Noir type game

[RedEve]

Maltese Falcon?

It's in my post! :)

[Chrystal]

DUR! *facepalm*

I'm going blind in my old age!

[Ascia]

I'm actually allergic to first person. =)

[RedEve]

I'm actually allergic to first person. =)

You should have that looked at!  ;)

[Ascia]

I should. Then I could read more Faulkner.

[Chrystal]

*giggles* Can't help thinking that saying "I'm allergic to first person" is really asking to break out in a rash!

Now if you had said "One is alergic to first person", that would be better.

Still it's not as bad as saying "I never use first person" which is clearly an oxymoron!

Sorry, I'll stop now.... *wanders off looking puzzled....*

[Ontan]

Okay, I has a question, which is in my head after reading Otan's character sheet aloud in my best imitation of a Bronx accent...

Yes! That is the correct way to read it!

Noir films are invariably narrated in the first person.

"I was sittin' in the bar mindin' my own business when up walks dis dame, see?" In the style of the pulp detective novels of the time.

What are people's thoughts on this? I know a lot of people find writing in First person to be uncomfortable, so I'm really just asking if people think it would add a nice feel to the game, and if people would like to give it a go?

It works when you’re the sole author (e.g. conventional stories, character sheets for RP, etc.), but it can get weird in group RP situations, especially when you need to resolve certain actions for the story to move along.

The biggest pitfall is trying to depict significant negatives – for example, a character failing to notice something. What do you write if someone pickpockets your character without them noticing? Saying something along the lines of “I was so busy fumbling around for my badge, I never notice them palming my house keys” throws up all kinds of bizarre inferences (namely that the narrator eventually discovered the theft), while deliberately omitting an unseen act can be a little ambiguous. It might also be a bit underwhelming to simply not mention another player's action.

Just a thought, of course. I'm not averse to reading first person, and there are ways of working around problems like this, but it might be a headache for whoever's doing the writing.

[Ascia]

*giggles* Can't help thinking that saying "I'm allergic to first person" is really asking to break out in a rash!

Now if you had said "One is alergic to first person", that would be better.

Still it's not as bad as saying "I never use first person" which is clearly an oxymoron!

Sorry, I'll stop now.... *wanders off looking puzzled....*

Ah. Choo.

>>

[Beguile's Mistress]

Here's a small idea for early posts to fit with this.  George has turned in for work tonight with a limp and a black eye.  He's not himself.  When Charlie talks to him, he tells her he's been warned off taking the little bets he used to run for Silvio, because a new illegal gambling franchise is taking over.  (He could have been told 'Theo' or not, as you want).  How would that be? 

That's a great way to work his situation into the story.  *makes a note of it so I don't lose track*

[Chrystal]

Ontan raises a valid argument.

Generally, first person narrative works when written from the point of view of recording what happened at a later date, say as a diary entry, or when writing one's memoirs. It works well if all parties agree that it is the ideal way to write the story. But it does have short-comings, even with solo-writing: how do you depict "off scene" events that directly impact the plot? The only real way is to break into third person for those scenes, or do as writers from the late 19th century such as H.G. Wells would do and "hand over" the narative to someone else...

First person also gets a little awkward when your character ends up dying!

Like I said, it was just a suggestion, possibly not a particularly good one.

[GnothiSeauton]

Just putting in my two cents here...

I think it should be up to the writer as to which perspective to write in.  Generally, I dislike writing in first person.  I do it from time to time, like I did with my character sheet, to get into the character and his mindset while also using it as an advertisement of sorts for possible connections and such.  A peak into his mindset.

Writing posts, and for that matter, larger pieces, I have an immensely difficult time writing in first person.  It just never feels right, and I end up having to go back and change two tons of stuff.  Personally, I feel a little limited when writing in first person for some reason.  But that's just me.

[Ascia]

Ontan raises a valid argument.

Generally, first person narrative works when written from the point of view of recording what happened at a later date, say as a diary entry, or when writing one's memoirs. It works well if all parties agree that it is the ideal way to write the story. But it does have short-comings, even with solo-writing: how do you depict "off scene" events that directly impact the plot? The only real way is to break into third person for those scenes, or do as writers from the late 19th century such as H.G. Wells would do and "hand over" the narative to someone else...

First person also gets a little awkward when your character ends up dying!

Like I said, it was just a suggestion, possibly not a particularly good one.

It was a good idea! That first person narrative is very much part of Noir. I'm sure I'll even do 'thought bubbles', like in comics, which are first person.

[Ascia]

Here's a small idea for early posts to fit with this.  George has turned in for work tonight with a limp and a black eye.  He's not himself.  When Charlie talks to him, he tells her he's been warned off taking the little bets he used to run for Silvio, because a new illegal gambling franchise is taking over.  (He could have been told 'Theo' or not, as you want).  How would that be?

Could be fun, especially if it was Theo's people. Her reaction would be fun to write.

[Chrystal]

Unless I have a specific reason to do otherwise I nearly always state that players mat write in whatever tense and voice they feel most comfortable with. Which usually results in people using third person past tense.

I'm probably going to use 3-past myself, I was just wondering if it might give a more pulp feel to things if some people used first...

Yes! That is the correct way to read it!

*giggles*

Sadly my Bronx accent is taken from movies and cartoons... But it seemed like the right thing to do...

[Beguile's Mistress]

I do fairly well with first person past.  With one narrator it can work in a group game but more than one writing in first can get confusing I think.

[RedEve]

Just a general heads up: I am still waiting for one or two character sheets, but I hope to get the IC thread up either tomorrow or Saturday.

[Chrystal]

Great! *gets the coffee on, and warns the chef to get the griddles hot*

[Green Goo Theory]

Just a general heads up: I am still waiting for one or two character sheets, but I hope to get the IC thread up either tomorrow or Saturday.

I'm just completely stuck.  That is if I'm the one of the two you're waiting on.  Sorry about all that. 

[Chrystal]

What sort of character were you thinking of making? Perhaps we can help?

[RedEve]

And we're off:

IC thread

OOC thread