A new story idea

[Zaleramancer]

Look outside powers for dependency.

People need each other all the time for other reasons.

Otherwise, you could just have the shifter suffer from a bit of this .

When you turn into a slug, you'll want help.

[Myself]

That is possible. I already have a plotline in which person #1 gains a vampire-like power and starts to raise an army, while the rest have to stop and hold him until midnight, when he'll be cured by his daily power reset.

[Zaleramancer]

What about emotional conflict?

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Slight (or profound) moral conflict also helps spice things up.

[Zaleramancer]

Frequently.

Give your characters a motive.

What is it that they want more than anything?

How far will they go to achieve this?

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Also, who gets in the way of said motive (whether accidental, or on purpose)?

[Zaleramancer]

Conflict is the heart of any story.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 Indubitably.

[Myself]

I have made significant progress; I have names, for instance:

Nathan: Telekinetic, is overly protective of the others; one man leaves person #1 unconscious in a precognitive haze and ends up paralyzed after breaking his spine against a light post.

I decided that the powerhouse should have mental issues of some sort to make it interesting. I can create plots revolving aroung an enraged telekinetic.

Jessica: Biokinetic. Was concerned about her appearance, but altered it with her power and still stresses about it to an extent. If stressed, she can leave nasty alterations to a person's biology, whether intentionally or unintentionally, if she touches them.

I decided to have her affected by stress and limited to physical contact to balance her and develop her as a character.

Becky: Super speed, enjoys her new physique and capabilities, but hates needing to eat vast amounts of food and the fact that she was dumped by her boyfriend due to the weight loss caused by the appearance of her abilities. Uses knives as weapons. Emotionally insecure at times.

I thought that a scrapper/assassin type could do well if emotionally unstable at times. I may even go to the extent of giving her Bipolar Disorder.

I am still to name the others and I will post their personalities when I have created them.

[Zaleramancer]

Interesting.

I like that they have flaws.

[Myself]

I, too, do not like the idea of "perfect" characters. Mental conditions are even better than physical ones in this sense; they'd influence power use and are less likely to be cured by Biokinesis/Telepathy.

Person #1 would have Asperger's Syndrome to spread understanding. This would be helpful against certain mental abilities, specifically hypnotism and some telepathy (which can also be a hindrance).

Thanks for all the help guys. I'm new to this stuff.

[Whd]

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[Myself]

Thanks.

[Whd]

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[Myself]

I think person #1 may be named Andrew; my middle name. I'm writing him to be more like me so I can write from his perspective more effectively and to demonstrate Asperger's Syndrome without making stuff up.

I may also educate readers in subjects like Physics, Biology and Chemistry.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 Make sure to do it smartly, though. Tidbits here, little factoids there. No fiction should outright give a lesson, or else it's pretty boring.

[Myself]

Don't worry; I'll just be replacing the normal pseudoscience talk with actual science.

It's actually where Becky's heat resistance comes ino play; I'm letting the energy come from nowhere, but I am not leaving out the expected side effects. Someone might be able to fly, but they'll have to slow a falling person first so the they are not snapped in half by their own momentum.

[Myself]

I am also thinking of giving Jessica a habit of deliberately altering the appearance of others to suit her intents. For instance, as she has healed her male teammates, she has often decided to sneak in a tendency to accumulate additional muscle mass to make them more attractive in her eyes.

As I said, they will all have personality flaws.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 Interesting.

[Myself]

Names sorted out now. The shapeshifter's name is Daniel and the telepath's name is Matthew.

Also, Becky and Andrew coexist about as well as water and pure Francium; they don't. At all.