IWT 8: Suggestion Thread

[donteatpoop]

I like broad categories.

But, I was thinking it might challenge the fellas to write the story as a female protagonist. Have any of you boys done that?

Yes, more than once. The anti-hero in Youngstown Demon and Shadow in Arena. So nya.

[End Master]

I've written two female protagonists. Suzy in TFTB and the female path in AVSIS.

Anyway is anyone keen on Locke's stipulation of a specific location such as "must take place in outer space", "must take place on another planet", etc?

[Usoki]

Not really. That's why I think it would be better to create a large list of stipulations, and then we decree that a story must follow a certain fraction of things from that list. I might end up putting my story in a bizarre setting... but if I end up not wanting to, I would be really pissed at how some dumb rule is 'ruining' my 'artist vision'. Then we could get credit for things like 'main protagonist of the opposite gender' without being forced to do it.

[End Master]

The problem with the list of tropes idea, is then we have to come up with a bunch of those as well. Then there will probably be some debate on what should be or shouldn't be on that list. Next there would have to be a decision on how many should be picked from on the list.

It would be easier to just leave it completely open and let everyone do what they want without the hassle of making up lists. That's why I preferred DEP and Locke's ideas since the ones they suggested were pretty broad by themselves.

With Locke's, I probably would've broadened it to "must take place anywhere, but earth" because hell, you could even get around that if you wanted to, by making a planet that's similar to earth.

So far though we'll probably just go with DEP's stipulation since it seems to be in favor.

The only downside I'm seeing with that one is if someone really has their heart set on doing a "hard scifi" story which usually doesn't allow for aliens, robots and mutants running about to any great degree. Still workable though.

[Usoki]

The problem with the list of tropes idea, is then we have to come up with a bunch of those as well. Then there will probably be some debate on what should be or shouldn't be on that list. Next there would have to be a decision on how many should be picked from on the list.

This... is true. The only way to get around that without a lot of bickering would be to have you, the contest winner, arbitrarily determine the list and its contents, and such. Which would work... but it seems odd to dictatorially determine a list of flexible choices.

[Locke]

I kind of like the "grab bag"/list of tropes approach. Either have everyone offer up stuff and (as contest winner) choose the list/mandatory number yourself, or have everyone offer up three, give everyone one potential veto, and make everyone choose two or three (not their own?) from the list that generates.

Or go back to just a couple of general and universal "must haves," or make the topic ("sci fi" so far) a little more specific in some way. Everyone seems to like the generally "sci fi" topic, but the general consensus seems to be that it needs "something" to make it minimally challenging and get some initial ideas kicking around.