Monday, August 10, 2009

Update, sorta, and an idea

Hey, at least it's only been a month or so.

My 'big changes' are behind me now, well not entirely but they're mostly dealt with, so slowly I'm starting to try and write a bit more often. I'm nowhere near the output level that will yield new stuff any time soon though, so don't get over-excited.

One thing I have been kicking around in my head - in truth, for months now - is the possibility of a different superheroine series. I may have even mentioned it on here before actually, but to be honest I can't be bothered to go back and check my own archives. I'd like your thoughts on it.

Anyway my thinking is potentially it would be something involving a male-to-female transformation at the heart of the story; a man who turns into a woman to be a superheroine. (This, I should point out, would be a disguise, not a magic transformation. I think you know me well enough by now to realise that's not what I write, but I want to be clear.)

This actually isn't that original an idea - Holly Fairfa, if I remember right, did a short story with exactly that idea waaay back on the original MaskFiction.com.

My thinking on why I'd do this is several-fold as my thinking usually is:
  1. It would, obviously, be massively kinky. Man disguised as woman disguised as superheroine? I think you can imagine all the kinds of fun I'd have.
  2. It could be an original character, but still a superheroine. That means more potential for me - in all sorts of ways.
  3. I'm getting just a teeny bit bored with Betty... but still want to write super-stuff. (What can I say, it's the spandex lover in me.)
I've also had a few thoughts on how this can roll out. The idea has been in my brain for a bit, after all:
  1. An original story/series with all-new characters. I have the 'origin' plotted out, roughly. It makes some sort of sense, to me anyway...!
  2. A spin-off series (or mini-series) featuring Batgirl, set after the Spider-Girl 'Crossover' arc... in other words (SPOILER!) with Dick Grayson under the mask(s).
  3. My 'Project AC' concept, which... well alright, might as well spill, can be neatly summarised as 'Catwoman is actually a guy'. (There's more to it than that; a lot more in fact... but you get the idea.)
I'll be honest, on different days I think each idea is the best thing ever, but then I haven't sat down and tried any of them on paper. So which would you prefer? And here's the rub: why?

(Your answer would preferably run to more detail than 'Catwoman is the sexiest'.)

I will admit, if pressed, to having something of a preference for the first idea (the original series). Mostly because while I know it'd be easy for me to write Option 2, and fun to write Option 3, I keep telling myself that if I'm going to commit the inevitable amount of huge effort required to produce something, I should really do that for my own original creation, right?

Hmm. Oh by the way, I know a lot of you will shrug and say "Whatever, just write something, please God I need a fix" the more feedback I get in any particular direction, the more likely I am to... errr... do something.

Maybe...

8 comments:

  1. Heya GW. I've gotta chime in and vote for the first choice of something original and your own. Fanfiction is great to write... for practice. Your writing has reached that level that you should apply it to something that you can actually claim as yours.

    I'm curious how this guy-as-girl-as-heroine will play out. (Sounds like one of my regular costume party fantasies.) A non-powered guy as a non-powered heroine? A powered guy as a powered heroine? A non-powered guy as a powered heroine? (The body-suit can give him abilities of course.)

    Endless possibilies... many of which I'm sure you've fleshed out. ;)

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  2. Yeah. I do have a lot of practice now, too! (Although Betty does pull me in, now and again. Too many possibilities!)

    I've thought about all of your suggestions in the past. I'm leaning towards 'the suit gives him abilities' (although you know, who says it's a suit?).

    Having said that, I feel no strong desire to explore power fantasies. I mean, there are already fantasies being explored, here. ;)

    I guess it could go either way. But for the sake of realism - as much as is applicable here, anyway - I'd figure they would have to have some strength or protection just to keep them alive...

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  3. Closemon sir was that just some subtle smack talk directed towards fanfiction?

    If so I feel if one of my interests and semi passions has been besmirched.

    Ghostly Writer sir, just go what feels natural for you sir and what would bring you the most enjoyment at this moment.


    Though to set some minds at ease, do you mean that if you were to pursue an original fiction story that you would no longer work on or write any of your more fanfictiony stories such as Spider-Girl?

    Secondly out of curiousity would this male Catwoman also wear disguises over his Catwoman costume?

    BN

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  4. Well BN, even over the last two years while I've been writing Spider-Girl, I've still written other stuff - you just haven't seen it (and there hasn't been nearly as much of it).

    What I feel like I want to do is swap the emphasis, to turn it upside down. So it'd be great, in two more years, to have written a load of original fiction and less fan fiction.

    That doesn't mean I'd never write anything 'fan fictiony' again though. I mean obviously, I'm a fan, so I like to write that stuff. The difficulty for me is that no fan fiction I write can ever really go anywhere. While there's the slim possibility that someone who was writing Spider-Man fan fiction could graduate to the comics themselves, I don't think Marvel's desperate to publish my stuff. (Wishful thinking, etc.)

    While I'm also under no illusions that my original fiction will top the best-seller lists, I could potentially collect it, self-publish it... in other words, I can do whatever I want with it. Without fear of a lawsuit.

    You - and others - might feel that all I should keep doing is what I've been doing up until now. But honestly, I feel like I'm writing myself into a corner.

    Anyway look: the point is, I don't feel like I'm going to stop writing 'fan fiction' or similar, but I may be writing less of it. In the past few months I've been working on original stuff, and it's been fun. Betty's adventures, on the other hand, have ground to a halt. It only seems right to put a stake in the ground and declare a new direction.

    Last thing: the Catwoman thing? Hadn't thought about it, but interesting idea. However what I will say is that the idea is a more 'realistic' take on Catwoman, probably not even set in the 'traditional' (or even non-traditional!) DC Universe.

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  5. If I recall correctly a story on Fictionmania named Synaptic Overload already did the guy disguised as a female superhero thing. Admittedly it was a long while back and I'd love to see your take on the genre. :D

    For my two cents on the Batgirl spin off option...

    I've sometimes thought that Dick's disguises are a little too foolproof. Its a huge advantage for him, but its also one that kills any chance of discovery and suspense unless his enemies manage to develop a gun or scanner that unmasks him :S


    -Zerogouki

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  6. Zero - thanks for that story mention. It's ten years old! I'll definitely check it out though.

    Interesting you should mention about 'foolproof'. I'll admit my storytelling preferences don't generally lean towards putting the disguise in jeopardy; I'm more interested in what can be done while disguised.

    In addition if I'm telling a story about a M2F disguise, usually that disguise will involve sex... and with that, you've got to jump into some serious science fiction if it's going to be believable, so therefore, the chances of the disguise being discovered are probably lessened.

    Overall though it's just my preference as stated above; maybe something I'll explore in future.

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  7. Oh, I can agree and respect that preference. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the perfect disguise.

    Adding the element of discovery is merely one of those tools an author can use to heighten the tension at the appropriate place in the story. More like an additional flavor if anything.

    I'd definitely read a spinoff with your version of Batgirl in it. I'm just a tad more interested in what you'd come up with in the original piece. :D


    -Zerogouki

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  8. Sorry BN, if you mistook my comment for smacktalk. It was not intended as such.

    I'll admit, I've not read much fanfiction, but from what I've seen (generally speaking), it's often used as a convenient outlet for writers (new and experienced) to practice their skill. The characters already exist, so they can focus on the writing.

    I presumed (yeah, I try to avoid "assumed") that GW is not only getting stories out of his head, entertaining us in the process, but also developing his abillites. I'm just encouraging him that it's working.

    No slam intended or implied.

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