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XINE 06x2003 (JUNE/JULY 2003): VIRTUOSITY
Virtual Series For Writers
I am indebted to msk and Humbuggie, who generously shared their time and experience while I was writing this guide. I have also drawn on the writers' FAQs at some of the Virtual Series sites.
Fancy yourself as a virtual season writer? It's not a bad way to write - there is often a larger audience for virtual series casefiles than for standalones, and often there are other goodies to support you, such as a promotion program, print ads and trailers. But it's also a different way of writing than most of us are used to. We tell a little about what to expect as a writer for a virtual season.
What To Expect
The most important thing to remember is that as a virtual season writer, you are writing as part of a larger project, and the interests of the project will always come first. If you normally write on your own, you will be accustomed to having freedom to go off in new directions, to twist the show's reality to your own purposes, and to indulge whatever personal vision you have of the characters and their relationships. You won't have that freedom writing for a virtual season.
You will probably have to submit a story idea or first draft, and in most virtual seasons this will be a casefile. You may be asked to include certain pieces of information or character insights that are needed to serve the ongoing story. You will probably not be allowed to write mythology, as most producers like to control the mythology themselves. You will, in most cases, be required to write to a PG or PG-13 rating, in keeping with the show. You will need some familiarity with the season as it stands, and with its point of departure from onscreen canon. Your existing body of work will be taken into consideration. Assignment is not guaranteed, even if you're a well-known author. It may be felt that your vision of the characters does not match that of the series, or that your style does not lend itself to what they're trying to do. It's also possible that your story idea is too similar to something they already have.
When writing, you will need to adhere to length restrictions and write to deadline. In most series, the accepted format is a third person narrative in story format, but with the structure of an on-screen episode. That is, there will be a teaser, main acts with time/location stamps where appropriate, and an epilogue.
Usually, you will not be able to rely on the single-POV-to-a-story rule common in fanfic. It's more likely that you will need to have some scenes from the point of view of a victim or a villain, and others from POVs such as agents, witnesses, or forensic experts. Third person omniscient POV is also an option, but it can be jarring to readers in this fandom, who are generally accustomed to limited POV. Episodes in a virtual series walk a much finer line between the norms of writing and the norms of television than most fanfic, and meeting the demands of this balance can be a challenge.
Your work will be checked and given a beta for continuity, length, characterisation, and overall mood and quality (as well as the usual checks for spelling and grammar). If your story is too long, you will be asked to edit it down, or it will be edited for you. Lengths vastly above or below the expected lengths will not get through. Make sure you know what your options are if the team are not happy with your final submission. Some will ask you to make any necessary edits, but some will edit for you without consultation. Not every writer is willing to accept this, and some would prefer to withdraw in the event of a creative dispute, but this can cause problems for a series on a tight schedule. Ask any questions you need to ask before you commit.
It is also possible that your story in its final form will simply not work for the series, despite the best efforts of everyone involved. This is not all that likely, but it can happen. If it happens, it will hurt, but try to learn from the experience. Listen to the reasons, and learn from them. Possibly there are things in your writing that need work, but possibly your story is just not suited to this series, or this point in the series. Tinker with it, and see if you can make it into something that can be posted as a standalone.
There will sometimes be restrictions about where and how you can post your episode. Usually, you will be expected to post it exclusively to the Virtual Series site for a time. (You may also be allowed to put it on your own personal site during that time). It's possible they will want to handle the initial posting to lists and the newsgroup. After a time lapse - usually a couple of weeks - you will normally be free to post elsewhere. When posting to their own sites, some authors choose to post with additional material (eg, NC17 content, cut scenes, etc), but be careful how you do this. Be diplomatic. Don't make it look like you're trying to "get around" the guidelines, or undermine the intention of the series.
Writing Casefiles
Casefile writing is an art in itself. It is less like the experimental story forms common in fanfic, and more like the conventional stories your schoolteachers probably indoctrinated you to write as a child. Casefiles have a beginning, middle, and end - a problem, an investigation, and some kind of resolution. The case is investigated by the agents, and the investigative directions of the case will be built on their hunches, dialectics, and sometimes their errors and conflicts. Sometimes there will be two resolutions, one for each agent, and it will be up to the reader to decide which one is the right one. You may like to make judicious use of unreliable narrators (for instance, a delusional suspect) for additional suspense, but be sure to give your readers a fighting chance to resolve the mystery. This is considered fair in mystery writing. Don't spend your whole episode dwelling on a red herring and then make the real perpetrator a character we haven't met.
In order to write a casefile, you first need to have a case in mind. Inspiration for these can spring from many sources. If you're having trouble coming up with a casefile, try making a picture in your head of an unusual crime scene, then try to work it backwards and see how this might have occurred. Or, you could make a profile of a potential perpetrator in your head with a particular set of desires or needs, and then work it forward (where does this need take him?) - this approach can work very well with mutant stories.
Another approach is to take an ordinary case on either another show or movie and give it a paranormal twist. There are pitfalls in this approach, however - take care to avoid the obvious and the cliche. You could also think of the things that scare you or make you squirm, or conversely, something so sweet and innocent that you couldn't imagine it being involved in a crime. Then make it the cornerstone.
These are only a few approaches to get you started. There are many other possible inspirations. You may like to look at the IMTP pitch guidelines - there's a table of things to consider when pitching, and these are helpful in teasing out your idea.
Another thing to consider is the matter of forensics and criminology. Once the crime has occurred, how does it come to the attention of the Bureau? How does it wind up being assigned to the agents? Is it under their jurisdiction, or are they sticking their noses in where they aren't wanted? Will there be any conflicts with local law enforcement, with the military justice system, or with the local community? How will they go about investigating this, and what avenues of thought and enquiry might they take? How will they eventually work it out? Is there any forensic research that you'll need to do to make the story work? Will your perpetrator be charged and convicted, or will the case simply not hold up? If the latter, what will serve as your resolution?
Be aware of your own biases as a writer. A casefile isn't a place for lingering lovingly on Krycek's eyelashes (unless, of course, your mutant is fixated on them). Nor is it a soapbox for your opinion of [insert X Files bugbear here]. If you feel that the Mulderslash is so obvious, but in the series he's in a relationship with Scully, Mulder/Doggett UST will not be appropriate. If you're a Scullyist, don't automatically assume your perpetrator is, as well. It's just as likely that your mutant will prefer the girl who pumps his gas or delivers his pizza. Think about your agents' actions and how they look to onlookers, such as their bosses, the press, or local police. Create logical consequences for your agents' actions, and logical leaps of thought, as well. Even Mulder's wildest hunches usually had some inner coherence and logic, so make sure yours do, too.
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