The Writer's Resource Package by TuJiaoZuo

BLUE SUN ROOM

The Writer's Resource Package

POSTED BY: TUJIAOZUO
UPDATED: Friday, June 11, 2010 20:58
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Tuesday, January 29, 2008 7:30 PM

I've been mulling this over for awhile and I just thought this would be something all of our writers might like. Though I could be wrong.

So here, let us package all of our individual resources that we use for writing and post them. That way, everyone is open and able to access various sites that may help them with their writing. Basically, if you use it to write, share it. Spread the love.

I'll go first.

My faithful name site, for all of those pesky OCs whether they be prominent or just someone in the background. Everything is very well organized and accessible (and free! Everything online I use is free)- http://www.20000-names.com/

Translating English to Piyin, this site is very thorough and easy to use- http://gb.waiyu.org:9000/

To check facts (as I do not have the coin to spring for the official companion guides)- http://www.fireflywiki.org/Firefly/AboutFirefly

For when you need colorful phrases, the extensive Western Slang Dictionary- http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-Slang.html

If you're someone who loves to describe clothing but has problems envisioning it, the vintage western wear store- http://www.1880westernwear.com/index.php/cPath/84_196/name/mens-vintag
e-clothing/page/all It's also shiny for those who love to come in costume to shindigs and cons. Therefore I'll drop the link to Mal's tightpants- http://www.1880westernwear.com/product_info.php/cPath/84_196/products_
id/507?osCsid=037a9eafabb3c7b3eb1b90051dae57ec

And last but not least, music to inspire you. You'll have to purchase it on iTunes or search for the CD, but it's worth every penny. The music of Eastmountainsouth is the folk music you could here being played in the 'Verse. Particularly the ballads 'Hard Times', 'Show Me The River', and 'So Are You To Me'.

Another thing to love, the Riveresque combat boots in the second picture :smile:

Anyone else wanna jump in and share? This could turn into one helluva archive.

Your Indian Pirate Lord, Ash

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Tuesday, January 29, 2008 7:33 PM

GORAMMAN

Those are some pretty thoughtful and helpful links.

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Tuesday, January 29, 2008 8:40 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

There is a somewhat refined timeline posted here as a thread - is that of interest?

Also, I find a bunch of useful data here at the home page, bottom left corner under "Data" or similar. (click on "Home" at top of page, then scroll down to bottom left.)

Would a list of the scripts help? The search function?

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Wednesday, January 30, 2008 12:18 PM

TUJIAOZUO

Definitely post those :wink:

Your Indian Pirate Lord, Ash

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Wednesday, January 30, 2008 1:52 PM

STEAMER

Handy Fic Formatting Guide (this is REALLY comprehensive and healthsome and good....)

http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=12&t=23872

My one-stop Chinese shop:

http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php

Firefly on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_%28TV_series%29

And from that last page spring links by the dozen. Lotsa shiny stuff yonder. :biggrin:

Kaylee sees her Captain's frown Still won't put That capture down FIREFLY

Captain of the New England Browncoats http://www.myspace.com/nebrowncoats

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Wednesday, January 30, 2008 7:38 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Perhaps you should also have a consolidated listing of detailed discussions or musings of specific characters. The best way I would envision this would be for somebody like you to make a central post, and the rest of us posting additions to the list of threads, then you updating your one central post to include the new additions. So then you would have "Discussions about Mal" and list them, and regularly updating this master listing with newly posted additions. And under "discussions about River", the same thing. Otherwise all the thread links posted will be spread throughout this thread, and not be of much help.

As requested, I'll start some consolidation of links here.

A timeline, with many conflicts: http://www.mts.net/~arphaxad/firefly.html

Two more timelines, refined to moderate conflicts. First one is based upon the original Pilot before rewriting and reshooting, plus the originally scripted and shot sequence of episodes: http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=4&t=36140

And this second one based upon the rewritten and aired Pilot, plus the episode sequence presented on the DVD set: http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=4&t=32184 and the discussion leading up to it: http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=4&t=31980

Search function: http://fireflylabs.ca/misc/fffsearch.html

http://fireflyfans.orthogonalspace.ca

http://www.deliciousironing.com

Haken's rough version for Blue Sun Room: http://beta.fireflyfans.net/search.aspx

Shooting Scripts: Train Job: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-101.htm Bushwhacked: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-102.htm Our Mrs. Reynolds: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-103.htm Jaynestown: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-104.htm Out of Gas: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-105.htm Shindig: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-106.htm Safe: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-107.htm Ariel: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-108.htm War Stories: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-109.htm Objects In Space: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-110.htm Serenity, the Pilot: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-111.htm Heart of Gold: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-113.htm Trash: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-114.htm The Message: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-115.htm Dead or Alive: http://firefly.girven.org/scripts/firefly-116.htm

A discussion of the Map of the Verse, including in the first post links to online Map of the Verse and the Accompanying White Paper: http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=4&T=36389

A summary of some travel and navigational conclusions in the verse here: http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=4&t=38693

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Thursday, February 14, 2008 7:25 AM

HERMITSREST

A brilliant idea, Ash. Weirdly enough, yesterday I just completed burning my own Firefly inspired music compilation from my own collection. Too many to list but lots of folk violins. The main artists I look at are Nick Pynn, Dave Swarbrick, The Ukranians, Loreena McKennitt & The Corrs (Home album).

Checked Eastmountainsouth on YouTube - very promising as Firefly inspiration.

Anyway, for quick chinese words, I use http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-chinese/ - the site also does other languages. For non-Chinese phrases in other languages (like German), I still use BabelFish http://babelfish.altavista.com/

Personnally, for name inspiration I use my book shelves. I have a lot of books, all with authors names on, or I look around my office (not that I do any writing at work, of course). Plus I have over 3000 people in my family tree which I've been tracing for over 10 years - so I use some of them too. If I'm stuck for a particular type of surname or firstname, I use a named website, like the one already mentioned.

I created my own excel spreadsheet for offline reference, which includes stuff from this site, an expanding language guide, Firefly timeline, my own timeline (post BDM), my characters, etc. Excel is good for that as you can store everything on separate tabs in one workbook.

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Tuesday, May 27, 2008 7:18 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Apparently that search link is no longer valid. Anybody know the new one?

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Thursday, May 29, 2008 5:48 AM

HERMITSREST

hi jewelstaitefan. This link does work now, though when you sent the message and I tried it - you're right, it didn't.

The site has changed slightly though. Once you type in your word and select the English to Chinese button, you then have to select the Chinese character in order to see the Chinese word. Not as quick as before, but it still works.

hermitsrest

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Thursday, May 29, 2008 5:55 AM

HERMITSREST

Chinese dictionary with playable vocal sounds as well!

http://www.nciku.com/search/all/

type the word in and search and it'll list all the variables. You also have the option of listening to how they sound with a male and female voice. Coool

:smile:

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Saturday, May 31, 2008 11:24 AM

SNUFKIN

This is a good thread! :smile: Nice idea.

Sites I've found useful include:

http://fireflychinese.kevinsullivansite.net/index.html (for Chinese phrases and words from the series)

http://www.fireflywiki.org/ (everything Firefly, including scripts, timeline, planets, and lots of links to other Firefly websites; someone may have already posted this link)

http://www.fireflyrpg.com/rpg/index.html (a site for Firefly RPG, with lots of useful stuff like maps, ship info etc)

http://www.twoevilmonks.org/firefly/ffintro.htm (a nice site with lots of screencaps and episode summaries)

And as a paper-based resource as opposed to the Internet, the Serenity Role Playing Game book by Jamie Chambers is a handy reference guide for practical details in the Firefly 'Verse.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * At last. We can retire and give up this life of crime.

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Saturday, May 31, 2008 3:06 PM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

Bump, 'cuz I needed to use this thread today.

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Sunday, June 01, 2008 10:25 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

beware of that fireflywiki link - lots of questionable or inaccurate stuff there.

I'm still getting nothing from the fireflylabs search function. Anybody got another search access?

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008 5:54 AM

BRIGLAD

Something I've been looking for is a general consensus on where the Original characters hail from. I mean, Inara's from Shinon, Mal's from Shadow, Simon and River from Osiris. But where are Kaylee, Zoe, Wash, Book and Jayne from? Most fic's I've read is that Zoe was born in space. My current fic needs Kaylee's home planet/moon for an upcoming chapter. If anyone has any sugestions I'd appreciate it.

Brian

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008 8:39 AM

SPACEANJL

Kaylee's from somewhere small and dusty out towards the Rim, and somewhere near Paquin.(check Out of Gas) There's a list of planets in the Serenity OVC - maybe somewhere like Kerry? Looks about the right size, and dusty rather than mined out.

I've always pegged Zoe as born and raised on a big ship. Book is Core-born, possibly even Londinium, though I'm guessing Southdown Abbey is on Persephone. Wash is from a Core planet, but not a huge one, somewhere very industrial (the pollution he mentions in OMR) - Aberdeen? (Because of flight school, and Aberdeen harbour in Hong Kong with all the ferries and tugs...)

And Jayne? I looked over the list, and one name jumped out for his homeworld. I mean - Deadwood? Has to be.:biggrin:

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008 9:42 AM

YINYANG

You were busy trying to get yourself lit on fire. It happens.

Quote:
Originally posted by jewelstaitefan: I'm still getting nothing from the fireflylabs search function. Anybody got another search access?

There's two hosts that I know of:

http://fireflyfans.orthogonalspace.ca and http://www.deliciousironing.com

Once a lurker, always a lurker.

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:28 AM

MAL4PREZ

And here's a source for general writing style tips. Wonderful, wonderful little book called The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. The web site covers the material, but if you get a chance to buy the book, I highly recommend it. There are illustrations. They're quirky and fun. :biggrin:

http://www.bartleby.com/141/

----------------------------------------------- hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008 8:56 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Quote:
Originally posted by yinyang: Quote:
Originally posted by jewelstaitefan: I'm still getting nothing from the fireflylabs search function. Anybody got another search access?

There's two hosts that I know of:

http://fireflyfans.orthogonalspace.ca and http://www.deliciousironing.com

Once a lurker, always a lurker.

Excellent, thank you. I will update above posts.

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Tuesday, October 14, 2008 9:08 PM

TUJIAOZUO

A New CD to listen to whist writing.

Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet (yes Washburn)

It's American folk but with a beautiful and very Firefly twist, Asian influence. A lot of the songs have a asian undertone, oriental rhythms coinciding with the more twangy notes, with some songs even sung completely in mandarin, creating a very beautiful marrying between the two styles (instruments used are banjo, vioin and cello). Definitely check this out, even if you don't need fanfic inspiration.

Best Songs worth iTunsing- Overture Taiyang Chlai A Kazahk Melody Kangding Qingge (Old Timey Dance Party) Journey Home

Your Indian Pirate Lord, Ash

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Sunday, March 22, 2009 9:21 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

I added to my above post a link to Map of the Verse related info.

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Thursday, June 11, 2009 10:57 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

I added a link to a thread about travel and navigation concerns in the verse, for those curious.

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Friday, June 11, 2010 8:58 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Added Haken's rough version of Blue Sun Room search.