet. I've never
       read 50 shades of gray, but it's likely it was so well received
       because of this concept. 50 Shades of Gray wasn't just about sex
       for pleasure, it was about sex that revealed another side of
       Christian Gray's personality, if that's his name, through a
       sexual fetish. I only know because my favorite singer is
       Christon Gray and some people thought I was talking about the
       book. He's even written songs about people comparing him to that
       book, but moving on. [/quote]
       I wasn't trying to be too cryptic. You're trying to analyze only
       the sex scene and not what comes with it.
       In fact i didnt even want to be  fully detailed about the scene
       although I did just wanted to show that she had certain quirks.
       But the real reason why 50 shades of gray was popular was
       because women who knew nothing about BDSM were getting high off
       the idea of it (no matter how inmacurate it was portrayed). This
       however isn't just to show a hint of Caprice but what kind of
       relationship both Adam and Caprice have. Especially since what
       happens after in my opinion was more important and I didn't
       think it had the same impact if she just randomly left the
       bedroom.
       [Quote]        In the scene you show off a choking fetish Raven
       has. It doesn't tell us a lot about her. This kind of masochism
       doesn't develop on her game-playing, challenge-seeking self that
       you've been building up to this point.[/quote] for a beginning
       and a reserved introverted character. I would say that using
       that scene to contradict what I've shown so far isn't wrong.
       Especially when sex can reveal a lot of things about a person
       that they don't normally show off in public. But the masochistic
       aspects about her are actual traits about her that are going to
       be relevant, although it's not explicit yet (especially in part
       1 and 2)
       [Quote] It always comes at a surprise to find a girl with that
       fetish because it really doesn't define her at all. The problem
       is in the scene before it, where Raven is having dinner with
       Adam you build up this conflict with her being focused on the
       game and he's tired of it, but you don't give us any closure on
       it.[/quote]
       There isn't suppose to be closure on it. I wrote them in a very
       passive way. Everything that you see is more of the day to day
       lifestyle. It was all only to reveal how Adam and Raven have
       been living like since their relationship.
       [Quote] Then they have sex and as the reader you think oh it's
       the big sex scene time for some closure on that conflict, time
       hit the literary and the sexual climax, and then there's
       choking. . . Maybe you could have him choke too hard because
       he's angry, Instead of her saying harder, she would say "too
       hard". Sex is a good chance to let off steam, and, for most
       people, it's therapeutic against stress. Some couples even like
       to play sexual games rather than simple intercourse.
       [/quote] The problem wasn't that she was choking too hard. You
       are looking at a scene and not reading what comes with it. If
       this would ever drawn it would take at most half a page.
       [Quote]
       I would suggest using the sex to show the weaknesses, or
       strengths, in their relationship. Maybe even she never reaches
       orgasm because she's focused on the game. And then maybe have
       sex come up later when their relationship is stronger and they
       have a more pleasant time together. To put it simply, sex isn't
       some little thing you can throw into your story, it's huge
       especially with the effect it has on our society. This one scene
       is basically the difference between this story and a huge
       demographic it could be opened to. . . not that any ratings
       would stop them from reading it, but it still shouldn't be taken
       lightly.
       [/quote]
       You have different views on it far different than anyone else.
       And for that reason that you are probably not reading it the
       right way. But also you read everything about Raven and Adam the
       wrong way from even before the scene.
       I intended to show how her relationship is with Adam. That one
       particular scene is just a piece of a bigger picture going on.
       I revealed
       A) Adam does the cooking and demands more from Raven to become
       social. He's aggressive.
       B) Raven isn't good at talking.
       C) despite having such polar personalities they have a physical
       connection. But despite that Raven and her personal issues cause
       her to not be able to sleep on the same bed.
       I will clarify that scene better. But you are taking so much
       from a scene that was suppose to be part of something bugger.
       Keep your views about sex aside and see it for what it is.
       Because even if intended to be drawn it's still mildly censored
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