Ok I'm back...I hope

Well I think I've caught up with work enough to get back on the story. I saw a show the other day called "Savivorman". It's on the discovery channel and it got me thinking that it could be an interesting way to tell at least part of the story (Redgrave's part). In fact from a visual point of view one could show one character in black and white while the other character pov is in color.

Visual story telling does not need rich color graphics

An example of simple but effective use of visuals. The celebrated "Sin City" graphic novels by Frank Miller. Kinda Film Noir meets Roaring 20's. Pictured here are "The Duke", main character.

Blog invite

Hey guys. Sorry been out of the loop. Chris do you remember Joel Ashman? Brian I'm sure you do. He and Drew Thompson kicked out asses in AOE one time. He and his wife Bridgette, moved back to Pennslyvania couple years back. Anyway they were down here for a party at Dave Shives house (childhood friend of Joel). I went to the party and while catching with Joel, I found out that he has many ideas for fiction. Some of them are really good.

I was wondering if you guys support the idea of inviting Joel to the Blog. Not necessarily as a collaborator for NS but, at least another set of eyes.

Brian, we have had a successful collaboration on "Was Ruth". I was thinking you might want to do the same with Joel. He is very creative and his ideas for stories are compelling. Plus I have some of his short fiction before and its not bad. Brian is it cool to forward Joel a copy of "Was Ruth"? If so, send your file since I'm its the actual final manuscript.

Kirk

Where are you Kirk?

Something wierd happened

It seems that the server deleted the template, but not the post archive. When I tried to view the blog it only showed a white page. So I picked a new template and voila!

Theme

Are we going to carry on the theme discussion or have we nailed it down enough to go on?

Nightshift creatures

Okay, we have the Dream Poachers. What else? I was thinking that I could adapt the Nighthag from RoseThorn as a sort of feral, predator type creature.

What else? I read recently about a fish that kills its victims by encasing them in a clinging, smothering ooze, a sort of slime attack. There's also a frog that uses a gluey ooze as a defense mechanism. Any creature that tries to bite it winds up with a mouth and throat full of goo while the frog escapes. That is uber-cool.

We need a slime creature in NS. Maybe one that flies. Ooh, maybe one of the bodies that Lissi's team finds is covered a wierd sort of goo.

Graphics Effects

This is just some experiments at what a being that relies on sonar for perceiving its world. Ever seen sonograms?

Plots and Story Lines

From Brian- Robinson C Theme

Well, we've kicked a few themes around, but other than me I don't think anyone has expressed a preference. Should we start to narrow things down a bit. Surprisingly, my vote has not really changed. I still think that tghe main theme should be the impact of a radically different reality on what it means to be human, as expressed through the contrasting reactions of Lissi and Redgrave to their common situation of being marooned (so to speak) on NS. It's kind of like a science fiction version of Robinson Crusoe but with two castaways and a more post-modern sensibility. All of the other ideas proposed are, IMO, good but not quite right for the setting and/or medium.

From Chris-

Perhaps Lissa is more Lewis & Clark then Robinson C.

From Kirk

Current NS theme (my words)
Revenge/Need for Justice= genocide against perpetrators

What about these theme proposals?

* Desire for human transcendence= betrayal of own species (implies Nightshift offers a way to escape bounds of our current existence but at a cost)
* Desire for absolute power = subjugation of own species (the Hitler syndrome)
* Xenophobia vs. Progressives (NS discovery causes schism in human race)


Theme: Nightshift explores what it means to be human, how easily we can be seduced even by good intentions into betraying ourselves, and what there is about humanity that is so precious anyway. One man's obsession with revenge forces him to abandon his humanity and leads him to the brink of committing genocide. Nightshift looks at the ethical and moral foundations of humanity and the consequences of monkeying around with what makes us human.

Plot: On the dystopic and utterly alien world of Nightshift a man must chose between visions of revenge for a murdered child and maintaining a grip upon that which makes him a man. Michael Redgrave is a mercenary, a "security consultant" embittered by the death of his young daughter. When he is sent on a reconnaissance mission through a gate into another world, he discovers that the murderer was an alien known as a Dream Poacher. Redgrave then sets out to find a way to destroy the Dream Poachers, all of them, but to do it he must give up his own humanity. Lissi Thomas is sent to find Redgrave and bring him back. Tracking him through Nightshift, Lissi is forced to adapt to the bizarre technology and enivronment of this world, but what she finds when she eventually catches up to the mercenary shocks her to her core: Redgrave is no longer human, and maybe she isn't human anymore as well.

From Kirk

You can’t develop a plot if you don’t have the general tenor of the story pinned down. So if you accept that assumption then any of the below are valid.
Themes
1. Revenge/Need for Justice= genocide against perpetrators
2. Desire for human transcendence= betrayal of own species (implies Nightshift offers a way to escape bounds of our current existence but at a cost)
3. Desire for absolute power = subjugation of own species (the Hitler syndrome)
4. Xenophobia vs. Progressives (NS discovery causes schism in human race)
5. Good vs. Evil (simple as that which, I could argue is all that LOTR is about)
6. Someone suggest something….
7. Someone suggest something…
Setting/Context (Brian has laid some ground rules)
1. NS is dystopic
2. NS environment is devoid of visible light
3. Certain human technology may not operate as normal
4. Someone suggest something…
5. Someone suggest something…
So let’s start with these general ideas, agree on them, THEN build a plot to support those ideas. Does not necessarily mean our previous dialogues have to be thrown away.

From Kirk

What about these theme proposals?

* Desire for human transcendence= betrayal of own species (implies Nightshift offers a way to escape bounds of our current existence but at a cost)
* Desire for absolute power = subjugation of own species (the Hitler syndrome)
* Xenophobia vs. Progressives (NS discovery causes schism in human race)

From Brian

Ever so slowly progress progresses.

Here is my vote (in descending hierarchical order):
Metatheme: the impact of NS on humanity.
Subtheme: Reconstruction of a human being into something 'Other'.
Plot: Two are marooned long-term in NS, Redgrave and Liss). One succumbs to
the influences of the place to become something very different from a human
being. In essence, Redgrave becomes a denizen of NS. The other, Lissi,
maintains her humanity despite having to adapt to the radically different
environment. The details, and especially the ultimate climax, to be worked
out.

From Kirk

.. Nightshift is about humanity discovering an ancient sister universe or
parallel reality (maybe one among many? Or an infinite number). It's a story
of first contact and takes on how our species reacts to the knowledge of
sentience besides our own. The story continues as a species debate spirals
out of control leading to a confrontation between the powers that want to
destroy/isolate Nightshift forever vs. those who believe humanity must learn
to accept we are not the epicenter of the universe. Themes Xenophobia,
conservatism vs. progressivism, etc.
.. Nightshift is a story of first contact turned utterly sour. Our world
succumbs to conquest and humanity retreats to regroup and attempt to
liberate their home. As our species approaches the brink of extinction the
few remaining humans discover Nightshift is the antithesis of our own
reality. Humanity has discovered its own duality and uses this knowledge to
repair an ancient rift between the two universes. Maybe in the last "book"
the main topic is the re-unification of dark and light and the transcendence
of humanity that follows.
.. Nightshift is discovered. Humans initially are overwhelmed by the
nature of a new alternate reality. However, human nature being what is, we
adapt and quickly overwhelm this new dimension and sadly exploit the
Nightshift. Many of humanity's darkest parallels in history unfold in the
Nightshift. However, after hundreds of years, some people believe humanity
is guilty of speciescide or at least brutal exploitation. Elements of
humanity and like minded entities of Nightshift resolve to liberate the
Nightshift and by proxy our own world.
I could go on but do guys see where I'm coming from?

From Chris-

I will summarize to save space-

- The Aztec Theme- Earth being the Aztecs and NS the Spanish

- The Slaver Theme- Earth is a humanoid resource to supply NS with dream slaves & soldiers

- The Hell Theme- Either full blown hell or something close

Previous Emails

Just thought it would be helpful to compile the original concept and questions

Original Concept (04-01-07)

Couple of points: 1) the portal into Nightshift opens into the basement of a building in a largely abandoned industrial center of a major city, so that there is/was obviously an advanced culture existing in this world; 2) Lissi finds the bodies of two of the Redgrave team members, and a clue that the other two were taken away. Can they be alive? 3) the society of Nightshift is loosely organized into clans, or really criminal gangs, that control different areas with shifting alliances and truces, etc. Lissi eventually comes to realize that this represents a de-evolution from a much more sophisticated culture. What was it ithat caused the breakdown of a powerful social-cultural system into rampant criminalization? 4) too surivive Lissi's team must abandon human technology and adopt Nightshift technology and ways of life. It'll be fun to imagine the kinds of things they must eat? 5) we have to figure our the language problem. Babelfish maybe? 6) Eventually Lissi begins to hear about another human that has passed through where they are exploring. Is this Redgrave? (it is) Where is he going and why?

Avatar

Brain, how did you get that avatar for your posts? I can't find that option in the settings?

To do list.

Unfortunately I've been out of town Wednesday thru Friday, and yesterday and today I have had primary responsibility for Catherine while Sarah writes a paper due Monday. So, I have no time to do this:

Can someone go through the email chain and collect all of the various plot and story proposals, and then lay them out here in a new post?

Style

I have to admit I am not a linear thinker when it comes to group projects. In fact I could be described as the exact opposite. I wanted to be sure of this desciption so I'll throw in a Wikipedia entry-

Nonlinear equations and functions are of interest to physicists and mathematicians because they are hard to solve and give rise to interesting phenomena such as chaos.

I think I have become this way due to my job. Because of that it has conditioned me to not be the most practical group partner. So having said that if I seem to be acting in haste it's just the way my brain works.

So if anyone feels that I am chaotic in my statements remember- I am always wired on coffee.

What is a premise?

A really helpful and clear Wikepedia entry on the "Premise"

"The premise of a film or screenplay is the fundamental concept that drives the plot.
A good premise can usually be expressed very simply, and many films can be identified simply from a short sentence describing the premise. For example:
A lonely boy is befriended by an alien;
A small town is terrorized by a shark;
A small boy sees dead people.
The uniqueness or compelling nature of a film story's premise is often a key element in selling it, especially during the initial pitch. However, truly original, compelling premises are fiendishly difficult to come up with, and may take a writer many months of thinking and reading.
Unfortunately, most premises are either derivative (Die Hard in space), contrived (two black guys must dress up as white girls) or simply dull (A man has an extremely boring job). However a compelling premise is absolutely no guarantee of a film or screenplay's quality, nor is a derivative or lacklustre premise the kiss of death.
A story which has an easily understood, compelling premise is said to be high-concept, whereas one whose premise is not easy to describe, or relatively small-scale or mundane, is said to be low-concept. A low-concept story is highly execution-dependent because the commercial viability of the project will depend largely on the quality of the creative endeavors of those involved, whereas a high-concept story may still pull in audiences even if the script is flawed, the acting wooden and the direction directionless.
It is a common misconception that high-concept movies are necessarily expensive or effects driven. One of the most successful low-budget independent British films of recent years, The Full Monty (1997), had an almost perfect high-concept premise: a group of male steel workers decide to become strippers. There is no doubt that the simplicity, originality and compelling nature of the premise (which was perfectly captured in the film's publicity posters) played a major role in the film's commercial success."

This is the kind of dialouge we need to be having at this stage of the collaboration. Norma and I had a long conversation about our little project. We concluded that really good stories can be boiled down to one sentence and in that sentence deliver intamacy, emotional overtones and provoke the reader. Afterwards, I visited Wikipedia and found the above entry.

Brian you finally stated what NS is about in a way that I can feel. Lets keep this going. Lets develop Brian's statement(s) into a clear and compelling premise statements similar to examples cited above. Below are snippets of things Brian has stated that I think we need to synthesize into a premise statement that really grabs the gonads. I have other premise concepts but will post in different threads.

Brian: "science fiction version of Robinson Crusoe but with two castaways and a more post-modern sensibility."

Brian: "what it means to be human, how easily we can be seduced even by good intentions into betraying ourselves, and what there is about humanity that is so precious anyway."

Brian: "man must chose between visions of revenge for a murdered child and maintaining a grip upon that which makes him a man."

Brian: "the impact of a radically different reality on what it means to be human."

Suggested Graphic Novel: Kingdom Come

This is another graphic novel that has recieved much praise. An entry from Wikopedia:

Kingdom Come was a four-issue comic book limited series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Alex Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea. Set some 20 years into the future of the current DC Universe, it deals with a growing conflict between "traditional" superheroes, such as Superman, Wonder Woman and the Justice League, and a growing population of largely amoral and dangerously irresponsible new vigilantes. Between these two groups is Batman and his assembled team, who attempt to contain the escalating disaster, foil the machinations of Lex Luthor, and prevent a world-ending superhuman war.
The series draws heavily on biblical apocalyptic imagery, especially that of the Book of Revelation.

Got new Graphic Novel today

I just got Gaiman's The Dream Hunters, in the Sandman series, and it looks like a good inspiration for both format and artwork. Anyway, we should all be reading a wide variety of graphic novels.

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