Re: Reading, A Lost Art -- The DeVry School of Evil Geniuses Alumni Assoc.

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Subject: Re: Reading, A Lost Art

Author:
JIM

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Date Posted: 19:50:35 06/17/01 Sun
In reply to: TechnoAtheist 's message, "Re: Reading, A Lost Art" on 21:47:21 06/15/01 Fri

Zaxor says:
>>What you guys do always amazes me when I stop to think
>>about "behind the serials". I've thought about trying
>>to come up with something myself, but I can't ever get
>>past the character design, let alone fleshing out the
>>surroundings or anything. So my hat is off to three
>>competent web authors, and I hope you continue to
>>write.

Thanks, Zax'. We're glad you enjoy this stuff.

Then TA says:
>If I may be so bold as to speak for JIM, I'd say,
>"There's not enough argon in this." No, wait, that's
>not quite right.

No, actually, you're right. What am I, on a noble gas-free diet?

>I'd say, just go ahead and start writing. JIM started
>HG long before he thought about sharing it with the
>rest of us. He wrote the first story to keep his mind
>amused and probably had no idea that anyone else might
>like it. In many respects, I really respect him taking
>the first big step.

Thanks! Right, I started HG as a skit in a letter to my friend, and it just got outta control. As TA says, I had no hopes anyone but me, her, and David might enjoy it. Now, sheesh, people read it on four continents. Not very many people, mind, but it's cool being able to say that...

>If I can talk about myself,

Heck, whose forum is it, anyway?

[snip]
>The odd thing is that the major plot lines didn't come
>to me until after I had written the first chapter. I
>literally had no idea where the story was headed. Then
>it just kinda clicked.

Precisely the same with me. In the beginning, just this basic idea of two guys based on me and a friend who had "the super powers of hydrogen". I didn't even know what that meant for a long time.

I wrote a few short (yes, short!) skits, and gradually it became a sort of vacuum that sucked in all kinds of in-jokes, random silliness, and characters for various RPG's. Ideas for continuing plots percolated (and still percolate) over years. And eventually I hit on the way I want to bung it down in words...

>Try it. Write a few bits. Give yourself free reign.
>Even just write a scene or two. Leave it for a day and
>see if it is worth anything later. With any luck your
>muse will strike. (Hopefully with a lighter mallet
>than mine did)

Capital advice. Capital, capital...

JIM

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