A novel-ish project?

[Malcor Sylverwood]

After reading Apoc's recent post about the war, I got to thinking about a new project. I have an idea, but its fairly rough. So, I'll call upon the quill's greatness

I'm thinking something like the war, in that it should be a cooperative writing effort. But, I think it should be somewhat more focused and yet allow creative input from everyone here. And that, my friends, I think is quite a task...

The first difference from the war, I think, would be to limit the number of actual authors, characters, and stories. For instance, I'd suggest Phase I of this project be a contest to write a brief summary of the plot. We could then vote for which plot to base the 'novel' on. Then perhaps spend a round of discussion (with everybody) refining it, perhaps incorporating bits of the other plots. The we could do the same for characters and maybe even basic outlines.

Then, we assign characters to the few chosen authors and let them begin to craft the tale, chapter by chapter. Everyone could review the progress, make suggestions and corrections. Maybe even a bit of choose your own adventure...heh.

So, yeah, its just a rough idea, but I figured I'd throw it there. Discuss.

Oh, and if you want to get a headstart, and feel comfortable assuming something like this will happen. I'd suggest writing a brief (500 words or less) plot summary for the fantasy story you've always wanted to write/read and PM it to me. If it does take off, I'll post a poll with these submissions in the future...

-Malcor "Worth a shot" Sylverwood

[Buck]

Malc, this is a really good idea...

(just be aware that some of us quillers will be on vacation this month)

[Apoc]

~hugs malc~ you read my mind, i was sooo wishing for something like this but didn't think i'd have the weight to get anybody aloung on it...i mean just look at how the houses thing went ~kerfuzzled~ heh

i think the war lacked any focused plot direction, this idea sounds like we may actually be able to get a fuller story out with an ending for once instead of getting lost in the middle somewhere and it'd be great if everyone could be involved...with suggestions, reviews, ideas, summary suggestions, polls etc...sounds great

[Nachtnoir]

A most excellent idea oh malcor of the sylverwood. This would allow for a much grander scale as well as character development. It would also help with the feedback of the other members.

[Apoc]

Ok, so I love the idea of a mass quill collaboration to create a story...but a slight concern has arisen in mi'brain about the whole plot summary aspect of it...for it'd kinda tell everyone what's gonna happen before its properly written, wouldn't it? Kinda like a massive spoiler really, no?

So, so far...

Phase 1: 500 words or less plot summary from any quiller to be submitted to malcor. - that should be easy enough.

Phase 2: A poll to determine what plot to do. - that should be pretty simple also.

Phase 3: Discussion and refining of chosen summary or summaries. - This shouldn't be too bad but we'll probably need someone to bring disagreements to an end.

ummm and then i guess...

Phase 4: Finding/Choosing authors to write it? - I hope this won't be too difficult but i think its pretty much the only stumbling block of this thing going ahead or not.

Phase 5: Character and world creation? We've done it plenty in the past, shouldn't prove a problem.

I guess we'd need a thread for everyone to write suggestions/reviews/correction requests etc

How many plot summary submissions can folk make? And are they genre exclusive? Like are they all to be at least 50% fantasy?

[Malcor Sylverwood]

Well, I was thinking that the plot summaries should be as...general as possible. While the writers should have focus, I don't want to overly constrain them either. For instance, if I started to write one for A New Hope, it might start something like "Plans for a dark organizations new weapon have been stolen by a ill-equipped enemy." Something like that anyway...

I'd say, lets keep it fantasy, as thats what this place was largely created for. As for the world, why not use the basics of what we've already created? Its not bad, and has plenty of room--I would consider it a reboot of that world tho, so the cities and such are much like they have been described, but the characters and events previously described dont exist.

I have an idea of how to chose the authors, if we have more wanting to do it than will fit...but we'll see how it goes up to then

-Malcor "No need to recreate the wheel" Sylverwood

[Amos]

i'm in, if i possibly can be. & i promise to behave

[Anita Blake]

here's my two cents:

Dealing with a mostly voluntary involvement in a project of this scale depending on people stitting down and different times and leaving messages for one another, leaving rules too loose might tend to cause chaos, in that people will take several months just to get around to starting because of all the back and forth dithering about how to start. (just an observation, not meant to be a bring-down!)

I would suggest that someone, anyone (malc? apoc?) assign themselves status as project leader. I would also suggest rather than too many cooks spoiling the broth, so to speak, this leader also assign "rules" to the story - this is the world, this is the genre, this is the style, this is the overall arc of the story; limits and boundaries should also be set - a limit to the number of characters, for example, will help to make a more cohesive story.

I understand and appreciate the thinking behind "let's all get together and do something jointly", but the fact of the matter is, whatever is created will be much stronger, and more enjoyable to participate in, when people have clearly defined roles, and there is a definitive leader making yes-or-no decisions.

That said, I'd also say that an idea thread would be a good place to start, and, if you're more into democracy in writing than me, elect a project leader. You (we) definitely need someone with veto power to make final decisions, to say "this idea", because i think that the process will go much smoother that way, and if everyone gets involved with the understanding that they are a part of something that does have a leader, it will be much faster, and people won't lose interest because it takes two months to decide whether or not silly humour is OK.

A last note: rules and limits are good, creatively! Just watch the Five Obstructions, and you'll see what I mean. When you say things like "the story must include hallucination" or "no chapter can be more than 1000 words", it encourages people to think more and be more creative. I'd suggest the the project leader assign specific "chapter goals" to each writer in order to create a cohesive whole - one more reason to have a supervising person. An example of what I mean is say Buck is assigned to chapter 1 "you must introduce the world and the main Character", apoc is assigned chapter 2 "in which the character is foiled in his quest to eat a donut", etc. Very broad notions, but notions which also ensure a total story, while still giving each author the power to create what they will within a set template.

and now i'm done.

that's just my 2 cents...

[Malcor Sylverwood]

I pretty much agree with what you say. As for the last paragraph, I have a few ideas on how to give chapters some direction and limits.

I'm sure we'll have some stuggles, hopefully mostly in the beginning. If, and I do mean if, we can get past this, who knows? Maybe this project will roll

I'm still thinking that having people submit various story arcs is a good place to start. I won't say for sure that we'll completely hold to it, but it should provide...at least an outline.

Certainly, if people want to start to throw ideas out, feel free. It might help folks get rolling with the story arcs if everyone gives ideas of what they would like to see in a story.

Well, I need to get back to work

Thanks!

-Malcor "I'm late, I'm late!" Sylverwood

[Buck]

Yes to everything Anita said. And yes to what Malc said too.


What we could do is initially have the generic plot voted in through an open poll and then around that time have a leader picked and a firm rules/guidelines set down. At that point, then I think it would be good to ask for volunteer writers since the expectations will be clearly layed out.

To make this project work, we do need a rule set but I don't think we need to be nazis either. Something along the lines of whatever pace the writing goes at it needs to be maintained.

Regarding the world setting of the story, using the War's setting sounds like a good start but you should allow for the project leader to veto it as a whole or sections of it depending on it meshing well. And of course we should be able to modify the land to adapt it to our needs and wants.




Can we use already made characters, especially ones that were never really used to any effect? Or aside from the land layout are we starting with a completely clean slate?


edit- fixed my grammar a little bit, at this time I think it would be a good idea to point out that we could use an editor or two as well

[Malcor Sylverwood]

Our primary antagonists/protagonists will be all new, created from various minds (and polls! heh). Beyond that, I'm fairly open, as should the other characters, we can use what we need to fill gaps...but certainly don't feel constrained by old characters--much less so than the map even, which I agree could need to be changed depending. So, mostly clean slate, taking what is interesting and convienient

I think some of the descriptions of places (in a general sense) are pretty good and interesting enough...but, we can play

-Malcor "New and improved!!!" Sylverwood

[Apoc]

I think a major problem with previous wars was the huge array of characters each on a level standing...in my mind there should be a protagonist that the overall story revolves around, and one major antagonist standing in opposition to that character...other characters are linked to these two characters, they have their own stories yes, but they're linked with at least one of the two, determining whether they are villains or heroes.

In previous wars, it was just a rumble of loners in their own tales, it just happened they where in the same city with characters of other writers...

thats how i see it anyway...i think this new war should be more ordered in one writer writes for the protagonist, another an ally of the protagonist, another writer writing for the antagonist and another an ally of the antagonist...servant, minion whatever...yeah?

[sir archely]

Okay, so i've split off the variations on a fairy tale posts into their own thread. mostly because regardless of the fact that jamos started it in response or warm-up for this, it's a fun idea in its own right, and bears repeating, imo. or at least, i may repeat it on my own if nobody else wants to.


But i do want to kick this in the pants as well, and see if any more thoughts about this particular idea of malcor's have come about.

I don't know that we necessarily have to wait for the fairy-tale thing to finish up before brain-storming for this can begin.

[Malcor Sylverwood]

I'll be looking for plot summaries to be sent to me...probably for some time (esp at the rate I'm getting them at...wanna guess what that is?).

But, if you don't have a full one to send in, please use this thread to brainstorm, as arch suggested. What are some good backdrops? Twists? Maybe take a movie or book and rewrite its plot in a generic fashion--thats a place you could start anyway.

Cheers!

-Malcor "Still hopeful" Sylverwood

[Apoc]

so, i think this is kinda hidden in here...what with the fairytale variation thing being the quick link on the forum main page, this one is hidden unless you go into the inkwell, which is rare cause you usually just see it from the forum page as the last thread posted in and as its a rarity that folk post in here, its often, for me anyway, looked at rarely. Now i've posted this the fairy tale thing wil likely not be noticed as well as i think it should...~shrugs~ i do't know, i just think they bth got beter notice in the everthingelse forum.

~breathes~

oh yeah...~kick~

So for variations on tales, would i be right in thinking that really the only common readings and knowledge of all the writers here are few, these being star wars, lord of the rings and wheel of time?

Other notable common reads amoungst most but not all are the malazan books and the a song of ice and fire series.

We've tried wheel of time in the past and it was a good long run we had...i think using the world of a series we all like would be a good start, i'd love to write in tolkiens world, i think its a wonderful one, write like a prequel to the war of the ring or just another tale created solely by us, just set in the tolkien world (no dates or whatever) tis all, i don't know...i think that'd be entertaining.

Does everyone want to do a fantasy? How about sci fi, the starwars world is one we all love, we could re-write the prequels hahahahah! That'd be great fun or we could go all knights of the old republic...or we could continue where episode VI ended?

I'm just chucking ideas out i'd like to do...re-writing/creating the fall of anakin and the rise of vader, making our own prequel to the great originals, forgetting about the new ones which we all have problems with...i think that'd be fun