Dollieh Sanctuary

For a very long time? Ever look at your cast and wonder what to do with them? I don't know if I have no ideas or too many for my dolls. What do you do to get unstuck?

Lol, get a new cast member!

But I don't usually get stuck. My only problem is that I'll take pictures and not be happy with them. I just took pics of D'mitri in the rain, but the pictures are all blurry. So I don't share them.

Lately, I don't plan out any photostories. They just come to me randomly and if I like it enough, I grab the camera and tripod out. I do notice that I tend to spontaneously snort when a good idea gets to me, though.

Dark Angel wrote:Lol, get a new cast member!

I'm up to making new cast members but that hasn't done much, I get bits of stories but then I feel I need a larger story to fit the part in to. There's practically no more room at the inn for new members, which is why I'm working to update older ones like the Clueless girls, and I've been trying to play with them to get ides going.

It feels like there's a story in front of me but I can't see it.

Yes! This year especially, nothing I've come up with has really jelled as a concept. I wish I could tell you how I got unstuck but that hasn't happened yet. There are plot elements, characters and background ideas but how they fit together is still pretty vague.

Inspiration comes from strange sources. I decided that I'd like to work on my old Masked Germanic Archetype project again after I found some ammo pouches on sale. Ideas about the physical setting of the story came to me while working in the yard. I find that if it's any good, the story will usually sort itself out. That kind of makes me wonder if any of my current ideas are all that good, though.

I have a story half written for Shriara and my new Tae, Girard. I know where they have to get to and stories after this one, but I find transition stories difficult. I have drawn out a time-line in my notebook to make notes on. I am going to work on the floor for my room-box today and hope the ideas will start flowing.

I'm in the middle of that right now... Putting my Yuu in a new wig and stuff kinda helped for taking some photos, but nothing story-wise....

The problem with me is that I have a story. It's just getting all the props, setting, clothes and characters together.

maywong wrote:The problem with me is that I have a story. It's just getting all the props, setting, clothes and characters together.

True 'dat! Prop and set building have killed a few good ideas I've had over the years. Back when I was taking photos with my old Sony camera, I got pretty good at the tight focus shot with an indistinct background. It was easier to use close ups than to build a set.

As far as props, I've dropped a few ideas because the thought of building multiple copies of some "ideal" item was daunting. For example, I had an idea that would've required a squad of soldiers in several scenes. I studied a lot about weapon design, helmets and body armor, then scouted around looking for things I could use to build my props and/or people to commission for some of the work (like sewing). Then, I asked myself why I needed to go to such efforts for what was basically a supporting element and just purchased modern-ish 1/6 scale stuff from various on-line retailers. While I felt it was lazy and not really what I had envisioned, it probably worked fine in the context of the story.

to get the ideas flowing, it may help to just shoot the bits of stories, short scenes. if nothing comes, least you'll have a short story, perhaps even a funny one. and you can always use the pics for one-off random conversations later!