I like that you added in characters that most people recognize, to give it a very unique and enjoyable taste.

*laughs* Thank you.


I don't intend too. There are even a few in there that most people won't recognize like Túrin, Beleg, and Ungoliant (but they should *points people to Silmarillion* Read. Now. ). I'm glad you like how it's turning out though.


Incidentally, these are the three things I've noticed that I'm not doing so well with:

1) I overuse the tri-labels ALLEGORY, ABSTRACT, and CONCRETE.
2) I don't have enough metaphors under each category. (give me time ).
3) My mind hasn't grasped the use of putting metaphors in labels (hopefully, I'll figure it out when I come back to this part of the fractal ).

I haven't read Silmarillion, but I own it. (Don't you love library bookstores?)

I'm looking forward to what you come up with.

spirit {
 Layer1 [
  light*ALLEGORY (
   *80% <car headlights drowning in a-|heavy fog/consuming darkness|>
  )
  clarity*ABSTRACT (
   *ALLEGORY^96% <pond water>
 ]
 Layer2 [
  emotion*CONCRETE (
   *ABSTRACT <a teapot whose contents are ready for use>
  power*CONCRETE (
   *ABSTRACT <Father Time in slumber/a storm mustering it's army on the horizon>
  )  
 ]
 Layer5 [
  light*ALLEGORY (
   *88% <a balrog being used as a reading lamp>
  )
  clarity*ABSTRACT (
   *61% <pain from a fresh bullet wound>
  )
  power*CONCRETE (
   *ABSTRACT <a high-intensity laser beam intent on-|piercing/burning/destroying|-all things>
   *CONCRETE <Mount Doom>
  )
 ]
 Layer10 [
  emotion*CONCRETE (
   *61% <a girl being greeted by her dog>
  )
  light*ALLEGORY (
   *ABSTRACT <dawn breaking on Pelennor Fields>
  )
  clarity*ABSTRACT (
   *95% <fresh spring water in a crystal goblet>
  )

spirit {
 Layer1 [
  light*ALLEGORY (
   *80% <car headlights drowning in a-|heavy fog/consuming darkness|>
  )
 ]
 Layer2 [
  power*CONCRETE (
   *ABSTRACT <Father Time in slumber/a storm mustering it's army on the horizon>
  )  
 ]
 Layer5 [
  light*ALLEGORY (
   *88% <a balrog being used as a reading lamp>
  )
  power*CONCRETE (
   *ABSTRACT <a high-intensity laser beam intent on-|piercing/burning/destroying|-all things>
 ]
 Layer10 [
  emotion*CONCRETE (
   *61% <a girl being greeted by her dog>

  light*ALLEGORY (
   *80% <car headlights drowning in a-|heavy fog/consuming darkness|>
  )

Bye the way, the irony of "balrog being used as a reading lamp" gave it an element of humor, but you could take that out with SUBTRACT: irony (I think that is how it works; is that in X+, or X++?).

it gave me an excuse to skim over my map and note things I want to change in the next draft

So I started reading it, and – this is a really cool X...! I love it. I was nearly dancing reading it, it made the character seem so real to me. I feel like I made him, you described him so well. The map isn't all bits and pieces, it seems to be one person, whole, even when the pieces are a little surprising. (Though there's plenty of room for adding more.... ) And your metaphors are really good...

And the character... * thoughtful * .... Suffice it to say he is extremely interesting, and I am not precisely sure whether he is the sort of person I would like to take with me on a quest to dangerous lands, or not. * laughs * Or even if he is the sort of person I would like to shake hands with....

And the tenth layer was surprising to me. * queer look * Even if I wouldn't like to shake hands with him after all, I would definitely like to know more about him....

Oh, and did you mean the bits in this element – <a pit – an abyss – a void> – to be nested? Or are they simply several words, like synonyms, to describe the same thing?

:dieshappy: This is just what I need to hear; and it gives me ideas for how to tweak his essence in the right direction. Now I'm nearly dancing.

(regarding the tri-labels): I think that was the way my mind was trying to make me use them (and apparently succeeding). That would probably fix a lot.

I could be wrong since it has been so long since I've worked on this, but I think I meant to nest them.