I Hraet You -- An Inquisition

So if you’ve seen this blog for any amount of time (as in the amount of time it takes to let your eyes rove across the top half of any given page) you may know that I’ve had this little thing called I Hraet You on-site for a while now.  A long while.  If you’ve actually clicked on the thing, you may know that it’s what I tentatively call a “web serial novel” -- if only because I lack a better phrase.  If you didn’t know, then…well…it’s what I tentatively call a “web serial novel” -- if only because I lack a better phrase.

It’s my intent to try and make IHY something semi-noteworthy on the internet, as part of that whole “build an authorial platform” thingamajig.  It’s also my intention to keep writing chapters for IHY; I’ve got a fair number of wacky ideas and characters I’m hoping to get integrated as soon as possible (if you’ve read the latest chapter, you may know there’s a killer robot heading to Porbeagle).  So yeah, I’m excited about that.  But the thing that I want and need to prioritize is letting people know that IHY exists.  And beyond that, I want to try and bridge the gap between the writer and the audience.  I know there’ll always be a gap, and that creative vision > fan demand, but success should come from both presenting something worthwhile AND being mindful of, if not amicable with, an audience.

Which brings me to today’s post -- and a question I want to ask you intrepid visitors of Cross-Up.

If there’s one thing that I hold dear above every other story element, it’s a cast.  I’ve gone on record saying that if you can’t make a story with a good main character (or good characters in general), then you might as well not write a story at all.  I stand by that opinion; how well of a job I’ve done may be up for debate, but I wouldn’t have written nearly sixty chapters if I didn’t think Lloyd was a good character.  The same goes for his friends and family; good characters make for potential that can be tapped, or at least have potential that a savvy writer can unlock by story’s end.  That much we can agree on, I hope.

If you’re reading this blog, then there’s no doubt in my mind you have your own favorite characters, and your own favorite stories.  Expectations, experiences, and opinions shaped by years of storytelling engraved into your heart and mind.  Whether you’re the creative sort or just like seeing others spin their writing wheels, all of us have that spark of ingenuity inside us to dream up something interesting.

That’s something I know and believe -- now more than ever, since I started using the internet in earnest.  But in the context of my writing adventures, I’m still unsatisfied.  Not because of my technique (which I admit could use some work), or because I’m not a member of the Author Pantheon that I want to be.  For the purposes of IHY, I need to bridge the gap.  I need to connect with audiences -- readers, and unmistakable dreamers -- in ways I never would have thought possible.  The question was, how could I do that? 

I might have an answer.  The key element I might be missing is “interactivity.”  And to that end, here I am with a question.

If I were to announce an I Hraet You Character Creation Contest, how many of you would be interested in participating?

I’m not about to commit to anything just yet, especially if there’s no one who actually cares.  But I think it’s an interesting idea; it’s a chance to see one’s characters realized in written form.  It’s a chance to reward creativity.  It’s a chance to…okay, maybe not win money, but it’s the thought that counts.  What’s important is that I want to see what others are capable of, and build a bond between myself and readers.  It’s one thing to go “Hey!  Get in here and read my story!”  It’s another to say “Hey!  Be a part of this story -- because now it’s 4% yours!”

So I’ll go ahead and leave the door cracked on that opportunity.  If you’re interested, say so.  If not, then that’s all right, too.  I promise you, if things go exactly as planned neither you nor I will be left wanting for crazy characters.  But the option is open. 

Question is, are you in or out?