Writing Season 4 Discussion Thread

[Malion]

I think its a good idea to have a thought of flashback set up JB... but I think planning anything else at this point is folly.
Juliet might not be where you want her to be.... physically. She might be on a trek to some mystery hatch, when you wanted her to save a drowning redshirt.

I personally have a flashback idea set up... but I think I'd better have multiple ones, just in case.

[Orson]

Originally Posted by JB_Sawyer

Dude fine that's your opinion. However I personally would feel more restricted should I not be able to focus on the character that I feel I can personally write best about and have the most ideas for. You're against pre-selection, fine, no arguments with that; but shouldn't you respect other people if they want to? If they have what they consider to be great ideas for that character? I certainly wouldn't want to hold that from anyone.

I see what you're saying, JB, and you can have a great idea for one specific character (I've got a great idea for one character), but the main focous of this is not the writers but the story and I think the importance should be on that, that we follow the story's path and how it is changing and devolping rather than having a set plan of who will do what. Because if an episode ended with a cliffhanger with Locke reurning or somethign, then the logical thign to do would have the next writer focous on Locke rather than them doing what they want to do. See what I trying to say?

[Malion]

Also... last bit.
I think, that since this isn't TV... we shouldn't be as limited.
Feel free to place your flashback in your character's early childhood, without fear of not giving the actor enough face time.... because he'll have no face here.

[JB Sawyer]

Originally Posted by Orson

I see what you're saying, JB, and you can have a great idea for one specific character (I've got a great idea for one character), but the main focous of this is not the writers but the story and I think the importance should be on that, that we follow the story's path and how it is changing and devolping rather than having a set plan of who will do what. Because if an episode ended with a cliffhanger with Locke reurning or somethign, then the logical thign to do would have the next writer focous on Locke rather than them doing what they want to do. See what I trying to say?

Yeah I get where you (and KoR and the rest) are coming from, but I think this is resting solely with preferences. I know that the story is the most important part, obviously it is, but I think it should also be up to the writer to depend on what they want to do at that specific time. I know there's the risk of Juliet, or whoever I'd want to have a centric on, not being where I'd like her to be when it comes to my time but I'd like that risk; and I'd be more than willing to take it. You see because I feel most connected to Juliet then I feel it'd be best for me as a writer to incorporate the something that you know most about, in the way that seems appropriate. I mean taking that Locke situation as an example, you wouldn't necessarily have to have a Locke centric but instead just involve Locke more in your on-island story and how his return, or whatever, impacts on your character. I see what you're saying, and to some extent I agree with it, but I think if someone knows where they want to go that should be respected.

[Malion]

Haha... believe me, I get you JB... my choice of possible centric is less than logical... but it's really what I most likely plan to do.
And I hope to make it work.

[E Pluribus Unum]

This all sounds great folks. Just thought I'd post so y'all know I'm on board and raring to go. Personally, I don't have a character preference so I think we should create rules, either allowing people to pre-select or not allowing it completely.

In my opinion, removing preselection from it will give us MORE freedom - as it allows the next chapter writer to be more flexible with their approach (i.e. if the next chapter is a Sawyer flashback and someone was to put him in a coma in the chapter before his centric then that would screw up the next writers options)

Also, it's all irrelevant now anyway - no one will pick Juliet with fear of backflash from JB. :P So I don't think we need to worry too much now

[The Wizard]

Originally Posted by JB_Sawyer

I'm Number 15!! You're number 16 Wiz. I know you're 85 but c'mon Wizzles even you should remember that

Oh yes! I was never trying to take your episode I just forgot how many there were in the season! :P

And also, just to put my opinion in on the subject, I am not creating any ideas in my head of what will happen in my episode, because that would not be very clever at all, as I'm the finale, I can have no idea of what is going to happen. It's alright imagining in your head where we could go with this and how amazing it could be, but don't start thinking about what is going to happen in yours until it is your turn.

[Verix]

Am i the only person bar Wiz (it would seem) to not have thought about my eppy yet? I figure that with one thing and another any character i might have wanted to go with will be taken and any plot ideas will be impossible to use... i'm planning on going with 'the journey' and letting my eppy take me where it will.

The only thing i would say is surely characters like Locke, Jack and Sawyer could get two flash episodes, i mean i think we'd benefit more from two Sawyer episodes than we would from say a Rose and Bernard episode that someone is forced to crowbar in come episode 14! By doing this we would also make the last episodes less predictable and as Malion mentioned we wouldn't get a Vincent flashback in the finale.

BTW i'm not saying a Rose+Bernard or indeed Vincent flash wouldn't work, they're just examples.

[Malion]

Well I made a list in the character pool... so even if you have the last episode... you should have 5 or so characters to choose from.
And I personally have my eye on a minor character for my episode.... seeing as the first few episodes shouldn't be too earth shaking.

[Beach Crew]

Verix, you're not alone. I haven't got a clue yet, lol.

[Malion]

The only reason I have a clue... is because I'm #2.
And barring Korvo doesn't kill everyone... I think I'm pretty safe with whoever I choose.

[Beach Crew]

Lol, I just tend to write on impulse. I can't think of ideas in advance, it doesn't work for me like that

Well, I do have a character I wouldn't mind picking y'all probably can't guess who...but tbh, I kinda wanna see what'll fit and so need the eppies before to plan

[Malion]

I understand... and I'm a planner.... not much of a doer though... I have about 10 or so diffferent Lost or non-Lost related stories floating around my head, and I don't know if I'll ever get around to them.
I just keep tweaking the plots of them... at night, I lie there... and I can't stop thinking about stories....
If only I had the attention span to actually write them.

[Orson]

I don't really have a clue. I just have a couple of ideas that I think would be fun to do but it all depends on where the story goes.