Round Four: Rise and Vote, gentlemen and scoundrels posted by Martin

At the risk of feeling like when I’m leading we go to vote fast, I think we’re ready to roll on this one. Urban Shockah—stand up and declare your intention. Rise to vote, sir.

Heat #2 (8 stories, 4 battles): While we could keep the matchup chart the way it has been (so, in other words, Rasputin would take on La Commune Planet in this heat), I thought, “why not just randomize it again?” I suggest that the I take the winners of the first four battles (since they included my Top 4 selections, even though they didn’t all make it) and you would take the bottom four (which had your Top 4 selections) and we’d order them, #1-4, and I’d match my #1 vs. your #4, and on up the line, until your #1 was battling against my #4. In fewer words, just like how we did it in heat #1.

The other looming issue is the adding of additional info to the story ideas. Clearly, some have been thought-out better than others, and some (the ones that fight the longest) have more info attached to them — but that shouldn’t necessarily be an advantage. (Or put another way, there should be some attempt to level the field a bit.) I propose that for this and the other heats, there should be some other requirements for the battle, other than the usual Pro/Con discussions.

For heat #2, I think the new requirement should be a description, preferably somewhat lengthy, of a main character. What do I mean by lengthy? I’m not entirely sure, but I’m thinking about one single-spaced page worth. (Too much? Too little?) And the character bio should, actually, not be about the plot of the story so much — that can come later. Instead, it should probably cover everything up until the story starts.

Heat #3 (4 stories, 2 battles): Along with the usual Pro/Con debates, and any other discussion about the characters that were created in the previous heat, we will also include a very brief plot outline, using the principles of the Sequence Method: a couple sentences for each sequence, and a couple sentences for the Point of Attack, Predicament, Main Tension, Point of No Return, First & Second Culminations, Third Act Twist/Tension, and Resolution.

Also: maybe this is where we detail some of the supporting characters as well. Perhaps not a page, but a couple paragraphs apiece. Or is that too much for this stage?

Heat #4 (2 stories, 1 battle): For the final battle, each of us will compose a lengthy and detailed treatment for each story — I’m thinking about 3 single-spaced pages worth. The treatment will cover the entire plot, in as much detail as is necessary to communicate both the actions and the atmosphere of the story. (Since these posts will no doubt be long, it should probably be one post per treatment.)

Anyway, that’s kind of what I was thinking. Suggestions?

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