How TofR Got Its Logo

I've been asked by a number of people, "Where did that logo come from?" Well, as the chairperson of the Graphics Committee, it's fallen to me to write this Behind the Scenes blog post to explain how the Tales of Ryh'na logo came about and what it represents.

There was actually quite a bit of discussion about what to have as a TofR logo. We knew it would have to be something that could be instantly recognizable, simple enough in design to be easily replicated for future marketing opportunities (t-shirts, mugs, etc.), and to convey the essence of TofR.

The yin-yang symbol seems to have such a wide appeal, and it struck an immediate chord with the graphics committee. Its simplicity so elegantly represents dichotomy and balance. And so it became the base for our logo. Beyond that, we needed something that would represent the dichotomy of magic and technology and their struggle for balance in one world.

So, how to represent the magical Ryh'nans and the technologically-advanced Humans?

Dragons, or frahons as they are called by the Ryh'nans, are so recognizable and associated with the fantasy genre that it seemed logical to use one to represent the magical and fantastical part of our story world. (The fact that I happen to love dragons may or may not have had anything to do with that decision.)

That left finding something to represent the technology of the Humans. Even though these Humans are the futuristic sci-fi part of our story world, we still needed something that would be easily recognizable to our audience as technology. To that end we chose the image of a circuit board.

So, there you have it. A yin-yang of a dragon and a circuit board, of magic and technology, of fantasy and science fiction. The logo of Tales of Ryh'na.

- Carson D. Fletcher

Behind the Scenes - an introduction

Behind the Scenes is one of the series we'll be offering here at Behind the Tales. Behind the Scenes serves as a chance for you to peek behind the curtain and see what is brewing in the story world kitchen.  This series is a way to meet those working on this awesome project and to find out just what it takes to put something like Tales of Ryh'na together.

For our inaugural voyage I thought I’d take you to our gym. Yes, all members of the shared story world are given a free membership to our virtual gym as one of the many perks our creators receive.  Do I have your curiosity piqued as to what exactly is a virtual gym?  It’s not a videogame; it’s not Second Life or some other Sim world (although we do intend to extend the story world into the virtual realm).  

It’s...

Okay, actually there is no virtual gym.  I just wanted to make up something awesome, cool, and techno-glamorous to promote the launch of Behind the Scenes.  And now, just as the Hindenburg and Titanic enjoyed that fatal swan dive onto the list of historic crashes, so too is my virtual gym idea.  But, even if I can’t show you a virtual gym, there is much for you to see and explore here at TofR.  We are looking forward to showing you around, giving you inside information, and chatting about how we built this storyworld on rock and roll (well, not really the rock and roll part, I just like that song).  Actually, I do enjoy hiding little Easter eggs and tributes in much of what I create, and I hope you will enjoy finding them. Another fun piece to this series will be when  we take  a look at the trivia and hidden bonus material scattered throughout the story world. So, keep checking back so you can join in the fun.

As a final note, if you have a question about something in the storyworld or if you are curious about how we did something, please ask! You can leave comments here at our blog,  e-mail, or reach out through any of our social media outlets http://talesofryhna.blogspot.com/p/everything-tor.html.  

All right! Off to do a few laps in our pool.  Take care, and I'll see you in TofR.

jojo

Introducing the Tor-abulous Tools and Ryh-tastic Resources Series

Welcome all you classy creators, groovy geeks, wicked writers, radical readers, and anyone else stopping in for a look-see. This series is all about what treasures we can uncover. We here at Tor-abulous seek to uncover those tools and resources that any shared storyworld puppet master, transmedia project designer, or crazy creator could use in her or his toolbox. The reviews are usually short, sweet, and cut right to the quick. We are here to provide you with help, not to do your book report, laundry, or dishes. And we expect quid pro quo. If you have a resource or tool that you cannot live without or a sizzling find that can be deemed tor-abulous and ryh-tastic, please do not be greedy by keeping it to yourself. Spread the love, and share it with us.  After all dears, isn’t that what a shared story world is all about?

Today’s Resource: Gimp—image-editing software (http://www.gimp.org/)

Hopefully many of you already know and love this gem of a program.  Much has been written about it, and  many tutorials are out there (check out  http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/, http://www.gimptalk.com/ — a great support community including an awesome tutorial section, and http://www.gimpology.com/ for just a small sampling).

I am not a graphics designer.  I am a tech-lover who designs a few web pages and loves to create wikis and other fan-generated content. Technology does not scare me. I am a bit of a geek, but I do not program computers for a living. This puts me at a slightly above average technology skill level. Why am I giving you my background?  Because I have found GIMP to be easy to use and not too “technical.”  After working through the basic tutorials, I found it very easy to produce basic graphics (such as banners, altering images, and background graphics). GIMP offers the same basic structure and features as Photoshop.

GIMP is “free” (free to download, but if you like it and want to support creativity, hard work, and those who brought this awesome program to you, you can donate).  If you’ve not already looked at this program, it's worth the time to take a look.

Do you have a favorite graphic/image editor? Please share.

Why do we need beta readers? Jazwriter's thoughts

Why do we need beta readers?

Well, in order to answer that question, I should probably attempt to explain what a beta reader is. Betas are editors for fictional stories, particularly fan fiction, although the term's usage has spread to the novelist realm. The word "beta" was borrowed from the software industry, where it is used to signify when new products are put through their paces to find and eliminate any problems with new products. That testing time enables the software creators, and nowadays the authors, to know what needs to be changed or improved. 

Betas agree to fill a very important and necessary role. They review a story for any grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. In addition, the beta may also make suggestions regarding plot continuity, characterizations, narration, word choice, word meaning, sentence construction, logical thoughts, verb tense, point of view, pacing, and canon.  Of course, some writers do not desire that level of review, nor do all betas wish to expend so much time and effort. It really depends on how sophisticated the writer is: the level of technical mastery, storyteller craft, and complexity of the work.

After spending quite a bit of time and effort betaing a story, I have become rather discouraged at times with writers who have chosen to not apply my suggested edits. A writer should not ask a beta to spend time and effort on a story if he/she does not intend to take all suggestions seriously. At the very least, a writer should present a polished story to everyone. That means the story must be as error-free as possible regarding punctuation, spelling, and grammar. A beta can help a writer reach such a goal. As for the more complex areas such as point of view, continuity, and adherence to established canon, just to name a few areas, that is up to the writer, although certainly a writer might at least review and think about all comments received by the beta relating to those areas.

That is not to claim that all comments submitted by a beta are correct. Betas are as fallible as the writers. Finding good betas is extremely important. Once you find one or more betas who know what they are doing, treat them well! Candy, flowers, effusive thanks—let them know how much you appreciate them.

Over the years, I have used the services of many betas. It became apparent to me rather quickly that different betas have different specialties. Some are grammar or punctuation experts. Others are very well-versed in particular fandoms. And then there are those who can see the overall arc of a story and provide invaluable feedback on plot direction, continuity, and characterizations. Currently, I use the services of about four betas on each piece of writing I create. They all review the writings differently, reacting to them in unique, helpful ways. I am extremely grateful to have found them. Similarly, I provide beta services for about a half dozen writers. For some I will provide technical support, while other writers ask me for help regarding the direction of a story. Regardless of the betaing services requested, I always focus on helping the writer showcase the story in the best way possible.

Every writer should use a beta before posting or publishing a story. I cannot tell you how many times I have been thrown out of a story due to inconsistencies, misspellings, or word choice errors. Nor is it easy to continue reading a story when a writer has a character say things that are clearly out of character. A beta can catch common errors and provide guidance for the storyline. Also, since most story forums have lists of people willing to provide beta services, no writer has any reason to forego such invaluable help.

And remember to thank your beta at the beginning of your story when you do post the new and improved version. Your kind words are the only payment a beta receives.

   

 Jazwriter

What is a Shared Story World

Today we look at the question, "What is a Shared Story World?"  Peruse ideas from two of our SSW creators: Jojo and QH Fletcher


Feel free to share your answer to that question in the comments!

And don't forget, Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 10:00pm EST join us as we chat about shared story worlds Tales of Ryh'na and more with Allaine on Femslash4Fans radio.   

What’s a Shared Story World - Jojo's thoughts

So, you've stumbled onto, well, no, not onto but rather into our shared story world. And you might be wondering, just "what the heck is a shared story world?" That is a question many ask, and I'll take a few moments to answer.

The first step in finding our answer lies with Scott Walker and his Shared Story World site www.sharedstoryworlds.com. Scott not only collects examples of shared story worlds, but also provides articles on how to create shared story worlds and, of course, what makes a shared story world different from other stories and projects.  He offers a short, medium, and long definition.  We'll go with his medium definition: "The medium answer: an entertainment property designed to allow audiences/fans/consumers to collaborate and participate in the creation of content in the entertainment property."  (http://sharedstoryworlds.com/what-is-a-shared-story-world/)

Traditional stories have a flow of story from creator to consumer where the consumer is a bystander,   simply enjoying the content created with no say in how the story unfolds.  With a shared story world the consumer can become the creator.  We encourage people to play with the ideas and potential the TofR story world offers. No need to sit on the bleachers just watching, we want you to participate. This is one reason why TofR uses the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/) as well as other options for sharing and remixing ideas. 

Tales of Ryh'na (TofR) is designed to be an open universe that anyone can join and help to create. You may want to write a story about a certain place, time, or person.  Perhaps you are inspired to draw an image, record a video, or create another piece of story. A shared story world is, to borrow a famous saying, "of the people, by the people, for the people."

So, what's a shared story world?  It's a place where anyone can come and play.  Go ahead, take a step into our world—I dare you!

jojo

What’s a Shared Story World - QH Fletcher's thoughts

Tales of Ryh’na (TofR) is a Shared Story World (SSW). You may be thinking, “What the heck is that?” Put simply, an SSW occurs when someone creates an in-depth background canon around a proposed universe.  The canon is then made available to anyone who wishes to create content. The contributor can write a story, create a graphic or video, use whatever form of self-expression is most comfortable, or not. SSWs are a great medium for stretching artistic wings.

SSWs function under a Creative Commons License. By that I mean  the content that exists in the canon or is provided by a contributor can be reused by another contributor as long as the second person gives appropriate credit to the initial creator. Sounds complicated, right? The Cliff Notes version goes like this. If I were to write a story based on the canon and create a mean, horrible, fluffy, heart-of-gold Yeti named Marvin, you could then write another story using Marvin as long as you didn't turn him into a blood-sucking killer (since I didn’t create him that way) and give me credit  as Marvin’s creator. Now, if your story absolutely requires Marvin to be Uber Meanie Yeti, all is not lost. You simply e-mail me and ask whether I will approve the character change. If I say no, Marvin remains a Teddy Yeti at heart. If I say yes, you can have Marvin slash and burn the neighborhood as long as you give proper credit. The other point you need to know and remember is that only the original creator can kill off a character permanently. You can sling him in stasis for a time or put him into a healing hibernation that the characters in your story think is death, but you have to bring the lovable/killer Yeti back to life by the end of your creation. Also, ways exist to handle the original creator's decision to kill Marvin while folks are still writing Marvin-based stories. It works a lot like how fanfiction and the disclaimers and warnings a fanwriter has to do in that genre.

Another great point about SSWs is that canon is often flexible. Any and all contributions can be evaluated by the individual or team that oversees maintaining and expanding the canon for that creative work to be included in the main canon of the SSW. Basically, you can add to canon with your work. So, if your story has Marvin meeting Mavis and falling in love, that can become part of the canon once approved. You can contribute characters, plot points, or overall story arcs. I’ve used stories as the example so far, but all of this also applies to graphics, videos, or other forms of creative work. Your graphic, for instance, of how Marvin and/or Mavis look can become canon as well.  Fun, right?

There are several SSWs in existence, though TofR is the first to be created and executed entirely by committee. We’re breaking new ground!  All SSWs function basically the same way: with the use of a pre-existing canon/universe, creator contributions under the Creative Commons License, and fully or partially expandable canons.  To participate, you simply register; study the pre-existing canon, maps, stories, graphics, videos, etc.; form an idea; and get to work.  Submission practices vary a bit between SSWs, so be sure to read the contributor agreement and contribution guidelines that are provided. You’ll usually have to cite the Creative Commons Licensing Agreement provided, which will tell you how to share in existing parts of canon/other’s works, how to give credit, and what, if any, fees you might collect in the future. Yes, some SSWs provide for contributors to receive real coin for their works. Be sure to read that part carefully! Which is the one aspect where SSWs have it all over fanfiction. You get to own your stories and sometimes even get paid.

So, that’s basically what you need to know about Shared Story Worlds, a bit simplified, but still covering a few of the most important aspects.   Fun and creative satisfaction ready to be had. 

Don’t you think it’s time you joined in?

QH Fletcher