telophase | (no subject)

(no subject)

Well, the next Tokyopop manga competition started up yesterday and closes Feb 15th or so and I have no story. Well, I do have *one* story, but it calls for a style I can't quite do yet and I'd rather wait until my M4DZ INKING 5KILLZ are better, plus it's a pseudo-historical Middle Easternish fantasy-ish type thing and I'd rather do something contemporary and shoujo-ish. Anyone got a 15-20 page story just lying around? An idea? Anything? Bueller? Bueller?

I was thinking over past winners and the genres, and the one genre that's really popular in manga that hasn't been seen in the RSOM winners is shounen-ai. I have no idea if it's because they're steering away from that (they're publishing it now, so I can't see that as the reason) or if it's because they just haven't received any good ones. Too bad I have NO IDEAS WHATSOEVER.

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I seriously doubt anyone has any anti-shonen-ai prejudice at T-pop. I bet they haven't got many submissions of it, or all the ones they got were basically all porn and no story and were horrible.

I do know they get way more shonen than shojo submissions in general; this is very likely also true for Rising Stars, although the genres which actually win seem fairly blanced.

I've had a feeling that when they judge, they try to go for that balance, so if I submitted, say, a giant-robot story, for the most part I'd basically only be competing against all the other giant-robot stories. And due to the lack of shounen-ai, if I could come wih with a couple of characters and do a short story (provided that I managed to correct my deficiencies :), I'd have a slightly better chance than if I submitted the sort of story they see a lot of. But that's me, attempting to analyze my way to a win. ;)

I also somehow feel a lot better now that my goal is to show them what I can do, rather than attempt to sell the story, per se. Still doesn't help me over the fact that I don't *have* a story, but I'll whine annoyingly about that for a while until I get an idea, whereupon I'll start whining about something else.

The more Bchan works with TPop I have the feeling they have NO IDEA what they want. I should send you some of the e-mails get from his editor. They are poorly written and very confusing. Just do your best.

Also, I remember the first rising star book one of the winners submitted a fairy tale, The Little Match Girl. You can always resort to that type of story, preferably something really gruesome by the Brothers Grimm.

"...and then the wolf stripped the flesh from Little Red Riding Hood's bones and ran off with the woodcutter and they lived HAPPILY ~~and smuttily~~ EVER AFTER!"

Good ending, now work on the beginning.

I'd read it! But yeah-- new twist on an old story is a tried-and-true technique, and might have more of a ready-made audience.

I keep wanting to submit stuff for that but never do...I REALLY hope you do though your art is so awesome. and your art + boy boy love= teh bestthing evar! just kidding I mean it would be cool but I really think you could totally do it !!!!!

Thanks! I've had my stuff looked at by Tokyopop - one of the editors came by Wizard World Arlington here a few weeks ago and critiqued what I had, so while I wouldn't have been competitive with what I had, I know what wo work on, so I think I'll have a potential chance if I do this and finish it.

If any of that made any sense. :)

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