LNH20: NHOP # 1

[Tom Russell]

On Saturday, November 8, 2014 11:02:06 PM UTC-5, Andrew Perron wrote:
> On 11/8/2014 7:56 PM, Tom Russell wrote:
> > On Saturday, November 8, 2014 7:20:39 PM UTC-5, Andrew Perron wrote:
> >> On 11/8/2014 2:53 PM, Tom Russell wrote:
> <snup>
> >>   > .... Hmm, you're probably right. I tend to think of the ACRA label as
> >>   > applying to particularly explicit sexual or violent content, or language--
> >>   > but I guess this does constitute violence of a sort, doesn't it? Sorry
> >>   > about that.
> >>
> >> Quite all right! It just definitely feels like "disturbing themes for mature
> >> readers". (Which makes me wonder if it's Lunaverse, but probably not.)
> >
> >I guess I see where you're coming from. It just didn't strike me as
>  > necessarily disturbing-- at least not any more disturbing than the Classic
>  > LNH version of Maggie, who had the same powers/transformation, and the same
>  > issues vis-a-vis her body image.
> 
> I've not read the original NHOP (I really should sometime), so I'm not sure if 
> it's to do with you getting better/describing it more evocatively. But it's 
> pretty dang disturbing.

I think I have gotten better at describing it.

I *think* the original NHOP is worth reading in its revised TEB edition (I want to say that I cut something like 60K words from the run), with the caveat that it's something I wrote twelve or thirteen years ago. It's more of a melodrama, and still a wee bit unfocused and clumsy even in the revised edition.

I'd suggest holding off on that though; it'd be interesting and helpful to me to see how someone who is both (1) well-versed in the LNH and (2) not familiar with the previous incarnation reacts to this one, and I'm pretty sure the overlap in that particular Venn Diagram is not particularly large.

This series, it should be clear, is not retelling the previous NHOP storyline, but largely shares something of the tone and character relationships of the Classic LNH version. Some of the character histories are a little different, and in some cases that necessitated some dramatic shifts to how those characters behave, present themselves to others, perceive those others. (Those who are familiar will likely note that Lily is quite a bit different, and a lot of that has to do with when she got her powers and when she was born.) So it might be beneficial for you to experience the LNH20 version without having that "Oh, but in the Classic LNH, she was like /this/" going on in the background. (And, like I said, it would certainly be beneficial to me.)

>  > I'll probably flag future issues with an ACRA though as the series will
>  > likely lean heavily towards horror-flavored adventure/mystery (with
>  > comical, character-based shenanigans). I'm aiming for something
>  > lighthearted, but spooky. We'll see how well I do-- lightness never being
>  > my forte.
> 
> I think you're good at being light; The Red Hart has really good comedic 
> parts,

Thank you very kindly.

> would say your trouble is combining it with the "raw human emotion" stuff you 
> also really like - mixing light and dark.

Fair point.
 
> >> I'm just not sure quite how to interpret "didn't want anything to do with".
> >
>  > I think it's a fairly common idiom-- at least it is in the Midwest-- if
>  > someone "doesn't want anything to do with" or "wants nothing to do with"
>  > someone, they don't associate with, and distance themselves from, the
>  > second party.
> 
> Oh, yeah. I was wondering more if they actually blamed her, or if it was more 
> of a "too painful" thing.

That's a good question-- it might very well be the latter, but from Maggie's point of view, it's going to look like the former in either case.

> 
> Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, poking at the details

Poke away. :-)