CoAIII OOC; just moving it here

Okay, I kind of wondered that; I just wasn't so sure when the specific name of Yellowstone appeared.

I...lost this round...

Eh, I bet you guys are sick of Allony by this point anyway, right?

Yeah...

Eating my favorite dinner just before discovering this somehow made me feel worse than I might've.

And truth be told, I kind of thought my former opponent had Allony out of character. That's one of the things that they count off on, too, so I had a glimmer of hope, even with those teaser titles.

But now...I kinda feel like the only reason I made it this far is because my opponent for Round 1 forfeited.

A-ah well. It's okay.

*Hugs knees*

*Gasp* Nooo! I'm not sick of Allony at all! I'm so sorry for you, Miirik. I read your opponent's round recently, and I agree that he (she? My slightly-educated guess is that it's a he) projected a little too much of his character's cuss-ridden fury onto Allony. Hmm...maybe you got marked down for making his character not swear enough...? I don't know, I admit to being confused by the whole giant-female-creature-in-the-woods thing at the end of yours. Maybe since he didn't have any subplots with defeated characters (that I can remember), the whole thing was simpler to follow, if not as thoroughly elaborated.

Hey, people are feeling more competitive by their second round, putting up stiffer competition. You can always say you would've at least had a fifty percent chance against a real opponent in the first round! Helping?...No?...Okay.

Well, the silver lining is, you're still free to elaborate on the rich backstory that really started flourishing in this round. I, for one, would be very interested to see where this "Rune" concept was going. That's basically what I plan on doing with Tem after this roleplay ends (which won't be for a few more years at this rate, not to say I mind). I'll come out with so many stories (and drawings, I hope?) that you won't know what hit you.

Oh, no! That's so wrong! All my sympathy goes out to you!

I completely agree with Michangs - your opponent did project onto Allony too much. It felt really strange to visualize her suddenly swearing every sentence like Fizz, whereas you portrayed the difference between them well. The only thing I was worried about was that bit of backstory Michangs mentioned; even though I love finding out new things from characters' pasts, I vaguely wondered if others might think it took a little too much focus this round. Really, though, I can't think of anything I didn't like about it.

Nah, I believe you would have made it anyway. But as Michangs also said, now you can do whatever you want with the story! I'd love to see all the rest of what you had in mind. And if you're worried that the judges' outcome says something about you or your skill, don't be. We all know you're a fantastic artist and writer with great ideas. Like you told me almost a year ago, don't be discouraged, and don't give up.

They offered a critique-ish thing to all those who had lost, and I accepted it. Basically, they said that my round jumped too much and didn't focus on the round itself. :(

That's a problem, because focusing is my number one problem in life. If I have any fatal flaw, it's the "Ooh, shiny!" one (even though I don't have any excuse for it--I don't have ADHD, ADD, or anything of the sort, as far as I know). I always seem to be trying to cover too much, but leave it vague, but--AUGH, it just makes me feel so bitter at myself that it disgusts me. I CAN'T seem to stick to something. I don't even think I know HOW, sometimes. It's not like there are tutorials or anything for that, either.

If I ever enter an OCT again, I'll want to partner up. DEFINITELY. However, I don't know if there will ever be a non-human OCT that will spark my interest ever again. I think the host of Lost and Found said at one point that this would be the last OCT they hosted, and they're the only host I know of who creates non-human OCTs. I might not ever have a chance like this again, and THAT is what frustrates me so much. This reminds me yet again of my limitations, weaknesses, and just...URGH! It was basically a one-time thing. I'll probably never have the opportunity again.

Not to mention, I looked back at the match-ups again and found out that the deadline is a week before my birthday--EXACTLY. Not six days, not eight, seven.
I found this ironic enough to provoke tears. :/

But I guess I can't do anything about it now, can I? *sigh*

I planned too far ahead, but not enough for the moment. THAT'S my problem. I don't think I'd be so disappointed and discouraged if that wasn't the case. I had made-up a backstory for the Thief that I could use if I got far enough...a plan for Allony to get Cherr back after Round Three, but only his body, and then earn his mind and personality in the next two rounds...

It just makes me frustrated, bitter, and sad.

But if you guys really care about Allony, you should be happy, because I'm going to do a Spectator Entry that will hopefully end Allony's story and not leave it hanging.

Ugh, I rant far too much. :'(

No, rants are good! I know from experience that letting out those emotions once in a while really helps. There's no better place to do it than here - we've got your back, always.

Ah, I know what you mean. If I'm not really trying to avoid it, I can easily slip into space-out mode and think about something random until I realize I've been staring at the same math problem for five minutes. I wouldn't call it being unable to stick to something, though. After all, you've stuck with Children of Aurnia through all its gaps and slowness just as well as any of us. I think it's more of an effect of abundant curiosity that makes the mind want to wander, but not to entirely abandon what it's been doing. I know that applies to me, and it sounds like you're similar enough to the very curious Kaden to be the same way.

If you're really worried about trying to improve your focus, remember that there's always practice. I've had to learn how to talk to people over the past couple years without the help of any tutorials, but I've managed to figure it out well enough despite being deathly afraid of making mistakes (*cough* Ev *cough*) in the process.

I feel your pain... missing an opportunity is one of my greatest dreads. But I wouldn't say you missed this one, not at all. It took me until very recently to realize this, but you shouldn't berate yourself for doing something wrong the first time because that mistake is the reason you know afterward what you could've done better. You did everything you could with the knowledge you had, so as far as I'm concerned, you made the most of the opportunity. I know exactly how frustrating it is to think that you might not get a second chance in which to apply what you learned, but either way, you still came away with a great character and story that you're completely free to develop on your own. We'll be here to appreciate it the whole way.

I agree, ranting can be healthy every so often. I've ranted about much stupider things than this (like panicking over a school year that turned out to not be very bad at all). I'd be far more concerned to learn that you held all this in! And I see what you mean...I think that's kind of what I was trying to say about your opponent's round featuring only one thing. Backstory's so interesting, though! It's really too bad that there's limited room for it.

I remember that you put up a poem on deviantART about getting back up after a hardship, and it rings true - it just takes time to feel all right again. From what I've experienced, though, I must say, when life puts you on the ground...it can feel kind of nice to just rest there for a little while. There isn't any real rush to get up; I'd just feel stressed if someone trying to be "motivational" pressured me to just "get over it" in less than a day. You just have to know that you can always get up, and eventually you'll be ready. I realize that this situation might not even be quite serious enough for such heavy-duty advice, but it might be handy sometime. :) Like Jalines said, there's no point letting this damage your confidence in your creative skills. Wolfpaw (or Lupus, whichever) bounced right back from a similar hit to her self-esteem with the Iowa Young Writers' studio a while ago. There are situations where a sweeping sense of your story is a strength, not a weakness - say, a novel, where time pressure isn't usually so great and the whole is judged more than each part.

*Sigh* Words are great, but I just wish I had more than them to offer as support. :( Here, have a virtual hug, at least. *Hugs* You'll have my imaginary shoulder to lean on for as long as you need it.

*hugs*

I’m sorry for what you’re going through.

I understand how you feel right now, as Michangs mentioned, I went through a similar period of despair last year. I had already thought ahead to how fun the camp would be and then I got that letter stating that I was not accepted. It felt like the end of the world (not to be too clichéd). I lost motivation, doubted everything that I’d already accomplished, and generally felt awful. That’s a normal response, just as yours is. But it got better in time.

Personally, I enjoyed all of the backstory in your entry; it was nice to get that added dimension along with the current plot of the competition. Don’t give up on Allony’s story whatever you do. You put a great deal of effort into her backstory and character; don’t let that drive fade away.

I have the same problem about focusing. Even during some tests my mind will be half-focused on the test and half-focused on some song, story fragment, etc. That ability for your mind to wander might also be what allows all of these diverse story ideas to materialize in your mind, so it isn’t all bad.

Rants are good. Letting all of that emotion out is far healthier than bottling it up until you explode.

Me too! *Hugs*

Wolfpaw's right - a wandering mind is one of the most insightful and creative. I get some of my best ideas from stumbling onto really good random thoughts. Don't try to suppress it completely, because then you'll lose the helpful aspects too. Perhaps all you need to do is step back and look over what you're doing every once in a while to make sure you're on track. However problematic you might consider the way you think, I'd hate to see you let go of any of your creative spark.

I'm sorry to hear about what happened, and for not responding sooner of course. I avoid competitions myself, because either I become obsessed with them to the point that a lot of planning goes to waste, or I just lose interest quickly and it leaves a poor impression on others.

But anyway, it's really good to see that you're continuing on with your project anyway, the best thing to do is see the challenge as just another reason to keep working!

Hi guys, just letting you all know that I'm back from my trip. Well, technically I was back home yesterday, but I basically did some homework and then fell asleep early. I don't know if I will be able to post this week due to having a great deal of work to catch up on for school, but I'll do my very best to squeeze in some time somewhere.

Welcome back! :) Getting to go to Washington, D.C. sounds like a major accomplishment, by the way - congratulations! Even if I'm wrong about that, it's cool that you got the chance to visit there.

I hope you get some time, but try not to feel pressured for now, since I'm mainly waiting for Jokie anyway. Yeah...sorry to put the pressure on you now, Jokie, but I think it's a good time for Aelirsa to continue her side of the conversation.

Now that I think about it, Wolfpaw, your band's visit was timed interestingly close to the presidential inauguration.... *wink* *wink* *may be wrong again*

EDIT: Oh, nevermind, now I'm just worried about Jokie after going a while without word from him. Pressure officially off! I think the other characters have bombarded Aelirsa with their opinions thoroughly enough that they can just move on to whom they'll interview next. I might be able to post something along those lines soon, but this is looking like a fairly busy week, so maybe not.

Hm... I feel like such a skip would be a little sudden, especially since our guys have barely any idea where to go next. Of course, it seems like we might need that kind of push, seeing how things are going....

Also, since I'm guessing at least a few of our members might only check this thread when they get email notifications about new posts, I'm making this quick post to draw attention to Michangs' edits above.

Sorry about my absence, but I realized where Aelirsa was going, and I wasn't too sure I really liked that path. Since then, I just haven't been able to work out a new direction.

And me being me has neglected to tell everyone of course.

@ Michangs: Yep, we got to see the inauguration, well, we got to see it on one of the many big screens positioned in the parks. It was pretty cool, both the event and the temperature, and extremely crowded.

@ everyone else: I'm going to try and get a post up within the next day or two, if just to try and get this moving along again. The best thing to do plot-wise would most likely be for the group to pick another person to investigate, although any other ideas would be appreciated.

Well, that's a nice opportunity.

Ah, good. I was sort of thinking of doing the same, but that's helpful. I agree; I'm not sure what else they might do.

Uh... that's weird.... Not sure why, but I just started seeing a picture of Nicolas Cage as the avatar of everyone that doesn't have another avatar uploaded. I don't know if it's purposeful or not, but for now I put on my dA picture as my avatar to get rid of it. Anyone else seeing that, or am I hacked/insane?

Seems like one of the peeps running the place found it funny...

Honestly, this RP is the only reason I'm still here now. I don't like some of the things that have been going on, some of them are especially immature. And this isn't helping. >>

Eeeek! That's weird! I think I saw cutouts of this Nick Cage photo placed around my sculpture class as another odd joke, so I bet it's a meme thing. I thought Eo was the only one running it after Patches seemed to leave, but maybe there are others...or maybe he's just a little less mature than I imagined.

It would be ironic if we moved the RP because we no longer like the forum, since that's why we came here in the first place. :P

You guys can also just turn the avatars off.

I can't say I'm sure how - I tried "delete image" before I changed it a second ago, but it didn't do anything. Going into the site gallery didn't help either.

If it bothers people that much, I've gone back and deleted it.

Okay, thanks. Maybe I'm too much of a control freak, but I'd rather not be restricted to either cancelling all avatars or having Nick Cage's face kill a dramatic moment. Just my two cents....

It was originally just supposed to be a guest avatar; I think Patches may have gotten in and made it also the default avatar; I don't know.

Happy Valentine's Day! Well, it's still Valentine's Day in my time zone, at least....

I didn't give any "official" valentines today, partly because I was busy, and partly because I kind of forgot... but really, a lot of the reason was that there's no one closer to my heart than you guys. You're my best friends, without a doubt. You've all given me so much that I can't fully express how much you and the roleplay mean to me. I can't imagine my life without the opportunity to know and talk to such thoughtful, compassionate, wonderful people as you, and I can never thank you enough for giving me that.

Wow, er... hopefully that wasn't too mushy. It's true, though. That's what I mean when I say you guys are the best.