The Game's Afoot: A Detective Fiction Writer Quest

[Duke William of]

"There is something in us, as storytellers and as listeners to stories, that demands the redemptive act, that demands that what falls at least be offered the chance to be restored. The reader of today looks for this motion, and rightly so, but what he has forgotten is the cost of it. His sense of evil is diluted or lacking altogether, and so he has forgotten the price of restoration. When he reads a novel, he wants either his sense tormented or his spirits raised. He wants to be transported, instantly, either to mock damnation or a mock innocence." -Flannery O'Connor

January 03, 1872
New York City, New York

"Young man, you are perhaps one of the greatest writers I have had the honor to meet. Promise me now that you won't waste this gift of yours."

Don't waste this gift of yours. The words of your former college professor are constantly repeated in your head as you stare at the short, unassuming door there in front of you. You glance down at the piece of paper your shivering hand is holding, reading it twice over to make sure you were at the correct address. Once you've made sure, you stick your free hand into your winter coat's pocket and fish out your new apartment's key. You insert the key into the keyhole and tentatively turn it left, unlocking the door with a satisfying 'click!'.

Muttering curses about the frigid cold, you pull the door back and enter into the cozy room. The tiny place you'll be calling home for now, until either you become rich or can't pay the rent anymore. Taking in the confined room and its contents, your eyes rest upon a solitary desk in the back corner. As story ideas bounce back and forth inside your head, you skim your ungloved hand over the dusty wooden desk, rubbing your dusted fingers onto your cloak. A smile grows on your face.

This, you think, will be the start of something great.

Character Creation

What is your name, dear Author?

[]Write-in

Do you have a Pen Name you wish to publish under? If so, what is it?

[]Yes
-[]Write-in
[]No

You were quite the talented, creative writer, in your unbiased opinion of yourself. However, you considered your greatest qualities to be… (Pick 2.)

[]The fact that you could swiftly finish any project you set your mind to. (After finishing a project, grants a single reroll.)
[]Your skill in creating an outstanding setting. (When writing, grants a general bonus to writing setting.)
[]Your ability to write a good plot. (When writing, grants a general bonus to writing plot.)
[]Your ability to create well-written, complex characters. (When writing, grants a general bonus to developing and writing characters, as well as writing dialogue. Also grants a bonus to character reception.)
[]Your great business sense and a small fortune you saved up. (Grants bonus wealth and a bonus to managing your expenses.)
[]Your charming personality and silver tongue. (Grants a general bonus to negotiations, diplomacy, and selling stories.)

=====

So, after reading Men of Tomorrow and There Was an Idea and the ongoing Doctor Who TV Show Quest, I decided to do my own version of this quest. I'm sure you guys get the gist of how these Quests work, so hopefully, I don't need to explain. In this case, you will be playing as an upcoming author, hoping to stake your claim on fame by writing mystery stories. Specifically, Sherlock Holmes before Sherlock Holmes was invented. We'll be doing this the way Arthur Conan Doyle published and wrote his short stories on Sherlock Holmes. So, hopefully, you'll enjoy your time here, and I can't wait to read your ideas.

Also, I'm a new writer, so if you have advice or any criticism for me, I'm willing to listen.

The Game's Afoot: A Detective Fiction Writer Quest

The Game's Afoot

forums.spacebattles.com

 

[Duke William of]

reserved

 

[Duke William of]

reserved

 

[Duke William of]

reserved

 

[Nigerian Duck]

[X] Plan Stage is Ours
-[X] Arthur Reliost
-[X]Yes
--[X] A.R. Tawlry
-[X] Your skill in creating an outstanding setting. (When writing, grants a general bonus to writing setting.)
-[X]Your ability to create well-written, complex characters. (When writing, grants a general bonus to developing and writing characters, as well as writing dialogue. Also grants a bonus to character reception.)

We should be known for our good characters and world-building, not for our ability to cut deals. With just that, our stories are bland and boring, and even if we do sell, our fanbase is likely to not appreciate the works itself. Look at uh....George R.R. Martin I guess.

Well I didn't know that you did quests Duke of Normandy! I'll be excited to see how this one turns out, and I'm sure it'll be good. By the way, is this a plan vote?

 

[Duke William of]

Well I didn't know that you did quests Duke of Normandy! I'll be excited to see how this one turns out, and I'm sure it'll be good. By the way, is this a plan vote?

Click to shrink...

Indeed I do. In fact, I have another one linked in my signature. It's not been updated for two weeks, but I plan on updating soon, so stick around there as well.

 

[Nigerian Duck]

Indeed I do. In fact, I have another one linked in my signature. It's not been updated for two weeks, but I plan on updating soon, so stick around there as well.

Click to shrink...

Ahhh, so that's the thing under your words. I'll be sure to check it out!

 

[Leingod]

[X] Plan Leingod
-[X] Roger Smith
-[X] Yes
--[X] Roland Knight
-[X]Your ability to write a good plot. (When writing, grants a general bonus to writing plot.)
-[X]Your ability to create well-written, complex characters. (When writing, grants a general bonus to developing and writing characters, as well as writing dialogue. Also grants a bonus to character reception.)

Mystery is a genre that thrives most on strong characters and an exciting plot; a rich setting is obviously good to have, but not nearly as crucial as it is in fantasy or sci-fi.

 

[Duke William of]

Here, I'll post plans suggested by the players back in Spacebattles, and I'll post a similar post on Spacebattles as well.

By undertake2
[X] Plan penny pincher
-[x] Arthur Nelson
-[x] No
-[x] Your ability to write a good plot
-[x] Your great business sense and a small fortune you saved up

By The True Imperialist
[X] Plan You see, but you do not observe.
-[X] Jack Colleen Wittershey
-[X] Yes
--[X] J.W Colleen
-[X]Your ability to write a good plot. (When writing, grants a general bonus to writing plot.)
-[X]Your ability to create well-written, complex characters. (When writing, grants a general bonus to developing and writing characters, as well as writing dialogue. Also grants a bonus to character reception.)

 

[Nigerian Duck]

Mystery is a genre that thrives most on strong characters and an exciting plot; a rich setting is obviously good to have, but not nearly as crucial as it is in fantasy or sci-fi.

Click to shrink...

I'd say you're right in this matter, except for the fact that in a plain setting, the world won't feel immersive or real to the reader. The plot is all fine and dandy, but the plot is usually what makes you stick to it when the characters and settings are drab, while complex written characters make you invest yourself into them, and an amazing, well-written setting can spawn all sorts of different interactions from various media, like fanfictions or alternate universes or sequals that explore moer of the world. While the plot may be good for a series the world extends outside of just that. Or that's what I see anyway.

-[x] Arthur Nelson

Click to shrink...

What a coincidence that we both chose the name Arthur.

 

[Leingod]

I'd say you're right in this matter, except for the fact that in a plain setting, the world won't feel immersive or real to the reader. The plot is all fine and dandy, but the plot is usually what makes you stick to it when the characters and settings are drab, while complex written characters make you invest yourself into them, and an amazing, well-written setting can spawn all sorts of different interactions from various media, like fanfictions or alternate universes or sequals that explore moer of the world. While the plot may be good for a series the world extends outside of just that. Or that's what I see anyway.

Click to shrink...

Thing is this takes place long before the internet; fanfiction and official spinoffs are far from being the major part of fandom that they are today. Still present, but much more niche; we aren't even really at the stage of dedicated conventions yet.

Moreover, look at all of the most iconic mystery/detective works, and all of them are much more about the characters and, to a lesser extent, their stories, in the popular consciousness. Sherlock Holmes has an iconic address, and some of the backdrops for his most beloved stories are recognizable by name, but Sherlock Holmes as a character exists outside the bounds of the actual setting of his books, and ditto for many other iconic mystery characters.

 

[Aurelius]

[X] Plan Stage is Ours

 

[Nigerian Duck]

Thing is this takes place long before the internet; fanfiction and official spinoffs are far from being the major part of fandom that they are today. Still present, but much more niche; we aren't even really at the stage of dedicated conventions yet.

Click to shrink...

Ah back. And the internet may not have been invented at this time, but fanfiction is still present droves, depepnding on how you look at the statistics. Though I will admit it's a farcry from what today was like, and yet even so, spinn-offs and other serieses based on the world are soemthing that we can introduce and make popular then, breaking the mold instead of confining ourselves to what has already been done.

Moreover, look at all of the most iconic mystery/detective works, and all of them are much more about the characters and, to a lesser extent, their stories, in the popular consciousness. Sherlock Holmes has an iconic address, and some of the backdrops for his most beloved stories are recognizable by name, but Sherlock Holmes as a character exists outside the bounds of the actual setting of his books, and ditto for many other iconic mystery characters.

Click to shrink...

Aren't you proving the point about the characters being important, or am I reading this wrong? I included the characters because they're the face of the story, they're what people remember when they look back on it and what they invested themselves in. Each character themself is a story, and although the plot is importnat, it's your investment to the characters which makes you stay with it, and hwy so many people put their hearts into books and fandoms (or whatever they're called in the 1800's) and such.

 

[butchock]

[X] Plan You see, but you do not observe.

 

[Tempest Warden]

[X] Plan Mist Waves
[X] Vincent Waven
[X]Yes
-[X] Jake Mist
[X]The fact that you could swiftly finish any project you set your mind to. (After finishing a project, grants a single reroll.)
[X]Your ability to create well-written, complex characters. (When writing, grants a general bonus to developing and writing characters, as well as writing dialogue. Also grants a bonus to character reception.)

I wanted to make my own plan...

 

[sleepypanda]

[X] Plan You see, but you do not observe.