Webomic plot and Joseph Campbell's Ass
I actually don't feel so hot today. OMG THE DRUGS ARE NOT WORKING. And I mean- the drug that I buy for $2 at coffee shops in cute little cups.
Using a plot mathematics program called Dramatica to hash out the structure for the first arc of CoH (that is, Teh Webcomic.) I have a bad attitude about Joseph Campbell, and the people who wrote this program spare absolutely no opportunity to smooch lovingly upon his ass. But to me, plot is never really where my interest is. I'm a character writer. With SW, the plot just grew itself out of the dynamics between the two characters- they wrested that one right away from me pretty early on. I initially planned for Angstmuffin to bugger off and Hinata to go on as before. Yeah.. that kinda wasn't going to happen after all.
But since I don't much give a damn about plot anyway, and I suspect that readers need a lighted path through my WEIRD IDEAS and all... fine, I'll let the Campbell Ass-kissers build my plot scaffolding for me. Big whoop. It's like.. a translation, something that will make readers able to know what the eff is going on. Yesterday I sat in Waves on Main (currently my go-to drug connection) and listed what I thought would make the readers want to read the story.
1)Shinies
2)Plot
3)THEN maybe by the end of the arc they'll care enough about the characters to stick around.
Shinies are pretty art, imaginative and shiny set pieces, the dreamworld, the magic, the intricate scenery and the character designs, etc. Eyecandy.
Plot being the reader being hopefully wanting to know, just for the sake of argument, OMG WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!~
I write- always- from character. I'm emotionally invested in The Neon Angels Who Need Dr. Phil. But I can't expect the reader to be- right off the bat, anyway.
There's four of em. Hopefully most people will like at least one. Choose your poison: impulsive creative disobedient bright pink creator angel, cranky intuitive bright aqua discernment angel, friendly hedonistic laidback bright orange healer angel, or quiet, pragmatic, slightly stern bright blue administrator angel.
I made a 'who hates who' map of them the day before last. In like, five diffent colors of gelpen. Was fun.
Using a plot mathematics program called Dramatica to hash out the structure for the first arc of CoH (that is, Teh Webcomic.) I have a bad attitude about Joseph Campbell, and the people who wrote this program spare absolutely no opportunity to smooch lovingly upon his ass. But to me, plot is never really where my interest is. I'm a character writer. With SW, the plot just grew itself out of the dynamics between the two characters- they wrested that one right away from me pretty early on. I initially planned for Angstmuffin to bugger off and Hinata to go on as before. Yeah.. that kinda wasn't going to happen after all.
But since I don't much give a damn about plot anyway, and I suspect that readers need a lighted path through my WEIRD IDEAS and all... fine, I'll let the Campbell Ass-kissers build my plot scaffolding for me. Big whoop. It's like.. a translation, something that will make readers able to know what the eff is going on. Yesterday I sat in Waves on Main (currently my go-to drug connection) and listed what I thought would make the readers want to read the story.
1)Shinies
2)Plot
3)THEN maybe by the end of the arc they'll care enough about the characters to stick around.
Shinies are pretty art, imaginative and shiny set pieces, the dreamworld, the magic, the intricate scenery and the character designs, etc. Eyecandy.
Plot being the reader being hopefully wanting to know, just for the sake of argument, OMG WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!~
I write- always- from character. I'm emotionally invested in The Neon Angels Who Need Dr. Phil. But I can't expect the reader to be- right off the bat, anyway.
There's four of em. Hopefully most people will like at least one. Choose your poison: impulsive creative disobedient bright pink creator angel, cranky intuitive bright aqua discernment angel, friendly hedonistic laidback bright orange healer angel, or quiet, pragmatic, slightly stern bright blue administrator angel.
I made a 'who hates who' map of them the day before last. In like, five diffent colors of gelpen. Was fun.