goldhawk
June 30th, 2008, 07:15 PM
Something I find that helps with collaborative stories is to first put together a core background, then create a situation to introduce two characters - the protagonist and the antagonist.
Like oh, hmm... An alien girl who's memories have been taken from her and transported on board a human spaceliner, being chased by a ruthless assassin. Yeah, that works. ;)
No, it doesn't work. If the assassin was ruthless, why is she still alive?
How about a neophyte assassin who this is his first assignment?
And what if he falls in love with her? And what if he knows why her memories where taken from her; and know if she ever regains her memories, she would totally hate him? And no, he is not thinking about sex, but marriage. Yeah, somehow he's committed. (It happens.) (Of course, the story is no longer about her, but him. At this point, the emotional conflict is about what he experiences; and you end up writing a story you never envisioned from the start. :)
As most of what's going on is happening on the starliner, you'll need to work out most of the background of the starliner, as well as the mystery girl, the assassin and whoever hired the assassin.
It's a good idea if there's a specific goal you're working towards to insist that anyone who joins must be familiar with what's been written so far and lay out what elements they're going to put in.
No, I don't find specific goals worth while. That's not to say that a distance target may be worth pursuing. But with a collaborative story, you have to be flexible.
And may I point out that not all stories are about a clash between the protagonist and the antagonist. Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mist of Avalon is more about biological work than a story; there is no clear antagonist in it.
Like oh, hmm... An alien girl who's memories have been taken from her and transported on board a human spaceliner, being chased by a ruthless assassin. Yeah, that works. ;)
No, it doesn't work. If the assassin was ruthless, why is she still alive?
How about a neophyte assassin who this is his first assignment?
And what if he falls in love with her? And what if he knows why her memories where taken from her; and know if she ever regains her memories, she would totally hate him? And no, he is not thinking about sex, but marriage. Yeah, somehow he's committed. (It happens.) (Of course, the story is no longer about her, but him. At this point, the emotional conflict is about what he experiences; and you end up writing a story you never envisioned from the start. :)
As most of what's going on is happening on the starliner, you'll need to work out most of the background of the starliner, as well as the mystery girl, the assassin and whoever hired the assassin.
It's a good idea if there's a specific goal you're working towards to insist that anyone who joins must be familiar with what's been written so far and lay out what elements they're going to put in.
No, I don't find specific goals worth while. That's not to say that a distance target may be worth pursuing. But with a collaborative story, you have to be flexible.
And may I point out that not all stories are about a clash between the protagonist and the antagonist. Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mist of Avalon is more about biological work than a story; there is no clear antagonist in it.

