I am a humble man. A reserved man. It is no secret, though, that I am proud of my writing ability. I won an award last year as best creative writer in my class. So, when a fellow student offered me a position writing the script for his manga, I was happy to oblige. I'm getting paid next to nothing.

Woe is I.

So maybe our views conflict a bit, but I honestly think that to creat a main male character who is quiet, reserved, incredibly skilled in battle, and has deep, hidden emotions, does, for lack of a better term, "SuX0rZ!!!"

Ladies and gentlemen, I have been screwed.

Artistic license does not exist in this harsh reality. My attempts to give the poor, overdone, wit starved character a good line here and there have been thwarted. Beyond that, I am now being told that a giant spider robot will suck out the Earth's molten core through a tube. What's that? The Earth's core has a temperature equivalent to the surface of ths sun? What's that!? The core is nothing more than magnetized iron and nickel!? Oh, Mr. Manga writer, -you- can make it work. You are my slave!

I am in hell. A writer's hell.

Guess I gotta get used to the business.

By Brin on Thursday, June 21, 2001 - 10:02 am:

Ah, the joys of the catch-all phrase, "Go suck a lemon". I suggest you grow accustomed to its use. ^^.

By Zephyr on Thursday, June 21, 2001 - 07:29 pm:

I think he's taking knocks at Squall up there...

By Sulamith on Friday, June 22, 2001 - 01:55 am:

From a fellow manga script writer, man I do feel for you. I'd almost tell you to tell him to go soak... at least my manga artist is far more willing to give me complete creative liscense.

By Josephq on Saturday, June 23, 2001 - 04:23 am:

You know, I'm working with a group of visual artists on a comic. Damn, none of them can write worth beans. It's kind of sad that I'm doing pretty much all of the plot... and the leader of one of the factions is already a really old Joseph Richardson. Unlike you, I'm getting to be the one who puts unfair demands on my co-workers, like "get the first two pages done, *()&%()!!," or "you know, it would help if you gave me their names."

Which reminds me. Fantasy series, predominantly human city. Can anyone give me some ideas for interesting main characters? The kind of people who would fit into a group well. They need some drive, something that's making them search for an ancient relic.

Thanks!

Joseph Richardson

By Duran on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 12:15 am:

Main characters?

Uh.

1) A heroic, amnesic martial artist with is good with swords and guns and likes to eat

2) (For real) A treasure-hunter who searches for a relic rumored to have a special meaning or power within it

You could also modify the relic a little...

For instance, if the relic looked similar to something that was different than the main character was seeking, but looked alike.

1) A person who lost a valuable item and reminisced about getting their item back (as it contains important personal effects)

2) A person who just needs a new thrill, and, finding the relic is extremely important and sells for a lot, decides to ride a motorcycle, find the relic, and bask in tubs of dollars.

By Casske on Wednesday, June 27, 2001 - 02:20 am:

They should be a group with a good dynamic, all friends... I'd need to know more about the relic, and the searching in question. Depending... if thisis a well publicised relic, then the faction would probably be well known, professional, and matter of fact.

By Joseph on Friday, June 29, 2001 - 01:41 am:

Well, the relic wasn't really all that well known, and only one group of people knew (the king and a few close advisors.) But a nonhuman spy/freedom fighter/weirdo slipped in the window and stole all the notes about it, and decided that humans wern't smart enough to controll it. So in order to keep the pieces from being assembled, he promptly made copies of the notes and gave them to pretty much anyone who would stand still long enough to take a copy.

The relic is extreamly powerful, and the reason a once great magical empire is now nothing but immutable black rock in the middle of a desert.

So all the factions are after it... amoung others, the fairly professional crown, the disturbingly rag-tag thieves guild, and the just plain creepy mages (Pedophelia is viewed by them much the same way a preference for chocolate ice-cream is... merely a matter of taste). The 'heros' are going to be a small group thrown together by chance, but I want to deviate from the norm as much as possible from there.