6.4 KiB
Looking for a partner or two to bounce ideas and possibly help write a Star Wars/LotR rational mashup
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Author: u/ketura Organizer*
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URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/2np9xe/looking_for_a_partner_or_two_to_bounce_ideas_and/
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Score: 2
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Created: 2014-11-28T21:44:06
Post:
Sorry if there's a sub for this sort of thing. I've been drawing up plans for what a star wars/lord of the rings mashup would look like, and I think I could write it, but I'd like to maybe get a partner or two to help.
This would basically be like the Almalgram comics, but written in a rational style (so worm-style over HPMOR-style). The adventures of Luke Starstrider, Han Frodo, and Obi-wandalf as they combat the evils of the Darth-King and his Sithwraiths.
Would anyone be interested? It will probably happen regardless, but I'd like to see if going in as a joint venture would help speed it up.
Comments:
u/AmeteurOpinions [+2] Finally, everyone was working together. (an hour later)
We have BST (brainstorming) tags. Please use them, for future posterity.
Joint-writing usually works best between two old friends who are in tune with each other's work ethic, habits, mannerisms, inspirations, vision, tastes, styles, etc. It's not impossible for something to happen over the internet but is much harder, not faster.
I love the concept, but you might be better off on your own.
u/ketura [+1] Organizer (an hour later)
I knew there had to be a tag, but I somehow missed that one on the list. Thanks.
You're probably right about speed, you make good points. Still, having people to discuss the ideas privately would be an asset, I think.
u/None [+2] (3 hours later)
Could you tell me some more about the setting? I think I get the idea of combining the characters, but I can't really see how this would all fit together.
u/ketura [+1] Organizer (5 hours later)
Setting is essentially the idea that middle earth was at some point inhabited by members of the old republic, but somehow the planet lost contact/was made unreachable through some cataclysm (relatively shortly after colonization; long enough to be introduced but not long enough to proliferate). Middle earth history proceeds as normal (haven't decided the exact point of departure), except that force-sensitive genes are mingled with the population and various relics have also been passed down.
For instance, the rings of power and lightsabers have been combined, producing blades of power. Saruman's military superiority comes from reverse engineering and mass producing ancient blasters.
Places are also combined as convenient, such as Rivendell being an oasis within the Tatooine Wastes, or the Paths of the Dead being within the Swamps of Dagobah.
Following an attack of the Darth-King resulting in the death of Luke's adoptive parent Elrond and the capture of Leia Evenstar, the party pursues (each for their own reasons), leading to the rescue of the princess, but not before the summoning of the Starbane, an unstoppable being of flame and darkness, at which point Obi-wandalf is slain. The group escapes to Lothlorvin, where Luke, Han, and the forces of Gan Galadriel manage to slay the beast.
EDIT: accidentally hit submit, stupid phone.
Anyway, the plot points and character arcs play fast and loose with the source material, but it's the taking of two very different things and producing something new that's the goal. A lot of the game is in leaving it up in the air when a particular aspect of one or the other story is going to be confirmed or completely inverted. Will it be Boromir Darklighter or Boromir Antilles?
u/Tirran [+2] (18 hours later)
You might be better off just making it completely original. The number of liberties you're taking will destroy the personalities of every one of the characters. If you completely alter someone's history, that person will act completely differently. The only way to preserve even a semblance of the initial character's manneurisms and other characteristics would be to exploit tropes associated with the characters, like having king Arakbar yell "It's a trap!" while swordfighting with the reforged lightsaber that initially killed Darth Sauron. Keeping true to the source character would be so painstakingly dull and cliched that it would probably be better to just write your own original story if you're going to deviate that much. Edit: Spelling
u/ketura [+2] Organizer (19 hours later)
You may end up being correct, and there is the danger that it becomes a story of trope after trope, but I think if plotted correctly it could still work.
I've spent more time attempting to figure out the characters than anything, and it's been more than just coming up with clever portmanteaus of their names. I remember /u/wildbow mentioning somewhere that he attempted to write like a DM: he would come up with a situation, and then throw his fleshed-out characters into that situation and see how they reacted.
If I can get a good starting point that's a recognizable mesh of both stories, then I'm okay with it going unexpected directions, and in the end it may indeed be its own thing. At this juncture, though, I don't have any other story waiting in the wings; I just want to crash the two worlds together and see what happens.
u/Wildbow [+9] (19 hours later)
I got notified because you mentioned my name. So here I am.
It goes beyond just throwing characters into a situation. What conflict should do is peel away the veneer to reveal the characters as they truly are. For this, it should be relatively harsh and it should reveal different facets of the character. Put a character into a situation they're unsuited for, and see how they develop.
In Worm, I put Taylor into situations where a keen awareness of the situation and consequence mattered, where social grace was key. On the surface, she faces down enemies she can fight with her power, but beyond that point, there's other stuff going on. Can she build up a reputation in the process, can she get others to act as she wants? She struggles with this, and the path she takes in response highlights who she is. It works on other levels - the best fights in the series, imo, are those where her power wasn't suited to fighting the opponent (her first fight against Mannequin stands out in my mind).