1. DLP Flash Christmas Competition + Writing Marathon 2024!

    Competition topic: Magical New Year!

    Marathon goal? Crank out words!

    Check the marathon thread or competition thread for details.

    Dismiss Notice
  2. Hi there, Guest

    Only registered users can really experience what DLP has to offer. Many forums are only accessible if you have an account. Why don't you register?
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Introducing for your Perusing Pleasure

    New Thread Thursday
    +
    Shit Post Sunday

    READ ME
    Dismiss Notice

Peace Talks - Chapter 1 Released

Discussion in 'Fanfic Discussion' started by LittleChicago, May 29, 2016.

  1. Zeelthor

    Zeelthor Scissor Me Timbers

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2008
    Messages:
    3,521
    Gender:
    Male
    It's probably a sign that things are ramping up in the supernatural world.
     
  2. Erotic Adventures of S

    Erotic Adventures of S Denarii Host

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Messages:
    3,805
    Location:
    New Zealand
    Link

    So only word on Skin Games is maybe around Christmas or early next year... He is going full GRRM on us...
     
  3. Puzzled

    Puzzled High Inquisitor

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2014
    Messages:
    598
    I feel a lot better about Butcher than GRRM, mostly because he's not an obese 68 year old.
     
  4. Datakim

    Datakim Chief Warlock

    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2007
    Messages:
    1,465
    Location:
    Finland
    Its been mentioned on and off in the official forums that he apparently got divorced, remarried and apparently bought a new house or somesuch. And ofcourse he is also writing another series now.

    So it might be understandable that his writing speed would have slowed due to major events in his life.
     
  5. Jon

    Jon The Demon Mayor Admin DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2006
    Messages:
    8,014
    Location:
    Australia
    I can't remember the last time I thought about The Dresden Files books. I don't think I've thought about Skin Game since I read it, nor can I even recall thinking about Peace Talks at all since it was announced. :\
     
  6. Rehio

    Rehio Bad Dragon ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2007
    Messages:
    366
    Location:
    New Mexico
    High Score:
    2588
    It's been kind of jarring, going from such a regular schedule of books and Dresden content to having like.. nothing.
     
  7. Ched

    Ched Da Trek Moderator DLP Supporter ⭐⭐

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2009
    Messages:
    8,379
    Location:
    The South
    This is more or less the boat I'm in. I 'got into' Dresden when I finished Death Masks. Before that they were just fun wizard detective stories, but book 5 made me a fan. And then I rabidly read the rest of the books in the series that were out and sucked up every scrap of information on upcoming books, short stories, what have you.

    But ever since Ghost Story I've been less into them. And I'm not even really sure why, because the 'changes' (haha, Changes, get it?) to the series aren't things that should put me off. Focusing on a bigger over arching story and leaving behind more of the trappings of the first few books is good storytelling, even if the 'wizard detective' angle is what brought me in originally.

    They're still good, but I don't get excited to the same extent that I did. Once we have a release date though and the book is available (or about to be available) I'll be excited as hell again.
     
  8. Celestin

    Celestin Dimensional Trunk

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2008
    Messages:
    4,695
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Poland
    My investment into DF books certainly is smaller than it was before and a big reason for it is their lack of regularity at the moment. Earlier even if one book was weaker, the next year's could always be better. Now there is not even an estimated date for Peace Talka. With 8+ more books to go and way too many years for them to be published, I'm not sure if I even want to go back to my previous level of excitement about Dresden's adventures.
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2017
  9. Zeelthor

    Zeelthor Scissor Me Timbers

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2008
    Messages:
    3,521
    Gender:
    Male
    Yeah... I think I have hated on the more recent books slightly less than some but the wait kinda sucks. It isn't helped by the fact that there is no fandom to tide you over in the meantime. Hopefully the book is worth the wait.
     
  10. Ched

    Ched Da Trek Moderator DLP Supporter ⭐⭐

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2009
    Messages:
    8,379
    Location:
    The South
    You know... I wonder now if part of my lack of excitement is because the books are harder to predict now. And without a better feel for upcoming entries in the series it's hard to get pumped.

    Up through Changes we all knew that Harry Dresden would live in Chicago while working as a private detective, and that the book would likely involve one of his cases getting him in over his head.

    Sure there'd be other things too, but a lot of that would end up related to the basic premise above. The White Council might not be involved in his detective job, but the nature of said job 'getting out of hand' was usually going to get him involved with them, the Fae, the vampires, etc.

    But since Changes there's no formula. I'm glad the series changed so much, to really make the characters evolve and Harry in particular take a new level or three in badassery... but seems like changing the formula would have been better than removing it. I've no idea what to expect from upcoming books until Butcher himself tells me that "Harry will be a ghost" or "He's going to rob Hades."

    It's almost like if Harry Potter's last year at Hogwarts was Year 4 and the last three books barely had him set foot in the school. Sure it could be amazing, and we'd probably have enjoyed it... but I'm not sure if I'd have been as excited during that three year gap between GoF and OotP, because looking forward to Harry being back at Hogwarts for a new crazy year is part of the fun.

    I don't think it's the wait time between novels that tamps down my excitement though. Not for me at least.
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2017
  11. vlad

    vlad Banned ~ Prestige ~

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2007
    Messages:
    678
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Georgia, SSR
    High Score:
    2000
    Building on cheddar:

    Any fanfic over 100k is immediate redflag that authors plot is swamped by shitty pacing. Exceptions, sure, but if you can't introduce settings, characters, establish plot, have a twist or two, climax and resolution in 100k... u probably doing it wrong.

    First four HP books were building on each other, but each story had its own mystery and purpose, its own introduction of new characters and magic, its own confrontation and resolution. Book 5 didn't: the prophesy didn't add anything for the reader, and in effect the last three books were one, with absolute shit pacing.

    Dresden started the same. Each book built off each other and so like Potter, we gained a clearer view of the wider world and Harry was able to power up - and thus fight harder challenges - while still maintaining the intrinsic nature of the series. For Potter this was Hogwarts, for Dresden this was Chicago gumshoe.

    We no longer have that. Basically since Changes, we know who and what Harry is up against: The other threatening to overpower winters armies, and the grey council. We can't go back to the old formula even if we want to, because Dresden wasting time against enemy of the week is trite in the face of what he and we know is the real danger.

    So we've basically got (including the trilogy) about a ten book arc where meaningful resolution is impossible. Any success will feel diversionary and ephemeral. New characters that aren't directly assisting or hindering this overall objective are distractions. Hooray!

    Looking back, I wish Dresden had kept the original formula. Grey council could have been introduced but kept as a interesting and vaguely threatening sidenote that was on the back burner. Then the apocalyptic trilogy could have been Harry finally piecing it together and a three book pazzow of unearthing the council, defeating it, then destroying its army in the void.

    Cause it's going there anyway... it's just going to take a decade of clues and womangst to get there.
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2017
  12. Striker

    Striker What's up demons?

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2010
    Messages:
    1,500
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    In the Tesla
    Ehhh. Fanfiction as a format is different from a published novel in that most authors don't separate each "book" as its own publication. Web serials in general have this problem, Worm is a good example. There are a lot of fanfiction "stories" that could well be broken into several distinct 100k books if doing so would actually accomplish something, but it doesn't, so most don't bother.
     
  13. Ryuugi Shi

    Ryuugi Shi Hierarch

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2007
    Messages:
    1,889
    Location:
    Glorious Bellerophan
    Yeah, when you're getting paid by the book, breaking your story into however many books makes perfect sense.

    Fafic writers don't get paid by the book, though, so people generally only bother with sequels if there's a really, really major breaking point or something.
     
  14. Ekim Sivad

    Ekim Sivad Muggle

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2017
    Messages:
    1
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Asgard


    I would love a copy of the new chapter!
     
Loading...