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Firlefanz
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Anthology Project
Well, not sure if it's a project already, but there is some interest in creating an anthology through this board. So I'm opening this thread just to collect ideas, suggestions, maybe even pictures.
(I'd love to see this happen!)
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12/15/2010, 6:44 pm
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Reythia
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Re: Anthology Project
One possibility:
Get/take a collection of interesting pictures. Make separate "chapters" in the anthology, where each chapter starts with a copy of the picture itself, followed by a series of totally different stories by different authors that sprang from that image. The choice of pictures and boundaries on the stories could keep the stories in the same genre, if desired.
--- -- YAR!
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12/16/2010, 5:02 pm
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Flasheart2006
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Re: Anthology Project
Or it could be something along the lines of the Medieval Murderers anthologies, where the various authors agree upon a set plot element (an object/place/etc.) and then write their individual pieces with that particular element at the heart of all of the stories. For example, House of Shadows is all about a 'cursed' monastery, and each of the stories, though independent from the others in terms of story (i.e. they are stand-alone, but they're written so as not to contradict one-another), features the monastery almost as a character. In fact, I just found this on Michael Jecks's website (one of the original members of the group), which outlines it better than my ramblings:
quote: Now, we knew that if we wrote a series of short stories, no publisher would want it. Anthologies rarely sell that well. And we didn't any of us particularly like the idea, because being novelists, we're all used to being allowed to spread ourselves on the page, and restrictions are hard to live with. So we hit on the idea of a set of five or six novellas, each of them 25,000 words, to build up to a coherent story. We were convinced that there had to be a consistent strand running through all the novellas to justify the book. For our first book we chose the common theme of a cursed relic, a piece of the True Cross which had been cursed when it was stolen from a church, and which has subsequently been passed on through time with disastrous results. This allowed us to write sections of the book for our main characters, all in their own centuries, as the relic passes from one hand to another.
So maybe that could be an idea? A picture of a location/object around which all of the stories would revolve and to which each would contribute an extra piece of the puzzle (this would entail a single collaborative/'shared' world, which could be good for continuity purposes?)
On a purely logistical note, can I ask how successful previous anthology attempts have been? I know Scribe's did several workshops with the title, 'Anthology', and I know that one of them finally ended in a book, but not being a member I never really knew how well everything went. So, without raining on anybody's parade, I guess the question I'm asking (aimed at the people who have participated in previous such endeavours): is it all worth it?
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12/16/2010, 7:07 pm
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Loud G
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Re: Anthology Project
Depends on your definition of worth.
If it gets people to write instead of sitting on their rump, that might be worth it.
If you classify worth as monetary gain...well, results may vary....
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12/16/2010, 7:19 pm
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Flasheart2006
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Re: Anthology Project
Well, I wasn't exactly thinking money (though it's certainly a factor--how much did the process cost for example?), but in a general sense, did the ends justify the means? Did you come away with a sense of achievement, were you non-plused, or did you even come away thinking the whole process may not have been the best use of your time and that?
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12/16/2010, 7:44 pm
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Reythia
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Re: Anthology Project
Flash, I like that idea also. I have to admit that I prefer books with a common theme, myself. If we can pick one and all agree on some basic "rules", that'd be a plus, I think.
And I don't know anything about the success rates of previous anthologies, either. Though I'm always of the opinion that it's nice to simply have one for myself, regardless of whether anyone else reads it.
--- -- YAR!
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12/17/2010, 4:12 pm
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JessieLong
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Re: Anthology Project
Stupid little idea, but how about we use the same set of characters in different adventures? Sort of like a collection of Conan stories, or something. Also, each individual story could be told by a different storyteller, justifying why they interpret the character(s) differently.
Also, could be something similar to Rashomon -- writing the same basic story, but from different viewpoints, each new perspective either adding to the story and rounding it a bit or making it just the more complicated.
--- Reading: Mostly comic books...
Writing : Marla Fleetwood and the Magic iPod
Backburner: Electric Ladythief, Scion and Ratface; The Rose and the Sword (books); Seekers (comic book series); Grey Submarine (series)
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12/18/2010, 11:00 pm
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Firlefanz
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Re: Anthology Project
I like the idea of a set of adventures very much. Problem would be to really flesh out the characters before we begin to write the stories. That's the only way to avoid blaring discrepancies.
Still, I love that idea.
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12/19/2010, 11:58 am
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JessieLong
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Re: Anthology Project
That's why the idea of a subjective storyteller for each story. Each of them can interpret the hero and the actions their own way.
A defeated enemy telling a story of his defeat would see the hero much more negatively than a damsel he saved from certain doom.
--- Reading: Mostly comic books...
Writing : Marla Fleetwood and the Magic iPod
Backburner: Electric Ladythief, Scion and Ratface; The Rose and the Sword (books); Seekers (comic book series); Grey Submarine (series)
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12/19/2010, 12:10 pm
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Firlefanz
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Re: Anthology Project
Yes, that makes a lot of sense, and it will explain some level of differences. However, we still have to agree on looks, abilities, dialect, speech patterns etc, to make it believable. And of course, create the world.
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12/19/2010, 12:42 pm
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Pastor Rick
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Re: Anthology Project
I have my old D&D world developed for GenCon II laying in the closet... Huge full color maps and about 300 pages of notes on different locations and such. Is that the kind of thing we need for this?
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12/19/2010, 2:13 pm
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Firlefanz
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Re: Anthology Project
Wow, Rick! That would be perfect.
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12/19/2010, 2:41 pm
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Reythia
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Re: Anthology Project
quote: Pastor Rick wrote:
I have my old D&D world developed for GenCon II laying in the closet... Huge full color maps and about 300 pages of notes on different locations and such. Is that the kind of thing we need for this?
Holy crud! 300 pages?!?!
I agree that a group of adventurers might be a good way to do it, with each writer getting her own character's POV (and writing tendencies), but talking about things the whole group is doing and involving all the characters. If we do something like this, I think it's important we lay out a general quest guidelines, as well as a map as Rick suggested. And as Firle said, we'll have to sit down together and define all of the characters ahead of time. Each writer could put together something on "their" character, and then we could get together and alter things as a group until it'll work.
But before that, we'd need a backstory. Who are these people? Why are they a group, or how do they meet? Are they all in one group, or several which interact for various plot-driven reasons? What are their goals?
--- -- YAR!
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12/20/2010, 7:53 pm
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Pastor Rick
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Re: Anthology Project
On the maps, I have town, city, kingdom and world maps (not to mention over 500 dungeon/cave/castle maps... O' wait, I just mentioned them hahaha). In the GenCon2 I ran everything off a small island kingdom roughly the size of Tasmania but that was to control players. I'll see about scanning the "world map" and posting it so we can pick a spot to start from. Do you want my synopsis for the region we choose or are we going to start fresh?
Reythia: Yes, back then I could quote the rule books better than I could quote the Bible and I spent way too much time drawing and populating my Fantasy world as a hobby.
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12/21/2010, 4:40 am
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Firlefanz
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Re: Anthology Project
Well, maybe we could choose different regions for the different stories, that would give people a lot to work with.
Rick, I'm delighted you're willing to share your world.
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12/21/2010, 12:54 pm
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David Meadows
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Re: Anthology Project
quote: Flasheart2006 wrote:
On a purely logistical note, can I ask how successful previous anthology attempts have been? I know Scribe's did several workshops with the title, 'Anthology', and I know that one of them finally ended in a book, but not being a member I never really knew how well everything went. So, without raining on anybody's parade, I guess the question I'm asking (aimed at the people who have participated in previous such endeavours): is it all worth it?
I don't want to go into specific details, so let's put it like this..... my royalty cheque was enough to pay for the meal celebrating my first royalty cheque
Was it worth it? Yes, absolutely. My mother has a book on her shelf with my story inside it
--- Curiouser and curiouser.
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12/22/2010, 11:51 am
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Reythia
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Re: Anthology Project
quote: David Meadows wrote:
I don't want to go into specific details, so let's put it like this..... my royalty cheque was enough to pay for the meal celebrating my first royalty cheque
Was it worth it? Yes, absolutely. My mother has a book on her shelf with my story inside it
Awwwwww!
--- -- YAR!
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12/22/2010, 7:16 pm
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tryingtowrite
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Re: Anthology Project
Sounds interesting. The only trouble with writing a group is: What if I make your character do something you don't want them to in my story?
--- I'd procrastinate now, but it would be easier tomorrow.
A fantasy tongue twister: Sputtering silver sliver Sphinxes spit splinters.
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12/22/2010, 10:27 pm
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Pastor Rick
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Re: Anthology Project
My thought would be that it would be okay if you had my character do minor things but not something totally against his (or her) character. For example, if you had Sylvia engage in an orgy that would go completely against her nature but if you had her give someone a hug or light kiss that could be explained...
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12/23/2010, 6:09 am
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Flasheart2006
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Re: Anthology Project
quote: David Meadows wrote:
I don't want to go into specific details, so let's put it like this..... my royalty cheque was enough to pay for the meal celebrating my first royalty cheque
Was it worth it? Yes, absolutely. My mother has a book on her shelf with my story inside it
Good enough for me! Thanks, David.
(the only reason I asked was that I'm sure somebody said it was more 'stressful' than anybody had anticipated--maybe it was Karen herself? I dunno, but if I'm wrong I'm glad!)
Re: character interactions, another option might be to have the overall connecting 'theme' be somewhere there would naturally be a very wide and diverse group of people, where individuals would probably know of or about eachother, even if they didn't actually know eachother personally. That way different characters and/or their actions could be referenced in another story, but those actions would take place off-screen (and be written by that character's author, in their own storyline).
An idea that comes to mind is a King's (or Queen's!) court. By necessity such a place would be well populated, and the individuals present would all have their own motives/responsibilities. There'd be diplomats, advisors, generals, spies, ambitious individuals trying to gain royal favour by whatever means necessary, the king and/or queen themselves, of course. Etcetera. Each of these people would know eachother well enough toe recognise one-another, but they'd probably move in different social circles and plot with different parties.
For example, in the 'connecting theme' of the story (running with the court setting): an ambassador arrives back at court. His own personal story could be about what he experienced on his trip to a neighbouring kingdom and how he cheated death by a masked assassin who turned out to be a dissenchanted noble who wanted to start a war between the two nations. That's his story, and other authors would not be allowed to alter/retcon it, but they would be able to mention that character by name (perhaps show him from a distance) and comment on that character's adventures.
Just an idea,
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12/23/2010, 11:43 am
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David Meadows
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Re: Anthology Project
quote: (the only reason I asked was that I'm sure somebody said it was more 'stressful' than anybody had anticipated--maybe it was Karen herself? I dunno, but if I'm wrong I'm glad!)
Yes, Karen did find it stressful, but she was acting as publisher for the book. She had to handle all the legal matters (all authors had a proper contract), find any up-front money to publish the book (I'm not sure how much was involved), format the book for printing and then again e-book distribution, work with the printers, manage the project, then do all the publicity (that's probably the hardest part), argue with Amazon to get the book listed (for reason that was a lot of trouble), track revenue and pay royalties, etc., etc., etc.
All I had to do was write a story, and that's easy
So a word of warning to anybody who has never done anything like this before: managing a publishing project by yourself is hard work.
--- Curiouser and curiouser.
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12/23/2010, 3:35 pm
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Firlefanz
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Re: Anthology Project
Yes, and I'm still in another anthology project which has stalled to a degree. It will take longer than anyone anticipates, and finding a publisher or even going self-publishing will be quite an effort.
Plus, we would need all participants to help with the marketing.
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12/23/2010, 4:24 pm
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Loud G
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Re: Anthology Project
I have to say having to step around carefully to avoid crushing the toes of the various characters sounds a bit difficult and needlessly complex. I think perhaps it would be better to do a themed approach like Dan has suggested. Perhaps each writer gets a city and gets to place their story in and/or around it. They all take place in the same world/universe. There could be a background story occuring (some sort of rebellion, political upheaval, or other interesting event) and each person writes a substory within the framework of all of that happening in the background. They could each aide or not the 'event'. Perhaps the event is written in stone, certain people did certain things to 'save the day' (or not) and then each story is about these people who haven't met, but their combined activities lead to the climax.
So in a way we would write a collective ending first, and then everyone would get to that ending however they wanted.
Characters who seemed heroic in the ending might be proven not to be the nicest people when the story is told from their perspective and vice versa.
Just throwing out an idea
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1/3/2011, 2:49 pm
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BaneBlade
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Re: Anthology Project
quote: Loud G wrote:
I have to say having to step around carefully to avoid crushing the toes of the various characters sounds a bit difficult and needlessly complex. I think perhaps it would be better to do a themed approach like Dan has suggested. Perhaps each writer gets a city and gets to place their story in and/or around it. They all take place in the same world/universe. There could be a background story occuring (some sort of rebellion, political upheaval, or other interesting event) and each person writes a substory within the framework of all of that happening in the background. They could each aide or not the 'event'. Perhaps the event is written in stone, certain people did certain things to 'save the day' (or not) and then each story is about these people who haven't met, but their combined activities lead to the climax.
So in a way we would write a collective ending first, and then everyone would get to that ending however they wanted.
Characters who seemed heroic in the ending might be proven not to be the nicest people when the story is told from their perspective and vice versa.
Just throwing out an idea
I agree with the dragon.
Find a way that all the stories connect...they have a common thread, but people don't have to worry about stepping on each others toes.
--- ...waiting patiently for a few submissions to come back.
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1/3/2011, 3:19 pm
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Reythia
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Re: Anthology Project
So, then, does anyone have an idea for the main thread/plot of the anthology?
--- -- YAR!
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1/3/2011, 5:00 pm
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Flasheart2006
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Re: Anthology Project
The idea that immediately comes to my mind (though to be fair it tends to be the central theme to pretty much everything I write!) is a war.
Some major international incident has placed two (or more) nations on the path to war, and the book follows the events from start to finish. Maybe one story about the 'incident' itself (maybe it was something akin to the Manchurian Incident--e.g. pirates from one nation raid ships from another--so the first story would show what actually happened, while subsequent stories would show how the truth has been distorted to meet the various parties' needs); another could be a story about the diplomats trying to prevent the war (which could involve a bit of intrigue--espionage, assassination attempts, etc.); another story about, say, the warmongerers who see war as an opportunity to further their own ends; some stories set during the fighting itself when everything's to-ing and fro-ing; a story or two set towards the end, when everybody know's who's going to win and the losers are just holding off the innevitable; a story that shows people coming to terms with the end result of the war; and a quick epilogue to fit the war into history and say how the world has changed.
That's what immediately springs to my mind, but then most of my stories tend to be war/battle-based
Last edited by Flasheart2006, 1/3/2011, 7:38 pm
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1/3/2011, 7:11 pm
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Pastor Rick
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Re: Anthology Project
My idea would be a journey to the festival. I am thinking that maybe this festival is one where people are tested in some way. Maybe by going into a mountain cavern or something to test their skills. The first part could be the journey to the festival site, the second part could be where they all meet up and then the third part could be the cavern testing or some such...
I have not thought of a good festival name yet...
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1/4/2011, 2:42 am
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Reythia
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Re: Anthology Project
Alright, I’ve been thinking. I like the idea of a war, or at least, occasional battles or physical tension, in the sense that it’s a good way to keep tension throughout a series of separate stories. On the other hand, I’m not really a good war writer – particularly a modern war, like the type Flash talked about. (By the way, that sounded like a really good idea for a book, too – hint, hint!) And then I thought about Rick’s idea of a festival or a test of some type. Which ALSO sounds like it could be a good center point to a book. But while I think the war story would be hard to write as an anthology because it’d be tough to keep all the stories from countering each other or talking repeatedly about similar scenes, I think an anthology about individual tales is going to be hard because it’ll read more like a set of individual stories, rather than a single combined tale. Which could be what we want and end up with, but I wasn’t ready to settle yet, so I thought some more.
Here’s what I came up with, though you’re certainly welcome to disagree or tell me I’m crazy or boring! If we get a quorum that wants to do either of the other suggestions, I’ll be happy to also! So here’s a third choice. Anyone else have ideas?
What if we write a first contact story. Imagine three sets of people:
1.) An indiginous population, probably pre-industrial. Could be anything from stone-age to medieval to just coming into the industrial age, depending on what we want. They’re just living out their lives (mostly) peacefully, when out of the blue comes this flash in the sky and *BAM!* this alien spaceship crash-lands on their planet.
2.) Said alien space ship is maybe populated by humans? Or not. (Whereas the natives could be some imagined fantasy race, up to and including magic on their world if desired.) In any case, said aliens don’t particularly want to tear up the natives, but they’re sort of stuck on the planet for a while and need a place to stay. Just their appearance might cause trouble! And why are they there, anyhow? Maybe they’re just unlucky merchants with a mechanical failure, or a much larger colony ship whose target planet happens to be pre-populated. Or maybe they’ve been chased by a third party, who could serve as a general Big Bad Guy, if desired.
3.) The Big Bad Third Party might never be seen in the actual stories, just talked about. Maybe they’re a powerful alien race, who’s working on wiping out the humans/aliens’ whole civilization. Maybe they’re just a small group of pirates or other Bad People who the crash-landed ship stumbled across doing something illegal. Whatever, these Bad Folks could be a motivator for friendly relations between the natives and the crash-landers, or a source of tension, if the Bad People come down and start taking it out on the natives, too. Or maybe they’re just a good excuse to get the ship to crash on the planet, and that’s it.
Anyhow, that’s what I was thinking. Pretty vague, still. I kind of like the idea of combining fantasy (the natives) and scifi (the aliens/humans). It gives the opportunity for some warfare for those who like to write such, and some peaceful meetings for those who don’t (yes, even festivals and tests!). If we keep it contained to the single planet (after the crash landing), we won’t run the risk of having it get too big, but it’s still got plenty of room for individual writers to wander around. We would have to all agree on the initial story, of the background and the crash. But I think that’ll be true in any situation we choose.
Other ideas? Let's get everything on the table, so we can mix and match as we like!
--- -- YAR!
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1/7/2011, 10:13 pm
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David Meadows
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Re: Anthology Project
I'm going to make a radical suggestion. Please try not to be offended
As long as we keep discussing how we are going to do it, we are never going to do it. This is the peril of doing things by committee.
Somebody needs to take change and make a decision. Somebody needs to "own" the project and tell everybody else what they must do if they want to join in.
It may sound too authoritarian for a friendly, everyone-is-equal group of writers, but dictatorships actually get things done and friendly groups don't (though they probably have a more pleasant time not doing it ).
--- Curiouser and curiouser.
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1/12/2011, 10:49 am
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Loud G
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Re: Anthology Project
quote: David Meadows wrote:
As long as we keep discussing how we are going to do it, we are never going to do it. This is the peril of doing things by committee.
Too true
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1/12/2011, 1:58 pm
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