weekly fiction?

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Yeah, you've got me thinking about that now too. Of course gaming fiction needs comedy, but that doens't mean real characters. One thought it to give each character a favorite game, or genre, but they each have characters in each of the games.... Which if done properly, would be some pretty complicated relationships just between the characters and THEIR game characters....

Yeah, I'm definitely adding that to my list of ideas.

[Entsuropi]

This could be a really great idea for TWG fiction, since it is actually RPG related, not just random fiction. I might grab you next time i see you online... wanna try this myself.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Not sure when that will be. Tonight's busy. Probably tomorrow sometime.

[EUOL]

I made a suggestion regarding fiction in the main 'lets discuss the TWG's progress' thread.  SE, please read that and let me know what you think.  Let me respond here to the idea you proffered.

We need to think very hard about this suggestion.  My brother makes his points crudely at times, but he does have some valid concerns.  There is an air out there that a site with fiction on it--especially fiction written with gaming themes and written by a member of the site's staff--is a sign of an amateur site.  

No, I'm not saying that SE is amateur, or that his writing is bad.  It's actually pretty good.  I just think that we have to think seriously about the implications of including fiction on the site.  I am only one person, but having worked a little bit in the field, I am much more skeptical of a site that includes amateur (meaning unpaid, written by people without serious field credentials) fiction.  

I would be very wary of publishing amateur staff fiction on the site, no matter who it comes from.  I just have the sense that articles imply 'We are an authority on this subject.  Listen to what we have to say.'  While fiction implies 'This is my story.  Isn't it neat?'  

The serial idea, however, does lend some more credibility to the suggestion.  People are accustomed to serials in print-form nonfiction genres.  If SE were serializing, it would feel more like a weekly department than a bad fanfic site.  If we do include staff fiction on the site, I think this is the only serious and respectable way to go about it.

--Edit.  Forgot to give my thoughs on the original post!  I like the alter-ego ninja one.  Whatever you write, if its comedic, it also sits far better with me.  That also makes it feel more like a department offered for entertainment value, as opposed to staf fanfics.  Oh, and I oppose the idea of the round-robin story.  This is better left for the forum.  Front-page fiction should be more professional.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Serial is definitely what I'm suggesting. Regular posts and all. But I'm trying to work out soem quality control. Yes, I feel I could do a good job, but we need someone willing to look it over critically first. I have some friends online who are otherwise unemployed, and I'm sure they would, but they don't have much of a feel for F/SF, so I'm not sure if they're the best ones. Anyone volunteer to read a chapter a week and give me feedback so we could do this without making it trite crud? You'd have to be as regular as me so the chapters would get posted.

[Entsuropi]

I'm definitely not a professional, but i have a couple hundred fantasy/sci fi books i have read. I think my post count shows how active i am. Pass them over here, i'd be happy to read them.

[Spriggan]

maybe it might be easier, since the people who've done this a lot are all busy with other things on the site, to have several people who haven't had editing experence do this.  I'd still like to have someone with experence, but you have to work with what you got.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Ok, I'll pass them to Entropy, see what he thinks, and we'll decide what to do from there.

Entropy, I don't have it down yet, but I think I'm agreeing with EUOL, and I'll skip on the Gamer fiction for now, it does smack of "fan fiction." Maybe at a later time when I have the idea more thought out. I think I'm going with the ninja. Except, he's not REALLY a ninja, in D&D terms, more of a rogue with some unarmed combat feats... Anyway, I'll get a few chapters done before we even think about starting it, just so we're ahead and if it takes a week and a half instead of a week to get a chapter done, we don't sacrifice regularity.

[Spriggan]

OK hear me out here.  Lets say we combine fictoin with a new RPG setting and minature rules.  Instead of haveing a bunch of unreleated stuff lets create a TWG world and then have SE and possible others write storys that take place in that world.  Some of use make an RPG for the setting and other make a miunature rules for it.  We'll pull a TRS.  Sure other sites have house RPG, fiction or house warhammer rules.  We can make one that entertwines all and realy makes something people will get intrested in.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Ok, i like this idea.

Even if other people have "house" games, that doesn't matter much to me. we can still have one. And if we have a better one than other people, so much the better. This fantasy story, which I'm starting to lean toward (seems to me fantasy is easier to work out than Supers, and it lends itself to mass battles).

So, I'll start a story, we can make a system that incorporates elements of it. The system can be either or both rpg and miniatures. If we're ambitious, a CCG (in fact, a CCG featuring TWG regulars would be fun, a lot like the one Fell made a long time ago about TLE). Again, in the "taking it slow" we don't need to bust it all out right away, but this is something that would be a source of content for a long time.

Incidentally, I think TWIG would be a good name for the system.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I just re-read that and I realized you suggested stories based in the system, and I suggested system based on the stories.

I guess it doesn't matter which way we go. Anyone care which direction it starts? And who's working on the system?

[Spriggan]

What does TWIG stand for?  

Anyway if we are going to do this we should set up the groups each with one head peron that would be resposible for his area.  People can be in multiple groups but the heads have to be different and make sure they get what their suppose to do done.  The first thing is world creation, which would take a while.  And once that's done we can start others.

[Spriggan]

It dosen't bother me which way it starts.   I think if we plan some thigns before we start you'll have a more consistent world.  Ie you write something then the game comes out and the opposite is in it since it plays well.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

TWIG is Time Waster's I (generic vowel sound) Guide

I just thought it sounded need. If we want to be l33t we could do TW(i)G. Or we could have a completely different name. I like the idea, but I'm not attached to it.

Ok, different heads makes sense. I'll volunteer to head a committee on world building (until we get to fiction writing stage, at which time I'll start writing more than developing I think). Who wants in with me?

If we're going to do this, maybe we should start a forum in the "Alternate Realities" section. Although we can choose a name first.

[Entsuropi]

How about The TimeWasters Galaxy?