I’m constantly hitting roadblocks with Captain’s Log and I could use a little advice.
I’m not a creative writer nor do I want to be. I’ve had the PDF copy off the since July (then eventually received the book) and have read Chapters 5 & 6 several times over. Yet, I’m finding myself stuck in scenes and never finishing the first act.
Any advice on how to connect the mission with the incident and theme? For example, here is the correct mission I am working on:
MISSION: AID & RELIEF / PLOT COURSE FOR CONVOY.
INCIDENT & THEME: MEDICATE / ROGUE SUPERWEAPON.
COMPLICATION: SHATTERED CHAIN OF COMMAND
EVENT ENCOUNTER : DEEP SPACE / A MASSIVE BIOLOGICAL ENTITY
INTENT ON DEVOURING EVERYTHING IN SIGHT.
I’m just having difficulty finding the flow of the adventure.
Good news! No need to be. You just have to be a writer which – apparent in you opening a thread here in writing – you already are!
My advice: Don’t try to be creative. Just write down what is. If you cannot pin down already what acutally is/happens in the mission, try to pin it down with the Five Ws: Who/What/When/Where/Why. Or, shorter: “What happens and why?”
What is the superweapon? Why is it rogue? Why does it need to be medicated? (seems like a really interesting superweapon, that thing!)
With these questions answered, you already have enoug material for a first “opening log entry”, I think. Just try to explain (to yourself, your notebook or to us in the forums [even if you never end up posting anything!]) the answers to these questions, beginning with “Captain’s Log, Stardate *****.*—We have been tasked with…”
If this is too much creative writing, pin down some notes anyway. Maybe even switch medium (type instead of scribble, scribble instead of typing etc.), it really can change everything (at least for me, lol).
Maybe this already helps to get you immersed and think about this massive biological entity you encounter in space.
Ok! Thanks for the advice. I dug out my copy of the LUG Trek TNG Narrator’s Toolkit. In it Ken Hite suggested using an index card method where the pots and sub plots are written down on index cards and then integrated to create the story. Here are my mission parameters:
MISSION: AID & RELIEF / PLOT COURSE FOR CONVOY.
INCIDENT & THEME: MEDICATE / ROGUE SUPERWEAPON.
EVENT ENCOUNTER : DEEP SPACE / A MASSIVE BIOLOGICAL ENTITY INTENT ON DEVOURING EVERYTHING IN SIGHT.
COMPLICATION: SHATTERED CHAIN OF COMMAND
I combined the mission and complication and the incident with the event to come up with two plots lines. The TNG episode “Tin Man” and the Voyager episode “The Cloud” served as ispiration. Here is what I came up with:
M&C1: INTRODUCTION
The USS Monoceros’ mission is suddenly changed. She needs to organize a convoy for an isolationist and hierarchical planet that needs guidance back to their system.
NPCs: Commodore
SETTING: Starbase.
I&T1: INTRODUCTION
Sensors pick up an unknown deep space vessel closing fast.
SETTING: Bridge of the Monoceros.
M&C2: CONFRONTATION
The convoy leader is deposed at home and the convoy becomes a free for all.
NPCs: Alphosan merchant captains.
SETTING: Bridge of the Monoceros.
I&T2: CONFRONTATION
A damaged living warship / deep space bio-vessel from an extinct civilization searches for nutrition.
NPCS: Living vessel
NOTES: The crew is long dead from an ancient war. The damaged living warship seeks nutrition to heal itself.
M&C: CLIMAX
An Alphosan ship breaks away needs to be rescued by the Monoceros.
I&T3: CLIMAX
Bio-vessel attacks the convoy.
NPCs: bio-vessel. Alphosian convoy.
Notes: The Alphosan vessel’s hulls contains mineral allow desired by the living ship.
I&T4: RESOLUTION
The Monoceros is able to synthesize a way to heal the bio-vessel.
NPCS: Science officer
SETTING: USS Monoceros
NOTES: Use a modified photon torpedo.
CNV4: RESOLUTION
The Alphosans grudgingly accept Starfleet Authority.
This sounds like a pretty good Mission to flesh out. Thanks for the help.
Alien? You mean the 1979 space horror by Riddley Scott starring Sigourney Weaver where an alien creature that implants and incubates in a crewman then bursts out to kill everyone?
Yes, I can see the parallels. Thank you for pointing it out.
