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Thank you, @Chac1. I'm sure there are many writAARs here who can attest to the fact how minor characters can grow and take on a life of their own. Madelyn was one such. She began as someone to establish and launch a series of AARs, essentially from a one-off post, but found her role expanding thanks to reader feedback.
Thanks, @StrategyGameEnthusiast.
Thanks from Madelyn and I, @jak7139
.Thanks @Revan86. I'm sure Madelyn will be seeing you, Jak and few others from the rugby team in the near future.
I'm rather partial to the character of Al, of course...but Madelyn works too.
Congrats, LD!
You would be
. Al's important, as he has to continually rein in Edwin's uncontrollable puppy love .Double congratulations @Lord Durham
Thank you, @Bullfilter.
Thanks, @Nikolai.
I'll be back later with my nomination for Best Character Writer of the Week.
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I'm currently (re) reading the brilliant The Last Mission by @TheExecuter. The problem I'm having is choosing a character to showcase. Is it Ian Clark, or Eloise von Lebens? Ian or Eloise? Eloise or Ian? Hell. How about both. These are two finally crafted and complicated people who make this AAR a treat to read. Congrats, @TheExecuter.
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Congrats to @TheExecuter ! Another first-time winner. The Last Mission is on my long reading list to get to at some point. Currently, I am reading his very funny Insanely Stronk! Hoping to get to The Last Mission sometime in the future for sure.
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Thanks for the nomination, @Lord Durham !
Both characters are major parts of the story (it being an adventure romance, the hero and heroine are both important) and so I am not surprised that it is a struggle to choose between them.
I am also pleased to realize that if you have read enough about Eloise to consider her a major character, that you have gotten beyond the intro adventure and into the romance adventure proper.
I hope you enjoy where the story goes! Do let me know what you think as you go in comments. You won't be bothering anyone else with comments from the past...pretty much everyone is trying to catch up on the story due to its status as an old story that has been picked up again. I'm pretty sure no one is up to date on the most recent chapters.
Thanks @Chac1 !
I do enjoy taking a break from the much more detailed Last Mission to bang out a quick update on Insanely Stronk every couple of days. I started Stronk when having to write a couple of Last Mission chapters that were sad and also pulled experiences and contexts from my father's passing some years ago. Having the ability to refresh my soul with something less heavy at times was key to enabling me to keep moving forward in my writing. Having that second story in a completely different style really helps stave away the possibility of stalling my writing habits because of a desire to put off writing difficult to relive chapters.
I keep hoping for Insanely Stronk that I can get back to the tech pron in a bit, but the 1940 techs are a lot of industrial and doctrinal techs, and I think the insanity of the world situation has been the best source of comedy throughout 1941. The entire collapse of the Southern Front was completely unexpected and I struggle to think of a time in my HOI gaming where a single front line has featured both a titanic world war 1 trench warfare type fight with an extremely fluid mobile 'front line' that has no actual definable status.
Thanks @StrategyGameEnthusiast !
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Congratulations @TheExecuter! I'm also hoping to dive into The Last Mission at some point. I've heard good things.
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Congratulations @TheExecuter! I really enjoy the depth and intellectualism in The Last Mission! I need to get caught up - I've fallen behind due to update speed.
And congratulations @Lord Durham and all the other very worthy authors I've missed! I realized I'm dreadfully behind in this thread also.
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And congratulations @Lord Durham and all the other very worthy authors I've missed! I realized I'm dreadfully behind in this thread also.
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Thanks!
Thanks!
I hope you enjoy it when you get a chance.
Thanks!
Don't worry...everyone is behind. Just comment on anything.
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Yep...I'm there. Deep apologies for not real time comments (especially as you did me such a solid in mine) but I know this nod is sincere and deserved. Truly welcome back to us, @TheExecuter and thank you for not just crafting such a wonderful story but so too your presence! Well deserved, this. Congratulations!
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No worries, @coz1 .
My reading style is...probably crazy to most people. I really do love to binge read stories. Your The Wars of the Roses was one of the AARs that I was sorry to see halt back when I drifted away from the forums. Thus, when I came back and saw that it was restarted...I just had to binge it...and I was not disappointed. I'm still watching with interest as King Richard and Queen Cecily try to be good 'Not Henry / Not Margaret'...
...though I must admit, I really want Margaret Beaufort to have some success... (mischievous nudge)
As always, don't hesitate to comment on anything you read of mine, WHENEVER you read it. Do not feel like your comment will be 'too late.' Last Mission is probably my one great life writing project. I love revisiting some of the older sections...and I will enjoy watching your reactions as the story moves forward and characters change.
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Speaking of binging...I spent the last nine days binge reading the entirety of Life2.0 - An 'Of Unity' Narrative by @CBR JGWRR . His hook in the first post was pretty good, but the moment he introduced Naomi HaMaadimi, and she uttered the line 'I die with my friends' in response to a question about whether she would fight or survive...
I was hooked.
Fair warning, the story deals with some pretty heavy stuff in terms of evil and oppression. But the characters @CBR JGWRR builds both showcase that evil in realistic ways, but also demonstrate how courage, love, and right actions can combat evil.
I cried...a lot. Sad tears, angry tears, joyful tears. I punched the air in exultation, I felt my soul drop out from me in worry.
In short, the story wrecked me, then brought it all to a rip-roaring conclusion with dozens of well formed characters....not an easy task when dealing with the diversity of Stellaris potential inputs.
I am now in that awkward feeling where I've finished a binge read and my brain keeps trying to go back to read more of it...
I would like to nominate @CBR JGWRR as a worthy winner of the Best Character Writer of the Week. If I have misunderstood the rules for how to nominate and he is not eligible, then I will open up the floor for nominations.
I was hooked.
Fair warning, the story deals with some pretty heavy stuff in terms of evil and oppression. But the characters @CBR JGWRR builds both showcase that evil in realistic ways, but also demonstrate how courage, love, and right actions can combat evil.
I cried...a lot. Sad tears, angry tears, joyful tears. I punched the air in exultation, I felt my soul drop out from me in worry.
In short, the story wrecked me, then brought it all to a rip-roaring conclusion with dozens of well formed characters....not an easy task when dealing with the diversity of Stellaris potential inputs.
I am now in that awkward feeling where I've finished a binge read and my brain keeps trying to go back to read more of it...
I would like to nominate @CBR JGWRR as a worthy winner of the Best Character Writer of the Week. If I have misunderstood the rules for how to nominate and he is not eligible, then I will open up the floor for nominations.
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I have really just dipped my toes into some of @CBR JGWRR 's work and he is certainly worthy. However, he won this award about two months ago, and there is a renewed interest by some in staying with the rules that the awards should not repeat during about a six month time span.
That said, perhaps @Lord Durham could provide a ruling or @CBR JGWRR could weigh in on his opinion?
That said, perhaps @Lord Durham could provide a ruling or @CBR JGWRR could weigh in on his opinion?
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For what it's worth, Life2.0 has indeed already had two characters nominated, Appia Flavonius in November last year, and Naomi's daughter Rivkah Of Unity in 2023. (and arguably a third character, as Yehoshua HaMaadimi, while technically nominated for HaMaadimi Imperium in 2022, plays a far greater role in Life2.0)
Also, technically Life2.0 is now a finished narrative, with my writing time currently split between Mandate Of Heaven and Stars Of Wonder, the two sequels to Life2.0. And as Naomi appears in both, one might say that a nomination should wait.
This all acknowledged, I would like to make an appeal for it to stand as Naomi is the main protagonist of the narrative, if anyone could be said to be the main protagonist in Life2.0. She's had more of my time and thought than any other character, and in my opinion she is the best character I've written; if I had a choice for which character I would be nominated for this AARward for out of all my characters from all my AARs and narratives, it would be for her.
And as a note of personal pride, allowing it would be a (possibly unique?) honour to have Life2.0 nominated for Best Character Writer Of The Week for a third consecutive year, which does feel good.
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For my two ducats, I would normally agree that we should try and wait at least 6 months between nominating the same person for these weeklies (and in fact, I have instituted the rule of 12 full months for the WoW), this particular nod is slightly different in that we are looking at characters as much as a writAAR and it seems apparent that @TheExecuter's suggestion is for a different character than the last one put forth for Life2.0 and @CBR JGWRR. Thus, I would counsel that this nod should stand.
I will, of course, adhere to the judgment of LD but still offer a congrats to you @CBR JGWRR for the recognition. It certainly is warranted for a great cast of characters, this one especially.
That said, I would caution anyone that nominates here - please try and single out a specific character rather than just "the characters" in any particular AAR. It is what I request when voting in the YAYAs and while not a hard and fast rule here, it would certainly assist in clarifying. OK, so a third ducat was offered.
I will, of course, adhere to the judgment of LD but still offer a congrats to you @CBR JGWRR for the recognition. It certainly is warranted for a great cast of characters, this one especially.
That said, I would caution anyone that nominates here - please try and single out a specific character rather than just "the characters" in any particular AAR. It is what I request when voting in the YAYAs and while not a hard and fast rule here, it would certainly assist in clarifying. OK, so a third ducat was offered.
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That is correct. In case I wasn't fully clear...the nomination is specifically for the character of Naomi HaMaadimi.
That character's behavior throughout was extremely well portrayed. I believe I, at one point in the narrative, compared her pre-battle speeches as being like Galadriel's vial...a source of light that shines brightest in the dark, a source of hope when all other lights go out.
And these words from Naomi weren't just inspirational out of context...they flowed from her experiences and other parts of her portrayal in the story.
I'm a pretty jaded reader...and her portrayal and words made me cry damn near every day of the binge read.
With all that said, if LD quashes the nomination, I will accept the will of the rules. If that happens, I will let others provide a nomination for the next award.
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Naomi HaMaadimi is a great character, so I have no problem letting it stand. Congrats, @CBR JGWRR.
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Congratulations @CBR JGWRR!
I have merely dipped my toe, or perhaps my reading finger, into Life 2.0, and I know it's tremendous work. I think I've voted for it in the past for awards. But I'm in no way current and tend to only vote for works I'm relatively familiar with in current form.
That said I would be glad to find time to read it sometime, as @TheExecuter's endorsement is compelling!
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I have merely dipped my toe, or perhaps my reading finger, into Life 2.0, and I know it's tremendous work. I think I've voted for it in the past for awards. But I'm in no way current and tend to only vote for works I'm relatively familiar with in current form.
That said I would be glad to find time to read it sometime, as @TheExecuter's endorsement is compelling!
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