Ceramic DM Winter 07 (Final Judgment Posted)

[orchid blossom]

Still waiting on judgements from both OB and Herremann.

Next round pairups will be decided randomly. There is no safeguard preventing a second BSF/PC matchup prior to the finals.

You should have gotten one from me earlier today. I'm working on another now... My head is swimming just a little, so it may take a bit, but it shall be done today! In the next hour or so I hope.

 

[carpedavid]

While we're wating, I thought I'd ask a question of my esteemed competitors, in the hope of generating some discussion that might be useful to new competitors. Do you have any sort of technique for beginning your stories?

I generally tend to look at one of the pictures, and try and interpret it literally, especially if the picture interpreted literally is absurd. I ask myself, "how would the world have to function differently if this picture were a depiction of normal events?" The answer sets the framework for the story - whether its a world overtaken by global warming or a rockabilly space opera.

 

[Berandor]

I generally tend to look at one of the pictures, and try and interpret it literally, especially if the picture interpreted literally is absurd. I ask myself, "how would the world have to function differently if this picture were a depiction of normal events?" The answer sets the framework for the story - whether its a world overtaken by global warming or a rockabilly space opera.

That's a really interesting approach; I might try that next time.

What I tend to do is look at the pictures looking for my protagonist; if I can't find him/her, then the pictures must have been taken from his/her point of view. Next I look for the picture that is central to the story – this is often the picture that I find the most difficult to integrate or interpret.

If I have some idea of a protagonist, and a central picture, then I try to fit the pictures together somehow. I usually have either a very firm idea of how the story will end (but not begin), or of a central theme I want to write about. I usually look very closely at the pictures then to find some idea or hint that they belong together (for example, in the first story, the riot police in the background weren't in formation, it looked as if somebody might have rushed past or through them).

[sblock=About my stories]In the first story, the most difficult image for me was the guy on the fan-bike. This would have to be central, and that often means it's related to the climax. I didn't really find a protagonist, but the crawling guy might do. I knew the climatic action would be the guy – clearly not the protagonist – rolling off. I was also interested in doing a "skeptical" story, so some kind of debunking (or failing to debunk) was supposed to happen.

In the second story, the mannequin image seemed to be the most difficult one, but closely related to the deformed person. I wrestled with either making it into a story about my protagonist being outside of the pictures, trying to get a perfect child by cloning; or with the deformed child as the protagonist. One would have been mostly about ambition, striving for perfection without regards of the costs, the other would be about the costs driving towards an evolved body and an angry mind. I found the latter idea to be stronger, so I went that way.[/sblock]

After reading Piratecat's last story, though, I had a different idea. If I had advanced, I would have started the next story by first trying to find a conflict in the pictures, and then building theme, characters, story around that conflict.

I'm notoriously bad at world-building though, so your approach might help me in that regard. Even thinking about my previous pictures in a way you described gives me great ideas. You may have just told your greatest secret... muhahah!

 

[maxfieldjadenfox]

Since I made my living as an illustrator for about 10 years, I find CDM to be a bit like turning my mind inside out. I usually print all of the pictures, lay them out and look for some sort of theme. If there is none, (usually that's the case) I look for my protagonist. But often, I'll see one of the pictures and an idea will pop in. Often it's a bad idea, and I spend a lot of time trying to make it work before realizing it and by then it's too late and I have to make do...

 

[Berandor]

Since I made my living as an illustrator for about 10 years, I find CDM to be a bit like turning my mind inside out. I usually print all of the pictures, lay them out and look for some sort of theme. If there is none, (usually that's the case) I look for my protagonist. But often, I'll see one of the pictures and an idea will pop in. Often it's a bad idea, and I spend a lot of time trying to make it work before realizing it and by then it's too late and I have to make do...

Normally, I chuck out at the first two ideas that I get, knowing that they either won't work or, if they do, will come back to mind later.

 

[orchid blossom]

I'm officially all caught up.

 

[carpedavid]

I'm notoriously bad at world-building though, so your approach might help me in that regard. Even thinking about my previous pictures in a way you described gives me great ideas. You may have just told your greatest secret... muhahah!

Heh - I've got plenty more.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Judgment for carpedavid vs. BSF sent.
The final two judgments are being cooked as we speak. I'm working on finishing off tadk and Rodrigo's first so we can get the semi-finals sorted, but I'm also working hard on getting Mythago's done too.
[presses nose back to keyboard]

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

One of the pictures always (or at least, so far) speakls to me right away. Usually its what the setting is going to be, occasionally its the main character. The darkened bridge said 'spy story' for example.

I have the rough idea generally within a few minutes of seeing the pictures for the first time. Then I don't even look at them again until its time to write, usually the night before the deadline. I just let things simmer in the background, occasionally working out a plot point or bit of dialogue. Usually I just work on how to get from A to B to C, that is, from picture to picture. Then it just sort of writes itself.

What's harder for me is editing after the fact, although I'm getting better. That was my goal for this Ceramic DM -- to make the stories tighter and more focused (for better or worse).

 

[orchid blossom]

I'm not writing this time, but... I'm amazed that everyone says they get some kind of idea right away. I usually stare at the picture, wonder what the hell, and let them stew for a couple days before I get any idea at all. Then I write frantically and pray I can get something finished.

Anyone remember the were-rooster story I wrote? I stared at the computer most of the day and wrote it in the last 3 hours before the deadline because I had no ideas. I was actually considering getting drunk to see if it would help.