We're Alive REP-ivia!!!

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Originally Posted by Osiris

This is the definition of backstory

Noun

1. A history or background created for a fictional character in a motion picture or television program.
2. Similar background information about a real person or thing that promotes fuller understanding of it.
   

Both of your examples fall into the definition of the word.

Further, your example of story is anecdotal narrative. Is that what you were looking for when you asked the question, or are you just being frustrated by the confusion that it has caused? Anecdotal narrative relates events of the character's past, while backstory tends to provide information that has formative value to the character in question. Why he's afraid of the dark or why he can't go into small spaces. How his father used to beat him, and even though he screamed and cried for her to help, his mother would just close the kitchen door and turn up the radio, which is why he doesn't give a shit that he's dying of lung cancer and is refusing to see him. Also why he doesn't blame his mother; she was going through the same abuse with him.

However, why is he so good at reading people? He was an insurance salesman! You say that it's fact, I say it's backstory. You say his brother drawing on his face is backstory, I say it's a past event and therefore, fact.

If we're going to split hairs . . .

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Sooooooooooo, do you understand the question, or not?

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However, why is he so good at reading people? He was an insurance salesman! You say that it's fact, I say it's backstory.

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Does he tell it like a story? Is there a 'Once upon a time' at the beginning or a 'Happily ever after' at the end? Also, your conclusion that he reads people well due to his occupation as an insurance salesman is not a story told by the character but a profile of the character inferred by you. (Please don't start parsing the word 'profile')

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You say his brother drawing on his face is backstory, I say it's a past event and therefore, fact.

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I presented a story told by the character, not by myself. That is, the character, Duncan, tells a story, anecdote, narrative, account, testimony, big ol whopper or what ever about an event in his past.

Also, you're using the term backstory in a esoteric sense. The question states 'background story,' and is addressed to people, whom I assume are not creative writing PhDs. Two words: 1) Background 2) Story

Sooooooooo, do you understand the question or are you splitting hairs because of your frustration from over thinking it?

somebody! Hand me a thesaurus!

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Originally Posted by Witch_Doctor

1) Lizzy
2) Saul
3) Lizzy won the bet over the Zombies' ability to drive the car to set a trap.

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Originally Posted by Red Shirt

I don't think any one took a stab at this one... Datu answered this in, I believe in part three of the first chapter:
Fourteen, but the floor 'count' goes to fifteen because there is no thirteenth floor.




I'll bite.

My memory is telling me:

1) Lizzy
2) To Saul
3) The bet over Lizzy's idea about smart zombies setting the ambush they found on the way to get a fuel truck. They opened the car door and it stunk like zombie.

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Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a WINNER! Damn, you guys are good. Witch Doctor was first in on this one, closely followed by Red Shirt (and probably Nik if he wasn't sleeping).

Unfortunately, the Automated Forum Nazi tells me that I must 'spread some REP around' before giving it to you guys, so let's just say I owe ya...

One more before I go to work... you bitches got the other one too easy, so I've upped the ante.

Make sure you 'REPLY WITH QUOTE' when you answer this one, so we don't get confused on which question you are answering:


What was the title of the book that Kelly starts reading just before falling asleep on guard duty?

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Originally Posted by Litmaster

One more before I go to work... you bitches got the other one too easy, so I've upped the ante.

Make sure you 'REPLY WITH QUOTE' when you answer this one, so we don't get confused on which question you are answering:


What was the title of the book that Kelly starts reading just before falling asleep on guard duty?

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Maria's Destiny!
(well, this is gonna be a pulitzer!)

I have one:

who plays the officer who gets punched in the face by Burt in Vietnam the night a tuna sandwich saved his life?

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Originally Posted by Witch_Doctor

Sooooooooooo, do you understand the question, or not?




Does he tell it like a story? Is there a 'Once upon a time' at the beginning or a 'Happily ever after' at the end? Also, your conclusion that he reads people well due to his occupation as an insurance salesman is not a story told by the character but a profile of the character inferred by you. (Please don't start parsing the word 'profile')

I presented a story told by the character, not by myself. That is, the character, Duncan, tells a story, anecdote, narrative, account, testimony, big ol whopper or what ever about an event in his past.

Also, you're using the term backstory in a esoteric sense. The question states 'background story,' and is addressed to people, whom I assume are not creative writing PhDs. Two words: 1) Background 2) Story

Sooooooooo, do you understand the question or are you splitting hairs because of your frustration from over thinking it?

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Again, your idea of clarity leaves much to be desired. In that case, there isn't a single main character that has not. They have all related a story of their past. I believe you require use of a dictionary, since I'm applying the most base definitions of the words. If you want me to get deep . . . we might be here for a long time. Now, feel free to argue the point further, or simply reconsider the way you word your questions. You seem to believe that ambiguity has no affect on the outcome. Hell, even Kc agrees.

I don't believe you understand the language you are using.

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Originally Posted by 7oddisdead

somebody! Hand me a thesaurus!

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I heard you died.

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Originally Posted by Osiris

You seem to believe that ambiguity has no affect on the outcome. Hell, even Kc agrees.
I don't believe you understand the language you are using.

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Quite the opposite. Ambiguity is not a discrete point, past which all clarity cease to exist. It is measured continuously on a spectrum. There are varying levels of ambiguity. Most animals { In this instance I am using 'Most' to describe a majority of types of animals as opposed to each individual animal {{ In this instance I am using the word 'type' ***Screw it! I'll never finish the sentence***}} A lot of animals, with brains can gleam USEFUL information from cloudy data.

Do you see a picture of old timey people at the park or a bunch of colored dots. Attachment 2383



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Originally Posted by Osiris

I believe you require use of a dictionary, since I'm applying the most base definitions of the words.

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But you use the definitions of words that were not even presented. I say 'tomato' you say 'chair.' WTF?


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Originally Posted by Osiris

If you want me to get deep . . . we might be here for a long time. Now, feel free to argue the point further, or simply reconsider the way you word your questions.

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Nah bro. Although this is kind of fun, I don't have the time and this ain't the place.

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Originally Posted by Osiris

Again, your idea of clarity leaves much to be desired. In that case, there isn't a single main character that has not. They have all related a story of their past.

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I was going to ask again if you understand the question or not, but I'm gonna go with 'maybe not' or 'That Osiris! He's a silly fellow.' So, just for you, here is a challenge.
You say that there isn't a single MAIN CHARACTER that hasn't related a story of their past. Limit the characters to the ones listed, presented, enumerated in the original question.
Now, tell me what story did they give about their past. Then compare the stories and the way they were given to the examples I gave.

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Originally Posted by witch_doctor

This is a Fact: Victor was married, wife was like Frodo, he sold insurance.
This is a Story: "Back when I was little, I used to enjoy watching Looney Toons while eating bacon. My older brother, Willie, would tease me, saying that if I kept eating so much bacon that I would someday make noises like a pig. Sometimes he would hold me down and draw cartoon characters on me with a marker. I would cry so hard that when our mother would come into the room my sobs made me stutter. Willie really got a kick out of making me talk like Porky Pig. One day I took a permanent marker and drew all over his face. Boy, did he really loose it." - Duncan Roberts

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EDIT: The real challenge in the original question isn't knowing what a particular character did. If it were, then one could simply zip through to any relevant part of the story to find the action, event, quote or what have you. Here, the challenge is to know the whole story or re-listen to the entire 50+- hours in order to find out what did not happen.

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Originally Posted by Litmaster

Unfortunately, the Automated Forum Nazi tells me that I must 'spread some REP around' before giving it to you guys, so let's just say I owe ya...[/SIZE]

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I think that's the flaw of this game for as long as the usual suspects play this game. :cool:
I keep reading and recognizing mostly names only of such forum-members, who are the 1337 of this fandom ... O_o

Also I am quite unoriented ... How about sticking to this game instead of drifting away from it? Witch_Doctor: I like you as much as almost anyone else here; so no offense intended, when I say: Osiris is absolutely right. And Osiris asked for stopping the hair-splitting twice (at least the way I understand his postings ...). So ...

Shake hands!

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I haven't count all the postings here; but there is a huge amount of non-topic-related postings. And I confess and sincerely ask for pardon havin' added two unrelated postings as well. This ends as of now ... Please, stick to the game. It is a lot of fun reading the questions and your attempts to answer them ... Go ahead!

All the best!
Liam