in which i write a prequel

Ficlets is this cool collaborative writing project that I occasionally play with as I work out my creative writing muscles. Ficlets takes the philosophy that creativity is born of necessity and applies it ruthlessly: writers only get 1024 characters — not words, but characters — to tell a little bit of a story.

Where Ficlets really shines, though, and what makes it so unique and inspiring, is that it’s a collaborative writing process; each story has a link attached to it that can be used to write a prequel or sequel to any of the stories people submit (which are all released under a creative commons license.) Stories can have lots of different prequels and sequels, too, as each ficleteer finds and expresses their own inspiration.

There have been some fantastic prequels and sequels written around some of the stories I’ve put up there, but today was the first time I was ever inspired enough to write one of my own.

Last night I saw that Will Hindmarch (a very creative a hoopy frood) had written a really quirky and awesome story. I instantly wanted to build upon it, but nothing came into my mind. I told my brain to run it as a background process until it returned something useful, and at 7 this morning I suddenly woke from a deep sleep with the entire idea fully formed (core dumped, if you will) in my head.

Because the ficlets are so short, it’s not really practical to excerpt them, so I’ll just direct you to Will’s story, A Loaded Gun in the Mailbox, which you should read first, and my story, An Unremarkable Factory.

The challenge I gave myself was to not just write an interesting piece of fiction inspired by Will’s, but to also write it in a style that flowed well with his. At the risk of sounding entirely too pleased with myself, I’m very happy with the result.

If you want to take the Creative Commons experience all the way, listen to tracks five and six of Nine Inch Nails’ Ghosts I while you read mine. I had them on while I wrote it.

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31 thoughts on “in which i write a prequel”

  1. That’s the thing that separates good prequel/sequels from great ones on Ficlets: writing in the same style as the original story.
    I shake my head sadly each time I see a totally unthoughtful prequel or sequel up there.
    yours, by the way, as you may already know, is teh hawesome.

  3. I must say, everytime I come here, you’ve got something even more neat than last time.
    Love your prequel, love the original. I now have a new site I must visit regularly.
    Thanks!

  5. Hey Wil. Nice story. Also, thanks for telling me about this site. I have always had a secret ambition to write, but wasn’t sure where I could do it. I Just wrote my first story. Hopefully people will read it and I can get some good feedback.
    http://ficlets.com/stories/29576
    Thanks again Wil. 🙂

  6. I just want to say that I had no idea anyone else used the phrase “hoopy frood” besides me. I haven’t even heard it at science meetings or SF cons.
    I like the ficlet, the story, your prequel, and in fact the entire concept of ficlets. I may have to try my hand at this…

  7. While I wasn’t totally enthralled with the music itself on Ghosts, I love the innovative approach, not just to the release, but the idea that it was intended as the seed of collaborative works. I know Trent intended for it to be a film soundtrack to unmade movies, but I immediately wondered if he’d appreciate stories written while listening to it. See, I have good ideas once in a while!

  8. Meh – I didn’t quite get it.
    But then again, I’m obtuse.
    How’s that for people who criticize us and say that we posters always suck up to Uncle Willy?

  10. @Mad Monk: Heh. That’s the awesome thing about works of art: they’re not for everybody. Hell, if I made something that was universally liked by everyone, it would . . . well, it would make me rich, for sure, but it would likely be pretty bland and uncontroversial.
    You know, I don’t know where people get this “everyone sucks up to Wil” thing, and I certainly hope that people who read my blog and post comments know that all are welcome here, as long as you’re not a dick.
    @kaellenn18: I like Will’s stories so much, I’ve subscribed to them in bloglines.

  11. Already in love w/ ficlet. Signed up and already wrote something.
    Thanks for sharing this – I’m telling everybody I know.
    And this prequel of yours is so very good…definitely sets up a whole new tone and direction for the original piece.

  12. Very nice, Wil! I don’t know if I like the prequel to your piece, but I liked several of the sequels to the “original” piece. And of course that original piece was excellent. I love the twist you get from “Finally.”

  13. Wil, that’s awesome. I would comment on it there, but I don’t want to take the time to register.
    Also, I have to ask… when the fuck are you going to just give in, and have WilWheaton.net point to this blog already??

  14. Wil,
    Awesome! I wonder though, did you intend for the feel of the last paragraph to diverge a bit from Will’s piece as you hit us with the big reveal? It’s subtle, but I think there’s room to tighten up that last bit to really hit those comma’d ‘beats’ that Will seems to have in his.
    But then again, I think it stands really well has having a little different feel at the end given the nature of the reveal.
    I also agree with Ryan re: the redirect.

  18. Oops, I think. Banzai, you either have me confused with the very talented Wil Upchurch (of MIDNIGHT fame) or you’re one of a few people who know to make that joke to me ’cause I used to get confused with him all the time. I worked on Vampire: The Requiem (though I did do one Midnight book back in the day). Either way, I’m glad you liked the work!

  19. Now that you post that Will, it’s odd, both your names rattle around in my brain. And I can’t *quite* recall where I’ve seen each. But I know to look for yours again.
    And no doubt I’ve seen your name on the Vampire stuff.

  22. Dammit, Wil. All the times I’ve glanced at Ficlets and said, “Eh, maybe later” and moved on… Now you’ve made me stop and read some really excellent stories. Now I know that the point is not only to write, but to interact with other people’s writing. Now my brain is starting to itch. It’s a good itch, but I have some actual paying work I’m supposed to be getting done. I guarantee you’ll see me there later, though.
    BTW, have you ever checked out the “Blog for a Beer” Fridays at Fantasy Magazine (www.fantasy-magazine.com OR http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy)? Some weeks they throw out a topic for discussion; some weeks they just open up the thread and you can post bits of whatever you’re working on or thinking about. Grand prize? Ten bucks, if they have at least ten entries.

  23. Wil,
    Both stories are great. I thought the way you matched the feel of Wills writing really helped make it more cohesive.
    And everyone else can skim past this part where I do the whole “Omg!1!!!100!!!!01!”, because you listen to Ghosts. Um yeah Ghosts on so many levels has made me its bitch.
    As an artist words and music play a big part in my work and can have a great effect on me. As I was listening to Ghosts and reading both ficlets I got really intense images in my head. Sort of a Sin City meets Shepard Fairey style of stuff. Thanks for giving my brain some great food for thought on what was a really dry day for me.
    I’ve been thinking about doing a piece on Ghosts II 10. After reading your ficlet all I can see in my minds eye now is a large pair of hands wearing welders gloves bringing down a large mallet on to a metal form containing pieces of a gun. With every hit deep orange sparks fly off. Is the music helping the craftsman create the gun or the gun helping to create the music?

  24. This inspired me to start writing on ficlets. I love the character limit idea, it’s so good for spontaneous bursts of creative whatever. I’ve done three of them already today!
    Awesome. To the max.

  25. Ok, Wil. I did my best to combine both your prequel and the sequel, while attempting to maintain the tone you two established. Not sure I nailed the tone, but hopefully you like the result nonetheless. Check it out, if you’re interested.

  26. Okay, now I’m addicted to Ficlets. I’ve written three stories just today (including the one in my previous post here).
    Thanks, Wil. Thanks for giving me yet another addiction.
    😉

  27. I’ve spent a bit of time with this now, and I think I like it now. It’s clever.
    I like the idea that brevity is key to communication. Neither of you spent a chapter bringing us to your storyline; that’s what really works here.

  30. Thanks for the turn-on to Ficlets. As a published creative writer who’s been experiencing some writer’s block of late, it’s just what I needed to break out of my unwelcomed funk. So far, I’ve published an original Ficlet and wrote a sequel to a sequel written as a spin-off to your Ficlet titled “Real Life.” In turn, the author of the first sequel has picked up where mine left off and added another installment, which has my mind churning, trying to piece together the next episode in Gary’s life. I think a very interesting character is being developed as a result of your first introduction to him. If you happen to check out where we’ve taken it, I’d be interested in hearing your opinion on what we’ve done with your idea. All for now.

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