Call for Stories - Praetorians!


Abalest

 

Posted

Hi folks,

It's been awhile since we've done one of these, so it's time for me to stir up those creative embers and get you thinking about powerful, deadly foes - the Praetorians!

I want stories that feature the Praetorians, that meet them, confront 'em, and maybe defeat them. Give us your Hero's view on the dastards from Upsilon Beta 9-6!

NOTE: I'm looking for *slightly* longer pieces here, than can be easily serialized over 2 or 3 parts (that means 1000 - 1500 words per section, total limits of 3000-4500 words acceptable). Normal one-off contained stories (at 1000-1500 words) are fine, too.

The best stories will be published over a few issues, starting as early as issue 16.

I'll be reviewing Praetorian-themed stories until I get enough, so get 'em in early, but right now there is no official cut-off date. (I'll need some good ones before the end of August, to give you a benchmark though).

Please submit fan stories and art to cohsubmissions@plaync.com.

Official guidelines found here:

http://www.cityofheroes.com/communit...uidelines.html

(see this link for the fine print and more precise details, please)

To sum up:

Comic Book Fan Fiction:

* Be as creative as you want, but keep it PG-rated.

* Submissions should be in .doc, .rtf., or .txt format

* Suggested length 1000 - 2000 words.
NOTE: If your writing is very good, I will consider longer pieces (or breaking them up). But long pieces will still likely be published in 1000 - 2000 word parts, so some sense of rhythm and dynamic pacing is very important. Likewise, the longer the piece is, honestly, the less chance I'll have to read it thoroughly.

* Screenshots encouraged!

* The by-line can be your real name or a character name (or both)


Comic Book Fan Art:

* NOTE: If you're really ambitious, send us your versions of the Praetorians!

* Send us your best City of Heroes-inspired artwork. Any original medium is acceptable (pen & ink, digital, oils, etc.) as long as you keep it on a PG level.

* Let us know if you want credit under your real name or a character name.

* Images should be in JPG format. The full image should be between 100 x 100 and 2000 x 2000 pixels and be less than 380KB in size.
NOTE: We may also ask for a higher resolution (300dpi) image in .tiff format – so make sure you save a high-resolution version of your submission!

FAQ

Q: What style to write in?

A: Style -- think short story. I don't want comic scripts, but prose fiction. Usual "rules of good writing apply." If you want to see what stories I've selected, you'll see my first community section in the PDF of comic #8 (available now off the comic page), and also see the short pieces (Clockwork, Outcasts, Carnival of Shadows, etc.) I've written (or that Awry has, for that matter) for the website.

Q: Is there a particular format you prefer?

A: Please send stories in RTF (Rich Text Format), DOC (Word), or TXT format. RTF is preferred.

Use usual good sense - proofread, spell-check, and proofread. And proofread your *cover letter* also! Nothing turns me off faster than obvious mistakes.

Do not embed text in email (yes, lots of people do this, and it won't disqualify you, but it's more of a hassle for me).

Do *not* send in stories in all caps, or with heavy formatting. Stuff like that.

Q: Do the comics have villain stories too or just heroes?

A: Villain stories would also be fine, although will likely be harder to pull off (striking the right balance of sympathy and wicked badness).


Q: If it gets selected, will we be told what Issue and if we are getting a copy mailed to us, or if we still have to purchase (Never say never but if It does get published, I want to know where to get myself a hard copy)

A: If it gets selected you will be notified in advance which issue it is slated for. I am looking into the possibility of a comp copy for contributors, but no promises at this stage.

This doesn't mean you can't submit a different type of story, but Praetorian Stories will receive my foremost attention.

I'll annouce a new theme in roughly a month.

cheers,
Arctic Sun


 

Posted

I'm interested in seeing what everyone can come up with!
j


There are no words for what this community, and the friends I have made here mean to me. Please know that I care for all of you, yes, even you. If you Twitter, I'm MrThan. If you're Unleashed, I'm dumps. I'll try and get registered on the Titan Forums as well. Peace, and thanks for the best nine years anyone could ever ask for.

 

Posted

Hm. Guessing the signature characters are mostly off-limits here.


 

Posted

When you say Screenshots would be fine, how do we 'add' them so to speak... if a screenshot relates to a specific bit of text for instance, would you write (screenshot 001) after the text and include screenshot 001 in the email or what?


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
When you say Screenshots would be fine, how do we 'add' them so to speak... if a screenshot relates to a specific bit of text for instance, would you write (screenshot 001) after the text and include screenshot 001 in the email or what?

[/ QUOTE ]

Send them seperately (like in a zip file) rather than try to insert them in the doc (don't do that, please! .

If you'd like to send me "art notes" inline - like this:

blah blah blah paragraph 1

[Screen: Arctiv_vs_Zikar.jpg]

blah blah blah paragraph 2

...then that's fine. But honestly, just providing appropriate screens, and the graphic design folks will do their utmost to place them as best they can. They might use one on the main page of the community pages, or as an intro/end picture for your piece.

If you want to see examples, please look at any of the Community Pages for the comics.

Community Pages - check out Issues 7-14 in particular.

cheers,
Arctic Sun


 

Posted

This relates to a discussion that was just going on...it's never been explained, are the Freedom Phalanx/Vindicator Praetorians the only Praetorians? Or would stories of our own mirror-universe characters be accepted?


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
This relates to a discussion that was just going on...it's never been explained, are the Freedom Phalanx/Vindicator Praetorians the only Praetorians? Or would stories of our own mirror-universe characters be accepted?

[/ QUOTE ]

With regards to the first question, other analogues do exist in some form, most notably the Carnival of Light (the Praetorians attack "our" Carnies at one point, confusing them for their own breed), and Nemesis (whose analogue is only briefly mentioned as being destroyed back in the 1930s, presumably during his first encounter with Tyrant).

As to the second... your guess is as good as anyone's.


 

Posted

Alternate universe Wind Widow project...interesting...
what's the opposite of an anti-hero?


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
This relates to a discussion that was just going on...it's never been explained, are the Freedom Phalanx/Vindicator Praetorians the only Praetorians? Or would stories of our own mirror-universe characters be accepted?

[/ QUOTE ]

That's my question as well. My (current) main villain is a Praetorian version of my (current) main hero.

I've had kernels of stories about the two in my head for months.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Alternate universe Wind Widow project...interesting...
what's the opposite of an anti-hero?

[/ QUOTE ]

Anti-Villain....see hardcase

I hate him soooo much


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Alternate universe Wind Widow project...interesting...
what's the opposite of an anti-hero?

[/ QUOTE ]

Anti-Villain....see hardcase

I hate him soooo much

[/ QUOTE ]
so an anti-hero does the right thing for the wrong reasons and an anti-villain does the wrong thing for the right reasons?


 

Posted

Artic Sun - I'd really like to know if we can ONLY use known Praetorians or if we can create our own (eg Copper Shield as the Praetorian Blue Steel).


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Artic Sun - I'd really like to know if we can ONLY use known Praetorians or if we can create our own (eg Copper Shield as the Praetorian Blue Steel).

[/ QUOTE ]
hmmm, i'd think praetorian blue steel would be Red Iron....


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Artic Sun - I'd really like to know if we can ONLY use known Praetorians or if we can create our own (eg Copper Shield as the Praetorian Blue Steel).

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, I was just waiting from the "nod from the powers above," as it were.

There are two questions I'm addressing here
1. - one is creating new Praetorians of signature characters (like the example above)
2. - the other is creating new Praetorians about *your* characters -- "Evil Arctic Sun," if you would (with a goatee). (He might have a nemesis called Arctic Moon...or maybe Antarctic Moon, but she'd be a hot supervillain...I digress).

The answer to question one is a very tenative/iffy "yes." It won't automatically disqualify you, but if Manticore has plans for Blue Steel's opposite, then he might nix your story. That's the risk you take if you feature a signiature hero (as opposed to using them as a guest star).

The answer to #2 is a much heartier "yes," but the one major issue is that since no one but the creator knows about their personal character, there's no way for the reader to know that the Praetorian-world version of them is a flawed reflection of their normal character (or an improvement, for villains), unless the author shows us somehow. That's not insurmountable, of course, and it could be interesting to see how the submitted fiction gets over that hurdle.

Make sense?

And I don't want to see a dozen stories about Decaf Jane, ya hear?

cheers,
Arctic Sun


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
And I don't want to see a dozen stories about Decaf Jane, ya hear?

[/ QUOTE ]

o.o you have dashed our hopes quiet expertly sir, bravo!


I am Sleepy! Hear me Yawn!!
Veni, Vidi, Dormivi!
-Alpha Kitty of the Guardian chapter of the Legion of Catgirls
Never forget--Sleepy could conquer the world, if she could just stay awake long enough. =) -Llanwe

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Artic Sun - I'd really like to know if we can ONLY use known Praetorians or if we can create our own (eg Copper Shield as the Praetorian Blue Steel).

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, I was just waiting from the "nod from the powers above," as it were.

There are two questions I'm addressing here
1. - one is creating new Praetorians of signature characters (like the example above)
2. - the other is creating new Praetorians about *your* characters -- "Evil Arctic Sun," if you would (with a goatee). (He might have a nemesis called Arctic Moon...or maybe Antarctic Moon, but she'd be a hot supervillain...I digress).

The answer to question one is a very tenative/iffy "yes." It won't automatically disqualify you, but if Manticore has plans for Blue Steel's opposite, then he might nix your story. That's the risk you take if you feature a signiature hero (as opposed to using them as a guest star).


[/ QUOTE ]

OTOH, writing a story about a hyper-competent woman named Airuza who hoards magical artifacts in an impenetrable vault? That's a lot silly, but a little easier.

The further from the spotlight the subject, the more freedom you have with it.

[ QUOTE ]

And I don't want to see a dozen stories about Decaf Jane, ya hear?


[/ QUOTE ]

He wants three dozen.


 

Posted

What about making hero Preatorian Counterparts of your villains?


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
What about making hero Preatorian Counterparts of your villains?

[/ QUOTE ]

Wouldnt that make them good then?


 

Posted

I wouldn't mind seeing it happen.


 

Posted

Thanks for the update, Arctic.

Now I have no excuse not to write a submission.


 

Posted

thanks artic
now for my compelling epic about what exactly the opposite of an anti-hero/anti-villain is
Being pure evil is ridiculous and being pure good is lame
i mean, even statesman is a jerk


 

Posted

One quick question, does that mean I could have good Doctor Vahzilok? Because that's all the story I have in mind needs.


 

Posted

ya know Arctic as soon as you mentioned your evil twin with a goatee I thought of Space Ghost and his evil twin Chad.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
ya know Arctic as soon as you mentioned your evil twin with a goatee I thought of Space Ghost and his evil twin Chad.

[/ QUOTE ]
or that one south park episode...
or the star trek episode "Mirror Mirror"


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]

2. - the other is creating new Praetorians about *your* characters -- "Evil Arctic Sun," if you would (with a goatee). (He might have a nemesis called Arctic Moon...or maybe Antarctic Moon, but she'd be a hot supervillain...I digress)

The answer to #2 is a much heartier "yes," but the one major issue is that since no one but the creator knows about their personal character, there's no way for the reader to know that the Praetorian-world version of them is a flawed reflection of their normal character (or an improvement, for villains), unless the author shows us somehow. That's not insurmountable, of course, and it could be interesting to see how the submitted fiction gets over that hurdle.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sweeeeet *rushes to work on story now*!


Arc ID: 475246, "Bringing a Lord to Power"

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