I know the universe has gone a little flat lately and that's partially my fault but I can't help but think that people don't seem to understand it either. I have a set of rules but most of my rules for the universe are in the stories. So if you really want to write a DarkRealms story, please READ all the stories in the universe before pitching me an idea. Its not that hard. Most if not everything you need to know about the universe is in there. If its not, drop me a PM and ask me.
I'm not trying to be an ass or criticize here but I can't help but feel that a lot of people who pitch me stories, read one story and think "Hey that's really neat, I want to write in this universe too".
There is a wiki too. http://deltabetazeta.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
Sure I'm not Whateley. I don't pretend to be. I'll never get the great success of that universe.
If no one cares fine. I'll shut up and not bother anyone anymore about this.
Comments
No I think as creator of the
No I think as creator of the universe you should have a say in what the rules are. Elrod controls his Bikini Beach universe in the same way.
Frankly...
Anyone expecting the DRU to be anything like Whateley is in for a surprise, as it was never meant to be. Even though there has been a cross over suggested, we've shot that one down. Whateley would ruin the set up and premise of the DRU. And frankly, as Poetheather put it when I broached the subject: "That way lies Madness!"
Seriously though. EoF has been fair in how he goes about making the rules for the DRU and has asked the rest of us who write in it to give out opinions and thoughts before taking any action that I can think of. If you have an idea, go check the wiki to see if it's been shot down before coming to him. If not, or if your idea isn't listed there, then ask away. The worst that's going to happen is that we say no and you end up having to set your story in your own uni. :)
Peace be with you and Blessed be
Welcome to Upper Management
Let it be known that if there is a list of rules posted anywhere and/or everywhere, it shall be promptly ignored by a large number of minority that think they shouldn't be bound by said rules. It's been this way for thousands of years, and nothing you say or do will be able to change it.
I shot down at least as many potential stories as there were canon and FF contributions in the Center and probably twice as many in the CRU. It's the nature of the beast when you take on the position of creator and administer. I don't know how many people came to me with ideas which ultimately would have turned the respective universe on its ear, totally ignoring the rules as if they don't apply to them. If they apply to me then they apply to you.
A lot of people never understood, when I pointed out the rules page and the specific rule that reads, "No, you can't do this particular thing," and they'd do it anyway, trying to justify their reasons in a page-long rant saying how they were right and I was wrong, and then get supremely pissed at me because I won't cave into their demands.
I've even had people submit 20,000+ stories that were mostly finished, for canon inclusion. Except the whole premise for the story was based on breaking a very basic and well stated rule, totally nullifying all their hard work. It wasn't like a single scene could be edited or rewritten. The whole story had to be scrapped, as they wanted it to be cannon and not FF. Needless to say, they were pissed at me for the problem, and I'm like ~~~~~> "There's the rule right there!"
It's one of the reasons I encouraged fan fiction, which some people took advantage of, creating some decent stories and others not so decent. Canon was canon and it followed rules; in fan fiction anything could happen.
~Lili
Write the story that you most desperately want to read.
Sorry.
I'm the one causing problems here, I'm pitching ideas which EoF is promptly shooting down. I've read most of the stories in the Darkrealms universe and the probably most of the wiki.
As I just pointed out before reading this message here, it is EoF's universe, and I've been slavishly changing everything that's been pointed out to me so far. Not even mad about it; it's not my universe, I merely want to play around in it some.
But... I do treat most 'rules' as suggestions until told otherwise; I don't know a writer who does not. Smack me on the nose with a rolled up newspaper, I learn quickly.
I'm the one sort of yanking EoF's chain here, so my bad.
Mia culpa, I'm sorry Eof.
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tight control
Well i can understand keeping a tight reign on "official" stories.. like what Whately, Morphs, BB, and others have done. The dark realms universe has gotten pretty big, maybe even a little *too* big for it's own good. For anyone to even consider writing anything, they'd have to have had read every story, then while writing their own tip toe across timelines and events....
not many would have the patience to research and cross-reference every little detail to make sure they can stuff it in... i mean there are stories in this universe pretty much on permanent hold, waiting for the next chapter of someone else's story to come out...
I suggest allowing "Unofficial" fanfic's or whatever, because otherwise this universe will probably end up strangling it'self with it's own red tape... then again i think there are like 4 towns mentioned in this whole universe.. i mean it's a big world out there! lets not get bogged down to a few small locations like Whately did, i mean seriously! how many people can be stuffed into POE cottage? Besides.... some of my favorite stories are completely fanfic's... it's would be a shame to stifle other people's creativity, you know?
The world of the DRU
At this moment in time there are four Haven localities that are essentially run by the Unseen that are featured in the DRU. There are several other localities that are mentioned with Unseen but they don't control those areas that we know of.
However, it is highly implied that there are additional localities run by the local Unseen that could be written about and they don't even have to tie in with Ravencrest or the other Haven towns as long as the rules for the Universe are followed. Hell, there are multiple groups mentioned in the Gazetteer that have teams not tied to a single geographic area that can be expanded upon by someone willing to follow the rules. Some of them are The Forsaken and the Order of the White Lotus. Japan and Europe also appear to have sizable populations of Unseen. There are probably Open Sanctuaries in both of those regions. Both London in the U.K. and Paris in France have been mentioned multiple times in the DRU.
There are aspects ....
There are aspects of the universe I really loved, but I always felt it must be a grueling task to try to manage something like that.
You're a great writer EoF, you have a good grasp at how to give your characters reasonable power levels within the context they exist in, and at providing conflicts that your characters can't simply muscle through even when they are really powerful. Not everyone is as good at that as you are, nor are some even as interested in it as you are.
I always felt that the Darkrealms universe worked best when it was set against a strongly envisioned and realized normal, small town setting. You personally were really good at that, but some of the other writers weren't. It felt to me like the setting and viability of the universe gradually eroded as more and more stories appeared.
I admire you for setting it up, and for inviting others in to play in the world you created. I certainly lack the stamina for anything like that.
Even mainstream commercial projects of this nature experience the kind of problems you've seen. Robert Asprin's Thieves' World setting is one example. Terri Windling's Borderland Series is another. Both of those worlds started out in a fairly tight, concise fashion, and they further they went, the more diffuse they've become in terms of how the rules work. It's not easy running a shared world.
You made this world, you shouldn't feel bad for insisting on the rules of it if other writers want their stories to be accepted as canon material.
Processing
Bailey taught me the importance of research when writing any story. I am sorry I haven't been quicker at this but I am still working on JUST A NORM. It is one of my 4 active projects not counting trying to sketch up Bev's Angry Mermaid ship from real live boats.
I have just gotten to the point to throwing away the first four drafts as they go really wide of the mark into space unknown.
The DRU is a fantastic play ground and I do promises some rough draft soon.
Huggles
Misha Nova
With those with open eyes the world reads like a book