Hannibal's Wordsmithing--join me in a work of art! (M looking for Any)

Started by HannibalBarca, March 22, 2013, 10:27:10 AM

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HannibalBarca


Show me the man you honor, and I will know what kind of man you are.
--Thomas Carlyle




Welcome, one and all, to my collected information on who I am, what I like and don't like, what to expect of me and what I expect of you, and some of the stories I'd love to write with you.


First, about me:

Let me just say that if you can get through everything I have written here, you're likely my kind of writer.  I'm a 48 year old man who has written for 39 years.  I have published some short stories in some very small press magazines, for little or no money, but have no other publishing credits other than some articles on some RPG sites several years ago.  I've written on E for over four years, and I have the desire to continue to write in-depth, complex characters and plots.  I have played tabletop RPGs, primarily AD&D, Gamma World or Star Frontiers, since I was ten.  I've also played MMORPGs (World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, D&D Online, Lord of the Rings Online), though I devote much more time to writing than playing games.  They are a useful pastime, and the total immersion is relaxing for me on occasion.  Much more enjoyable, however, is to immerse myself in a story with a like-minded person!

Similar to my namesake, I like the idea of the hopeless cause, and for the historic Hannibal Barca, his was such if ever there was one.  For those who don't know that there was a Hannibal before the Cannibal one (or the A-Team one), Hannibal was that Hannibal that crossed the Alps into Roman territory to attack them and get them to back off of his city-state, Carthage.  He ultimately failed, but is still one of the greatest, if not the greatest general of any age.  I won't go into detail, but if you've ever heard someone mention the 'Pincers Tactic' in a battle (or Double Envelopment for the technically minded), that was originally him.  Honor (a virtue combining respect and responsibility--of doing what is necessary and out of a sense of duty to others) is a big thing with me and with most of my characters, and Hannibal lived his life honorably, which is the biggest reason I honor him by using his name as my moniker.

If you got through that, you probably realize I am an historian, from ancient times to WWII.  Traumatic and tempestuous times bring out the best and worst of humanity, and so do similar plots for the characters who reside within them.  I don't expect those I write with to be masters of history, but I do get ideas myself from historical events on occasion, so if something seems familiar, it very well might be.

BTW:  I've been asked, "Why black cats?  Aren't cats primarily thought of as feminine?"  My artistic sense, combined with a pet cat named Baby, found the variety of expression shown in the black cat pictures irresistible, not to mention the love of my former pet in general.  I've had more dogs as pets than cats, but Baby was just...awesome; more like a dog in behavior than a cat, but still with that streak of irrepressible individuality dogs tend not to have.


Second, my rules:

I will write with anyone regardless of sex or gender.  If you can write well, I'm satisfied.  I do expect a level of grammar, syntax, and spelling that marks you as competent with the English language.  I love writing with writers from nations and languages other than mine (USA/English), but of course, the communication must be clear for the experience to be to my (and our) satisfaction.  I will only write in the third person, past tense, unless there is a very good reason to do otherwise.

I prefer writing through PMs or forums.  I like our writing being saved as a collected whole, and to make that simpler, I don't use IMs like Microsoft or Yahoo Messenger, or other chat-type services.  When I write, I tend to produce 3-4 paragraphs or more, sometimes the equivalent of 2 pages or more...I once started a story with a six-page entrance post.  When writing with me, expect sentence length variety, but lots of long sentences filled with detail and action.  I love the written word, so if you're into less dense writing, I'm likely not your cup of tea.  I almost never write one paragraph or less...unless the situation calls for it.  If you are in the middle of a soliloquy or a major piece of exposition, I'll reply with what is necessary and not cramp your style.  I ask only for the same.  I'm not as bothered by short responses, but only when necessary or required.  Continued one sentence responses send me the message that you're not interested in writing anymore.  It is much better to contact me OOC and discuss any problems you have.  I'll be honest and up-front with you; please do the same for me.

As for my response time...that depends on RL, which, as I'm sure you know, is not under our control for the most part.  As my work has become more demanding, I'll be posting less than I have in the past.  I can respond multiple times a day very rarely, and don't count on it for any extended length of time.  Otherwise, my response time is one of the major flaws in my writing RPs.  I very often take two weeks or more to respond, even over a month.  Writing with me can be an exercise in patience, but I believe it is worth waiting for.  Likewise, I'm glacially patient when it comes to my partners responding--I dislike hypocrisy, and I'll never consider our RP over unless you specifically tell me it is so.  For me, an unfinished RP is just that--and I always leave the door open to continue it, even if you happen to disappear for several months.  It's happened before, and I've picked the RP back up with that partner, though after we've both re-read it to refresh the storyline in our minds.


Third, my primary interests:


Genre|Examples
Low Fantasy|Game of Thrones
High Fantasy|The Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time
Sword & Sorcery|Conan novels, Lankhmar stories
Science Fantasy|Star Wars
Soft Science Fiction|The Foundation Trilogy, BattleStar Galactica
Dystopian Worlds|The Matrix, Blade Runner
Apocalyptic Earth|Mad Max, Shadowrun, ummm...remember Thundarr the Barbarian? but adult...
Modern World|Romance, Conflict, Struggles of life—but on the Earth of today
Time/Planar Travel|The Chronicles of Amber, Elric/Corum, Time Bandits
Historical Fiction|Fictional characters in historical settings
Alternate History|AKA counterfactual history, the classic What If... plots

Note:  These are not necessarily stories, films, or games I have read/seen/played, but simple examples of the kinds of genres I enjoy to write.  I have changed my former restriction on playing in previously created worlds because, to be honest, using someone's already-built world is a time saver.  I do have some of my own original worlds I like to play in, but I'm fine with running a RP in the Star Wars universe, or something like the Marvel Universe for original characters.  I don't play canon characters.  I enjoy my own creations, thank you very much.

Regardless of genre, I like complex and sprawling worlds and plots, and growing in detail and skill as we write together.  I like ruins of the ancients, lost technology just rediscovered, heroes who fail but succeed in failure, villains you feel pity for or can't help but love, clever teachers and mentors who offer guidance on life and live it themselves--or battle to do so consistently, feral villains and heroes, nice-guy heroes and villains, conflicted characters battling their own inner demons(and outer demons too), demon characters battling their own inner conflicts (and outer conflicts too), strong male and female characters—strong in willpower and attitude, over-the top but well-choreographed battle scenes, and incredible, world-shaking sex when it is appropriate to the plot (romantic, vanilla or smutty).
“Those who lack drama in their
lives strive to invent it.”   ― Terry Masters
"It is only when we place hurdles too high to jump
before our characters, that they learn how to fly."  --  Me
Owed/current posts
Sigs by Ritsu