New Web Serial

[becka_sutton]

(Shamelessly cribbing this way of doing things from inventrix )

So I've decided I want to write another web serial (I must be mad) and I want your help:

Before we get started, some information and instructions:

• I want to do a Space Opera with giant spacefaring bioengineered creatures called 'fish' as vessels . (Though the protag has a more normal vessel either due to relative poverty or ethical problems with 'fish'). This is also the universe that has my sulphuric acid aliens in it - so you may want to check out that tag though some time after the first contact in the ficlets in the tag.  (Note while the sulphies bio-engineer their vessels the 'fish' are made by a different group of aliens) Why do I want to do this? Because...


• Examples of the genre: Skylark of Space, Lexx, Farscape etc.


• By "story premise", I do not mean a plot summary. I am not looking for plot twists or plot details, but rather pieces of a general idea of the starting point.


• Example of a story premise: "[Main Character] is approached in a bar full of aliens to ship a cargo to a distant lanet but on route she realises it may not be entirely legit." (This one is really general and rather cliche, but you get the idea.)
• Each week I will put up a prompt post where readers can suggest prompts. More on that in the first prompt post. I plan to put up the first prompt post on Wednesday 8th January. This post will remain active until then.
• If all goes well the first installment will go up on Wednesday 15th January along with the second prompt post.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, here's what we're going to do!

As a comment to this post, give ONE suggested point for the premise. An attack in hyperspace, a mysterious stranger, dubious cargo, a bar full of aliens, that sort of thing. In addition, include
ONE suggestion for a serial title (or a part of the title, or structure of the title)
and ONE character-background detail for the main character (number of siblings, religion, educational level, unfortunate incident involving a dog and a hair dryer, etc. etc. etc.).

Thanks in advance for your help.

Comments

[aldersprig]

A book written in a mysterious language

The Noun of the Placename

Zie used to chew on things as a child - pencils, cups, anything. Everything. Never really outgrew it.

[becka_sutton]

Thanks, Lyn :-)

[aldersprig]

Zis is fun!!

[becka_sutton]

Yup :-D

Emergence

[(Anonymous)]

Sample:
Captain Narda cannot understand why she is feeling desparate for such a simple cargo run. The animals she is transporting are needed to rejuvenate the native colony on their home planet. Just a simple run. Why does she feel desparate.

"Karzaut, current status and ETA?"

"Captain, we are an hour closer and nothing shows up on our scans. Everything is normal!!", Karzaut replies. His irritation is almost visible in the small cabin. "Will you just..." He looks down at his beeping console.

"Sir? Incoming Fish. It is on a collision course!"
... snip ...
Karzaut, "It is a Fish! It is small. May be possible for it to support two people." He is distracted by a beep on his console. "Sir, the Fish that brought us here, its dead."

Explaination:
Fish, despite the engineers are starting to gain sentience. The engineers don't want this because that means they can no longer be fully controlled. Further, their methods to ensure sterility are starting to fail. The baby Fish here is one of the few to be born. Normally this occurs at the engineering facilities and is used to further enhance the next generations. This is the first to be born outside the engineering facilities.

Fish have been provided for and have no means of getting their own food. Turns out the mother Fish that died had been feeding herself to her young. The desparation Narda felt was introduced to her through a telepathic connection she was unaware of. The Fish was desperate to find some way of keeping her young alive.

As you can guess Narda cares for animals and nature. She currently has a "normal vessel" which the Fish forcible took to her young. Her ship is very damaged. She has two choices ahead of her. What will she do?

Of course one choice will have her hunted by the makers of the Fish as they do not want the Fish to become sentience. This young represents a serious threat to that.

The other choice will not make much of a story but could be the initial choice with the young following her and causing her all sorts of issue until she changes her choice.

It is through the telepathic connections she is able to make to all Fish that really lets her learn about the Fish and come to help them make a stand for themselves.


I hope this is what you were looking for. But could we call them something else than Fish. How about Nereid? http://twelvelist.blogspot.com/2011/10/list-of-twelve-aquatic-mythical.html

[becka_sutton]

Thanks :-D

It's a bit more than I was looking for but parts of it are certainly interesting and useful.

[(Anonymous)]

A strange rune on a planet ravaged once too often asteroids/meteors/etc, which when touched, brands itself on the being who did so.

Defiance of the inevitable(I'm bad at names, this seems to be more of a subtitle for the chain of events I thought while writing this, but meh, it's taken me too long just to think of this)

The main character was space born, and has a slight distrust of being on a planet, even more so when outside of an area that has facilities for space travel. (fear of being stuck on the planet maybe?)

Hope it helps

[becka_sutton]

Thanks!

[rix_scaedu]

A dubious passenger

XXX Travels in YYY

Is considered the underachieving sibling by birth family.

[becka_sutton]

Thanks!

[clare_dragonfly]

Premise: a mysterious portal
Title: Journey
Background: Follows a religion featuring only goddesses

I think it is cool that someone else is doing something like this :D

[becka_sutton]

Thanks, Clare :-D

[(Anonymous)]

Uhm, since I did not know I could post here anonymously without log in I posted over at your LJ crosspost.

mjkj

[becka_sutton]

Here or there, either is cool. Thanks. :-)