Comparing Scene Action Generator and Verb Fuel

Scene Action Generator

Verb Fuel

This post will introduce and compare the Scene Action Generator tool and Verb Fuel resource. In the next post I'd like to play around with both the tool and the resource just for fun.

I use the word generator and tool for the Scene Action Generator because, to me, the categorization and groupings brings additional use and function that the alphabetized resource does not. The alphabetized resource is a fuel in the sense that is a just an uncategorized pool of words ready to add further meaning.

Pages

• Scene Action Generator is 2 pages, without any graphical cover, title page, nor table of contents.
• Verb Fuel is 12 pages with a cover, title page, and table of contents.

So, Verb Fuel leaving out the cover to table of contents, content wise, is 8 pages or four times more pages than the two pages of Scene Action Generator.

Content found in the table 

• Scene Action Generator has 6 broad categorized action types and in total has 144 rolled results–some of which have more than one keywords to pick from. An attempt was made to group somewhat similar words, especially for less drama-action–especially if they mean somewhat similar dynamics to scene action flow. Counting up all of the verbs on the table, there is just over 280 verbs categorized and grouped on the table
• Verb Fuel has 1,000 alphabetized rolled results. Each result has one verb or a contraction that contains a verb.

Example from the books

This is the example from Scene Action Generator.

• For example, a 1d12 roll resulting in 5 means a ‘social’ action type. Another 1d12 roll resulting in a 12 would indicate a either an ‘involve’ or ‘engage’ action. This might means that something is happening that involves or is engaged by more than one person. People or something else is joining in on the conflict in the scene.

This is the example from Verb Fuel.

• Example of using the Verb Fuel random verb table: The player rolls for a verb, rolling 0, 7, and 4 or = 074. Looking up 74 on the verb chart is the word “begin”. What does “begin” mean? That depends on what actually is beginning. Or maybe tense is important, maybe the action is not in the present tense. Maybe something began in the past. Or maybe something will begin in the future.

Sources

Scene Action Generator & Verb Fuel have the same origin actually. Verb Fuel radically changed in October to a more inspiring source.

• If I remember correctly, Scene Action Generator began as a concept by looking over lists of verbs for my fantasy languages. I wished for a very large list of verbs to helped build scenes randomly. Then after releasing the Plot Generator keywords, the list expanded and changed a bit until it went dormant for months. After resurrecting the project in October of 2018, I tried to think up the most popular adventure tasks. Categories of the verbs gradually emerged–which meant moving around words. And finally, story tasks verbs were collected until 144 results were filled.
• Verb Fuel actually began with the same initial idea to build a very large list of verbs to help build scenes randomly. Further than Scene Action Generator, the first hope was to build a list to 500 verbs. I can't remember when, but I came across a community content licensed source of words. Experimenting with that source, I began to figure out that what I wanted was more ownership of the resulting list. In October 15th of 2019, sick of community content source possibly limiting what I could do with the end result of the list, I came across a 1000 word public domain source of American English words. It was however unclassified and lacked parts of speech. However, fueled knowing that I could own the rights to the final product, unlike the community content source, I started from the beginning. I put parts of speech selectively onto this 900 words gleaned from the public domain source document using three dictionaries.
  
  When finished, about 400 verbs emerged. This initial list is too abstract academic, business, religious, and US government related. It lacked common everyday verbs that is more useful for stories. I started to add more common verbs. The 400 verb list quickly became 617. I did a quick draft to see if I could make a product late in October. The final list wasn't fully satisfying to me. I let it set for a week and then tried again, finding a few more sources of great verbs. After reaching 1000, I let it set a few days. Going back through the list, I replaced some verbs with better verbs.

Notes from The Fiction Writer's Guide to Dialogue by John Hough, Jr.

These notes are from The Fiction Writer's Guide to Dialogue by John Hough, Jr.

Here are nine points taken from the first two chapters of The Fiction Writer's Guide to Dialogue. The book has much more to be said about these topics–when to use them and when not to use them properly.

talking verbs
said
asked, answered
continued, interupted

modifying said
adverb (loudly, quietly)

italics of what was said
"help me" = emphasis, loudly, or shrill

use ! sparingly
"Yes!"

brevity & brisk dialogue
1-3 sentences compact, every word has meaning
by 6 sentences, the other character becomes a listener, and drama shifts to the speech

limit stating the obvious
like when is saying "It's a beautiful day." not obvious? When things are horrific and not beautiful like in the middle of a battle in war.

omit most greetings and salutations
most do not reveal character nor move the story along

only repeat what was said to drive a point home

limit ah, um, and hmm

Blog to maybe start up blog again for a bit

For me, I can either make work on tools or write my blog. So my blog tends to only be active during the parts of the year where I'm not trying to write much elsewhere: the middle of winter and the middle of summer primarily. Those parts of the year I try to shift, learn, or evaluate material.

I'll see what happens this year. 

Grammar Exercise (Balarila): Nouns (Pangngalan)

For English Grammar, I'll use a public domain source material from 1898 called Primary English Grammar.

INSTRUCTIONS

In the following Exercise, state the class to which each noun belongs. Example : Robert is a proper noun because it is a particular name.

EXERCISE I.
Robert, cow, swarm, length, Sarah, road, blanket, horse, Joseph, city, emperor, stove, sweetness, river, Washington, depth, gate, crowd, town, James, pig, Susan, company, lake, Samuel, coat, Annie, desk, weight, grass, mother, smoothness, Jessie, stool, money, William, strength.

Write twenty common nouns, ten proper nouns, five collective nouns, and five abstract nouns not
found in above exercise.

Tagubilin

Sa sumusunod na Ehersisyo, sabihin ang klase kung saan nabibilang ang bawat pangngalan. Halimbawa: Ang patanging pangngalan si Robert sapagkat siya'y isang partikular o tiyak na pangalan. PAGSASANAY I.
a. Robert, baka, kawan, haba, Sarah, kalsada, daan, kumot, kabayo, Joseph, lungsod, emperor, kalan, kamote, ilog, Washington, lalim, pintuan, karamihan ng tao, bayan, James, baboy, Susan, kumpanya, lawa, Samuel, diyaket, Annie, desk, timbang, damo, ina, kinis, Jessie, upuan, pera, William, lakas.

b. Sumulat ng dalawampung pambalanang pangngalan, sampung patanging pangngalan, sampung lansak na pangngalan, at sampung basal na pangngalan hindi matatagpuan sa pagsasanay sa itaas.

ANSWERS I.

a. Common nouns are cow, road, blanket, horse, city, emperor, stove,  river,  gate, town,  pig,  lake,  coat,  desk, weight, grass, mother, company, stool, money.

Proper nouns are Robert, Sarah, Joseph, Washington, James, Susan, Samuel, Annie, Jessie, William.

Collective nouns are swarm, crowd.

Abstract nouns are length, sweetness, depth, company, smoothness,  strength.

b. Twenty common nouns are dragon, wizard, knight, sword, staff, castle, spaceship, orc, elf, dwarf, treasure, wand, spellbook, armor, platemail, chainmail, computer, gun, tank, and helmet.
Ten proper nouns are Frodo, Harry, Treebeard, Gandalf, Sauron, Mirkwood, Captain Kirk, Spock, Rivendell, and Hogwarts.

MGA SAGOT I. a. Ang mga pambalanang pangngalan ay baka, kalsada, daan, kumot, kabayo, lungsod, emperor, kalan, kamote, ilog, lalim, pintuan, bayan, baboy, kumpanya, lawa, diyaket, desk, damo, ina,  upuan, pera. Ang mga patanging pangngalan ay si Robert, si Joseph, si Sarah, Washington, si James, si Samuel, si Susan, si Annie, si Jessie, at si William. Ang mga lansak na pangngalan ay kawan, karamihan ng tao. Ang mga basal na pangngalan ay haba, timbang, kinis, lakas. b. Dalawampung pambalanang pangngalan ay karagatan (dagat), kagubatan, bundok, desyerto, ilang, mangkukulam, salamangkero, pantas, bruho, kabalyero, tutubi, diwata, engkanto, ada, duwende, engkantada, trol, ispada, tabak, at panangga. Sampung patanging pangngalan ay Bulakan, si Jose, si Maria, si Maricel, si Maritess, si Erlinda, si Marino, si Mark, Olangapo, at si Liza Sampung lansak na pangngalan ay langkay, umpukan, kuyog, kaharian, pulutong, hukbo, kulumpol, kolonya, lehiyon, at bigkis. Sampung basal na pangngalan ay agwat, layo, init, lamig, tamis, bait, taas, tangkad, ligaya, at katotohanan.

Looking back at the exercise

Okay, here was the exercise for the prior review. I tried to add some fantasy or science-fiction into some of the answers.

Grammar Review (Balarila): Nouns (Pangngalan)

Grammar Review (Balarila): Nouns (Pangngalan)

For English Grammar, I'll use a public domain source material from 1898 called Primary English Grammar. For the language of the Pilipinas, I may use several books and Wikipedia throughout my study. I use Wikipedia because I notice that grammar and languages have changed for both languages in the 100 years or so since the publications.

THE NOUN.

4. A Noun is the name of a person or of a thing [place, animal, event, idea, state, quality, or action]; as, Mary, Thomas, city, horse ; and Nouns are of several classes.
(1.) A Common Noun is a general name or the name of a class of things ; as, boy, girl, city, country.
(2.) A Proper Noun is a particular name ; as, Lucy, James, London, France. A Proper Noun always begins with a capital letter.
(3.) A Collective Noun is the name of a collection of things ; as, army, flock, pack.
(4.) An Abstract Noun is the name of a quality; as, beauty, length, goodness.

PANGNGALAN.

 (taken from Wikipedia, although I change some of the examples to fit more with the English text above.) I'm also trying to group somewhat similar constructs in both languages. I can't fit them exact, but there is somewhat some similar grammar terms.

Isang panggnalan tumutukoy sa ngalan ng tao, bagay, pook, hayop, at pangyayari.

Maaaring mahimay ang pangngalan nang ayon sa kaurian, katuturan, kasarian, kailanan, kaanyuan, kalikasan, at katungkulan.
(1.) Kaurian - Kung minsan, ang pangngalan ay pantangi o pambalana.
(a.) Pantangi - ang pamagat tumutukoy sa tiyak na ngalan ng tao, bagay, hayop, pook, pangyayari, at iba pa. Karaniwang nagsisimula sa malaking titik. Halimbawa: Lucy, James, Joshua, Angelo, Pilipinas, Manila, Malolos, Amerika.
(b.) Pambalana - tumutukoy sa pangkalahatang ngalan ng tao, pook, hayop, bagay, pangyayari, at iba pa. Karaniwang nagsisimula sa maliit na titik. Halimbawa: lalaki, babae, bansa, korporasyon, lungsod, bayan.

(2.) Katuturan - Naayon sa sakop o uri ng katuturan ang mga pangngalan. Maaari itong lansak, basal, o tahas. 
(a.) Lansak (o lansakan) - pangngalang tumutukoy sa isang kalipunan o karamihan. Maaaring maylapi ito o wala. Halimbawa: madla, sangkatauhan, kapuluan, hukbo, kawan.
(b.) Basal - pangngalang tumutukoy sa mga kaisipan o konsepto na hindi nararanasan ng limang pandamdam at walang pisikal na katangian. Nasa anyong payak ang lahat ng pangngalan basal. Halimbawa: wika, yaman, buhay.
(c.) Tahas - pangngalang nararanasan ng isa sa mga limang pandamdam (paningin, pandinig, panlasa, pakiramdam at pang-amoy) at may katangiang pisikal. Halimbawa: tubig, bundok, pagkain.

(3.) Kongkreto o Di-konkreto - ng mga pangngalan ay maaari ring pangkatin sa kongkreto at di-kongkreto.
(a.) Kongkreto - pangngalang nahahawakan, nakikita, nalalasahan at iba pang nagagamitan ng pandama. Halimbawa: gatas, kapatid, kotse.
(b.) Di-konkreto - pangngalang tumutukoy sa kalagayan o kundisyon. Halimbawa: pagmamahal, gutom, kapayapaan.

Wow! That is fun.

Grammar Review (Balarila): Parts of Speech

I want to do a series of posts on English grammar. At the same time, I will do a Filipino Grammar, Balarila. Both are for my own benefit, though you might find it interesting.

In English, there are eight parts of speech in grammar:
Nouns name things.
Verbs declare stuff.
Adjectives describe or limit nouns.
Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
Pronouns substitute for nouns.
Prepositions express relationships among words.
Conjunctions join words.
Interjections express feeling or reaction.

Sa Tagalog, siyam na bahagi ng pananalita;
Pangngalan mga pangalan.
Panghalip panghalili sa pangngalan.
Pandiwa nagpapahayag kilos o buhay sa salita.
Panguri naglalarawan sa pangngalan at panghalip.
Pang-abay naglalarawan sa pandiwa, panguri, at iba pang-abay.
Pangatnig naguugnay dalawang salita.
Pang-angkop binabago at samahan ang mga salita.
Pang-ukol nagpapahayag ugnayan sa panahon, lawak, at pagganap.
Pantukoy nangunguna sa pangngalan at panghalip.
Pangawing o Pangawil nagkakawing ng paksa at panaguri.

SCAMPER = KUPBABI

Kapalit
Umangkop
Pagsamahin
Baguhin, bawasan, mapakinabangan
Alisin
Baligtarin
Iba pang gamit

Random World Association = Sanpalarang salita kaugnayan

That was very fun!

Summertime Writing: Modify, Put to Another Use, Eliminate, and Reverse methods in Stories

In the last two innovation post, I tried to use the substitution, combine, and adapt methods for story innovation. In this post, I'd like to try the next SCAMPER methods of innovation and creativity. I will do the fourth and fifth of the seven parts of the SCAMPER method in this post—Modify and Put to Another Use.

New ideas created on this page are ©2019 by Ken Wickham. All Rights Reserved.

1. State the original idea, problem, or question (source).

For this case, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Synopsis found at Wikipedia. I cut together pieces of the larger synopsis.

tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a hideous, sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment...the Creature tall, about 8 feet (2.4 m) in height and proportionally large. Despite Victor's selecting its features as beautiful, upon animation the creature is instead hideous, with watery white eyes and yellow skin that barely conceals the muscles and blood vessels underneath. Repulsed by his work, Victor flees when it awakens. While wandering the streets, he meets his childhood friend, Henry Clerval, and takes Henry back to his apartment, fearful of Henry's reaction if he sees the monster. However, the Creature has escaped.

Intelligent and articulate, the Creature relates his first days of life, living alone in the wilderness and finding that people were afraid of and hated him due to his appearance, which led him to fear and hide from them. While living in an abandoned structure connected to a cottage, he grew fond of the poor family living there, and discreetly collected firewood for them. Secretly living among the family for months, the Creature learned to speak by listening to them and he taught himself to read after discovering a lost satchel of books in the woods. When he saw his reflection in a pool, he realized his physical appearance was hideous, and it terrified him as it terrifies normal humans. Nevertheless, he approached the family in hopes of becoming their friend. Initially he was able to befriend the blind father figure of the family, but the rest of them were frightened and they all fled their home, resulting in the Creature leaving, disappointed. He traveled to Victor's family estate using details from Victor's journal, murdered William, and framed Justine.

The Creature demands that Victor create a female companion like himself. He argues that as a living being, he has a right to happiness. The Creature promises that he and his mate will vanish into the South American wilderness, never to reappear, if Victor grants his request. Should Victor refuse his request, The Creature also threatens to kill Victor's remaining friends and loved ones and not stop until he completely ruins him.

Fearing for his family, Victor reluctantly agrees. The Creature says he will watch over Victor's progress. 

2. SCAMPER

Substitute is about replacing parts of the story. Characters, description, setting, plots, or conflicts may be replaced with alternatives.

Combine is about merging two or more ideas, processes, or products into one.

Adapt is adjusting, changing, and tweaking to make more suited for the current situation.

Modify, minimize, or maximize is reducing, changing perspective, changing look, changing feel, adding to, increasing

Put to another use is using this story for another product, another segment, another use, replacing a process.

Eliminate or elaborate eliminate parts of the story.

Reverse is reversing roles, plots, characters, settings, events, or rearranging elements of the story.

Modify

What happens if the Creature learned to create life?

What happens if the Creature ends up murdering more innocent people?

Put to another use

What else can this Frankenstein movie be used for? A videogame, a roleplaying game.

Eliminate or elaborate

Maybe eliminate some of the more boring background information at the beginning of the story.

Reverse

What happens if Victor is the threat chasing the Creature.

Analysis of SCAMPERS

I think that the SCAMPERS method asks good fundamental questions about a product that forces a person to reevaluate anything from different viewpoints. Like the random word association that I did in the  Innovation In Stories post earlier this month, 

Quick word study: re-evaluate

Re-evaluate, reassess, reappraise, rethink, alter, change, look at again

Next Series

I want to do at least a small series on grammar, mainly for my own reference and practice.