As Iximaz says, you won't improve without practice.

An irritation to a writer. by Voyd on 2015-07-31 00:03:00 UTC Reply

So. I get a lot of character ideas. You know this by now.

Currently, I feel like I have enough characters: four central (Valon, Kala, Chakkik, Stephanie) and a few auxiliary (Adéle, Zeke, Mazlorea, Gabby, some in the future).

However, my brain still automatically creates character idea seeds, which has been a problem for the past few days because I've been perusing the Monster Girl Encyclopedia. (not linking because it's NSFW, but it has its own wiki)

Now, here's my problem: I feel like have enough characters, and shouldn't make any more. However, I'm like 90% sure that I'm the only Monster Girl Multiverse expert in the PPC community, so I couldn't give these seeds to other people for them to care for.

Anybody else ever felt like this?

Have you considered... by Huinesoron on 2015-07-31 08:36:00 UTC Reply

... writing fanfic for the canons in question?

I've had plenty of ideas for Lord of the Rings characters, but I haven't dropped them into the PPC. The best place for playing with character ideas is the canon they're from, and I've done that a time or two.

Any of those characters could've been PPC agent suggestions - a slave-orc? A lesbian dwarf? A Tolkienian nature spirit? - but I didn't try to fill up the PPC with them. I put them in their own native canon, where they could interact with what made them... them.

Just a suggestion.

hS

Seconded. Fanfic is great for working out ideas. by eatpraylove on 2015-08-02 13:42:00 UTC Reply

You don't even necessarily have to publish it, either. I have an entire file on my computer hashing out the details of multiple human-Pokemon hybrids (and a little over a chapter of a fanfic where said hybrids are/were essentially child soldiers), but I could never use one of them as an agent. I'm convinced I wrote a squad of Sues and Stus.

(Also, tell me more about this lesbian dwarf you wrote about. It sounds like a great idea!)

Only briefly. by Huinesoron on 2015-08-02 14:10:00 UTC Reply

She (or they, rather) was in the fourth chapter of 'Intransitives'. Sviar and Loni are barely more than a sketch of the idea, but they are there.

hS

See, the last time I wrote a fanfic... by Voyd on 2015-07-31 16:18:00 UTC Reply

I ended up coming back four years later to kill it.

I'm not confident in my ability to write fanfiction, especially if it involves keeping canons in-character.

As Iximaz says, you won't improve without practice. by Huinesoron on 2015-07-31 17:16:00 UTC Reply

Not all fanfics need to be published - or even finished! I have-- hang on a second.

Right. On my hard drive, I have at least ten short fanfics which are finished (to a greater or lesser extent), but have never been published on a major website. Some of them have gone up on my Livejournal; others have never been read by anyone but me. Then there are the half-written long stories which I started based on a cool idea, and lost interest in once the idea was sketched out. Maybe someday I'll pick them up again, or maybe I just needed to get the idea out of my head and down onto paper.

And that figure of 10 doesn't include the religious 'fanfic', or my more recent stuff which is over on Google Drive... what I'm saying is, just because you write it, it doesn't have to see the light of day.

hS

PS: Also, if you don't feel confident about writing fanfic... why do you feel confident about writing PPC fanfic? Surely it's even worse, with both the PPC canon and the defended canons to worry about? ~hS

In a similar vein- by OrangeYoshi99 on 2015-07-31 21:56:00 UTC Reply

I have only one fanfic, which I had planned out fairly thouroughly, and the cast was nearly entirely OCs. I stopped after the first chapter. Maybe I'll come back to it, but I didn't feel confident.

...Where was I going with this...

Not all fanfics need to involve the canons, you know. by Iximaz on 2015-07-31 16:23:00 UTC Reply

If you're worried about keeping canons IC, then write a 'behind-the-scenes' story, showing the inner workings of life for people in the world other than the hero(es).

But the only way to get better is to practice. Remember, it is better to try and fail than try to do nothing and succeed.

On a similar note... by Voyd on 2015-07-31 04:31:00 UTC Reply

I was just talking with SkarmorySilver, and we realized that there really weren't any ESAS stories.

There are a few Monster Girl Multiverse races that I feel could serve in that division. However, that's something I'd probably need to go over with someone else.

...

Okay, this idea is now in my head. Anyone think I could realize it? Anyone willing to help do so?

I think the idea could work... by [EvilAI]UBEROverlord on 2015-07-31 04:49:00 UTC Reply

And I would be willing to help, once I actually decide to put together a permission request.

Psst. by Voyd on 2015-07-31 05:08:00 UTC Reply

Cowrites don't need Permission, just a partner who has it. ;)

Email address?

I know by [EvilAI]UBEROverlord on 2015-07-31 05:29:00 UTC Reply

It just happens that I am relatively close to getting it done, what with the Bar Exam finally done.

And my email is evilaiuberoverlord at the google.

Well... by Desdendelle on 2015-07-31 00:30:00 UTC Reply

Like EAUO said, write 'em down and put 'em in a drawer (whether figuratively or literally). You can also discuss them with other people, who might get ideas from them and/or want to 'burrow' the concept, so to speak.

As to your other question... well, I've never felt like this. In fact, my problem is the opposite; a dearth of ideas and frequent bouts of writer's block.
Well... by [EvilAI]UBEROverlord on 2015-07-31 00:20:00 UTC Reply

You can still attempt to pass the ideas on if you want, you may be the only expert, but some of us are familiar with Monster Musume, So you could always see if anyone is interested. But ultimately the short answer is you can always file that seed away for a later date. You never know when you might need another character.

But of course, there is always an issue when you have a partially created character, you never want to leave it quite alone, but not really want to pass it off to someone else. When that happens, I just file it in the back of mind and let it mature there.