[Project]Tandem Writing

Kai · Post by **Kai** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 9:34 pm

Okay, so Eli and I were talking about ye olde days of spontaneous story creation, the first Bulldrek story thread, the first Steam & Sorcery game, Arhea, and we missed it. Unfortunatly doing something like that now runs into 2 problems.

The fact that neither us us can spend 3 hours playing verbal ping-pong these days
Most of the subsequent Bulldrek story threads devolved into pissing contests and stupid amounts of plotting

So, something new to try, a story by tandem writing. You all express interest, we'll find us a good plot seed, and we'll each have a character of our own device, and take a turn writing events, just like you would in a PB3 game, you control your characters actions, and can create plot points, but the three major rules will be:

NO plotting with other writers. You can cooerate with them in character, but no "I'll do this and then you do that and we do this next"
NO erasing/ignoring other people's contributions or 'right before that' posts. You are free to re-intepret anything that happens, or write yourself out of whatever situation if you can make it make sense, but there are no magic wands
NO posting out of turn. Its fun and cool to get carried away, but this is supposed to be fun for everyone, and not just whoever's got a day off or a couple of spare hours

This idea here is that you work with what you have. If your character finds his powers/equipment/whatever not working because of something, you fix it with some creative writing, and not say 'it didn't affect me'. If someone sets up a major obsticale for the characters, don't trivialize it by saying 'oh well I just blah blah blah and it dies/goes away/etc', be consistant with the character and consistant with the world. We're aiming for cooperation with a little bit of unpredictableness in what you have to work with here

We'll have to put a resonable cap on the number of people involved, but I dunno what that is, since, well, I kinda have to talk to Eli again. So for now, if your interested, say so, and we'll get to either capping or picking people based on well...I'm not sure yet, based on something

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 4:19 am

*dances*

Me? ME! Me!

I'm interested.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 4:33 am

I would like to do this too, if that's all right with everyone.

MissTeja · Post by **MissTeja** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 8:20 pm

I'm interested as well.

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 1:57 am

I'm thinking if we had six writers that would be good on the outside, and if it's just the five of us, that's okay too. The only other 'rule' I would add to Kai's set would be that of the 'pass' option, if you can't think of anything, or you know you're going to be gone for a couple of days. Just put up a 'pass until <date>' or pass this turn. After we decide on a plot, we can work out an order and then go from there.

As to plot, I was thinking something deep space diplomatic. Not Babylon 5 but with a touch of that feel. I think it allows for the greatest range of people/creations to choose from. If no one else wants it, however, I'd gladly follow any other genre.

Reika · Post by **Reika** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 3:24 am

If there's still room, I'd be interested as well.

Kai · Post by **Kai** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 4:45 am

Eli says 6 is good, six we got then. On to plot seed

Me
Eli
Flame
AH
Teja
Reika

That idea is cool with me Eli. The only other thing that springs immediatly to mind something on the order of Bethy's Genre Clash, a giant mash of anything. Anyone else got opinions/suggestions?

And yeah, pass good, cause we all got short attention spans to keep things moving :7

Reika · Post by **Reika** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 5:26 pm

I'm afraid I'm low on the idea thing atm, if I come up with anything I'll let you know.

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 5:30 pm

mmm...if we're gonna do anything close to Genre Clash...We gotta ask Bethyaga

But I'll work with whatever you guys have.

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 5:58 pm

I proposed a different method of beginning to Flame, Reika and Kai in #bulldrek. I 'm going to write a sentence, roll a die, pick the starting person from our list and that person can go in whatever direction their little fully-developed aortic pump desires.

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 5:58 pm

The result was a 5, and it looks like Teja gets to go first.

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:18 pm

and it looks like we're going down the list...in that order.

MissTeja · Post by **MissTeja** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:29 pm

*prepares her little fully-developed aortic pump*

MooCow · Post by **MooCow** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 8:26 pm

I want to play!! Can we start another one?

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 8:36 pm

Try starting another group?

Kwyndig · Post by **Kwyndig** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 10:04 pm

Well, I wish you guys the best of luck.

Oh, and Moo, I'd be willing to give this thing a try to, if you can dig up at least two more people.

MooCow · Post by **MooCow** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 10:55 pm

Right. So we have myself and Kwyndig. Anyone else?

MissTeja · Post by **MissTeja** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 1:07 am

Alrighty, well now that Eli and Kai have me straightened out on what was to come next so that I didn't write a book

, I am getting this ball rolling. I teetered over three options I came up with, each sending the story in a possible complete different direction from one another (which I am guessing is going to be half the fun of this.) One was a reflection, one a present-tense situation, and one a prediction, of sorts. I went with the reflection as it best fit with the "Why?" Hope it works.

Next!

Reika · Post by **Reika** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 2:30 am

Ding!

Finished my part, I had two things in mind, to either do it from the viewpoint of the prisoner, or an interrogater. Decided to do it from Vanessa's viewpoint so that someone else can come up with the answer to the question.

JohnnyRico · Post by **JohnnyRico** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 4:43 am

Moo, Kwyn, you've got another one for this second squad.

Daki · Post by **Daki** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 3:54 pm

Am I too late?

MooCow · Post by **MooCow** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 5:22 pm

Am I too late?

I point you to the second thread I started. http://www.bulldrek.com/Live/viewtopic.php?t=5210

Kai · Post by **Kai** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 6:08 pm

Ding. Mwhahaha.

FWIW, Eli, I was going on the assumtion that the 'why?' bit was neutral, so you have plently of hooks to choose from.

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 2:08 am

Ancient History, your turn!

DING!

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 2:53 am

Tag, Teja's it.

MissTeja · Post by **MissTeja** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 5:16 am

Bah-da-DING! Rrrreeeiikkkaa!

Reika · Post by **Reika** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:19 am

I'm going to pass, because quite frankly I'm not which chars are being written about and I don't feel like introducing another new element.

I'm going to be a whiney bitch and ask that from now on, when someone writes about the char use a name!

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:21 am

Sorry. WOuld ye like if I gave mine characters a name?

Reika · Post by **Reika** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:42 am

Ancient History wrote:Sorry. WOuld ye like if I gave mine characters a name?

In your next post that would be nice.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:48 am

Scruffy old koot: Colonel Jerome Gorowitz

Skinny freaky untrained Esper to track down Ye Spye: Koshie "Joe" Konigsberg

Unnamed Mind-Blind (i.e. someone an Esper cannot sense or invade telepathically): Mia Inniscent

I sorta suck at names. But feel free to use 'em!

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:49 am

Then it's Kai's turn.

It depends on how character is introduced, and how given a name. In a way, I introduced a character, but I only used this "redshirt" guy to show what is happening next...

If there is any problems with anything...we can discuss things here, or privately, to get better understandings, and perhaps better flow to this story.

By the way, kudos to everyone. I'm liking what is coming up...

MissTeja · Post by **MissTeja** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:52 am

You /could/ always just name the character in your own post if they do not have one already assigned, if it helps you write better. It allows everyone to keep their own style of writing (which is, in part, yet another thing I find really cool about this), limits passes and keeps players from not having to compromise their own style to accomodate the other players. Of course, if the original author would take offense to such an action, then just ignore my rambling, here.

Reika · Post by **Reika** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 3:47 am

The reason why I was bitching about no names is because if I go to write about something in reference to someone else's post, I want to know I'm referring to the correct character.

And this is supposed to be a tandem project, I don't want to make everyone write my way, but y'know, we're supposed to be writing together, and if it makes me an uberbitch to want names, or something to be able to say I'm referring to x character and not confuse the hell out of everyone, then I'm an uberbitch. I can't use he or her because that covers all of the chars.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 3:52 am

Heh. Imagine Meredith Brooks singing in German...how does one say "ANgel under covers" in Deutsch?

[/edit] Wait, that wasn't constructive. Lemme think...got it!
Reika, thou art not a Uberbitch, I affirm it so.

MissTeja · Post by **MissTeja** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 4:22 am

Reika wrote:The reason why I was bitching about no names is because if I go to write about something in reference to someone else's post, I want to know I'm referring to the correct character.

And this is supposed to be a tandem project, I don't want to make everyone write my way, but y'know, we're supposed to be writing together, and if it makes me an uberbitch to want names, or something to be able to say I'm referring to x character and not confuse the hell out of everyone, then I'm an uberbitch. I can't use he or her because that covers all of the chars.

Oh, I know Reika. And I apologize if that came out wrong - I was in no intent of implying that I thought you were being an "uberbitch." Group projects can often prove difficult when you have such a variety of writing styles and sometimes adapting to one another to make it easier for the group as a whole is much better. I just made the suggestion that I did because I thought it'd keep the story flowing better, while solving your problem of the characters not having names (by just allowing you to do so) - but meanwhile, allowing AH to not have to do the naming if he chose not to. *shrug* Didn't mean to be offensive - that was not my intent. Just was trying to help.

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 5:45 am

Since we have a variety of characters introduced already, if we're referring to someone's introduced character, we use a name. I was confused for a moment as well because I thought AH was talking to Grieg. Grieg was, after all, sweating and in a uniform. Now that that's cleared up, I know which direction I may, or may not, be going in.

Kai · Post by **Kai** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 6:43 pm

There, she has a name

Ding, Eli ;7

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 10:46 pm

I think I like the fact that we haven't named our prisoner yet, makes it more entertaining.

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 11:18 pm

I like how we have written about the prisoner, without ever introducing the real person, ya know? Everything basically revolves around the prisoner, but we never really see the person...

Reika · Post by **Reika** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 11:55 pm

Heh, who do you think Diane Summers is? Though I admit the only detail I gave of her was burning emerald green eyes.

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 12:23 am

Yeah, I see that now. Nevermind

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 12:34 am

DING!

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:57 am

<Bing> Next!

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 2:43 am

Seems that we're quite scattered here...and somewhere, we must have misunderstood something.

The prisoner escaped. There's no question about that. But the big question is...what happens to her after the escape?

From what I'm seeing, it seems that this escapee is everywhere. (Of course, this may lead to something entirely new.)

Based on my interpretation, she successfully escaped on a small ship, and then transmitted something to Aryan before going into the gas belt around Scipio. And Greig is meeting with D'atries with a girl (whoever she may be...)...to discuss certain topics over dinner.

And meanwhile, a group of people working for ship (which used to hold the prisoner) are trying to search out for the prisoner.

One possiblity...is that there are several different groups/factions are trying to do something at the same time, thus leading to confusion over what is happening on the ship before and after the escape.

I might have more of thoughts on this later...We need to...get semi-organized so we know what is going on, but without plotting ahead...

MissTeja · Post by **MissTeja** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 3:06 am

Okay, that seems pretty close, but I did interpret a little differently. Summers, a young female spy who had gathered information, had been on the original ship and was caught. The Spider came to interrogate, yet somehow before they were all done, Summers escaped.

Now, I may be wrong, but I thought that "the girl" who was with Grieg, was Summers, and since I took it that he was getting pretty well beat to oblivion as well, that Grieg and Summers had escaped together onto a ship, the Cutter.

Eros, a spy on another ship was aiding Grieg in Summers' escape. She was telepathically attempting to help Grieg out, but it seemed as though Grieg lost contact with her at some point. Seeming that there were other people aboard the ship, Grieg was trying to keep low cover.

Aryan, a at-this-point-unranked member of another ship was monitoring Summers when Bria, another crew member reported that they had lost track of her signal. This was bad news to Aryan.

As Cutter sailed through the skies into the gas belt, it came near to another ship, Mother of the Skies. Allies, they had seen the Cutter getting near. They attempted to contact Aryan but had failed, so they took the Cutter in and boarded Summers (no word about Grieg yet) onto the vessel, followed by deserting the Cutter back out into space.

All the meanwhile, (I'm assuming from the original ship, though I may be wrong) a commander assigned an an Esper and "Mia" to track down the escapee and bring her back, alive. They are aware of her escort, Grieg and can telepathically trace Summers, despite the gas belt. They are hot on her trail and preparing to bomb her.

That's where I am at. Anyone else wanna offer up some more confusion so we can get this straightened out and get back on the ball?

I will hold off my post until we are all on the same page.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 3:09 am

It was my understanding the Spy, SUmmers, had just rendevoused with the enemy ship in the gas belt, which is why I had them (Joe the Spark and Mia the Mind-Blind) fire an EMP bomb.

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 11:17 am

I think that we may be accelerating events on the scale of 'way too quickly' seeing as we jump about four hours every post, perhaps unintentionally. Since it's about eight hours in the past now, I might as well add my bit to the timeline.

Grieg was in the room with the interrogation, posing as a guard. He was under orders from, I guess, Eros to help in the escape of the prisoner, Summers. Grieg is an anomaly, a latent psychic talent that hasn't been processed by the Empire, or The Order. This makes him useful to both, and unfortunatley for his well being, highly expendable. He's countered this by making himself as useful as possible, something he hopes will never end.

After Vanessa D'atries left the room and Eros helped detain the waiting Esper, Summers and Grieg used the communication interference of the commencing solar flare (let's say that the ship they were on was partly near a sun to research plasma weapon potential) subdued the remaining guard and made their way through whatever conduit it was they made it through.

They however, encountered a problem, Eros had given Grieg a new assignment, this one to go and visit the spider again. He, however, had second thoughts and was trying to make his way to his quarters, and then to his ship. Problems arose, mainly the simple fact that they weren't really a part of the crew. Grieg, in a moment of panic/desperation, decided to dodge the security and go visit the head interrogater herself. Whether or not this is a good idea he wasn't sure.

In the meantime, Eros had planted Summers identity on a second ship, while the girl was not there herself, the Empire cruiser (the one Grieg and Summers were/are on) thought she was already well off the ship and gaining ground quickly.

That's everything that I've interpreted up until just after my post.

I need to reread the rest to change that interpretation because I don't think it's valid anymore.

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 11:18 am

Double Yew Postity.

[edit: Okay, I see this happening this way. There are four factions that seem to exsist:

1) The Empire
2) Aryan's Crew/Mother of Skies (also a part of The Order?)
3) The Order
4) The Faction of Me, Grieg, the best and only hope for the survival of all species on the brink of intergalactic war. Okay, maybe not, but hey, that's cool.

Oh, five, Ms. Summers gets her own category because I don't think (IMHO) that she really knows what's going on either. We, the writers, sure don't.

Three of these factions want Ms. Summers, badly for whatever the reason is. One, the Order, feels she's more important that anything else. Another, associated with Teja's crew apparently sent her on assignment and something (yet to be determined) happened and she was captured, whatever signal she was broadcasting was blipped out. The third, The Empire, wants her as a spy, okay, so that's what she was doing before the 'something' happened, but that's also yet to be determined.

If any of that seems to be incorrect, please correct me. Here's a timeline that I've seen.

(Time scheme (Months:Days:Hours:Minutes) (In case we edit this as things go on

)
Preprestory: Some stuff happens.

Prestory: Summers gets captured and is to be interrogated by the Grey Spider. The Order learns of this and hires Grieg to help in her rescue. Aryan's crew has not yet learned of her capture.

0:00:00: Summers interrogation begins. Grieg is there in the guise of a uniformed guard. An Esper spy, a member of the Order, contacts Grieg and the prisoner, briefly detailing the plan for escape.

0:05:00: Vanessa leaves.

0:07:00: An esper effectively removes the survelience officer. The solar flare begins, and Grieg goes to work in the interrogation room. He and Summers escape through a conduit.

between 0:07:00 and 3:00:00: Aryan's Crew notices that the signal has been lost.

3:00:00: The Spark Joe and Mia review the tape leading up to the escape of Grieg and Summers. Eros contacts Grieg and congratulates him.

The events after this point are fuzzy. I thought Grieg was still on the Empire vessel, (as indicated by "Let's go see Ms. Atries") Flame puts us on a Cutter heading to the gas belt. Following Flame and AH's timeline.

about (?) 15:00:00: The Cutter is picked up by the Mother of Skies.

15:05:00: Joe and Mia are about to launch an EMP bomb at the Mother of Skies and pandemoneum will ensue.

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 12:42 pm

We still can repair this without ever going back.

Several possibilities:

Grieg caught a decoy.

Mother of the Skies accepted a decoy.

Or...Both caught a decoy. Real Ms. Summers is somewhere else.

I mean, hell, this is scifi, anything may go (If you guys have different way of repairing any "discrepenacies" I'll be impressed

)

Who knows what will come up next.

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 12:42 pm

What the? Double post?!?!

Anyway...we probably need to try to stay organized much as can...especially when coming to timeline. At least, that's what I think.