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When we judges were still evaluating stories, one of my fellow editors, Robert Gresham, told me about an awesome idea. To call for an internal challenge of Horror Stories based on the Pathfinder Chronicles Gothic Horror Book. We all grew quite exited about it, but between the contest and real life the challenge has been a bit slow and many stories are still on the works. Still... I would like to show you what we have been doing and which is ready for all to see: Pathfinder Chronicler's Horror Stories I hope you all enjoy our hard work as much as we enjoyed writing all these stories.
First congratulations to those who won, for those who didn't, congratulations for trying, and keep writing. The only way to become better at it is doing it. Now, before I offer any other feedback I want to explain how we scored. Ted came with a quite rational scoring form, which in the end saved us a lot of discussion. I am sure I had commented elsewhere that the process was divided in scoring 4 aspects: Writing Ability, Topic Creativity, Originality and Overall Excellency. Each aspect was evaluated from 1 to 5 with a maximum per judge of 20 points.Since we were 5 judges the maximum became 100. Ok, now that is all good and nice... what does it mean? I took each story individually, without considering the rest or any other, just taking as example and benchmark what I had read in the past (specially "Before they were giants," which I was reading before the first entries arrived) and evaluated as following: *Writing Ability:
Here I look for ideas well defined, clear texts, fluidity of the story (I can't repeat this enough times). I punished: wall text (its really hard to read), dialog of different characters in the same paragraph (its confusing), badly use of the narrator's point of view (1st person being omniscient, 2nd person is better for "play your own adventure" books), jumping between characters perspectives in the same fragment (which is annoying). Mostly. *Topic Creativity:
What I looked for was simply: I wanted to feel, taste, breath and see Golarion. It is not just to throw some names, it has to got the feeling, you know, the feeling you got when you read a new module, adventure path or chronicles book... you know its Golarion beyond the name in the cover. What I punished? Disregarding of cannon, that it sounded more like general fiction or somewhere else fiction, I can understand small changes, mistakes or lack of knowledge... but not glaring ones that change the fundamental reality of the setting. I must admit I am a bit of a cannon lawyer, even while James said that some gonzo was ok :P *Originality:
The best example of this is the Avatar movie... it has no nothing new! yet millions loved it. It was not the story "Blue Pocahontas in Brave New World," nor the effects (we have seen them on too many movies, including Cameron's Aliens). It was Pandora, its feeling, the new creatures, and how the individuals reacted to them, in general what made Avatar an awesome movie... it was the sum of all its parts. That is what I was looking for, interesting ways to use the elements at your disposition, how you presented them, were they interesting? was this cliché used in purpose? was it too gonzo? What I punished? Gonzo and clichés for their own sake, lame and repetitive stories... and after the 10th story the Dragonlance syndrome
I must admit, after the 10th of this I was tired, really tired, 5 of them in a row was death... even when they were well written, there is simply not mystery there, as a reader it was not about what will happen, just how it happen and how well written, yet... it was tiring. *Overall Excellence:
Overall Excellence is "does this deserve to be published as it is?"
There are many stories, well written, using the right elements... but I wouldn't buy a book about them as I would hardly buy a book of "Golarions herbolary" which surely would be well written, had lots of Golarion elements and quite possibly quite original, but sounds mostly boring to hell! (not that I think they can make something interesting with an article about that) So yes, if it was clunky, boring, uninteresting, or simply was not the top notch of the stories we want to publish in quality and presentation (don't worry about the general format, i can work with that) it went some points down. I think I am fair... I don't have to like an story for grade it well. The thematic might not be to my liking but well written stories usually got a decent grade. But as a reader, I want to like something to keep reading it, no reader is under any obligation to read a bad story. I think with this i give you all the generals about my own experience reading and reviewing this contest. And with this I invite you to ask for your personal feedbacks, either here or personally in my email: emontalve@pathfinderchronicler.net I also invite my fellow judges to relate their own experience and give their own feedback, I am sure their experiences, as their tastes are different from mine and you all would be benefited by these all. I know I was.
By the way, if anyone adds yourself to the Pathfidner Chronicler forums, please send me or Zux an email to either zuxius or montalve @pathfinderchronicler.net just to be sure who adds himself, due to spam we have addes some measures of security and not alwasy know when someone goes in. So in advance, thank you. Ernesto I. Ramirez
both Wayfinder and Pathfinder Chronicler are promoting the Pathfinder Fiction Cotnest! More info HERE!
To celebrate Paizo’s new Pathfinder Tales Fiction Line, Pathfinder Chronicler and Wayfinder proudly announce our first fiction contest for fans of Pathfinder Chronicles. Do you have “a knack” for writing fiction? Are you a Pathfinder fan? If so, fire-up your favorite word processing program and get your creative juices flowing, because this is the contest for you. A single winner will be awarded a $100 Paizo Gift Certificate and a reserved spot in the next Wayfinder fanzine, including a three page spread with extra art! Two runner ups will receive $50 Paizo Gift Certificate. If that wasn’t enough, none other than Paizo’s James Sutter (their fiction editor) will be one of the final judges. Currently he’s only reading solicited fiction from well-known authors with agents. What’s an opportunity like that worth to you? Head over to PFContest for details. More information about the rules can be found here
"There is no peace for the wicked; there is no rest for the righteous." It’s the mantra of a secret order dedicated to banishing evil from the world at any cost, even if the cost is their souls...
White Shadows, Part 1
Any comments and feedback is welcome.
Hereare some examples of art that has been born from the stories wrote in Pathfinder Chronicler Artist are welcome to read this and show us how Paizo's and Paizo's fanbase have inspired you.
please could you change the shipping address?
the idea is to be using the address I have as prefered for my suscriptions, that is this: Shipping Address
thank you very mcuh for your understanding and your time.
If any one is interested in this contest, here is an interesting and objective opinion, with pros and contras, but of course after all its each oens decision.
i think i got it clear, but here is more information Memorial in Lake Geneva Monte Cook pointed this to me, Bruce R. Cordell pointed it to him
I have a little problem.
Right now my onlus suscription is PFRPG... but the plan is to add Companion, Module and Adventure Path... basicaly I was waiting for AP#5, but since the cost will jump overboard that was the idea... does after getting the AP suscription, does the discount also apply to the PFRPG suscription? really i need to plan for international shipping and I know i have few days. thanks
It would be interesting to know more about dead gods and what is left of their cults, as cultural backgrpound and because there are soem aspects that woulbe interest to lots of us to knows... gods like: Aroden, Arazni, Curchanus, Vyriavaxus (ok ok demon), Thassilonean Dead Gods, etc so Wes what do you say can Sean write this?
Please... could you cancel this preorder? Golarion is a world I love... but unfortunately the rules... well why would I need a new book, when I would not use it, not even half of it becuase the changes made are not to my liking... don't get me wrong... i do believe Paizo DOES a wonderful work... I just didn't received even half of what I hopped for... everything else I can get it from the books I did already use for the campaigns I am plaing. Thank you for everything I will keep watching the new books about Golarion... because the setting I DO love , so see you aroudn
ok I do understand NO magic works within the mana wastes... but there is mention of haunts and undeads in the Mana Wastes... so while I do believe no golem or other simialr construct would work within the Mana Wastes, we have undead... so at least those with a powerful connection to the negative plane can exist there (not tose created and controled by necromancy, mind you) meaning... could a priest, otherwise cut form their magic, channel possitive or negative energy within the mana wastes? what would be the official common sense? or what would people believe?
Any one had been interested to make a Conversion of Dragonstar to Pathfinder RPG? after a long discusion yesterday we couldn't agree what to play... neither what I was interested in DMstering nor what they would agree to play... but there was the interest to try Dragonstar... still one of the players think the evolker would become a techno monster with his power over electricity and other domains... Maybe, yet, what do you think?
exchange rate is crazy right now in my country and I am paying 50% more than I was paying less than a year ago :S while I love the products I need to reconsider the approach... I hope things are looking a bit better... because I want to egt many of those books, and mostly becauseI want the AP5... but for the time being I must cancel as much as I can... I will try to keep Chronicles for the time being but that might change. thanks.
Cosmo? Allyson?
Dude what happened in Pathfinder Chronicler wasn't against you, you jsut had avery strange name when we wereattacked...suddenly in 3 days wehave 100 more members than we considered... and more importantly we werealready receiving spam... so we decided to take them down unfortuntaly you fell in the crossfire, hope to see you there again if anyone else wants to join, they are free to do it. now the registration requiere Zux admision, this is for everyones safety and to have a cleaner slate. if you or anyone want to come.. they are welcomed.
Cosmo, Allison, From this 2 orders I would like to cancel the adventure modules (Pathfinder Module B1: Crypt of the Everflame (PFRPG) & Pathfinder Module S1: Clash of the Kingslayers (OGL) Print Edition - respectively). This is because since I am interested in the books and in having the PDF I would rather join into the suscription while I still can pay it :) I would thank you 2 for this change.
Cosmo, Allison, From this 2 orders I would like to cancel the adventure modules (Pathfinder Module B1: Crypt of the Everflame (PFRPG) & Pathfinder Module S1: Clash of the Kingslayers (OGL) Print Edition - respectively). This is because since I am interested in the books and in having the PDF I would rather join into the suscription while I still can pay it :) I would thank you 2 for this change.
Right now i am trying a ranger/cleric (ok not the most optimal but yes quite decent for hunting undead), but now that i won a new level in ranger and i am planing on getting feats... where the hell can I find what does Careful & Expert Targeting Does? At least they don't appear on the Beta or SRD... any ideas will be welcomed
How common is to call a kid with the name of a deity, specially those who once where human like: Iomedae, Cayden and Norgorber? use the names of Saints is in some places common for what I remember: Saint Alika in Korvosa for example. For what I have read is quite common to name newborns in honor of heroes and saints (which is common in RL too), so how common would be to found chelexian girls with the name of Iomedae, or Taldans with the name Cayden? real life examples give us thousands or millions of Jesus, Christ, Mary (Maria) or Jose (Joseph) Don't know if in different cultures with different religions happens something like this.
video adding Samuel's Jackson Dialogue from Pulp Fiction i really like the job of thisguy, to seea bit more check this page, of course... it might be biased, that is one of my favorite dialogs in that movie.
I understand that Order #1097994 haven't been sent yet, and while Iread last years that you were unable to do it... there is any chance that you mix this 2 orders? in my case is not the shipping cost, but how they are delivered, a friend makes me a favor of receiving them and he does gladly... but he leaves a lot, and I don't want to cause much trouble to him. thanks
more than tweeks, now that its used as Concentration i would like to see each of the 3 different paths of magic differently spellcraft is right now an intelligence skill used to understand magic andits fundation ... so understanding the magic methods as to cast defensuively or not lose an spell... ok this is good and nice for the wizard the issue is... neither the cleric, the sorcerer, the druid or the bard see magic this way... this is only an aspect that the wizard uses, then why link all casting classes to it nw yes.. some say "concencentratio come back!" which i will say no... why because most of this classes are not exactly high in Constitution... forcing an option on skills on them wherethey could use it 'better' clerics has a connection with their gods and their magic comes from the understanding of such connection... Druids are soemthing similar but their connection is with the natural world sorceres and bards struggle and understand power within themselves, crafting ther natural powers to their hims my take on spellcraft is... inteligent bassed spellcaster use INT for spellcraft, Wisdom based classes uses WIS, and Charisma bassed spellcasters use CHA. when identifying spells from their are they roll spellcraft nromally, but meeting with a different paradigm iwould give a penalty going from -5 to 10 depending how different and complicated (level) of such magic
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