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I take no credit for this; the original thread was Orion's.
I'm merely following through with a suggestion he made.
Listen to this while reading.
The Idea Blender
Semi-Original Roleplaying
As a roleplayer and a writer, I've often found that the best ideas often come from the mixing of several preexisting ideas and themes. Now, by that, I don't mean to say that productions like Godzilla vs King Kong are quality work. Rather, something like Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy, which combines many unique concepts with many timeless ones, is a good example of this. "The Batman Complex", while not a completely original concept, is also a fairly good example.
The point I'm trying to make is that brainstorming starts at the familiar level. We start by drawing upon things that we know--and by the time we've finished, something completely new has sprung up from that little conceptual seed. My hope is that, through this method, new original roleplays can be created--instead of the same canon universes being used again and again.
The process is very simple:
I'm merely following through with a suggestion he made.
Listen to this while reading.
The Idea Blender
Semi-Original Roleplaying
As a roleplayer and a writer, I've often found that the best ideas often come from the mixing of several preexisting ideas and themes. Now, by that, I don't mean to say that productions like Godzilla vs King Kong are quality work. Rather, something like Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy, which combines many unique concepts with many timeless ones, is a good example of this. "The Batman Complex", while not a completely original concept, is also a fairly good example.
The point I'm trying to make is that brainstorming starts at the familiar level. We start by drawing upon things that we know--and by the time we've finished, something completely new has sprung up from that little conceptual seed. My hope is that, through this method, new original roleplays can be created--instead of the same canon universes being used again and again.
The process is very simple:
1. Choose at least three different published works that you enjoy. By "published works", I'm referring to anything that has been released for mass enjoyment. Books, movies, video games, songs, and poetry are all eligible.
2. Try to think of the most homogenous mixture of these 3+ works. If you end up drawing many details from one--but tweaking or deviating from another--that's perfectly fine. (My own "crazy mash-up" featured a protagonist very close to the character Gregory House, but a setting that was only loosely based on the society of GATTACA--although it was still based on it.)
3. After allowing these ideas to simmer, stew, and blend, fill out the following template with a few basic descriptions:
Spoiler ShowSetting: Where does this all take place? Give us a description of "where and when". Technology and society should also be mentioned here, if you've thought of either.
Plot/Premise: What is the story of this roleplay? Give us a description of the "what and why".
Characters/Groups: There are always multiple interests at play--more than two, if you wish to have a "black & grey morality" setup. Give us a description of the "who". (Not the band.)
Other: Have you thought of something neat and interesting that doesn't quite fall into the other fields? Describe it here--whether it be a shiny new sort of magic, a fancy new sort of gadget, or a wild new sort of ability. Broad/general themes that you'd like to include should also go here.
4. See what sort of response your blended brainchild receives. If you feel that it has "taken off", create a new thread for it in the Roleplaying section, or begin a collaboration with other interested parties. We should aspire to keep this thread as businesslike and clutter-free as possible.
That's all there is to it. I hope that this thread will serve its purpose well,
but we'll have to see. Until then . . .
Happy Blending!
but we'll have to see. Until then . . .
Happy Blending!