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dolariWhen we began putting together the idea for the Han'a/Nen'a story, it was going to be a small little story, only a few pages long for the Keenspace Free Comic Day comic. After some working with it, we all realized that the story was too big for just four or five pages, and began coming up with a plot to get it into the AWFW storyline.
Up until I began drawing, the plot was very rudimentary - The tribe was in trouble, and Han'a was recruited into a new hunting party (after already having Emm'a). A character that eventually became Manwaz killed her when he became jealous of her kill count and killed them both. That basic story is still there, but just before it came time to draw it, the story filled out rapidly.
Han'a was now 7 or 8, a new charater named Khaneni appeared. In the beginning, he was a just a terrible hunter, as the story filled out more, he became trans (something I wanted to keep out of AWFW, but I've since learned, don't argue with the characters). Emm'a was their child, and it was Morningstar who planted the first seeds of doubt in her mind.
After I finish with a character, they dissapear. I don't know where they go, they just dissapear. So far, in AWFW, Michael (the Green Mage) and Faith are gone. Carrie's mother Molly is also gone. They're just not in my head anymore. But surprisingly, the whole Tribe of Ehrem is still in my head. All of them.
That's usually a sign that there's more story to be told with them (When Andrea's mother died, she remained in my head because she knew she would be coming back for more story). But in this case, there's no more story with them. What I'm seeing when I visit them is "life." There's no story driving them, there's just more and more of what their lives are. The tribe is in the period where Manwaz was exiled, Han'a and Nen'a are mates, and Emm'a is about six or seven.
What's funny, too, is that they "interact" with me more than most of my other characters. When I talk to my characters, there's not much "life" to them. They're interested in the next story point, and the processes it takes to get there, or working on story ideas farther down the line. If I was to ask "What did you have for breakfast this morning?" to someone like Carrie, she would reply with "I don't know. Is it important?"
But when I visit the tribe, they tell me so much stuff about what's going on. Through Nen'a, I've learned about the rules a Gallus must go through to live as a woman. I don't think I could do it (and she not only did it, but became the Medicine Woman). I've seen the women's culture in the tribe, and the men's culture, and how the two are very very very seperate, despite that many are mated. Through Han'a, I've watched her and a few of the other hunters teaching Emm'a how to hunt behind the backs of the tribal leaders. I've seen them packing up and moving slowly across Europe in the summer. I've seen them hunker down for camp in the winter. It's an amazingly detailed culture. I've always had a thing for the simpler life, I kinda like this place. :)
What's also funny, is they see me as another "person." Most of my characters see me as "The Writer" or "The Drawer." They tell me their story, they show me things they'd like to see told, and poses they wanna be in, and that's really the only interaction I have with them. Some of them are friendly and will small talk, but eventually, it's all "Back to the Mines."
The tribe, however, sees me as some kind of wanderer. They all know who I am and welcome me, and talk to me, and I talk to them, and it's a very nice "Oh, it's good to see you" family seeing a long lost relative kinda thing. I really like it. That world is really expanding, despite the fact that there's no story to be told. It's just...life. Y'know? Hope it doesn't go away....
::laugh:: Show of hands - who thinks I'm a basketcase? :D
Up until I began drawing, the plot was very rudimentary - The tribe was in trouble, and Han'a was recruited into a new hunting party (after already having Emm'a). A character that eventually became Manwaz killed her when he became jealous of her kill count and killed them both. That basic story is still there, but just before it came time to draw it, the story filled out rapidly.
Han'a was now 7 or 8, a new charater named Khaneni appeared. In the beginning, he was a just a terrible hunter, as the story filled out more, he became trans (something I wanted to keep out of AWFW, but I've since learned, don't argue with the characters). Emm'a was their child, and it was Morningstar who planted the first seeds of doubt in her mind.
After I finish with a character, they dissapear. I don't know where they go, they just dissapear. So far, in AWFW, Michael (the Green Mage) and Faith are gone. Carrie's mother Molly is also gone. They're just not in my head anymore. But surprisingly, the whole Tribe of Ehrem is still in my head. All of them.
That's usually a sign that there's more story to be told with them (When Andrea's mother died, she remained in my head because she knew she would be coming back for more story). But in this case, there's no more story with them. What I'm seeing when I visit them is "life." There's no story driving them, there's just more and more of what their lives are. The tribe is in the period where Manwaz was exiled, Han'a and Nen'a are mates, and Emm'a is about six or seven.
What's funny, too, is that they "interact" with me more than most of my other characters. When I talk to my characters, there's not much "life" to them. They're interested in the next story point, and the processes it takes to get there, or working on story ideas farther down the line. If I was to ask "What did you have for breakfast this morning?" to someone like Carrie, she would reply with "I don't know. Is it important?"
But when I visit the tribe, they tell me so much stuff about what's going on. Through Nen'a, I've learned about the rules a Gallus must go through to live as a woman. I don't think I could do it (and she not only did it, but became the Medicine Woman). I've seen the women's culture in the tribe, and the men's culture, and how the two are very very very seperate, despite that many are mated. Through Han'a, I've watched her and a few of the other hunters teaching Emm'a how to hunt behind the backs of the tribal leaders. I've seen them packing up and moving slowly across Europe in the summer. I've seen them hunker down for camp in the winter. It's an amazingly detailed culture. I've always had a thing for the simpler life, I kinda like this place. :)
What's also funny, is they see me as another "person." Most of my characters see me as "The Writer" or "The Drawer." They tell me their story, they show me things they'd like to see told, and poses they wanna be in, and that's really the only interaction I have with them. Some of them are friendly and will small talk, but eventually, it's all "Back to the Mines."
The tribe, however, sees me as some kind of wanderer. They all know who I am and welcome me, and talk to me, and I talk to them, and it's a very nice "Oh, it's good to see you" family seeing a long lost relative kinda thing. I really like it. That world is really expanding, despite the fact that there's no story to be told. It's just...life. Y'know? Hope it doesn't go away....
::laugh:: Show of hands - who thinks I'm a basketcase? :D
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no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 01:06 am (UTC)Mine...I don't know how they see me, well how most of them see me. Some of them are aware of the outside world, some don't care. If they're not talking, they're merely sleeping in my head. If I want them badly enough, I can "wake" one, and they'll be aware and active again.
We need a community. I know like...3 people at least that have some degree of awareness of this occurance...
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 01:17 am (UTC)You're not a basketcase, Jenn. I envy you, actually.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 01:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:40 am (UTC)Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
How many are a little jealous?
Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
How many are honored that she is sharing the process?
Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
At the very least, you have a very rich story line developing there. Maybe it will become a story in it's own right. Maybe it won't. One thing is certain in my mind: as it unfolds, it's opening up your creative power.
no subject
Oddly enough, my implementation of Irving behaves more like one of your characters than one of mine. He knows he's a fictitious character and wants to do strips rather than interacting with a higher reality (or even pay detailed attention to his own). He's also been trying to think of a funny strip that's more along the lines of how you told me the original Irving is off-camera. Yes, he even knows he's not the only Irving.
Something that's helped keep things in order is that most of my characters flat out refuse to believe that the higher level of reality exists -- prevents me from having to do anything drastic to them when I mess up when they're running. That said, the really serious sensing personality type I had seen as having little or no imagination has enjoyed playing 'what-if' with this 'imaginary' higher level of reality. Maybe this would help with her plans to dominate the story in this fiction just like she plans to dominate everything else she possibly can.
Obviously, this places me in the 'no, it sounds like you're just an excellent writer' camp.
SL, who really needs to get back to writing on the novel
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 06:46 am (UTC)no subject
Maybe not in regards to the annoying angle...
SL
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 09:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 11:08 am (UTC)Methinks you're gifted. And lucky. :)
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 11:44 am (UTC)Join the club
Date: 2006-05-24 05:52 am (UTC)Join the club dear.
I've just spent several days offline, recoving from an attack of roadrage. My emotions have been going crazy, but we are all MORE than just our emotions (more on the next comment).
Stories that force themselves on you
Date: 2006-05-24 06:35 am (UTC)Mind you, I used to get visions as a kid, as well, something which i put down to being epileptic. They went away, eventually, but these remain. Some of these stories I've been holding in my head for about 20 years. Others just came recently. I have no idea if they are any good.
That was one reason I started my web comic. I needed to do something or go (more?) crazy. And now it's happening with the current story I'm doing, which I started originally (in Live Journal (http://sadheartsshadow.livejournal.com/?skip=2) of all places) as a way of beating depression, and a way f experimenting with the graphics software I had.
But the stories come, whether you want them or not. I now know exactly how I'm going to end this story (which is the 1st Bloogle-Human war, natch) but also exactly what happens to the characters. Bloody fiction takes on a life of its own - and there I was reading about Post-modernism, Critical Analysis and how we might all be creatures of language anyway.
Makes me feel like wanting to use some language, all right. *WINK* And yet, it also seems to be something very crucial to me.
So, when you're interacting with the tribe, or chracters , I understand. I drew a comic like that back in 1993 - a whole collection of characters getting angry at me because I hadn't drawn their stories yet. Sheeesh! And I know this sounds nuts as well, but then maybe we both are....