Character & Story Formulation

[Alyssa_Draco]

I’m currently compiling story & character details & doing artwork for my potential comic & traditional animated film series that I would like to do eventually. I would like to help introduce people to the universe, characters, & culture with little short stories that occur in said universe, featuring said characters in said culture. I apparently am not going to tell the story that will be the premise of the first issue of the comic/traditional animated film series, since that would ruin the potential impact of the story.

How can I pitch my ideas to someone that may be able to help me with better organizing & potentially publishing/bring all of this to life?
Currently, I’m putting together a blog & I have an account on SoFurry. Both of these are new, but I’m attempting to add a little more at least every day/every other day or so.

[MrMandolino]

Thats’s not much to work with, you might want to give us some more specific details about what you want to do. Anyway, here’s my thoughts on the subject.

Personally, my suggestion is this: get something out there. Nobody will be interested in characters and settings they’re not attached to, so I’d personally work immediately on one of those short stories you mentioned. Especially if you intend to pitch the idea to someone - anyone would want at least an example of what you want to do, nobody will listen to hazy ideas. You need concrete results.

Start working on those stories. Build a fanbase, and THEN think about pitching it to someone. You can try going the webcomic route, there are many who did that - in our community, Ursula Vernon with Digger and MCA Hogarth with the Three Jaguars (currently not online anymore) come to mind. On a more recent example, Dreamkeepers is something I suggest you look into: the prequel to the story is available online for free, but the actual comic is being sold. Beside, the authors just started a publishing house called Vivid if I recall correctly, and they recently began working on publishing Uberquest - which is a webcomic from a different author, as they want to become an actual publisher. You could try with them.

But still: get something concrete first. The world is full of people with brilliant ideas, but very few people end up bringing them to life.

Also, even though I’m no expert in animation, I’d suggest dropping that. Maybe you’ll be able to if you get very famous, but right now when you’re just starting out I don’t think anyone would listen to you.

[Alyssa_Draco]

Thats's not much to work with, you might want to give us some more specific details about what you want to do. Anyway, here's my thoughts on the subject.

I didn't go into specifics, because there is a lot to explain, & I didn't want to risk rambling. The story is basically about a race of anthropomorphic lizards & some other anthro creatures, who live in an alternate reality/parallel universe version of our universe, mostly taking place in my hometown, & those beings discover us, interact with us, & help us with some less acknowledged social & cultural ills.

Start working on those stories. Build a fanbase, and THEN think about pitching it to someone. You can try going the webcomic route, there are many who did that - in our community, Ursula Vernon with Digger and MCA Hogarth with the Three Jaguars (currently not online anymore) come to mind. On a more recent example, Dreamkeepers is something I suggest you look into: the prequel to the story is available online for free, but the actual comic is being sold. Beside, the authors just started a publishing house called Vivid if I recall correctly, and they recently began working on publishing Uberquest - which is a webcomic from a different author, as they want to become an actual publisher. You could try with them.

But still: get something concrete first. The world is full of people with brilliant ideas, but very few people end up bringing them to life.

That’s one of the reasons I have an account on SoFurry, because that’s a demographic that would be more likely to be interested in stories featuring anthro characters. I’m initially compiling information on characters, the universe, & some artwork before jumping into story telling. Thanks for the publisher & web comic advice. I will look into that when the time comes.

Also, even though I'm no expert in animation, I'd suggest dropping that. Maybe you'll be able to if you get very famous, but right now when you're just starting out I don't think anyone would listen to you.

That is something I had in mind more for the more distant future, not something I expect to be able to do currently. I wouldn't get ahead of myself like that.

[Bahumat]

Hone your theme, hone your pitch. Understand that a big challenge in making your work successful is to communicate it clearly. As tempting as it is to want to keep things mysterious, the fact is nobody goes to the grocery store to buy a can of ‘Mystery Food (Genre: Savory)’ inside. They buy a can of baked beans, because that’s what they want, and That’s What It Says On The Tin.

Always, always Know What It Says On Your Tin.

If you don’t know yet, work that out. Identify it, hone it, until it’s a nice sharp hook for you to reel someone in on.

Remember: Premise, Difference, Hook.

Premise: What’s the situation?
Difference: What sets this apart from the usual, not-story-worthy situations in your universe?
Hook: Why should the reader care?

Example:

Premise: Julie is a young ferret coming of age in a species where teen motherhood is essential for survival. Ferrets will die of estrogen poisoning if they don’t get pregnant.
Difference: Julie is informed by her father, a doctor, that she is sterile.
Hook: Julie’s dad plans a daring operation, the first of its kind, to transplant one twin from an expecting mother into his daughter, to save her life. But if it goes wrong, it will cost the lives of two baby ferrets and shatter lives around them. Can he succeed? Has her father’s love gone too far, endangering the lives of others? Will history celebrate them as heroes, or tragic failures? Buy today to find out! etc.

[Alyssa_Draco]

Thanks for the advice. I forgot to mention, I know some basics of good writing & what makes stories stand out, its just compiling it all & stressing over monumentally screwing up a potentially good story, that’s pestering me. I’m trying to stay focused.