Story Ideas?

[foster]

Just thinking, I'm actually writing a Captain Scarlet (new series) story at the moment. I want it to be called 'Trojan Horse', you know, the computer virus. Any ideas on how the story should go? Any vehicle chases? Deaths? Devastating choices? Stuff that keeps people hooked?
Please reply.

Foster

[Marion]

Yes to all or any of the above... good luck with it!

[chrisbishop]

Me too, but like Marion, I prefer to keep them to myself, if you don't mind! You never know when you'll have another good idea next time, so you'd better hang to the one you have...

Keep digging, Foster - I'm sure you'll find something you will want to write about eventually.

An advice, though: starting with a title only might for inspiration not be a good idea. You don't write about a title. The title only serve to present your story. A 'working title' will often change to a new one, by the time you reach the end of your story.

[Sage]

My titles tend to stick around, as they become short hand for the idea itself. Which is perhaps why they don't always make a lot of sense in the end, but there you go. Otherwise my betas suggest them because if I don't nail a title early on then it just won't come.

Think about the stories (fanfic or otherwise) you read yourself, and consider what does or doesn't work in those. In terms of pacing, characterisation, exposition and such. I'm learning to be a 'proper' writer and being able analysise other peoples writing in such a way really helps.

As NCS is a fairly small/new fandom you'll probably have to stick closely with what information/characterisation is in the series itself (canon). Of course it's possible to use poetic license, but you'll have to make it logical.

I can bash out short fics [1,500 words-ish] easily enough, but for anything longer then I really need a synopsis to keep focused. I've had the experience so can do a lot of it in my head, but planning does equal confidence.
It's nothing fancy really; just a bullet point list of...

# The sort of mood I hope to achieve (action-centric, comedy, character based etc)
# Which characters the story will focus on
# Any relationship angle - romantic, smut
# What's the the threat* (have to make it suitably cryptic of course)
# Who's going to win - spectrum or mysterons*
# Where will it be set (locations and such)
# Any research needed on my part , notes from that etc [with your idea I'd research the original myth, and use that as a springboard]
# How the story will progress, as a basic outline then more detailed as you go along. This will help 'keep your eye on the gun'**

Ultimatly though you just have to sit down and write the damn thing. Only then will it come together.
I'll just write absolutely anything that comes to mind in relation to the plot bunny, no matter how insignificant or bizzare. I have a whole file just of random scenes, they don't necessarily make the cut for the original fic but sometimes spawn a whole new story.

Good luck

*if indeed there is a threat, otherwise just the basic 'conflict' and hero/antagonist of the story.

**i.e. don't have the unarmed character suddenly pull a pistol, or another seemingly forget they're armed to the teeth. By extension ensure the story flows logically, and know where all your characters are and what resources are avialable at a given time.

[Marion]

By the time I've done a synopsis I've lost interest in the plot...I write becasue I want to find out what's going to happen next I tend to write a narrative as I go along, although once I'm in the middle of it, I will map out what ought to happen. I say 'ought to' because it doesn't always. Someone should tell those characters to shut up from time to time.
Title-wise my stories can change title several times - often to reflect what I'm writing about at that point in the story. I have written things that have come just from the inspiration of a title - or that has come from one scene linked to a title idea - although that might not be what the story gets posted as... If it gets posted at all.
I can't see myself ever writing any NCS stuff - I'm too steeped in the original series for Ochre to be anything but a hunky chap from Detroit and Green a softly-spoken West Indian.
I did write a 'multiverse' story where Lt Green was a woman, and - by pure coincidence - I called this character Serena Seymour-Griffiths. This was yonks before anyone knew that the NCS Green would be called that - honest! In fact, I named mine after the tennis player Serena Williams
I think what I mean is - there is no 'right' way to write, you do what comes easiest or most natural to you. I know writers who plot meticulously and they can have as many problems as I do with my serendipitous plots. Mind you, they'll have thought of better plots to start with!
Plot, what plot?

[Scarlet Lady]

I tend to start of with a vague idea and let it run. My first stories tended to just happen, with no real idea or plan behind them at all. Singing Sword was my turning point - it was the first story I constructed properly, with a plan behind it. Up until then, I'd been sending Chris instalments that I wrote 'live' via hotmail. Chris was the only person who kept any record of my work, and I just had to remember where I'd left off. It made sure that I finished the story quickly, but the end product was pretty shaky!

[James. C]

Let some of the secondary captains do some work...

Best of luck,
James

[Sage]

:oops: By the time I've done a synopsis I've lost interest in the plot...I write becasue I want to find out what's going to happen next I tend to write a narrative as I go along, although once I'm in the middle of it, I will map out what ought to happen. I say 'ought to' because it doesn't always.

I do that too most of the time, which might well be why hardly anything gets finished. If I plan too much then I've probably used up all my interest/energy then move on.

Someone should tell those characters to shut up from time to time.

It's probably a good thing really to be that in tune with the characters and story. Though they do keep going off on tangents; I know way more about the captains' love lives than I probably should, lol.

I can't see myself ever writing any NCS stuff - I'm too steeped in the original series for Ochre to be anything but a hunky chap from Detroit and Green a softly-spoken West Indian.

Oh same here, going by my fic you'd think the show was called 'Captain Ochre & the mysterons on occasion'. Green's lovely too, I should really do more with him.
Seriously though I've been obsessing over OCS since I was a weeny fangirl, and just couldn't defect from my first love [well you can have Scarlet, never liked him much].

I think what I mean is - there is no 'right' way to write, you do what comes easiest or most natural to you. I know writers who plot meticulously and they can have as many problems as I do with my serendipitous plots. Mind you, they'll have thought of better plots to start with!

Do totally agree

Plot, what plot?

PWP? nah that's just smut (porn without plot). Along the lines of my dance with the devil. Probably shouldn't be as proud of that as I am, but who else's fic has an R rating?

[Marion]

Sage Said:

PWP? nah that's just smut (porn without plot).

No, I did actually mean - 'plot - what plot?' on this occasion. I do know what PWP means - I've read it and even had a go at writing some of it... but when no one had removed so much as a cardigan in 11,000 words, I began to think I hadn't quite got the hang of it!
A fair few of the latest CS website stories deal with what Chris has described as 'adult themes' - which the earlier ones didn't, as a rule. Generally I find it is the 'edited' versions of mine that end up on the site
BTW- I stopped calling my stories 'Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons' in favour of 'A Spectrum Story' some time ago... merely bowing to the inevitable, really. (Here comes the heresy) I find Captain Scarlet as a character rather bland - at least in his TV incarnation - and I'm blowed if I can think of many ways to use the Mysterons that would drive a decent plot. Their involvement generally comes much later in the story, when I suddenly think - how can that unlikely thing happen, or I need an established baddy to do some terrible deed.
I prefer a Spectrum rooted in a world that is faced with more or less real problems and less dependent on alien malevolence to provide some peril or adventure for the characters. I also tend to think that - sadly- there are always human beings selfish and depraved enough to do the Mysterons' dirty work for them - for a fee.
The Mysterons, of course, have no qualms about stirring things up - or lurking in the background to encourage the baddies. One of the NCS episodes I did like the idea behind, was the one with the corrupt mining corporation, going where, and doing what, it shoudn't. I wish it hadn't gone off into a story about hallucinatory gases though, but investigated the original scenario more.
Let's face it, all the Mysterons really have to do is wait - we will probably destroy ourselves - eventually

[Sage]

Oh I do the ramblings too, maybe that should be an alternative definition of PWP.

well it was a good effort, I usually have the opposite problem of not really geting to savour it (which probably says more about my ex than anything).

I've noticed that too, and see it a good move. Certainly CS is 'a kids show' but those adult themes acknowledge that most of the fans/writers are grown ups now. If everyone has suitable advanced warning well then they can just choose not to read it, slash will always be out of course but that's partly whaterehwon is for.

Of course, viva the Spectrum Story.
Have to agree about Scarlet, he's really annoying and there are so many characters I'd rather much write about anyway.
I think sticking with the conventions* of the episodes is quite limiting (though obviously you need a certain degree of canon otherwise it wouldn't really be a CS story). As you say there is so much more potential for 'disasters', and of course spectrum needs to take a breather sometimes.

You're probably right there, which is a shame really.

*in the sense of following the exact format of the episodes; threat issued, mysterons carry out their plan, Scarlet saves the day or maybe not.

[MMK]

Story ideas... hhmmmm.....


In case anyone gets stuck for ideas, I've recently read a fan fictions which are:

CS crossed with Jason and the Argonauts. Title: Bradley and the Argonauts
CS crossed with Macbeth. Title: A Charmed Life


Maybe someone can do a fan fic which is CS crossed with Romeo & Juliet... no?
I probably wouldn't be able to do it myself... but may be someone else could... possibly the 'Big Guns'

[chrisbishop]

On the subject of cross-overs...

Believe it or not, I'm preparing a cross-over with UFO, to be written this year, with some chance - or early next year.

[Sage]

Cool

I like Shakespeare as much as an English lit student should; but Romeo & Juliet leaves me cold, and I can't quite see it translating into CS as none of them are lovestruck teenagers.

That said I have a vauge recollection of starting an AU/crossover with 'midsummer nights dream', might be fun to have another crack at that. I can see Ochre, or maybe Green, as Puck.

[Serena Lewis]

Yeah, I can't exactly see Romeo and Juliet crossed with Captain Scarlet. Though, I have to say, I did like that better than Macbeth (Just a load of bearded blokes and murderers wandering around, whinging about spots and daggers to me!)
On 'What I like in fanfics', I do like romance, but no things like OC/OC, OC/Protagonist. They just turn out to be...rubbish, in most cases...
I like suspense, horror, humour, and twists in the tale, but none of those 'It was all just a dream' sequences.
As you can see, I'm easy to please!
Bare in mind, you're gonna be aiming at a general audience; some people may hate aspects that others love.
Okay, wise woman moment over...

xx

[MMK]

[quote="Serena Lewis"]Yeah, I can't exactly see Romeo and Juliet crossed with Captain Scarlet. Though, I have to say, I did like that better than Macbeth (Just a load of bearded blokes and murderers wandering around, whinging about spots and daggers to me!)/quote]

I guess... when i last writing my last post... i was thinking of the 'star-crossed lovers' part.
It could be possible to tranform them into their younger selves (how young is up to you... i couldn't see it happening if they were 5 yrs old though ) and do parts of the story but obviously not all of it.


Edit: I also thought that the parts of the 'lovers' could be played by Black and 1 of the Angels. As they are on opposite sides of the war - the two feuding families