Difference between revisions of "House of Hozz:Community Portal"

Revision as of 20:12, 31 March 2008

Principles of Storytelling

Add here some principles we'd like to see applied when writing the stories.

Improvisation and Non-contradiction

I propose that we adopt (if not immediately, then soon) an "improv" atmosphere. As far as possible, let's run with whatever the others come up with. This way we avoid lengthy and un-productive discussions, and don't end up contradicting eachother. It's either that, or keep everything in discussion until we all agree on a middle course.

Of course, there will be times when contradictions accidentally arise. Should we allow these, or try to fix them? It might be intersting to just allow contradictions to stand, though it could get confusing to readers. Ziggy 16:31, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

Unique Characters

We should avoid "recycling" characters unless it makes a lot of sense. It is a common theme I see in many webcomics, and bad fiction in general. An author creates a compelling and interesting character, and then wants to use him in every story. Something like, "...Ooo, and then Exega the baker from Calamityville could be moonlighting as the busboy in the Too Tall Motel and discover that Recurring-Villain-Who-Never-Dies is smuggling Seamorium in an attempt to blow up the ocean!" As a result, the stories get rather tangled and ingrown, everyone from everywhere is involved in everyone elses business, like some kind of cosmic soap opera. The motivation is partially good (readers like seeing farmiliar characters) and partially bad (laziness).

The solution, of course, is to keep making new characters when appropriate, as well as reusing old ones when it is reasonable. Also, our non-linear format allows us to develop characters without weaving them into the main story, by creating backstories or paralell stories. Mogan's Run will probably involve no other main-line characters, but that's okay since it won't be getting in the way of the main story. Ziggy 21:00, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

Nature of the brothers

category:HOZZ brothers

Does it make sense to everyone that the HOZZ brothers are half Fay, and thus have their strange powers (whatever those powers may end up being)?

random details

Added a few more details. Ziggy, and Hugh are now twins. Only Oswald was born on Earth after their parents escaped into hiding (which is why he is stranger than the other brothers). Also added a page for Llieah, their mother.

Kicking around an interesting idea. What if the HOZZ brothers have an older sister who was taken from their parents, and is still in Fayrie land? After she pressed into the service of the Fairy Queen their father decided to keep all their other children a secret. This could lead to some interesting possibilities to explore. All out rescue, the willing prisoner dilema, loyalty to family vs nation, etc...

curse of undead power

zack

Oooh, I like that. It shows a darker side of zack, as well as a compassionate lead in to the undead powers bit. We'll have to make a reason that the previous "queen of the undead" or the equivelant is in the neighborhood. Is she a Fey, come to earth to observe the HOZZ brothers? Ziggy 20:05, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

i like the idea of the curse because it keeps Zack from seeking the power of the undead, it simply falls into his lap. i dont like the idea of the previous ruler of the undead as a fay, i think that because Zack is half fay he is able to bend the curse to his own will instead of it consuming him, never the less it will be the tool to portray Zack's darker side.--Zack 19:52, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

three option

cosmos

This option doesn't really tell us anything. With any of the possiblities we are going to explain it at a later date. However, we should figure the "weird powers" out early on, even if the readers don't know.

On the other hand leaving lots of room and a good deal unexplained is the only way to make improv really work. Plus trying to figure out everything right now is putting a lot of unnecessary weight on us. We're bound to come up with more creative and more interesting ideas if we add to the mythos bit by bit.

Right. We don't have to explain everything. We should agree on some basic concepts though, so this doesn't turn into the "Surreal" story, which I suspect it will if we don't have at least some idea of what's going on. I'm not saying figure out everything now, but the things on this page should probably be nailed down before we start writing too extensively.Ziggy 21:00, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

The Cosmos

cosmos

Figuring out the cosmos is rather important, since it will dictate what stories we tell, and how we tell them. However, we could just start writing the stories and let the cosmos develop around them.

The advantage of a top down approach is it creates a consistent universe with the possibility for lots of foreshadowing.

The advantage of the bottom up approach is that exciting and unexpected details about the world will emerge, and stories can start before all the details of the universe are figured out.

non-multi-dimensional house

The House

I'm in favor of not having an "infinite universes" kind of mechanism. I'd be much more comfortable with a relatively well-defined (or at least limited) number of "paralell" or linked universes. Infinite universes are great for crossovers, parodys, and allowing absurdity. I'm not convinced that it lends itself to a more serious story format though. Ziggy 20:12, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

Okay, instead of the house being a 'nexus' and connecting to many different realities, how about this.

The house is the property of the hozz brother's fay father. For some reason the brothers gain access to it, perhaps Oswald is the most atuned to the fey energies, and when he installs the door in their appartment it links back to their fayrie ancestral home. However, they are also human, so they can travel freely between the worlds. This way we avoid the "infinite universes" thing that many comics with world-jumping tend to run into.

Bleh, that really limits the possibilities unnecessarily. I like leaving lots of room for imagination. Why limit ourselves? With the nexus approach you can have however many or however few worlds you want with a convenient explanation for their entry into the plot. Plus is makes the house a kind of crazy fun house where anything is possible.

Okay, sure. I'm just worried that it will turn into a goofy "let's go back and visit that world where everyone has Hitler moustaches" mechanism.Ziggy 21:00, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

I like the idea of having the door being a single portal instead of useing the infinite universe. Sluggy freelance used that mechanism and it was cute at first but it just gets really old really fast, espesaly if we want to have a semi-serious spin on the story. Also, i think Oswald's power should be locked away in his subcontionce. The idea of him being the most powerfull is totaly ok with me but the fact that he was born on earth makes sence that his fay powers would be undeveloped and conflict with his human mind, making him trapped between the two and never fully tapped into ether. I dont have a problem with Oswald being a conduate of the other brothers powers, were having him around they become more in tune with there fay abilities but having him be the actual souce of there power seems rediculous to me --Zack 20:12, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Industry, explosives, and gasoline

Ben has a sort of ideal for an industrial society that exists without explosives or fossil fuels. Would we like to work this in to the House of Hozz cosmology? Could this fit in the "real world" or perhaps in one of the alternate universes? How "real" do we want to make the "real world" of the Hozz brothers?