Let me explain. No, there is too much- let me sum up.
The way I see it, there are two types of impros- epics, and games. Epics are the really long, serious stories (like Final Fantasy Legacy), and they need to be given well-defined story arcs, so that things don't spiral out of control. Game stories (though they need a better label) are the ones where half the fun comes from watching them spin out of control, and should be encouraged to get wacky.
So, all we have to do for the epic stories, as far as I can tell, is make the original author Grand High Pooh-Bah of the Plot- they keep track of the overarching plot, and individual part writers consult with them. I had originally hit on this, in a really obtuse way-
"The goal is freedom of literary choice, within the continuity of the story."
-in other words, writers get to do whatever they want, as long as they can write it within the context of the story/plot/universe/goal. This isn't a very impro concept, but that's what the game stories are there for.
To Rob, on the 'cabal' issue- you're right. The cabal approach is what killed IFF. Somebody has to get the ball rolling again, though, and that's who I was referring to- the group of 8-10 (or so) initial writers I'm hoping to gather to start things off again. Once things get going, that 'cabal' should become 'just a few impro writers' instead of 'gods of the new impro', or else the same thing will happen again. I saw the original problem, but I didn't anticipate the same thing reoccurring. Thanks.
Foxboy- I always thought Fenspace and TK1940 are more like Undocumented Features; cooperative universes, rather than a single, (hopefully) cohesive plotline, driven by different authors every chapter. Interesting.
Also, your point about episode length is good- for serious stories. The original writer should be saying "This should take about 40 chapters", and the other authors should space things appropriately. There's always a need for wiggle room, but that makes sense. For the fun stories, though, would the opposite hold true?
Morganni- Some stories should be meant to spin out of control, and others shouldn't. They should be marked as such (in the "So You Want To Write A Part" section, if nowhere else)- that way, we can keep Ye Olde Impro Madnesse out of the serious stories, and keep people from overanalyzing fun stuff. Also, I agree totally about better summaries: I can't count the number of times I asked myself "What is Mystery Club, anyway?", before finally reading it out of bored frustration.
Thank you all for your ideas so far- please, keep them coming. If anybody would like to write for a new Improfanfic, let me know; if anybody thinks I'm crazy/wrong/in need of important information to get this done, tell me. Either way, let's sort it out.--------------------
I'll snap your neck like a tomato!
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
The way I see it, there are two types of impros- epics, and games. Epics are the really long, serious stories (like Final Fantasy Legacy), and they need to be given well-defined story arcs, so that things don't spiral out of control. Game stories (though they need a better label) are the ones where half the fun comes from watching them spin out of control, and should be encouraged to get wacky.
So, all we have to do for the epic stories, as far as I can tell, is make the original author Grand High Pooh-Bah of the Plot- they keep track of the overarching plot, and individual part writers consult with them. I had originally hit on this, in a really obtuse way-
"The goal is freedom of literary choice, within the continuity of the story."
-in other words, writers get to do whatever they want, as long as they can write it within the context of the story/plot/universe/goal. This isn't a very impro concept, but that's what the game stories are there for.
To Rob, on the 'cabal' issue- you're right. The cabal approach is what killed IFF. Somebody has to get the ball rolling again, though, and that's who I was referring to- the group of 8-10 (or so) initial writers I'm hoping to gather to start things off again. Once things get going, that 'cabal' should become 'just a few impro writers' instead of 'gods of the new impro', or else the same thing will happen again. I saw the original problem, but I didn't anticipate the same thing reoccurring. Thanks.
Foxboy- I always thought Fenspace and TK1940 are more like Undocumented Features; cooperative universes, rather than a single, (hopefully) cohesive plotline, driven by different authors every chapter. Interesting.
Also, your point about episode length is good- for serious stories. The original writer should be saying "This should take about 40 chapters", and the other authors should space things appropriately. There's always a need for wiggle room, but that makes sense. For the fun stories, though, would the opposite hold true?
Morganni- Some stories should be meant to spin out of control, and others shouldn't. They should be marked as such (in the "So You Want To Write A Part" section, if nowhere else)- that way, we can keep Ye Olde Impro Madnesse out of the serious stories, and keep people from overanalyzing fun stuff. Also, I agree totally about better summaries: I can't count the number of times I asked myself "What is Mystery Club, anyway?", before finally reading it out of bored frustration.
Thank you all for your ideas so far- please, keep them coming. If anybody would like to write for a new Improfanfic, let me know; if anybody thinks I'm crazy/wrong/in need of important information to get this done, tell me. Either way, let's sort it out.--------------------
I'll snap your neck like a tomato!
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.