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I first created Alec in 1992. He was my avatar into the cartoons and books that I read. I wrote fan fiction with him in my head without really realizing that it was fan fiction. They were just stories. He was related to everyone and everything. But as I did this, I decided that it would be fun to publish stories about him. Here I came up with a problem. I couldn't publish the stories of him as is. After all they used other people's properties. (God only knows what would have happened to him if I had discovered the internet back then.) So, I needed a world for him.
One of the cartoons that I watched and used Alec in was the Adventures of Conan the Barbarian. Loved that show. My favorite character on the show was an air wizard name Greywolf. Naturally as these worked, I made Alec his adopted brother. I liked the idea of a city of wizards that could control the elements. And for some strange reason, it fit with Alec. So, I started basing stories of Alec in this city of wizards. In the early stages Alec was still adopted. And then at one point I did a story of Alec being Greywolf's adopted son. Greywolf had a daughter who was born the same night Alec was. So she became Alec's twin and thus was born Laruna. She came to life pretty well formed. When I switched back to Alec being Greywolf's brother, Laruna came too. She wouldn't leave. I couldn't get rid of her. So, I decided to myself, well, if Alec has siblings... then he needs parents. After all he didn't come from no where. So I created Raven. And Raven just fit. He filled that "Father" spot so well that afterwards I wasn't able to have anyone else be Alec's father, even in other fan fics in my head. I think this was a turning point for Alec. He was no longer related to characters on shows, but had his own family. This took him important step from being a Gary Stu to being a Real Character.
Verra came along rather sideways. I was watching a Legendary Journeys of Hercules episode that had a young dragon who lost it's mother. The dragon's name started with a b and sounded to me like Braxious. Alec told me that Braxious was his son. For a while in the beginning Verra had been dead and it was just Alec and Braxious. But for some reason this didn't work and Verra started to form. I think her definitive story was The Door to Nowhere or Bad Backyard Maintenance. That story is where her character really came together for me.
Earlier in 1995-1996 came the Age of Apocalypse. This is before Raven came into the picture. A lot of the characters had these neat tattoos on their faces. So, Alec got one, because I'm shameless like that. But as I started to integrate him into his world better, I needed a reason for it to exist. He was the only one to have. And then I discovered elves or the fey through Gargoyles and Mercedes Lacky. Later on Pratchett's elves would have an influence too. But they seemed to be important to the tattoo... and the fey court champion was born. I'm still figuring out exactly what their role is in the world.
So, I had Alec. I had a family for him. I had a city for him to live. And then Lorac showed up and threw everything into chaos. Here was a character that was very obviously insistent that he was a part of Alec's life but for the life of me I couldn't figure out how. Slowly I discovered that he was from the past, and not from the city Alec lived in. In Fact he lived in the city that existed before Alec's did, and the people in Alec's city were their descendants. That took some working out to figure out how that was possible. Lorac was very cagey about it. Once I figured out that he was in love with Alec everything clicked and I was able to start on Love Lust and the Apocalypse, my Master's Thesis.
While writing it, one of the characters mentioned the city of Welk. And I was... um... okay, so where is Welk? And then there was a circus from Lancoon. Which was where? So... I needed a map.
The named Troven came from a scene/story where Alec was part of this army task force thing and needed a last name. The name stuck. I don't remember where the First Families came from.
And that mess is how I created my world. At least the parts that I Remember.
Later I'll try and put some cohesive notes together to build a world. Or at least things to remember when world building, because I don't think there is any right way to build it.
One of the cartoons that I watched and used Alec in was the Adventures of Conan the Barbarian. Loved that show. My favorite character on the show was an air wizard name Greywolf. Naturally as these worked, I made Alec his adopted brother. I liked the idea of a city of wizards that could control the elements. And for some strange reason, it fit with Alec. So, I started basing stories of Alec in this city of wizards. In the early stages Alec was still adopted. And then at one point I did a story of Alec being Greywolf's adopted son. Greywolf had a daughter who was born the same night Alec was. So she became Alec's twin and thus was born Laruna. She came to life pretty well formed. When I switched back to Alec being Greywolf's brother, Laruna came too. She wouldn't leave. I couldn't get rid of her. So, I decided to myself, well, if Alec has siblings... then he needs parents. After all he didn't come from no where. So I created Raven. And Raven just fit. He filled that "Father" spot so well that afterwards I wasn't able to have anyone else be Alec's father, even in other fan fics in my head. I think this was a turning point for Alec. He was no longer related to characters on shows, but had his own family. This took him important step from being a Gary Stu to being a Real Character.
Verra came along rather sideways. I was watching a Legendary Journeys of Hercules episode that had a young dragon who lost it's mother. The dragon's name started with a b and sounded to me like Braxious. Alec told me that Braxious was his son. For a while in the beginning Verra had been dead and it was just Alec and Braxious. But for some reason this didn't work and Verra started to form. I think her definitive story was The Door to Nowhere or Bad Backyard Maintenance. That story is where her character really came together for me.
Earlier in 1995-1996 came the Age of Apocalypse. This is before Raven came into the picture. A lot of the characters had these neat tattoos on their faces. So, Alec got one, because I'm shameless like that. But as I started to integrate him into his world better, I needed a reason for it to exist. He was the only one to have. And then I discovered elves or the fey through Gargoyles and Mercedes Lacky. Later on Pratchett's elves would have an influence too. But they seemed to be important to the tattoo... and the fey court champion was born. I'm still figuring out exactly what their role is in the world.
So, I had Alec. I had a family for him. I had a city for him to live. And then Lorac showed up and threw everything into chaos. Here was a character that was very obviously insistent that he was a part of Alec's life but for the life of me I couldn't figure out how. Slowly I discovered that he was from the past, and not from the city Alec lived in. In Fact he lived in the city that existed before Alec's did, and the people in Alec's city were their descendants. That took some working out to figure out how that was possible. Lorac was very cagey about it. Once I figured out that he was in love with Alec everything clicked and I was able to start on Love Lust and the Apocalypse, my Master's Thesis.
While writing it, one of the characters mentioned the city of Welk. And I was... um... okay, so where is Welk? And then there was a circus from Lancoon. Which was where? So... I needed a map.
The named Troven came from a scene/story where Alec was part of this army task force thing and needed a last name. The name stuck. I don't remember where the First Families came from.
And that mess is how I created my world. At least the parts that I Remember.
Later I'll try and put some cohesive notes together to build a world. Or at least things to remember when world building, because I don't think there is any right way to build it.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-17 09:15 pm (UTC)Very informative. It's good to see how a writer goes through their paces to establish a new reality. And suddenly your fascination with Mary Sues comes into a whole new light as well, heh.
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Date: 2007-04-17 09:24 pm (UTC)Oh yes. Alec is a total Gary Stu. Or was. He's less of one now. I could probably write a paper on him and how he evolved.
I could write a paper on a lot of things apparently.
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Date: 2007-04-17 11:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-18 05:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-18 02:26 am (UTC)Anyhow, even if it was a ramble I still love hearing about character back-stories like this, and the whole process the creators went to creating them. I wouldn't mind hearing how Alec has evolved, though. I'm rather tempted to do that with some of mine, myself.
So yes. By all means, ramble and write away. I rather enjoy reading them. I'm pretty sure that, since there are other writers who read your journal, I'm not the only one.
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Date: 2007-04-18 05:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-19 10:40 pm (UTC)Maps have always been a big issue for me. A map can sometimes even suggest new developments. The map I developed of OdirĂ¡ (a large supercontinent) has sparked several such developements. Looking over it, I discovered a location that would be crucial for international trade. People from all over would converge on it, creating a rather cosmopolitan environment. It would also be strategically significant, whoever controlled it would have significant power. And that, in turn, invented naVesh, a general who saw a way to seize control of that area and use that control to launch a campaign of conquest against the Kalpan.
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Date: 2007-04-19 11:04 pm (UTC)Maps are interesting. I discovered several new cities when drawing it.
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Date: 2007-04-21 06:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-21 06:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-21 08:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-26 12:42 am (UTC)Amazing how Suey characters can start out. At least many of them are salvable from the mess of uber and sparkles.
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Date: 2008-07-26 12:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-28 04:25 pm (UTC)Yeah, they are salvageable if you put work into it and realize their faults in being a Sue. Or at least De-Sue them for purpose of story, even if they're not in your head.
I'm rather fond of maps too, though I have to work out the distances. And make sure rivers and mountains and other terrain make sense.