Series idea?

Summary:

A series of Q&A threads

Series idea?

Bunton 21 Dec 2013 21:40

So, many of you will be familiar with MisterFlame's Midnight tumblr page, which gave me an idea. Something the Library needs more of is characters, and a good medium to flesh them out, and the slow rate at which articles have been trickling in means we could also do with an easy way for people to contribute.

My idea is this: authors on the site open a series of open, collaborative Q&A pages, using a character of theirs. The character can be one you've used before and want to flesh out, a character you just think would be entertaining, or someone completely new. Anyone will be free to post and ask questions on these pages.

The aim is that at the end of this series, the characters created will have been developed enough, and their creators will have a good enough idea of them, to easily use them in other works. The conceit can be, say, book in Q&A format, or they could just be spread across the Library, in the archives, or even just in the forum (in a special IC section, of course).

Is anyone up for this?

EDIT: Okay, I thought about it, and I think it's probably best not to start this out in actual articles. There's no reason the Q&As can't be transferred to the Library proper afterwards, but just the nature of the format means this is probably best done through say, Tumblr, or via forum.

Last edited on 22 Dec 2013 20:15 by Bunton Show more

Re: Series idea?

TroyL 21 Dec 2013 23:05

Some characters I remember that I did a thing with:

• Lament, of Foundation Fame.
• Dexanote's Shank. Dex wrote a thing with Myrtle.
• Midnight was used by me in Seven Sacrifices as well.
• Jericho Benalsh, the Seventh Archivist.

Some characters I just came up with for funsies:

• Elliot Scorn, a Victorian Gentleman who replaced his eyes with a sapphire and a ruby, and has never seen better since.
• Matthew Cobbles, an Elizabethan roustabout as calloused as he is extraordinarily well read.
• Simon Right, a military intelligence officer who — while hiding in a cave in Afghanistan — found a city in a bottle. He decided to live there.
• Mary Mary, Q.C., a living nursery rhyme who cannot escape her nature, lurking in the stacks and awaiting the foolish who would disturb her garden.
• Simple Paul, who only ever says ten words, though no one has ever heard him say any.
• Hunter S. Thompson, no relation god damnit, a professional man about town with a chip on his shoulder the exact size of Nevada.
• John Nestle, the chocolate maker, who found very terrifying things on the other side of the mirror.
• Black Betty, a goddess who came into existence over the radio. Certainly not the first or last, but for some reason, one of the most enduring.
• Bohn's Jetty, the little crook of land just around the corner where the pirates used to land, and let me tell you, those pirates. Oof. The stories I could tell. Why once, they actually…
• Harriot, Just Harriot. Born on a dust cover, raised on a book jacket, library native.

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"WELL FOUNDATION. YOU MADE IT SO EASY. SO VERY VERY EASY." - dimensionpotato

Re: Series idea?

Bunton 21 Dec 2013 23:14

EDIT: Nevermind.

Last edited on 22 Dec 2013 12:43 by Bunton Show more

Re: Series idea?

Todd_Ingram 22 Dec 2013 18:53

Intruiging. I've always liked coming up with good characters to base a story off of, and I could see myself throwing together an interesting fellow for a Q&A.

Last edited on 22 Dec 2013 19:09 by Todd_Ingram Show more

Re: Series idea?

Plilt 22 Dec 2013 19:16

I could do Walmajarri or Peristrixalo. Or the Shad.

Re: Series idea?

Jack Manganese 22 Dec 2013 20:17

It turns out that this is very similar to a technique I use for my own characters. First I write a paragraph describing the character and some of his or her mannerisms. Then, next time I am at lunch by myself, I imagine that I am talking to this character, and we have an imaginary conversation about magic or the Universe or whatever is appropriate. Often it doesn't work, but sometimes it helps bring some reality to the character until he or she is essentially talking by himself or herself, and then I just write it down. This is, by the way, exactly how I wrote the dialogue of The Fifth Syllable. I've never tried it with a non-imaginary, non-me participant, but it might be interesting.