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Time zone differences might made this difficult but I might try and wing it and see if I can write something anyway without you. This wait for others to post is driving me crazy - so I'm going ahead and see if I come up with something that fits. Soon see I guess!

 

Edit: All sorted. And now I'm (we're) finally in - we wait

 

Jess - I'm not sure how everyone else interpreted it, but because as DL knows I'm a movie buff, I draw my primary influences from the various movies I see. Mostly if anything it's dogs going crazy, dogs and rats (which brings up a valid point, in unsanitary conditions vermin will multiply) and humans - I know we could probably run the whole gammit of animals like strays to domesticated types, but I figured if we did that we'd be making life that much more impossible for our characters - considering they already have so much to contend with I didn't want to lend my story to a bloodbath of epic and almost laughable proportions (man survives being mauled by wife and entire city to die at the claws of a zombie chicken! XD) - but in some regard it does have it's merits (especially in pack animals). But rather than try and get my head around an entire zombie world I thought the idea of nature reclaiming the earth (nature being flora and for the most part fauna) would be a more 'satisfactory' one. There has to be some sense the survivors survived for a reason if not just hope but then again maybe not - not all stories have to end happily. Now I'm just thinking aloud is all, but thats what I was thinking about anyway =)

And now you mention it I think the way I wrote my first post could have been taken either way. The mention of a stray cat gnawing on a human hand could be seen as a zombie cat echoing the living dead or the basic survival instincts of a cat to eat whatever food's available - even if it's tainted? Might make things interesting to say the least if the odd animal is crazy perhaps, but again, where do we draw the line?

-- Edited by Ravynlee on Saturday 18th of April 2009 05:43:45 PM

I'd collab but time differences might make that difficult. Can always try though (like trying to get a hold of DL when it's like 3am for him and 9pm for me! XD) I'm usually on AIM most nights but not too sure how that fits into your 2 day a week schedule. Hm. Anyway if we can we'll work something out. Looking forward to seeing what you write!

I'm not sure where you're taking it but maybe I can work something out before your next post and see if that fits in with your plans? Hell of a guess considering it'll be a week until you post again won't it? *looks worried* Don't want to derail whatever substory you have going inside your head... when/if you can/feel that way inclined PM or whiteboard me and we can maybe brainstorm quickly so I can get a few ideas down before next post.

Also waiting to see what DL's weekly update will contain. If there's a total of like 7 of us now (3 actual characters, 3 NPCs and my 1 secondary character) we're in deep sh*t if the update goes against our compound (as in zombies attack!)

0.0

Even as I sit here I have an idea on how to integrate you (Jess) into my story. Not sure what you'll think of it though. I don't 'control' you as a character but maybe I can borrow you a little while as I borrowed DL to get my two characters into the Park. We'll see...

Kewl. Thanks Jess. Will do my best

DL - where's the Sunday update???

 

 

ALSO - it occured to me that those partaking in this collab may want to attempt to read what the others have written before (scan semi-intently at least) because we're already starting to get minor conflicts and it's early days yet.

Case in point;

From DarknessLover first post: Note: it's almost always dark in the current time. Smoke from burning building, smoke from cars covering the atmosphere, etc etc.

 

From Brendan recent post:  Trees towered around me, covering the hideous black sky... (later) The sun was setting - the sky was becoming darker. That was the interesting thing, I had always thought: despite the horrible gases polluting the air and sky, the sun still managed to shine through.

Minor details I know but this is what we've got to watch out for - we need consistency.

Not only that but Brendan and Jess - I assume you're writing your own stand alone stories at the moment because of the way they have been written (Jess we're sorted). No problem with that at all, but if you want someone to mention you in theirs etc please let us know either here or in the story thread itself. Will save all this waiting and no one will be feeling left out in the long run

-- Edited by Ravynlee on Monday 20th of April 2009 08:09:00 PM

Sunday: FOOD IS LOW - BIG DINNER WEDNESDAY NIGHT - HUNTING FOR SUPPLIES THURSDAY

I'm assuming then we write (as it is post/after sunday) on how short we are (those of us in The Park - so far just me and DL) that we're low on food.

Posts before or on Wednesday need to include 'a big dinner' (DL we may need to collab now)

Posts before or on Thursday include preparations to go out scouting?

Do I have this right?

Okay, thanks for that - good luck with your term paper =)
Will try and write more soon.

I think you make a valid point - we can always suggest things here plot wise - but the biggest issue this thread has faced even more than consistency is contributions.

People, how you have left your original 'introductory' posts, have done nothing by way of contributing to the main story. I'm not picking, we are all writers, we all have our separate ideas etc and plans on where we want to take our stories, but the main premise is as DarknessLover wrote it - we're survivors who stumble across a safe haven of sorts from the infected population. So far out of what 5 of us who have contributed only 2 are actually in the place at all leaving 3 out in no-mans-land in god-knows-what-state and lord-only-knows where you plan to take them - it's not for DL and I to write you into the Park that's your job. If you can't write yourself into the main stage then you won't be added to ours, or mentioned, and the collaboration doesn't effect you until you arrive, period.

Second point; DL - what's going on? I know you're busy but it's just as well it was suggested to put main post minimum to 1 a week because even at the moment you're barely meeting quota. I don't nag to offend but I really want to see this story work too and I have more to post on my story but until you complete your post and at least give me some indication where you're headed with it I can't finish mine (as what happens to you in essence in the camp also in some way effects me) - and you're holding up the line. Please finish your last post as you're putting me behind. That's not fair.

I'm also thinking that if you intend to continue this make one major event a week - not low food, hunt, etc all in one week. People are having a hard enough time keeping up as it is. I say that because now it's saturday evening for me in real life, I still have wednesday's update to post, and I can't add on thursday until you get your new member introductions or explanations that you had at the end of your half post etc out of the way. Also, if we keep it at one main thing a week we can all direct our stories in the same way - if for example I were to post my wednesday and thursday low food and hunt posts respectively now and someone comes along with a saturday post before me then mine will now be out of sync with the rest (bear in mind time zone differences etc as I'm ahead in hours being Down Under ;)) It's worth thinking about. And let's face it one key thing a week will not slow us down any further than we already are. When you get back on board I'll get back on board and then hopefully the rest will follow... that's the intention anyway.

One thing just to clarify - I know Jess I said I would write you in - and I still can - but the point I was trying to stress above was the fact you obviously have plans for your character - you've already gone to the trouble of giving her life, a past in essence, and personality. Now say I do drag you in and you finally pick up two weeks later. What if one thing I've done to your character or said has adversely affected where you were wanting to go with your story? (Dramatic emphasis, say you get concussion, you lose a lot of blood, say you got an infection etc, and now you write next post you're suddenly up and swinging around like nothing happened, as if it were a minor scratch - one it contradicts my posts and two it may taint your character in ways you didn't want it to go - see where I'm going with this?)

If it helps you plan where you want to go from what I've already done (and have yet to post, still waiting) David has stubbornly 'escaped' the camp and come across you. He battles his own selfish judgement and begrudgingly has dragged you back in. He and one of Jason's men (Leon I think) have words about risking one another's safety etc - so you're unconscious, battle weary and as best as can be you're looked after by Jill with her training with David lingering on the sidelines now watching over you, feeling responsible or something for your welbeing as he's the one who brought you in even though he doesn't want to be there. So you are his distraction. You're also still out to it. You're feverish and weak. I have you murmuring jibberish at the moment but tried not to 'control' you too much bearing in mind you're not my character to control - it's just a heads up for where you are and what's going on with you at the moment. And so's you know your beloved 'Trinity' is no longer with you - if you're planning on waking up and feeling lost without it My biggest issue was of course you used Disturbed lyrics in your story and this David I control isn't that David - though looks like him (for obvious reasons) - I've given this David his own sordid past to contend with - if you want to draw conclusions about Dave the singer that's for you to do, but again I wasn't sure where you were taking it so I left that alone. Your call of course.


-- Edited by Ravynlee on Saturday 25th of April 2009 05:07:54 PM

I am working toward a buildup, i need inspiration, i dont want to join in the main story without inspiration, but i want to be contributing something.
4 Days ago = last post, and it's mine. Why does that surprise me?

My next post may take a long time, I can't say I have anywhere I want to take my part. It's pretty annoying not having the motivation for such a sick idea...