Best short fictions suggestions?

[TheRealBigBoss]

In a nutshell, I'm looking for people to suggest the best short fan fictions ever posted on this forum for inclusion in a thread to introduce the Epic Gamers section to the world of Gears fan fiction. I'll elaborate more later by editing this post, but for now, basically, if you've read a really great short Gears fiction on this forum that you think should be included, feel free to suggest it here to be included in the sampler thread.

I can remember two fictions which I think offer some of the variety we're looking for...

Mi gears of wars 3 fan ficktion storytale - By TimIsWin

and...

George the Drone - By OZombiePenguinO

When suggesting stories, try and include a link if you can so people can check them out.

Probably didn't explain this all that well but I'll fix it up later. For now, just suggest cool short Gears fictions you've read.


Latest edit :

Current banners -

Survive - by Wisdom Thumbs



On the Beat - by Jonesybites



The Promise - by TheRealBigBoss



My Fan Ficktion Storytail - by TimisWin



Pariah - by Jay the Arbitar



Banners will be updated over time.




Current suggestions list categorized -

Official game characters -

Survive by Wisdom Thumbs

Day in A Life: Mataki by Croswynd

Locust fictions -

Butchered Grounds by Jay the Arbitar

The Rescue by Jay the Arbitar

Lost is Her Soul by Jay the Arbitar

A Pariah (DITL) by Jay the Arbitar

George the Drone by OZombiePenguinO

Seducing the Ogress by Jonesybites

Comedy -

Mi gears of wars 3 fan ficktion storytale by TimIsWin

Original characters -

Day in a Life: Sniper by SKORGE

The Promise by TheRealBigBoss

Uncategorized -

Charred Sin by SKORGE

On The Beat by Jonesybites

The Survivor by TheRealBigBoss



Seems kind of a short, shortlist.

Anyways, I didn't include anything that wasn't linked simply because I don't have time to search for stories, and we really need to be able to view something to evaluate it.

I was also unsure about whether certain fics fit into certain categories or not, as some feature both original characters and official game characters, some feature both Locust and COG, so anything I was unsure of went into the uncategorized category.

Also just wondering, does a six chapter story really count as a short?

Well, least we have an overview of what's available, I'll add in any more suggestions that pop up as we go.

Apologies if I've missed anything, trawling through threads copying links isn't as easy as you'd imagine.

Ok.

Isn't as easy as I imagined.

[Croswynd]

http://forums.epicgames.com/threads/...ing-Assignment - Wiz' entry

http://forums.epicgames.com/threads/734686-Charred-Sin - Charred Sin

http://forums.epicgames.com/threads/...-Day-In-A-Life... - On The Beat

Maybe my Mataki entry in my sig? I dunno, I find it the best thing I've written on the forum. Take that how you will.

[Jonesybites]

I suggest the following:

Day in a Life: Sniper SKORGE

The Survivor TheRealBigBoss

Day in A Life: Mataki Croswynd

...and for some Locust Horde Goodness;

Butchered Grounds Jay the Arbitar

Seducing the Ogress Me --although this piece may be a bit too raunchy, I dunno; I'll let y'all decide.

EDIT: Damn, I forgot about the contest entries. If we intend to use them, I would suggest they have their own thread.

[Croswynd]

I suggest the following:

Day in a Life: Sniper SKORGE

The Survivor TheRealBigBoss

Day in A Life: Mataki Croswynd

...and for some Locust Horde Goodness;

Butchered Grounds Jay the Arbitar

Seducing the Ogress Me --although this piece may be a bit too raunchy, I dunno; I'll let y'all decide.

EDIT: Damn, I forgot about the contest entries. If we intend to use them, I would suggest they have their own thread.

Won't be too difficult, honestly. But yeah, there's some gems in the contests.

[Jonesybites]

^Yes there are...I'm all for it. Speaking of which, did we set a number on how many, or is that still in the air?

[Jay the Arbiter]

Butchered Grounds? That's old that!

Well, I could submit "Redemption of Sin" by Skorge, as well as a few Shorts and one shots I'm quite happy with for the Locust Goodies. ;p

[Croswynd]

I heard 5. I think 5 is enough. Don't want to blow out their little 20 watt brains with too much amazing.

[TheRealBigBoss]

Yeah, just keep in mind the overall goal of this is to draw new people in, maybe people who normally wouldn't have any interest in fan fictions, which probably accounts for the vast majority of members on this forum to be honest. That said, I think it's about time I did a little self promotion here.

This, this is probably my favorite short fiction I've ever done...

The Promise

It's by no means perfect, but it has a very raw, vivid, and melancholic emotional punch to it, which I quite like. It also has the first appearance of Lt. Karl Revok, who's such a massive douche, that he makes Baird look like a total sweetheart.

But anyways, once we have a whole bunch of suggestions we can start narrowing them down to the final five.

[Jonesybites]

^You prefer "The Promise" over "The Survivor?"

[TheRealBigBoss]

^You prefer "The Promise" over "The Survivor?"

Well, The Survivor isn't really a short as it has more than one chapter. Plus, The Survivor was my first ever Gears fiction so I wasn't really all that experienced at writing fictions when I wrote it (and it was written before Gears 2+3 and the books/comics, so little was known about the Gears universe at the time). Guess I just feel like The Promise is "punchier" somehow, it's hard to explain.

Don't get me wrong, I like The Survivor, but it does have a very Gears 1 feel which seems strange now. I like how it features Marcus, Dom, Cole and Baird though, that's kinda cool.

Lol, just re-read The Survivor, and embarrassingly, there's kind of a Mary Sue thing going on in there too. Yikes!

[Jonesybites]

Well, if you feel "The Promise" to be the better of the two, then we'll use that one. Although, I would agree if the fiction was written before alot of the canon was established, then I too would be conscientious about posting it, so I can see where you’re coming from on that perspective.

[Croswynd]

Anyone else aside from us four have opinions? >>

[Wisdom Thumbs]

Cros' needs his Mataki short in there. That would rock.

Oh, but, uh... "Seducing the Ogress" is a no go. That's Advanced Level stuff there, and it looks to me like we want Beginner stuff.

[Croswynd]

So you're saying mine isn't Advanced Level? :P

[Jonesybites]

Nah, just no "adult oriented" content. ...but I agree, we need more opinions.

[Croswynd]

Nah, just no "adult oriented" content. ...but I agree, we need more opinions.

Well, my Mataki entry has rape in it, as well. Perhaps not so...detailed, but rape nonetheless.

[SKORGE]

I remember that, Boss.

Some epic nostalgia coming in right about now... which reminds me... I also think that one about the Medic/Nurse you wrote with Delta as her squad was pretty bad-ass!

Seducing the Ogress is also a nice addition...

[Jay the Arbiter]

It still counts as part of SK lore, though.

Would "The Rescue" and "Lost is Her Soul" be a little too high up as suggestions? I really liked those two. ;p

[Jonesybites]

Well, my Mataki entry has rape in it, as well. Perhaps not so...detailed, but rape nonetheless.

With the content in the game having a M rating, I would like to think that the fans have an understanding that any content in the GoW universe is just that...but I'll let the community decide.

[rusticangelic]

There are some really decent entries on the day in the life collab and they aren't too long to entice people. I really liked Cros' Mataki Entry, Jonesy's On the Beat, Jay's SK Pariah, Skorge's Sniper - that's only from the day in the life entries. You got some awesome writers here with some good quality writing to show off.

[TheRealBigBoss]

I remember that, Boss.

Some epic nostalgia coming in right about now... which reminds me... I also think that one about the Medic/Nurse you wrote with Delta as her squad was pretty bad-ass!

Seducing the Ogress is also a nice addition...

Yeah, the story with the medic and Delta was "The Survivor" SKORGE, Hannah Rhodes, remember her? She had a cameo in the epilogue to "Suffer Little Children" too. And she's back with Delta (ok, so Cole and Baird anyhow ) in "BEAST".

Regarding mature content, the game might be M rated, but the forum isn't. I think it might be a good idea to err on the side of caution with this, I mean we're talking about putting this stuff in a public spotlight, so playing it relatively safe might be a good idea.

Also, I guess I should point out what this isn't about. It's not about peer validation, it's not about who's the best, it's not about making anybody feel excluded or unworthy. It's solely about attracting new readers/writers by utilizing the best resources available to get the job done. And by attracting new readers/writers everybody wins, yay!

Me and Rusty were talking about having as broad a range of stories available to appeal to as many people as possible with going into overload. Here's the basic themes we came up with...

1. Official characters - A story featuring characters very familiar to those who've played the game (Marcus, Dom, Cole, Baird and so on). Fan service maybe?

2. Locust - Lot of Locust fans out there, we need something that can grab their attention.

3. Comedy - Everyone likes to laugh and have fun, don't they?

4. Original characters - Show the potentials what you can create if you put your mind to it.

5. Unknown.

So yeah, trying to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. None of this is written in stone or anything though, so suggestions welcome cause I never turn down a good idea.

Lol, and how come there's only around five people discussing this? It's like an episode of LOST or something.

[Croswynd]

We have to go back...to writing.

Jokes aside, are we forgetting anything? I noticed these are relatively new stories, aside from Jonsey's stuff, so are there any older shorts written by the Twelve we should include?

[rusticangelic]

I don't know much about the stories written by the twelve, any decent shorts?

[TheRealBigBoss]

The Twelve didn't really write shorts, just continuing stories mostly. In fact, I think there was a certain dislike for short stories back then, which didn't make me very happy.

And I'm writing "Viva La Baird" right now, it has a wilder vibe than I thought it might. Hmm...

[Jay the Arbiter]

I can appeal to The Locust Fans, a lot of Locust fictions, shorts and one shots tie back to me.

Speaking of the twelve, I should really get back into "The Three Fires" again, I was around Act 2 last I checked.

[Croswynd]

Well, we have a list of likely candidates, I think. How do we go about narrowing them down?

[Jonesybites]

Most of the earlier Fics were not short...but I agree with Boss' suggested theme's. I would suggest picking one story per theme, and if so desired, we can then decide if we want additional stories to the "list." I believe we can get away with eight entries for additonal diversity. Once we get that squared away, we'll need to decide on the "presentation."

[Croswynd]

First on the agenda then, let us have all the fics that involve the main cast. I put forward Wiz' contest entry that I linked earlier, since that's the only one I know that deals specifically with Dom and Marcus.

Do we have any other shorts with them? If so, please list them concisely.

[Jonesybites]

Other than Boss' newest addition, I can only think of a few that have the main cast in them, but they do not "focus" on the main cast.

[Croswynd]

You mean Viva La Baird?

Okay, between that and Wiz' contest entry, we're choosing?

[rusticangelic]

What about Cros' Mataki's entry? Or is Bernie's whole story classed as something outside the main game character story realm.

[Jonesybites]

You mean Viva La Baird?

Okay, between that and Wiz' contest entry, we're choosing?

I would suggest putting in both to appeal to the fan-base, but no more than two.

What about Cros' Mataki's entry? Or is Bernie's whole story classed as something outside the main game character story realm.

I made that suggestion earlier, but there was a concern with the content. Again, I'll let you guys make that call.

[Croswynd]

Personally I have o problem with releasing the Mataki entry as part of this, because I have warnings before the actual story warning peope about the content, but I hesitate to call her part of the main cast, just due to her hardly being seen in Gears 3. Most o her story is in the books, so I'd place it in another category if we decide it's good enough.

Alright, we picked both Viva la Baird and Wiz' assignment entry.

Next category is Locust.

I'm assuming George the Drone and something from Jay?

[rusticangelic]

agreed with your two options there, Cros, now the next decision is Which something from Jay do we pick?

[TheRealBigBoss]

Did I mention "Viva La Baird" features Sigma-One? Baird, Cole, Barrick and Brand? Anyways, don't have much time but I guess I should explain "the plan" in more detail.

1. Select around five stories that should hopefully promote Gears fiction and draw in new readers/writers. Optimistic, I know, but hey, I'm the optimistic type.

2. Create attractive banners for both the thread and each story. Guess that'll be my job then... yay me...

3. Approach certain artistic individuals (? ) and ask if they could help out by creating some artwork for each story. That's gonna be tough, just finding people will be tough, let alone getting them to participate. No promises on this one, but we'll try hard.

4. Create an intro or maybe an FAQ with the goal of making fictions as user friendly and appealing as possible. This still needs some thought.

5. Sit back and bask in the glory of all those appreciative posts from new readers loving our fictions. Lol, possibly the more realistic outcome is that the thread gets spammed by people looking for character codes and otherwise ignored, whilst we all go cry in a corner and gently sing "soft kitty" to ourselves.

So that's "the plan" so far, now I gotta go work and maybe try to finish "Viva La Baird".

[Jonesybites]

Did I mention "Viva La Baird" features Sigma-One? Baird, Cole, Barrick and Brand? Anyways, don't have much time but I guess I should explain "the plan" in more detail.

1. Select around five stories that should hopefully promote Gears fiction and draw in new readers/writers. Optimistic, I know, but hey, I'm the optimistic type.

2. Create attractive banners for both the thread and each story. Guess that'll be my job then... yay me...

3. Approach certain artistic individuals (? ) and ask if they could help out by creating some artwork for each story. That's gonna be tough, just finding people will be tough, let alone getting them to participate. No promises on this one, but we'll try hard.

4. Create an intro or maybe an FAQ with the goal of making fictions as user friendly and appealing as possible. This still needs some thought.

5. Sit back and bask in the glory of all those appreciative posts from new readers loving our fictions. Lol, possibly the more realistic outcome is that the thread gets spammed by people looking for character codes and otherwise ignored, whilst we all go cry in a corner and gently sing "soft kitty" to ourselves.

So that's "the plan" so far, now I gotta go work and maybe try to finish "Viva La Baird".

On the Beat also had some of the characters, but they were not primary focus, they were just there. Also Day in The Life: CIC controller featuered Miatheson, and it turned out to be an excellent piece.

I am at a loss for Locust entries other than we we have from the Voices form hell Collaberation. Seducing the Ogress may be a bit too risque, but we can't go wrong with one of Jay's shorts. Speaking of which, did Jay get any more entries fo his Soul Killer Collaberation?

...but anyhoot, here are my thoughts.

1. In-progress, although I would suggest posting a few more "entries" exclusionally for more diversity, but again, that's just my suggestion.

2. I would have to agree so that they are more "uniformed."

3. Agreeably, that will take time. If anything, perhaps a banner (which is not as time consuming) if applying art is not accessible. If anything, I would stronly suggest the authors of the chosen fics clean up their threads, especially since the forums have changed their formatting recently. That alone will make a world of difference.

4. We could probably pulll that off in a few days, a week at max, but I agree, it needs to be user friendly and not intimidating to new fans.

5. "Let the blood flow, boys"...ok I really don't see people tripping over themselves trying to venture into it, but I think we might be suprised.

[Jay the Arbiter]

SK Collab wise: Dragonzilla has submitted the first few parts to his entry and I'm confident Rust will get her entry in soon. () Same with Rak, I'm pretty certain once he gets the new chapter of Shattered World up, he'll have his entry in.

I think something from my SK lore would be a nice little addition for the Locust Category.

[Croswynd]

Pick your best shorts and we'll vote on 'em, Jay.

[Jay the Arbiter]

Shorts wise, I thought these three were my best:

The Rescue

Lost is Her Soul

A Pariah (DITL)

Again, out of the shorts or one-shots I've done, I felt the most chuffed with these three.

[Sgt. Grub k1ller]

My fic features Dizzy. Does that count as Original Characters?

Wait, you're looking for Good fiction? Never mind....

And I haven't read the others, aside from LihS, Jay. :/ I'd recomend it, though. Did you ever finish it?