Author Topic: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!  (Read 248825 times)

Hello Purvis

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #420 on: July 22, 2014, 02:02:05 PM »
Sounds like FFVI but more grimdark.

Razzi Zadhna

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #421 on: July 29, 2014, 10:59:25 PM »
For whatever reason I have this idea for a brutal and bloody shounen-style fic (basically Akame Ga Kill: Touhou Style) because why not but I'm honestly trying to figure out what to do.

I could have OC's as the villains, but that could get stale and spotlight-taking. I want it to use the concept "other Gensokyou's" as well. Decisions, decisions...


Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #422 on: August 21, 2014, 08:33:22 AM »
An outline for a story that would likely span a whole series has been digging itself into my head for months now, to the point where it's been leaking into my other works and I figure that now is as good a time as ever to at least partially write it up so to be done with it. Of course, given the large amount of topics it spans, I've decided that the best course of action would be to break it down into smaller tales, starting with the very beginning in order to gauge whether or not such a yarn is ultimately too ludicrous to bother with.

And thus I shall tell of the basic plot I am planning on using for the first section of the overall arc. A leprechaun in Gensokyo.

By leprechaun, I mean the short, green-clad, bearded (though not our particular example who is relatively young) Irish fairy-man that hides his pot of gold behind a rainbow and makes shoes.

Basically, this whole ordeal started formulating after reading Wild and Horned Hermit: The greater implication it made was that there are seemingly closed of areas similar to Gensokyo within other parts of the world, which means that many apparently mythological/legendary creatures might exist from beyond the confines of the boarder, in a sense. Of course, as Gensokyo seems to have become more and more of a "global dumping ground" for such supernatural oddities, smaller ones are ultimately dispersed and condensed, displacing the local populace into environments that barely suit their needs, resulting in youkai (and fairy) outsiders.

 Hence we enter the story of our subject leprechaun, whose community is the target of one of these dumpings into the boarder, leaving himself and his kin to fend off against a hostile, alien landscape, exploring how said supernatural outsiders function to such an event, as well as digging into many of the deeper implications found within fairy society. Namely, the fact that no male fairies exist in Gensokyo up to that point (and vice-versa from the plane the leprechauns are pulled from) gets explored as well as the ways that the two types of fae are similar and different from a physical, mental, and cultural standpoint, many leprechaun tropes (for example, leprechauns are interpreted as fairies which embody wealth itself, and their pots of gold are as important to them as the elements are to other fairies), the relationship between fairies and youkai, and a look into the lives of the fae, and how such an event will ultimately not only effect their society, but the order of Gensokyo as a whole.

Other then the leprechaun himself (as well as a handful of other chaunic characters), Cirno, the three fairies of light, and Daiyousei will be major characters, while Lily White will make a notable appearance as well and Photon/Koushi/Rengeteki could show up as a cameo, both possibly gaining more importance if I ever get beyond this story. Cirno especially plays a large part in how the overall setting will ultimately unfold in regards to how the chauns' and fairies come to view each other, whether for better or worse, and becomes the focus herself in large portions of the tale.

Also throw in some Marisa shenanigans trying to catch leprechauns for three wishes (hint: any leprechaun strong enough to preform such a feat wouldn't let himself be caught by a human in the first place).


Razzi Zadhna

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #423 on: September 26, 2014, 01:17:21 AM »
Okay I actually have something a little more concrete now. We all like alternate Gensokyo's, right?

In this fic idea, there is an alternate Gensokyo that is very similar to the one we know, with even basically the same characters (though subtly different--I may change this and use OC's, but I don't want to make THAT many and the idea of exploring the canon cast through parallel selves who grew up in a different world is interesting). There is one massive difference, however: the spell card system doesn't exist, and danmaku duels are fatal. Every member of this Gensokyo lives by this one axiom: "When two people or youkai meet in a danmaku duel, one will die.*"

Then somehow (maybe Yukari barrier shenanigans or the Lunarians doing crazy science shit) this Gensokyo gets connected to the one we all know and love and then...I dunno what to do from there. I don't want to do a generic "save the world" plot but I'm stuck when it comes to actually creating some kind of conflict. The two Gensokyo's getting into a tiff sounds so generic...I'll need to keep this in the oven a little longer.

*Excluding those who are already dead like Ghosts

Iced Fairy

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #424 on: September 26, 2014, 03:28:20 AM »
Okay I actually have something a little more concrete now. We all like alternate Gensokyo's, right?

In this fic idea, there is an alternate Gensokyo that is very similar to the one we know, with even basically the same characters (though subtly different--I may change this and use OC's, but I don't want to make THAT many and the idea of exploring the canon cast through parallel selves who grew up in a different world is interesting). There is one massive difference, however: the spell card system doesn't exist, and danmaku duels are fatal. Every member of this Gensokyo lives by this one axiom: "When two people or youkai meet in a danmaku duel, one will die.*"

Then somehow (maybe Yukari barrier shenanigans or the Lunarians doing crazy science shit) this Gensokyo gets connected to the one we all know and love and then...I dunno what to do from there. I don't want to do a generic "save the world" plot but I'm stuck when it comes to actually creating some kind of conflict. The two Gensokyo's getting into a tiff sounds so generic...I'll need to keep this in the oven a little longer.

*Excluding those who are already dead like Ghosts
The big difficulty you'll have is making this at all reasonable.  For example, why is anyone level alive in your Gensouyko?  Obviously danmaku duels are... less common.  Either that or Reimu's sitting on top of a pile of corpses at the shrine.

This page from Unknown Armies comes to mind.  Mainly because I saw it linked today.  http://i.imgur.com/23whI1D.jpg


Razzi Zadhna

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #425 on: September 26, 2014, 04:06:34 AM »
You're right: they are much rarer in this alternate Gensokyo. The denizens of this one find the sheer frivolity and frequent use of danmaku duels in the canon Gensokyo to be insane/abhorrent, since in theirs it's something you only do when you are SERIOUS.

Spotty Len

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #426 on: September 26, 2014, 07:02:54 AM »
You're right: they are much rarer in this alternate Gensokyo. The denizens of this one find the sheer frivolity and frequent use of danmaku duels in the canon Gensokyo to be insane/abhorrent, since in theirs it's something you only do when you are SERIOUS.
Would that be enough to start an incident though? I don't know if there would be enough people caring about that, even if this alternate Gensokyo would be much more serious if it is like you said.

Maybe that alternate Gensokyo could encounter an incident itself, and the canon Gensokyo would come to help and resolve it, since they can do danmaku without killing people. That's a little less generic than a Gensokyo vs Gensokyo situation.

Razzi Zadhna

  • bye chagen
Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #427 on: November 10, 2014, 01:22:00 AM »
Well, ignore my previous idea, because right now I'm working on what can only be described as the Touhou version of Thirty H's, except not as absurd and with a kind of coherent plot. The events in it may be absurd, but the characters are in-character (or I'm at least trying to keep them in-character).

Except trying to get that delicate balance of Thirty H's "dear god what in the fuck is going on" and actually making things coherent is pretty damn difficult. Oh well. 

To get a feel for what kind of story I'm writing: It starts with Byakuren and Yukari having a casual everyday conversation while dodging flaming rain like it's danmaku. Then Nitori crashes into Reimu's shrine and burns it to the ground. Whenever Keine shows up I call her Keine I-Am-Literally-Not--Even-Going-To-Attempt-Spelling-This-Shit. The story sometimes goes into second-person from the perspective of a canon character thanks to Yukari's shenanigans, with absurd amounts of fourth-wall-breaking and snark. "Yukari" is a verb. Things only get more crazy.

EDIT: Actually, the more I write this, the more it becomes a Nichijou-esque surreal comedy instead of...whatever Thirty H's was. I really have no idea what to do with this fic...
« Last Edit: November 10, 2014, 03:42:21 AM by Razzi Zadhna »

Your Everyday NEET

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #428 on: November 14, 2014, 10:04:23 AM »
Hello, my name is Your Everyday NEET but you can call me YEN. This is my first post in this topic.

My first fanfic idea is about a Let's play of Touhou Fangames by the girls themselves. They are going to play some of the hardest fangames out there that can make a normal person smash their controller. This fic is going to function as a cross between walkthrough and a let's play.
Is this idea going to work?

Iced Fairy

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #429 on: November 14, 2014, 03:24:46 PM »
Hello, my name is Your Everyday NEET but you can call me YEN. This is my first post in this topic.

My first fanfic idea is about a Let's play of Touhou Fangames by the girls themselves. They are going to play some of the hardest fangames out there that can make a normal person smash their controller. This fic is going to function as a cross between walkthrough and a let's play.
Is this idea going to work?
Rather easily, since doing LPs in character has a very long tradition.  The question is can you make a fun walkthrough/LP.  If so adding Touhou shouldn't be too much harder.

Your Everyday NEET

  • Part time Researcher & Let's Player, full time NEET, also an eel
Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #430 on: November 15, 2014, 05:52:16 AM »
Is that so~? I never seen anybody doing it. I can make rage moment but making text based LP is rather hard. I think it's easier to make LP on RPG games. Do you have any game recommendation perhaps?

Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #431 on: December 10, 2014, 05:34:32 AM »
Is there any interest at all in small stories centered around little character interactions, like Alice meeting Flandre (and becoming friends, much to Remilia's annoyance) or Medicine slowly learning to cope with the world outside her flower field (in a way that does not involve delicious poison murder)?

I've been toying with a few ideas- not quite day-to-day life in Gensokyo, but possible little character moments we probably won't see in canon.

I was also hoping to explore two somewhat longer ideas - the slow progression from Maribel to Yukari (with lots of Ran character development) and the idea of Alice's arrival in Gensokyo - including a somewhat in-depth look at her nature... Rather, I have a headcanon that Alice is something of a composite of the "child" Alice that Shinki made and the pseudo-mythological idea of an "Alice in Wonderland," which Shinki used as a base. It's hard to describe in brief, but I feel like Gensokyo is the land of myth and legend, so it's pretty hard to cross over without actually having some part of you that is at least a story (or you know, Yukari, but ssshhh).

Razzi Zadhna

  • bye chagen
Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #432 on: December 27, 2014, 12:13:38 AM »
A while ago, I decided to take on the self-imposed challenge of creating 7 Touhou OC's for a hypothetical fangame (one for each stage, and an Extra Stage boss). I gave them names (using kanji like the actual Touhou characters), titles, theme titles, and even have made dialogue for stages 1-6 for Reimu (I don't plan on actually making the game, I just used this as a framing device). The catch? They were all guys. I wanted to show that male Touhou OC's can fit perfectly into the thematics of the setting if their creator makes this a goal.

That's not the interesting part. Now, the stage 6 boss of this "game", Ouzaki Nagaharu, is a youkai of flowers and blossoms. He owns a mansion named Koukaden ("Palace of Infinite Flowers" or "Endless Flower Palace") with a massive garden named Daiouen ("Garden of the Great King"). His incident was causing Gensokyo to be overrun by flowers in an attempt to make it more beautiful (he's a prettyboy who is obsessed with beauty). After Reimu and Marisa beat the hell out of him, he decides to turn Daiouen into a tourist attraction, charging people money to go see the flowers there. I want to write a fic from his perpsective as he manages the garden and deals with all the unique personalities of Gensokyo from Miko to Byakuren to Remilia to Kaguya to...I think you get what I mean. Ouzaki is also highly focused on gaining connections in Gensokyo, so he's also trying to schmooze with all the various big-shot names...whether or not he succeeds in getting on their good side is a whole 'nother story.

The other OC's I made will show up; Ouzaki's a got a male kappa (stage 3 boss) and male bakeneko (stage 4) for gardeners, a crossbow-wielding butler (stage 5), and knows this young celestial boy (extra stage) as well, but the 2hus wont be shafted. There's also this 5-tailed kitsune boy (stage 2) and this young crow tengu boy (stage 1) but they don't deal with him much, so they wont show up as often.

Who would be interested in reading this? It'll mostly be a comedy fic as Ouzaki's...forceful and sometimes-insufferably-melodramatic personality clashes with that of our oh-so-loved 2hus, but it will also be serious as he adjusts to life in Gensokyo and naturalizes. If your answer can be boiled to ">male OC's" or "KEEP MY VIRGINIAL YURI WAIFU AWAY FROM HORRIBLE MEN YOU LOSER FUCK" then just don't answer in the first place.

There will be no OCxcanon romance, except for the aforementioned Bakeneko who is hopelessly in love with Orin--but it's one-sided and she isn't even aware of it so it's mostly comedy fuel. Ouzaki himself is...ambiguously bisexual and therefore doesn't really have an interest in any 2hus; his butler and the celestial boy, on the other hand...
« Last Edit: December 27, 2014, 12:17:13 AM by Razzi Zadhna »

Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #433 on: December 27, 2014, 06:28:48 AM »
A while ago, I decided to take on the self-imposed challenge of creating 7 Touhou OC's for a hypothetical fangame (one for each stage, and an Extra Stage boss). I gave them names (using kanji like the actual Touhou characters), titles, theme titles, and even have made dialogue for stages 1-6 for Reimu (I don't plan on actually making the game, I just used this as a framing device). The catch? They were all guys. I wanted to show that male Touhou OC's can fit perfectly into the thematics of the setting if their creator makes this a goal.

That's not the interesting part. Now, the stage 6 boss of this "game", Ouzaki Nagaharu, is a youkai of flowers and blossoms. He owns a mansion named Koukaden ("Palace of Infinite Flowers" or "Endless Flower Palace") with a massive garden named Daiouen ("Garden of the Great King"). His incident was causing Gensokyo to be overrun by flowers in an attempt to make it more beautiful (he's a prettyboy who is obsessed with beauty). After Reimu and Marisa beat the hell out of him, he decides to turn Daiouen into a tourist attraction, charging people money to go see the flowers there. I want to write a fic from his perpsective as he manages the garden and deals with all the unique personalities of Gensokyo from Miko to Byakuren to Remilia to Kaguya to...I think you get what I mean. Ouzaki is also highly focused on gaining connections in Gensokyo, so he's also trying to schmooze with all the various big-shot names...whether or not he succeeds in getting on their good side is a whole 'nother story.

The other OC's I made will show up; Ouzaki's a got a male kappa (stage 3 boss) and male bakeneko (stage 4) for gardeners, a crossbow-wielding butler (stage 5), and knows this young celestial boy (extra stage) as well, but the 2hus wont be shafted. There's also this 5-tailed kitsune boy (stage 2) and this young crow tengu boy (stage 1) but they don't deal with him much, so they wont show up as often.

Who would be interested in reading this? It'll mostly be a comedy fic as Ouzaki's...forceful and sometimes-insufferably-melodramatic personality clashes with that of our oh-so-loved 2hus, but it will also be serious as he adjusts to life in Gensokyo and naturalizes. If your answer can be boiled to ">male OC's" or "KEEP MY VIRGINIAL YURI WAIFU AWAY FROM HORRIBLE MEN YOU LOSER FUCK" then just don't answer in the first place.

There will be no OCxcanon romance, except for the aforementioned Bakeneko who is hopelessly in love with Orin--but it's one-sided and she isn't even aware of it so it's mostly comedy fuel. Ouzaki himself is...ambiguously bisexual and therefore doesn't really have an interest in any 2hus; his butler and the celestial boy, on the other hand...

Well... seems in canon that most of the characters themselves is ambiguously asexual

Razzi Zadhna

  • bye chagen
Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #434 on: December 27, 2014, 06:48:03 AM »
In fanworks they often aren't though. My point was that Ouzaki isn't really interesting in romancing a 2hu so people who hate OCxcanon romance don't start accusing me of pairing up an OC with my waifu.

Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #435 on: December 27, 2014, 07:37:19 AM »
In fanworks they often aren't though. My point was that Ouzaki isn't really interesting in romancing a 2hu so people who hate OCxcanon romance don't start accusing me of pairing up an OC with my waifu.

Yeah. It's kinda refreshing to see a male OC in Touhou that isn't focused on romance and being Marty Stu all the time.

Although the role is already fulfilled by Rinnosuke himself, the fandom twisted him into a leecher or playboy, even tough he doesn't have any slight of interest to the girls canonically.

I'm afraid the fandom will always see the Male character in Touhou as a pervert or a playboy no matter what (seeing what the doujinshi community have portrayed the male characters in the NSFW doujins).
« Last Edit: December 27, 2014, 07:40:36 AM by Damien »

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #436 on: December 27, 2014, 06:31:01 PM »
Well, I think very little is written in stone where the fandom is concerned. If a writer wants to drop a male OC into Gensokyo and take an unconventional approach, all the better. Some people will undoubtedly have kneejerk reactions, but pretty much every writer has to contend with that.

I say go for it and let the story speak for itself.

"Human history and growth are both linked closely to strife. Without conflict, humanity would have no impetus for growth. When humans are satisfied with their present condition, they may as well give up on life."

Razzi Zadhna

  • bye chagen
Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #437 on: December 27, 2014, 08:43:36 PM »
Well, I think very little is written in stone where the fandom is concerned. If a writer wants to drop a male OC into Gensokyo and take an unconventional approach, all the better. Some people will undoubtedly have kneejerk reactions, but pretty much every writer has to contend with that.

You know, it's kinda sad that having a male touhou OC who isn't an overpowered gappy stu who fucks the whole canon cast or who isn't a spineless harem protagonist who somehow still gets the author's waifu is considered "unconventional"...

Delfigamer

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #438 on: February 09, 2015, 03:44:44 PM »
I was also hoping to explore two somewhat longer ideas - the slow progression from Maribel to Yukari (with lots of Ran character development)

Would love to read that. I think it's pretty obvious why though ← ↓↓
« Last Edit: February 09, 2015, 03:47:03 PM by Delfigamer »

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Tsuken Yasashi

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #439 on: March 18, 2015, 05:14:40 AM »
I actually have my novel series mapped out for the most part - From Characters and their development phases over the course of the series to the story structure base done.  Now I just need to integrate the settings of the book series to the story structure and then prepare for typing out the first draft of the first of three books.

HINT HINT: The story involves Renko trying to find Maribel after she turned into Yukari, which, in turn, tells how Maribel became Yukari as the story unfolds.  At the same time, a Martial Artist seeks to create his own style of fighting, who inadvertently gets dragged into Renko's search efforts for the missing Maribel across Japan, which they both get separated in Gensokyo upon entering the land.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2015, 05:35:36 PM by Ninja575 »


Between Two Dimensions - Arc One Complete

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #440 on: March 30, 2015, 11:15:29 PM »
Hi, This is my first post but I have a collection of ideas (most of them crossovers). My major problem is that I have a bad habit of coming up with outlines and not actually writing anything down.

Anyway, from order of possible length (longest to shortest):
  • A Touhou crossover with Bioshock Infinite, and Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere (TvTropes warning/apologies). My problem with this was finding a good enough reason for three people who can bend time and space together that was not simply for the fun of it. I resolved this by adding Lyrical Nanoha to the crossover along with Madoka Magica. The idea being that the Incubators were a sort of multiverse parasite similar to Fairyland from the Discworld series.

    This is probably the most complete, I have already written a detailed outline for the first half  and about a page or two of the first chapter,but stopped when I decided I was going in over my head. I would love to write it but I think I should start with something smaller.
  • The other idea I have is that of a one off piece that would be a Discworld crossover, specifically with the Nac Mac Feegles or Pictsies getting lost in Gensokyo due to its ample supplies of both alcohol and fights. (To give a mental image the Feegles are basically psychotic Scottish Smurfs who's favorite habits are drinking, fighting, and stealing.) With, of course, the Feegles causing all sorts of trouble while getting along with Marisa, Sukuna and possibly finding common ground with some of the Oni.   
So that's what I have. I'm going to start work on the Feegle/ Touhou idea after I post this but I would love any constructive criticism if I can get around to writing something.

Berzul

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #441 on: April 03, 2015, 07:39:47 PM »
http://pastebin.com/J2p9Sic7

Scroll down

It's terrible I won't complete it ever.

Tsuken Yasashi

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #442 on: April 03, 2015, 08:25:43 PM »
http://pastebin.com/J2p9Sic7

Scroll down

It's terrible I won't complete it ever.
You were doing good, until the action sequences happened.  Gotta describe what happened during that fight.  It was vague near the end, and if you would have continued it, the story would have been great.

Say, is that your first time writing a short story?  If it was, then it turned out all right, despite its quirks and flaws.


Between Two Dimensions - Arc One Complete

"War is a grave affair of state; it is a place of life and death, a road to survival and extinction.  A matter to be pondered carefully..."  -Sun Tzu's Art of War

Berzul

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  • Round face... z( ⌣ω⌣)z
Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #443 on: April 04, 2015, 08:08:05 AM »
Say, is that your first time writing a short story?
That is just a draft, and I did wrote actual stories before. That's why I make notes before starting, and no I don't plan to work on it as I already said...

Tsuken Yasashi

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #444 on: April 04, 2015, 02:04:32 PM »
That is just a draft, and I did wrote actual stories before. That's why I make notes before starting, and no I don't plan to work on it as I already said...
Well, cut your losses and begin a new project, as what they say owo;;  Looking forward for you next one~!


Between Two Dimensions - Arc One Complete

"War is a grave affair of state; it is a place of life and death, a road to survival and extinction.  A matter to be pondered carefully..."  -Sun Tzu's Art of War

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #445 on: April 18, 2015, 08:19:53 AM »
I hope I'm not bumping, but this is important to me so...

http://flandre495.deviantart.com/journal/Fifty-Scores-of-Grey-527588779

Komeiji11

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #446 on: May 08, 2015, 06:45:46 AM »
As it may or may not be easy to tell through my username, I'm a huge Koishi fan. This is for a variety of reasons (one being that she's so darn cute!) but the main being that when I read her back story she was a character I strongly connected with.  There were certain events in my life that caused me to seal away aspects of myself and live my life like the piece of paper in the wind Koishi does.  There was a large period of my life where I felt nothing and shut myself away from any bonds between people, acting only the way society wanted me to. I believe that, although not exactly the same way, this kind of phenomenon that Koishi is going through is completely possible, and I tend to describe as being rejected so hard that you reject yourself. These are experiences that I would like to write about and possibly (hopefully) publish at a later time to bring attention to it but I'm not sure how to approach writing about it. I'm not too comfortable writing an autobiographical tale but I'd like to keep some realism in it and not just write a novel or a fantasy with similar situations. If I'm completely stumped for a really long time I may just do tale based on my life but I wanted to hear if anyone has any ideas here. This is particularly close topic to my heart going from "a little pebble on the side of the road" to learning how to love and open up to others and is a story that I think needs to be told.

Hopefully this has a place here and isn't too depressing or anything. Thank you for reading this and for any ideas in advance!

Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #447 on: July 07, 2015, 06:34:52 PM »
So, not really a story idea or an outline, but I've got about 2/3rds to 3/4ths of a chapter that needs to be taken back behind the woodshed and either beaten into shape or shot so that the muse (Thalia, that fickle *ahem*-) might deign to return...

Would be willing to post it here or in the library that it might be a warning learning opportunity for other writers, or sent privately to some generous script doctor who could help breath it back to life.  The general style is pulp as written by someone who has lately read too much Wolfe, Wright, Eco, and Hughart.

Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #448 on: July 09, 2015, 01:09:10 AM »
I've got a very ambitious idea. At the core it's a massive crossover between Touhou, this little-known strategy game called Dominions, and a -lot- of other media. I suppose I'll have to explain Dominions first.

In Dominions, various pretender gods fight for true ascendancy via the nations that worship them. These nations are based off of mythologies and cultures from every place and time in human history: there are nations based off the Aztec and Incan Empires, the Roman Empire, Ancient Greece, Imperial China, Eastern European folklore such as the Fae, African Tribal Confederations, even the apocryphal Jewish writings. Power levels reach insanely high, with the mightiest mages able to conjure up second suns that make the world unbearably hot, plunge the world into eternal night, accelerate time so that all living things die from old age in a few years, call creatures from the most nightmarish landscapes to serve them, etc. etc. That is to say, the horrendously overpowered Touhou characters will not feel out of place among the horrendously overpowered beings of this setting.

Gensokyo itself is dropped into the world. Rather, the inhabitants of Gensokyo now perceive the "outside world" to be the world of Dominions, and anyone may cross the border by passing beneath the gate at Hakurei Shrine. This change happens without warning or explanation, and the story starts shortly after that. Some will ignore it, but the barrier shift causes problems for lots of people - Reimu, Yukari, and Eiki, for example. Others, such as Kanako&co., Yuuka, and Yuyuko&Youmu cross over for their own reasons, some more permanent than others. I don't want to get too deep into the plot here, but there will be a massively epic plot. That's the plan, at least.

Other crossovers, why? Because there are some very interesting characters I've experienced in other media that have room to develop, and some aren't even in the fantasy genre (they are, however, still really powerful). And since basically all media has some cultural/mythological influence, I can drop them off in a region which corresponds to that influence. Gensokyo, for example, gets dropped off near the Japanese-and-Chinese-based region.

Original characters. Not a favored thing, and I understand that. But these OCs are designed to be able to stand up on their own and only tangentially interact with existing characters unless it serves a real purpose. I disdain self-insert Gary Stu OCs much as the next guy, so I won't write them.

Lastly, character development. This isn't just a story of "Touhou characters beat the shit out of various outsider people/monsters/gods/C'thulhu's", although there will be a good bit of it. Rather, I want to give many characters drastic development via this extremely unusual occurrence. It's hard to explain. But as they say, good stories are character driven rather than plot driven.

I would greatly appreciate any feedback on this idea in the thread, but I'd rather not divulge specific details here. Writing has been commenced, but it goes slowly. Email me for additional information or suggestions.

Iced Fairy

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Re: Aya's Writing Workshop - Bring us your story ideas and outlines!
« Reply #449 on: July 11, 2015, 12:05:43 AM »
Given the lack of detail it's hard to give better advice, but based on what you've said here:

The big issue is epics are a bad idea.  Because while many people start long epic works that are going to be totally awesome, in the history of this board only about 3 have actually finished and all were by writers who'd already completed shorter works.  If you really want to do this you're going to need a solid outline, a lot of determination and a chunk of free time.  And even then you may fail.  Given your description a series of shorter stories might work better anyway, especially given the scope you're considering working in.

As for the rest, the idea sounds like it could be interesting, but you're going to have to spend a lot of work on it.  None of the things you've said are inherently dealbreakers, but you're going to need to justify it through your writing, not through what you think is acceptable to the audience.  It's going to be especially difficult because you're going to need to introduce your vision of Touhou in addition to a whole bunch of other characters.  I suggest making sure your less known characters conform to the story as opposed to the other way around.