Multi-author novelisation of FFVII: if you write you are welcome to join us

Splintered

unsavory tart
I'd love to, but I truly am a shit writer. And worse than prose, I'm hilariously bad at grammar. But good luck, this sounds like a lot of fun.
 

Team_Wingless

Unauthorized Tie-in Novelist
so far I have about 30 writers interested in taking part.

Good luck with that. You're gonna learn really quick why colabs are nightmare scenarios that never get finished and end in fights and grudges. I'd do it to work with Ite, but y'all are going to hate what I write.
 

e.suna

little nerdling
This is no doubt a big undertaking. But I think if they keep things light and have a contingency plan if somebody (or a few) back out, it can be a fun community project.

I refuse to rain on anyone's parade. Years ago, I participated in a collab fic with several friends (we wrote a chapter each), and it got done. Like the plot had a beginning, middle, and end. And it was hella fun!

So get it guys! :joy:
 

Jason Tandro

Banned
AKA
Jason Tandro, Doc Brown, Santa Christ, FearAddict, Thibault Stormrunner, RN: Micah Rodney
I know it's been crazy around here but any word on this?
 
It is happening. The sign up is open on the google-doc until the end of this month. When I know how many people want to participate, then I'll know how many "chapters" the game needs to be divided into. After that, I'll post a "claim" sheet on google-docs where participants can claim the chapter they want to write, on a first come, first serve basis.

I am aware that participants may drop out if they don't get the chapter they want. If too many drop out, my horse will fall at this fence. We'll just have to wait and see.
 

Jason Tandro

Banned
AKA
Jason Tandro, Doc Brown, Santa Christ, FearAddict, Thibault Stormrunner, RN: Micah Rodney
Completely missed the google doc before but my name is up there now! :monster:
 

Octo

KULT OF KERMITU
AKA
Octo, Octorawk, Clarky Cat, Kissmammal2000
Ok, not sure how I missed this.

I have a question though, as in how is this going to work in terms of continuity? eg: Is is going to be like persons a,b,c write chaps 1,2,3 and then person d has to read those chapters before writing chapter 4 and so on and so forth? Cos I'm worried about person z having to keep so many threads together. Even though it's following canon - and we know SE can't even keep track of canon! - theres other stuff like characterisation to keep track of

Or is it going to be more freeform than that?

Anyway, I've signed up. But I misspelled my own name and I'm not sure how to fix that :sadpanda:
edit: Ok I fixed it

Yeah not going to touch googledocs again...
 
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It's okay, I'll know it's you.

The way it's going to work is, it's going to be quite freeform. Each author is free to write his or her section of the game in whatever way he or she sees fit. I guess it'll be a little bit like a sequence of short stories written in a variety of styles and voices. People have to conform to canon, so they can't have Cloud sneaking off for a shag with Reno upstairs at Turtle's Paradise, and they can't bring Aerith back to life - but beyond that, anything goes. It's designed to be read by people who have already played or know the game - unlike Mr Ite's version, which is meant to be read by people who don't play video games.
 

Ite

Save your valediction (she/her)
AKA
Ite
The way I see this project: it's a group meditation on a myth we know, each storyteller crystallizing the essence of a sequence, presenting to the collective their interpretation of that sequence. The patchwork narrative styles should tell a cohesive story, and the minor discrepancies (line interpretations, descriptions) peppered throughout will be representative of a myth's impact on the individual and the group.

I'm terribly excited.
 

Channy

Bad Habit
AKA
Ruby Rose, Lucy
The way I see this project: it's a group meditation on a myth we know, each storyteller crystallizing the essence of a sequence, presenting to the collective their interpretation of that sequence. The patchwork narrative styles should tell a cohesive story, and the minor discrepancies (line interpretations, descriptions) peppered throughout will be representative of a myth's impact on the individual and the group.

That's_the_most_beautiful_thing_I've_ever_heard.gif
 

Jason Tandro

Banned
AKA
Jason Tandro, Doc Brown, Santa Christ, FearAddict, Thibault Stormrunner, RN: Micah Rodney
Just pulse-checking dis project. How goes it?
 
Well, I've had 19 people sign up. That's a pretty good number, but I think we need more. I've been puzzling how to split the story up among 19 people. One idea I had was to identify 19 key moments in the story, have each volunteer write that section, and then "sew" them together with some succinct narrative. Anyone else have any thoughts?
 
Double post, sorry.

Here's my list of "chapters". Given that we have 19 sign-ups, I tried to keep it down to a minimum. Obviously people can write more than one chapter if they want!

1. 1st bombing mission
2. Childhood friends
3. Aerith
4. Wall Market
5. The dropping of Sector 7
6. Breaking into Shinra
7. Travelling to Junon
8. The Inauguration of the New President and the journey across the sea
9. Gold saucer and the Corel Prison
10. From Gongaga to Cosmo Canyon (could split in 2)
11. Rocket Town
12. The Wutai sidequest
13. Gold Saucer and the Date
14. Temple of the Ancients
15. Sleeping Forest and the Forgotten Capital
16. The Great Glacier and the confrontation with Sephiroth
17. Meteor (I imagine this being written from an NPCs viewpoint)
18. Escape from Junon
19. In the Lifestream
20. A trip into Outer Space
21. Diamond weapon and the return to Midgar
22. Before the final battle (where did they all go and what did they do?)
23. The final battle with Sephiroth (good for someone who likes writing action scenes)
24. The Lifestream

The way I imagined it was, each "chapter" could/would be told from a different viewpoint, though not necessarily in the first person. Eg. Chapter one could be told from Barret's viewpoint (or Jessie's), chapter 2 from Tifa's, chapter 3 from Reno's, and so on.... Each major chapter can be linked or sewn together by a minor "transition" chapter which I can write if nobody else wants to.

Basically we assume that our audience already knows the story, and therefore we don't have to re-tell every single thing that happened in the story; rather, we're focusing on key events in the story and looking at telling them from a new angle, or with insights and details. For example, I imagined Chapter 17, "Meteor" being told from the p.o.v. of one or more NPCs.

Although it looks as if there's lots that's been left out of my list, much of it can be worked into the different chapters, since every author will have a free hand with his/her segment.

The list above is just a rough list for discussion. All suggestions are very welcome. However, given that we only have 19 authors signed up, we want to keep the main chapters to a minimum otherwise everyone is going to end up writing two or three chapters!
 

Octo

KULT OF KERMITU
AKA
Octo, Octorawk, Clarky Cat, Kissmammal2000
Basically we assume that our audience already knows the story, and therefore we don't have to re-tell every single thing that happened in the story; rather, we're focusing on key events in the story and looking at telling them from a new angle, or with insights and details. For example, I imagined Chapter 17, "Meteor" being told from the p.o.v. of one or more NPCs.

I like the idea of this, I mean obviously with some chaps that won't be possible, but I like the idea of a fresh take from npcs

Other than that I'm happy with whatever chapter I get except for the Sephiroth battle

You'll have to check my spellin and gramma tho Lic :monster:
 

Channy

Bad Habit
AKA
Ruby Rose, Lucy
I also emailed all. I don't care. Aerith chapter is mine. Mine! You can't have it!
 

Tennyo

Higher Further Faster
Sorry, I thought we were choosing sections now. I didn't mean to jump the gun. Nevermind!
 

Channy

Bad Habit
AKA
Ruby Rose, Lucy
Lol I didn't know what you'd chosen but sounds suspiciously like you're after mine. >_>

I'm also open to doing Temple of the Ancients/Forgoten City
 

Tennyo

Higher Further Faster
No, I'm not. But another email was sent out telling us not to choose sections yet.

I'm looking at 17, 19, or 20. I kind of want 20 the most but I'm willing to accommodate. :)
 

Channy

Bad Habit
AKA
Ruby Rose, Lucy
Oh weird. I haven't checked my email yet so thanks for that. I agree, the outline kinda lead us to believe we could shotgun sections. :monster:
 
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