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List of newbie questions regarding software

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Paul Keith:
Btw here's a quote that supports my case that many of the novel writing software I tested didn't get:

Similarities will be found between any fantasy story. Finding a story that is 100% unique is probably impossible. But I agree that sometimes Goodkind is a little too blatantly obvious. But then, when trying to tell a story I am sure you will end up with a solution that works great, then realize that soemone else have already used that exact solution. What are you gonna do? scrap your project?

The difference between SoT and WoT is that SoT tells a story and have things come in as they are needed, while WoT tells a story in a set world.

SoT have a distinct theme for each book (its stated by Goodkind on his website). Everything in the book is based on supporting that theme. An effect of this is how certain places and people are there for just one book and then is never heard from again. Examples are the pacifist empire, gars/Gratch, Blood of the Fold, etc. These are all in one book and gets resolved in the end (either by getting killed of, or leaving). Of course he did bring back some in the last book, but my basic theory still holds.

In effect, Goodkind creates the world around the story: 'Oh I need a old mysterious place, write it in'. This is why the map of the world is so vague. It gives Goodkind greater freedom in creating his story. he is free to go to any place since it is created just to get the story moving in the right way.

WoT on the other hand is a story taking place in a set world. When Goodkind creates his world to support his story, Jordan sets his story in a 'existing world'. Therefore he gets bogged down in details, and a lot of characters, since they still exist in this world, while in SoT anyone not realted to the theme in the book isn't mentioned at all.

Personally I find SoT a good book, a bit preachy, but in the end a good story. I found WoT to be superior in storytelling and giving me the ffeling of being immersed in a richer world. The negative side is the slow pace and the feeling of reading a soap opera (minor plotlines that never really gets resolved, always springing up new minor plotlines) rather than a story.

My perceived difference between the authors is that Goodkind wants to preach a message, while Jordan wants to tell a story.

I also think Jordan does a better job with some of his characters (most of the female ones are all the same), he has characters with weaknesses and flaws, while SoT has very one-dimensional characters (ironically some people say the opposite and that SoT has very realistic characters). Name one flaw Richard has, yeah there really aren't any: he is super good looking, really strong, apparently got the perfect athletic body, works hard, never slacks, honest, selfless, unstoppable killing machine, instinctively knows more about magic than anyone else etc. etc. I found it rather annoying at the end. Other characters are just as one-sided. Kahlan is basically just a female copy of Richard for example.

While reading Jordan's first book I constantly thought that the characters were too weak and frail to win against the dark one, and that the odds against them were too high. Reading SoT I just sit there and wait for Richard to come up with the perfect solution to all troubles a la Deus ex Machina in every single book.

SoT has a good story and it gets its message across, but WoT has a richer and more encompassing world.
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suleika:
Sorry I didn't notice your question till now.  I got my chinagraph pencils from a serious stationary store.   Chinagraph pencil is basically like wax crayons but less soft and wrapped in a protective way.  I don't know where you're from and it might be called something different, but you can probably find it once you search for the correct term.
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This thing looks like it's rarer than I originally expected. Do you know of a cheap online store that sells these in sets?
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Where are you based?  You might be having bad luck finding it because of unfortunate terminology.  Check out the Wikipedia entry and google some other names - you might find a source more quickly than you expect.  If you can buy just one to try it out, you can always source a pack of them later.

Paul Keith:
I'm based in the Philippines so yeah, it's kind of hard to find the right terminology in our native tongue.

Edit: I'm also not an expert in Google keyword searches.

Paul Keith:
Whew! Finally got one but the pen isn't as quick to erase as I expected. Is there supposed to be a specially designed eraser for it? It washes out but there are still outlines of the texts and those are as hard as actual markers to wash off.

Paul Keith:
Just putting this here as a reminder:

For some reason, I can't find a simple app that does this.

Basically what I want is a check list program that repeats the check list like a session.

Sure, there are to do list programs with recurring events but none that does this that resides at the systray.

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