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  1.  

    I thought Iccorp2’s article was very good and thought it might be helpful to dig into the topic in a more conversational-like way.

    How much plotting do you do when you are seriously planning a story?

    I plan to the point of possibly vacuuming the cat, but I prefer to know everything before I start. There are pros and cons for each method. Some of the cons for overplanning are the delays (years!) and the painstaking dilligence and dogged patience it takes. One good outcome is if after so much detail work you are still passionate about the story, it’s a very good sign it’s not just a passing fancy that dies from a cross examination.

    When I was younger, I would get an AWESOME STORY IDEA OMG and start writing it in a notebook. After about 50 hours I would wake up and realize it was pathetically thin and weak. Like, beyond saving, unless I did some serious refiguring (aka, planning) and then start over.

    Any other opinions?

  2.  

    Mmm…I’m working on the first really serious idea I’ve ever had, and so far, I’ve gotten down a general plot, did a character profile for the two PoV characters, drew a map that is by now obsolete, and that’s about it. I need to flesh out some of my supporting characters more.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2009
     

    I do a lot of planning over long periods of time before I actually start writing, I’ve had one story idea for at least 2 years now. I find that planning can help you see a lot of the flaws in your story.

  3.  

    Well, I didn’t really actively plan. It just stewed in my head.

    •  
      CommentAuthorSpanman
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2009
     

    I wrote around five scenes that had been hanging around in my head for a few weeks, thought about them some more, wrote a couple of scenes in-between to make them fit together better, and then started thinking about actually writing down some of the plans I had for each character so I wouldn’t forget them. That’s about the extent of my planning. Not much… I stopped writing in the fantasy genre when I was thirteen because I was too lazy for worldbuilding. :P

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2009
     

    I nail down, as much as possible, all the characters, their general histories and motivations. From there I kinda have ‘this is what I want to happen, and this is what needs to happen in between’, and go from there. Most of my time is developing the characters, not necessarily the story.

    Because stories are extremely interchangeable. Every possible story idea has been thought of, and most of them already done better than you. So, for me, while a story might sound fun to write, its the characters that make or break it. Memorable characters can really save a lackluster story (if it is even lackluster at all), but the reverse does not apply.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2009
     

    I’m a bit of both. I micro-plan the details of the world, the culture, the characters themselves… But I let the plot roam free with a vague sort of “this should happen at some point” outline.

    Once I’ve developed the characters and world enough, I like to think I can get away with less planning for the story itself, because the characters will drive it.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2009
     

    I agree with Virgil- I care more about the characters than the story. Once I get the characters, an interesting story will show up eventually. So if I know the characters’ motivations (and, obviously, the world they live in) and how they react to things, I look at a lot of different “triggers” until I figure out what would be an interesting reaction for them. For example, my one character was traumatized as a (relatively) young child because of watching her mother’s murder and her father’s subsequent death. It ended up breaking up her family, and she and her two younger sisters haven’t spoken to or even seen each other for years. So any story I do about her, I would want to include that family dynamic, which leaves me with two plot points- either her leaving her family, or her being reconciled with them. That gives me some starting point- what was the final straw that made her leave her family, and what set of circumstances forced her back? From there I can try to pull together more of a story.

  4.  

    I hardly plan at, no written outline or anything like that. I get an idea, and then I think about it for a while. Then I get ideas for characters and basic plot emerges. Then I start writing a little, and I think of cool things and scenes that could happen later on. While I’m writing the stuff that happens in between my already know scenes, I think about those scenes a lot when I’m not writing and try to get into the character’s mindset. Then when I get to them, I write them as close to how I imagined as possible. I also have vague ideas of how it could end after I’ve written a little. The thing I’m worst at is endings. They’re just hard for me. I mostly make it up as I go so that I’m not bored with the material. It does have disadvantages like getting stuck and writing yourslef into a corner. I still like it though.

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2009 edited
     

    I look at a lot of different “triggers” until I figure out what would be an interesting reaction for them.

    I do something similar to this as well, but probably best described as situations. If each character is properly done, all the reactions to any situation will be unique, and the consequences will shape the story.

    NP: From the way you describe your writing style, it looks more of a story driven plot, then afterward consider the characters in it. Of course, everyone has this problem, we all want cool things to happen.

  5.  

    @Virgil
    Well, several of the events are based around the characters reactions to what happened, and that’s why I find those events so interesting. Like emotions, for example, are really interesting to me, how people react in different situations. Like, one of my characters who was always quiet and nice was really derailed when his wife died and kind of went a little nuts, forcing one of the more apathetic people (his sister) who just does what she’s told to step up a little because there’s no one to tell her what to do anymore. The wife had told everyone what to do and planned everything, so now no one really wants to take over for her. I like to get inside a characters head and get into their reactinos when “cool things happen.”

    EDIT:
    I just happen to think up the story before I think of any characters. My ideas usually start out extremely vague, so I have to think of characters and then put them in whatever the situation is.

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2009 edited
     

    Hm.. reactinos should be a form of superpowered nuclear weapon.

    Anyway, does the ‘cool thing’ happen before or after the emotion?

    I just happen to think up the story before I think of any characters. My ideas usually start out extremely vague, so I have to think of characters and then put them in whatever the situation is.

    That’s a story driven plot, with events controlling the characters. Ok, well, not particularly. Everyone does start with vague ideas, then put the characters into them. But everyone really should be doing characters first, but it doesn’t matter as much. If the characters are allowed control of the plot, whatever came before doesn’t matter.

  6.  

    Well, the emotions mostly happen during and after the cool thing. What word would you prefer instead of “reactions”?

    That’s a story driven plot, with events controlling the characters.

    Oh, well it might be. I don’t really know a lot about different types of plots. Some of my ideas don’t have a specific character, but they are mostly about what a certain type of person would do after something happened and the series of events (that they mostly caused) that led up to the main event that happened. Is that still story driven? The one I used as an example is not like that, but what I want to write next is.

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2009
     

    There are generally two types of plots, story and character. In a story driven one (i.e. Inheritance), its clear the author set out a series of events to happen, and then writes the characters to cause or lead up to those events. This makes the story feel flat and forced, or the author is simply shoving what he wants down your throat.

    Character driven is naturally opposite. A general framework for the plot may be set out, but because the characters are all shiny and three (or four) dimensional, they are the ones to cause the events, then react accordingly, causing more events and the story goes that way. Lots of times you will decide that a character will do something else that you intended, but this is good and it makes things feel alive.

    In your example, that would be classified as character driven, but it comes down to how you write it. Its probably not good to classify characters into types either, but I’m sure that’s not your intention.

  7.  

    Its probably not good to classify characters into types either, but I’m sure that’s not your intention.

    Yeah it wasn’t. I just meant that it was a not-so-stable person.

  8.  

    It works both ways in the same story for me. It started with an event, a series of plot points. Then the characters arrived, hijacked the situation and it veered off course. Which was fine. I always prefer character driven books, for some reason. Characters who make big things happen. :)

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2009
     

    But you can’t just flat-out say “story-driven plots are contrived, character-driven plots are interesting”. There’s good and bad examples of both, and I wouldn’t say either one is superior. Character plots might be easier to make interesting (especially for your writers), but that doesn’t mean story plots are all bad. A lot of stories don’t really fall into either category anyway, or they fall into both. It’s more gray than black and white, I say.

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2009
     

    True. If you deliberately design a story with a specific character or personality in mind, you’re just attempting to predict how a character would react. I tend to do this a lot.

    Swenson, what stories would fall in between? To me, it really is a black and white kind of thing. When you have a totally story driven plot, it does become horrible (to me) because the characters are nothing more than puppets filling a pre-described role. From there, there is a large arc of character driven plots which may have some elements of story in them, but are largely controlled by the characters.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2009
     

    Well, some stories seem to focus on both story and character. I read an article on this a while back… hmm. I’ll see if I can dig it up. I forget all the points it made, but one of them was that sometimes plots don’t really fit neatly into one of the two categories. Hope I didn’t lose it when I deleted my history a while back…

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2009
     

    I think that as long as you have a good character base, it is natural a good story will follow. It comes down to whether you really like the story or not, and if you’ve allowed your characters free reign.

  9.  
    My story is probably more story driven than character driven, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Some things that happen in the plot are caused by a character's decision without them acting out of character, and I don't believe my characters' personalities are formed around the plot like they only have that personality because that's what the plot needs. It's only when characters become really illogical and stupid that a story driven plot is bad.
  10.  

    It’s only when characters become really illogical and stupid that a story driven plot is bad.

    Hit the nail right on the head there, happycrab.

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 7th 2009
     

    It’s only when characters become really illogical and stupid that a story driven plot is bad.

    Not necessarily. The character could quite easily be illogical and stupid, but as long as if it were for the right reasons, with proper motivations and backgrounds. With that, a character becomes flat and forced, which leads to the story being bad.

  11.  

    Yeah. Basically I interpreted ‘illogical and stupid’ as ‘doing things they wouldn’t normally do to further the story’.

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 7th 2009
     

    Unless their intention in the story is to hold the story back.

    This is why I like doing characters much more than stories.. there are so many fun ways to do things, and you’ll never know what you’ll end up with. Stories are only limited by your imagination, but a proper character can do wonders with it.

  12.  

    I do very little to no actual worldbuilding until I get to the point where I need it. As for the outline, I do have a vague idea what is going to happen and when, but for most part I let the story run its course. But seeing as I rewrite a lot, I end up with much more worldbuilding/development notes than I originally started with.

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 8th 2009
     

    I do very little to no actual worldbuilding until I get to the point where I need it.

    When is that?

  13.  

    I really do need to worldbuild more. I have a general idea in my head, of course…but how much detail do you really need?

  14.  

    When is that?

    when I get to it:P

  15.  

    The only story I ever finished (500-worders don’t count) was one where I wrote from scratch no planning, but I kept notes on what could happen along the way, I had the beginning, middle and end scenes in mind, my characters were developed as I wrote them, and everyone who read it laughed their heads off. Yes, yes, it was meant to be funny. So I think that might be the way to go. The most important factor there might be that I wrote it longhand. Everything I treasure has been written longhand.

    The one I’m working on now (I’m trying to save my JulNo) has had characters vaguely in mind, a sense of where I want to end up, I’ve added notes about scenes that I want to include, I’m keeping notes on things that could happen as I go, I’m typing it, and it’s taking way too long.

    On one story I did do everything short of vacuming the cat… it’s been four years now, and I’ve only touched it twice since then.

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 8th 2009
     

    but how much detail do you really need?

    Enough to make your world believable. There isn’t a magic number (sadly).

  16.  

    @Steph: I’ve tried going longhand before, but I hate having to go back and chickenscratch everything out. Plus, there’s nothing to stop my snoopy brother from going through a spiral notebook short of some sort of padlock. Typing is just so much neater and cleaner, in my opinion, and it’s easier to change things around. If you want to change someone’s name, for example, you just use the handy ‘Find and Replace’ command.

    Maybe I’m just a typer. I like hearing the keys go clickety clack as I write.

    •  
      CommentAuthorJabrosky
    • CommentTimeAug 8th 2009
     

    I’ve semi-planned the story I’m currently working on (the Strongjaw one). I have an idea what the next scene will be, but I’m not sure what will happen after that.

  17.  

    I actually spend way more time planning and world-building than I do writing. A guilty pleasure of mine.

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 8th 2009
     

    It is fun.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeAug 8th 2009
     

    I actually spend way more time planning and world-building than I do writing. A guilty pleasure of mine.

    That’s what I do. :P

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeAug 8th 2009
     

    @ Future Devin & Puppet: I know the feeling. I more often refer to myself as a worldbuilder than I do as a writer. There’s something very satisfying or perhaps comforting about it.

  18.  

    It is much easier to plan to do something than to do it. Mapping and plotting could go on forever, in most cases. Then you are dead and no one ever knows about that perfected plot you never got around to “finishing”.

  19.  

    @ SWQ:

    I’ve tried going longhand before, but I hate having to go back and chickenscratch everything out.

    That’s what I like- it’s easier to have two versions in the same area, you can’t ever fully delete something, you can keep track of where everything is physically (I have a slightly photographic memory so I prefer that), and when you type up the second draft, it forces you to rethink every single sentence.

  20.  

    I think planning is a good idea if you can do it in such a way that it doesn’t make your characters act OoC. I’m using a really vague chapter-by-chapter outline(A few are as vague as “Something happens here) to attempt to control the pacing and such. That said, I’ve been doing enough musing over the story for the past several years that a more detailed plan isn’t really necessary to write down.

    I think if you have any long-term designs, some amount of planning is necessary to keep from writing yourself into a corner, although that’s probably a bigger risk in a serial medium than in books.

    The flipside is, in my experience at least, you risk shoehorning elements in before they’re technically necessary. I swear it seems like half the characters I’ve used so far are in there so they don’t appear out of thin air if I can get it published/write a sequel.

  21.  
    I never write out my plotwork, and I rarely commit characters to paper. I prefer to leave those things fluid. While I might have everything planned out in my mind, it's subject to change at any point.

    World building is another story. I thrive on the details of a fictional world, and I spend hours typing them out on the computer. Very very few of them find their way into the story, I know better than that, but it really helps me when I'm writing. I enjoy imagining the way things look and are, and the kind of people that exist in a fiction world. I'm also a bit of a realism nut so I like to make sure that everything in my conworld is believable. I have a lot of military knowledge, so when I read a book where war is inaccurately represented it jars me out of the book and makes me angry. Therefore I try to research the things I don't know about, so my writing can pass scrutiny of someone who knows a lot about say,,, civilizations.

    Again, all these details find very little place in the story. But sometimes a small detail turns out to be something larger when you examine its effect on the characters of your story.
  22.  

    See, I have no expertise about, well, anything, so I have to go by what I notice on my own when worldbuilding. I haven’t devoted much time to it, other than thinking about it sometimes before I go to bed (does anyone else get their best writerly inspirations lying in bed before you fall asleep?) and occassionally typing up something that I want to change the next day.

  23.  

    I’m not a huge world-builder.. it’s one of my weaknesses.

    I think planning is a good idea if you can do it in such a way that it doesn’t make your characters act OoC. I’m using a really vague chapter-by-chapter outline(A few are as vague as “Something happens here) to attempt to control the pacing and such.

    I need to try that.

    The flipside is, in my experience at least, you risk shoehorning elements in before they’re technically necessary. I swear it seems like half the characters I’ve used so far are in there so they don’t appear out of thin air if I can get it published/write a sequel.

    Just write the lot of it first. And use the same characters for multiple jobs whenever you can.

  24.  

    Just write the lot of it first. And use the same characters for multiple jobs whenever you can.

    Yeah, I’ve been trying to give them stuff to do besides show up and go, “Hey! I’m _________! See you next book!” The only one who has really gotten to be in there without doing much is a not-yet-involved villain I have a mancrush on. I’d like to give them all more appearances but the story structure doesn’t really allow it. Maybe that’s another anti-planning argument :x

  25.  

    Well, just remember, in a sequel, you are allowed to introduce new characters lol.

    What’s it about? [gives chance for novel-plug]

  26.  

    What’s it about? [gives chance for novel-plug]

    Ha, I’ll try not to get carried away. The first book can be boiled down to “Emotionally isolated swordsman must escort a princess from point A to point B while dark forces scheme, except in a late Sengoku/early Edo period Japan pastiche instead of proto-Europe.” The A-to-B plot is sort of intended to defer the real heavy lifting of the plot as a whole until I’m better at writing, but it also means that characters who aren’t the leads are coming in and out of it all the time, so it’s tough to really establish any of them in their own rights yet. Having them do plot-jobs seemed more efficient than just having random dudes pop up and vanish at least, even if I worry the early cameos might get too gratuitous.

    The major issue is that, should I somehow luck out and publish and have it successful enough that they’ll let me write another, the major players in the second will need a reason to be involved. On top of that, Chekhov’s Guns/Gunmen just appeal to me too damn much to pass up the opportunity. I just like the idea giving somebody the same experience I had when rereading HP, where you notice something that seems innocuous but shows the writer had it in mind the whole time, like “Wait, ___________ was the antagonist of book #X, but he already gets referenced in book #1! Sweet mustache! Willikers!”

  27.  

    I just like the idea giving somebody the same experience I had when rereading HP, where you notice something that seems innocuous but shows the writer had it in mind the whole time, like “Wait, ___________ was the antagonist of book #X, but he already gets referenced in book #1! Sweet mustache! Willikers!”

    Yeah, planning helps an author establish foreshadowing. If you are making it all up off the top of your head as you go along, you’ll either end up without foreshadowing and have to go back, or be happy with it.

  28.  

    Note to above: see Unfortunate Events for that too. That’s also partly why I was so upset that there was no real ending to the series. I’m thinking of ending it myself :).

    but it also means that characters who aren’t the leads are coming in and out of it all the time, so it’s tough to really establish any of them in their own rights yet. Having them do plot-jobs seemed more efficient than just having random dudes pop up and vanish at least, even if I worry the early cameos might get too gratuitous.

    Lol, but you can also have your character have some random cameos pass through your MC’s plot, and they won’t be gratuitous (although your readers will think they are!) cameos: they’ll just have some secret purpose, even their mere appearances, that will be revealed later. Like this:

    “Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dinisha skulking inside a market booth. Suddenly, she turned her head and seemed to stare straight at him. Tanyo kept looking right ahead, hoping she hadn’t seen him. And then he blinked and she was gone from his vision, melted into the crowd like an ice treat on a hot pavement.
    Tanyo forgot about her almost instantly—there was too much to see and do to dwell on her presence here.

    And then a book later:

    “But I did see Dinisha in the marketplace,” Tanyo realised. “She must have backtracked in order not to kill me. And then her whole plan came undone when she saw I was there.”

    Lol, I’m having too much fun posting this!

  29.  

    But the trick is to make it really subtle so that the reader doesn’t think ‘this is so stupid and has nothing to do with anything, why is this here?’

  30.  

    But the trick is to make it really subtle so that the reader doesn’t think ‘this is so stupid and has nothing to do with anything, why is this here?’

    Yeah, it seems like a tough thing to judge in your own work, though. I’m probably more worried about it than I should be, since even though I know I’m going out of my way to put them in there, but the reader probably wouldn’t know that unless it’s especially flagrant.

  31.  

    Just put them in and work on it later…

  32.  

    Just put them in and work on it later…

    Yeah, guess that’s really the only way.

  33.  
    I'm always right. *preens*
  34.  

    How do you think JKR implemented those anyway? Did she know the whole time, or did she go back and comb the earlier books for little tidbits she could use in new and interesting ways?

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 11th 2009
     

    Why don’t you call her?

    020 1522 2824

  35.  

    Ha ha, so funny.

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 11th 2009
     

    Your /sarcasm is noted.

  36.  

    Wow, I didn’t think you’d catch it.

    :D

  37.  

    How do you think JKR implemented those anyway? Did she know the whole time, or did she go back and comb the earlier books for little tidbits she could use in new and interesting ways?

    I have no idea. I would love to know the answer, though. I guarantee you she knew quite a few of those reveals beforehand. The Aberforth reveal was foreshadowed way back in book 5 with a single sentence, and IIRC his goat-charming is referenced in the same book, so I can’t believe it’s something she came up with when she sat down to write book 7. There’s a ton of other examples that seem too specific to be things she came up with on the fly, although who am I to say what she is capable of, so maybe she did do that. Who knows?

    Although, I do have a funny mental image now of her rereading the preceding books looking for throwaway lines that she could turn into major plot points.

  38.  

    Yeah, I remembered Aberforth immediately. Am I the only person who figured out RAB relatively quickly?

    •  
      CommentAuthorJeni
    • CommentTimeAug 11th 2009
     

  39.  

    Yeah, I remembered Aberforth immediately. Am I the only person who figured out RAB relatively quickly?

    I did after I read HBP the second time. In my defense, HBP was the first Potter book I read, so it would’ve been hard to guess when I’d never heard of him. Do I get bonus points if I guessed his middle name correctly?

    Birmingham is 0121

    I didn’t even know the UK had its own format. Do y’all have a stock fake area code that’s used in movies akin to 555?

  40.  

    I heard somewhere that JKR began the series by crafting the last chapter.

    EDIT: Wait. 555 is fake?

  41.  

    EDIT: Wait. 555 is fake?

    Well, not technically. It’s only for directory assistance numbers, and 555-0100 through 555-0199 are reserved for fictional use. But yeah, no residential numbers have that prefix… IN AMERICA.

    •  
      CommentAuthorJeni
    • CommentTimeAug 11th 2009
     

    Do y’all have a stock fake area code that’s used in movies akin to 555?

    Apparently we do. :D Hey, never noticed it before. http://www.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/ioi/numbers/num_drama?a=87101

  42.  
    Hey you guys talking about the fake 555 area code thingy being used for fictional places made me finally get the joke in The Simpsons when Wiggum is tracking Mr Burns' Son's "Kidnapper" (Homer) and Wiggum's all "555 - Ah damn it must be a fake!". That episode was coincidentally on today, too. Hooray for coincidences.
    •  
      CommentAuthorMoldorm
    • CommentTimeAug 11th 2009
     

    There is no coincidence, only cunning plans we don’t know about yet.

  43.  

    Lol, I just finished The Hitchhiker’s Guide for the first time about ten minutes ago, and after reading it, I have to say that I agree.

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 11th 2009
     

    Hitchhiker’s Guide is amazing.

  44.  

    I was simultaneously annoyed at some of his comma usage, amazed and jealous of his ability to think of idiotic logic and comedy, and very interested.

  45.  

    I read Hitchhiker’s but I don’t remember it, unfortunately.

  46.  

    Yeah, I remembered Aberforth immediately. Am I the only person who figured out RAB relatively quickly?

    Nah, I got that pretty much right away, but I didn’t believe it because Regulus was said to be an idiot.

  47.  
    I didn't get that Because I couldn't be bothered working out who's names the initials could apply to, but I did know right from the start, 100% certain, that Dumbledore planned his Death and Snape loved Lily. No doubt about it in my mind. I knew it. And of course I was right. How many other people thought that? Probably everyone...
  48.  

    You just ruined it for me. I’m still on book 2.

    •  
      CommentAuthorVirgil
    • CommentTimeAug 11th 2009 edited
     

    D:

    seriously?

  49.  
    She's not serious. Even if she's only on book 2, everyone already knows Snape killed Dumbledore anyway. I never really care about getting spoiled.
  50.  

    @ Virgil: Yes.

    @ happycrab: I’m absolutely serious. And I DIDN’T know Snape killed Dumbledore (Though, yes, I did know he died. But I thought the Order of the Phoenix killed him or something.) Please stop spoiling it for me—you might not mind it, but I do!

    SUM TOTAL OF WHAT I KNOW:

    Tom Riddle = Voldemort. Although who the heck Tom Riddle was, I have no idea.
    Ginny and Harry 4eva
    Hermione and Ron 4eva
    Harry gets kidnapped by the Order of the Phoenix or something and ends up joining them.
    Harry can speak in snaketongue thing.

    Feel free to laugh at whichever ones I got wrong, but don’t tell me the right answers.

  51.  
    Sorry. I meant I don't mind if I get spoiled, not that I don't care if I spoil it for others. I just assumed everyone would know by now...
  52.  

    Lol you HP elitists. Just because I’ve been hiding under a rock.

    •  
      CommentAuthorMoldorm
    • CommentTimeAug 12th 2009
     

    We’re just surprised that you’ve avoided absorbing the knowledge through pop-cultural osmosis for so long.

  53.  

    Like I told you, I was under a rock. Rocks don’t equal osmosis-friendly.

    Well, before, I just didn’t care so nothing sunk in, and then two months ago, I started doing my best not to run into any spoilers.