Category Archives: Wonderful, Awful Ideas

Every Friday I post weird ideas that come into my head. Or maybe they come into your head and you tell me about them.

In either case, I’ll do a little write up. It might be in-world, it might just be a description. Then we talk about it. Wait for several years, and maybe some of these ideas will end up in one of my novels :)

The Lands by the Waters – An Ucaptian Myth (4)

Posted on August 24, 2018 by dan

(start, previous) For the hunt, with his hair he (Ptahh) strung the bow of cedar. For the memory, with papyrus as the writing tablet he painted (words on) it. For the steering, with his hand as an oar he paddled the … Continue reading →

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The Homo sapiens Long Term Evolution Experiment

Posted on August 4, 2018 by dan

https://danbensen.tumblr.com/post/176617090275/so-i-am-into-my-third-white-russian-and-i-am

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Bulgarian words for try

Posted on July 26, 2018 by dan

Sorry I don’t have much for this week’s Wonderful Awful ideas. Just four Bulgarian words that might all be translated as English “try.” Opitvam se (опитвам се) is related to pitam (I ask). As in opitah se da pobedya, “I … Continue reading →

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Save us from the Whale

Posted on July 20, 2018 by dan

“People need a way to stave off the constant possibility that common understanding may break down.” — N.J. Enfield, How We Talk Royal tangs wobbled serenely between the softly undulating tentacles of sea anemones. Bubbles rose in a shimmering curtain. The … Continue reading →

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Rotifers (1)

Posted on July 15, 2018 by dan

Behold! The Trochate Rotifers! Like all rotifers, trochates have three body segments: head, trunk, and foot. The head and trunk are supported internally by a calcified skeleton evolved from the mastax (used in basal rotifers to process food). The mastax’s … Continue reading →

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Tandem: a better story

Posted on July 13, 2018 by dan

Earlier this week, I asked for writing prompts, and the inimitable Emil Minchev responded: “Remember Solo? Do the opposite” Okay, so…IN THE DISTANT FUTURE, IN THIS VERY GALAXY… A wealthy, middle-aged woman named Foong Tandem stays on her comfortable, safe, … Continue reading →

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Shiftin’ shapes!

Posted on July 12, 2018 by dan

Yesterday I asked for writing prompts, and Lew Delport responded: “Shapeshifters with language that changes according to shape” and upon follow-up questioning: “No idea, you’re the writer! Seasonal, maybe?” So I got to thinking: V. nonhuman idea: alien sophonts go through … Continue reading →

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Five Factor Warriors: Wada Junko

Posted on July 6, 2018 by dan

(first)(previous) Make me a lawbender All equalized Saved from the chill and heat — Vienna Teng, “Landsailor” KoInu-chan reached out of the camera’s frame and grabbed the pillow shaped like the Earth. She smiled at the off-camera friend who had … Continue reading →

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Tipi from outside of Tuta

Posted on June 28, 2018 by dan

I finished The Centuries Unlimited this week, so you’re getting some conlanging! This project’s goal was simple: derive the tenses (and voices and aspects) of verbs from prepositions. For example, the epic poem   Tipi-kan-tan-Tuta (Tipi from outside of Tuta) has … Continue reading →

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Five Factor Warriors: Jody Ann

Posted on June 22, 2018 by dan

(first)(previous) “Lightbringer Tamer of night Blossom of hours unleashed” — Vienna Teng, “Landsailor” Nothing ever surprised Jody Ann Farewell. She had walked out of her flat in Kingston, scanned the street, and found the red-plate taxi that would take her … Continue reading →

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