Ideas

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Plot-a-Day: RMS Titanic

April 12, 2012 in Ideas, Plot, Plot-a-Day, Worldbuilding | No comments

The Titanic probably needs no introduction. It sank on April 15th, 1912 – one hundred years ago. Since its story is featured in so many stories, movies and so on, I thought it would be a good opportunity to post a list of plot ideas involving the Titanic.

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Tags: Ocean, Plot-a-Day, RPG; Role-playing game, Shipwreck, Sunken Ship, Titanic, Underwater

Worldbuilding Links for January, 2009

January 31, 2009 in Ideas, Inspirations, Links, Worldbuilding, Writing | No comments

Here’s an assortment of links you might find useful.

How-To’s

* Map-making tutorial using The Gimp.

Inspiration, Locations

* Photos from Paris Exhibition, 1900. In color.
* Abandoned subway stations in New York City
* The Uros people of the Titicaca lake live on floating islands, which is a cool style of living for a conpeople.

Science Fiction Stuff

* Tests have shown that it is possible to protect long-duration missions from solar wind using a magnetic shield.
* Scientists figured out that Mars’ loss of atmosphere to the pressure from solar wind isn’t a slow, gentle process; instead it is quite violent: Solar Wind Rips Up Martian Atmosphere.

NaNoWriMo 2008 Research

* Wikipedia on radioactive fallout
* Wikipedia on fallout shelters and blast shelters
* Mount Weather government bunker
* Gas masks vs bad smells: Gas masks do not filter out odors, unless they are designed for the job, but vick vapor rub is a work-around used by law enforcement and emergency workers.
* Geiger counters
* Compound bows – bow hunting is done in the US

Tags: NaNoWriMo, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Worldbuilding

Plot-a-Day: "Alien" Squid sighted at deep-sea platform

November 27, 2008 in Ideas, Plot-a-Day | No comments

The Shell oil company has filmed an alien-looking Bigfin squid at one of its oil development sites. These creatures are a stark reminder of what strange animals live in the depths of our Earth’s oceans. When I watched the shaky video in the National Geographic article, I kept thinking that alien life on Europa could not possibly look weirder – or more spooky!

The plot ideas here are obvious.

The sighting is an actual alien, or a monster – a Deep One, Godzilla or the Cloverfield monster, or some other strange creature. The creature could be scouting out the oil rig for a later attack.
The oil drilling site could be located on an alien planet, thought to be devoid of native life – the presence of these creatures could undermine plans to exploit the planet.
The creature is actually a genetically engineered being released by a competitor or eco-terrorists.

Watch The Abyss or any other deep sea monster drama movie for inspiration, and read lots of H. P. Lovecraft.

Tags: Alien, Bigfin Squid, H. P. Lovecraft, Horror, Ocean, Plot-a-Day, RPG; Role-playing game, Scary, Spooky, Squid, Underwater, Zoology