New Fan Fiction Idea #31

Working Title: "Jail House Rock"

Fandom: Phoenix Wright

Genre Tags: Friendship/General, possibly Humour

Length: Short multichapter

Protagonist: Klavier Gavin (17).

Other Main Characters: Mostly OCs as well as a few detectives and possibly some prosecutors.

Antagonist: None. Possibly a minor role by Kristoph.

Setting: Pre-Apollo Justice, with Klavier's prosecutor badge fresh out of the European vending machine. As far as place, most if not all of the story will be at the precinct, in the vicinity of Criminal Affairs.

Plot: Klavier and some other new prosecutors are being introduced to some of the police members and facilities. In the process, Klavier runs into a series of present or future law enforcers with some similar interests, including one with a shark hoodie... Basically, it's the preliminary assembling of the Gavinners.

Point of View: Third-person, limited to Klavier.

Writing Music! Part Deux

Although I've already touched on writing soundtracks, I've been exploring the topic enough to warrant an update. I never had a big tendency to pick out songs based on what I was actually writing, but now I've started being more careful with my soundtracks.

My iPod has plenty of songs of every emotion, but when I go out of my way to tint my soundtrack, it's not with my iPod. After all, I listen to those songs all of the time; they're just a general soundtrack, not strongly associated with anything for me. Video game soundtracks, however, are more strongly linked to emotions, moods, and certain types of scenes in my head; the only time I hear them much is in the appropriate scenes.

The 30-minute extended soundtracks put up by BrawlBRSTMs3 on YouTube are my go-to. Not only is it a great compilation of themes from Ace Attorney and Ghost Trick, the main video games with which I concern myself, the length of the videos allows me to continue writing with the same tune without much fussing on my part.

So what song goes with what scenes? Well, the bloodbath chapter of Tributes and Tribulations was written under the influence of TRAUMA. I used the first Epilogue tune from Phoenix Wright while writing the epilogue of Along the Winding Road. I've gone with video game soundtracks while editing as well; the last chapter of Along the Winding Road was done to the tune of the Turnabout Sisters theme, which may evoke the strongest emotions in my case.

What does your writing soundtrack look like? Do you incorporate soundtracks from video games or other entertainment sources? What music affects your mood the most, and what effect does it have on your writing?

P.S. Due to time constraints, there will be no posts during the month of September. Updates will continue starting October 1.

New Fan Fiction Idea #30

Despite being in the middle of another such crossover, this idea still came upon me. It would be a more proper sequel, though.

Working Title: Duel Destinies

Fandom: Ace Attorney/Hunger Games crossover

Genre Tags: Suspense/Tragedy (or whatever one is supposed to tag these things)

Length: Multichapter

Protagonist: Apollo Justice, 16 yr, District 5.

Other Main Characters: The full list is pretty much settled, but the most featured would be
Trucy Wright, 14 yr, District 5
Athena Cykes, 16 yr, District 3
Robin Newman, 15 yr, District 11
Juniper Woods, 15 yr, District 11
Hugh O'Conner, 18 yr, District 9
Klavier Gavin, 17 yr, District 7
Ema Skye, 16 yr, District 9

Antagonist: Each other, as always, and other tributes drawn from Dual Destinies and adapted appropriately.

Setting: The 21st Hunger Games. It is mountainous and features a series of short tunnels.

Plot: The 21st Hunger Games. Featuring a rather large main alliance, if you hadn't guessed.

Point of View: First person (Apollo).

New Fan Fiction Idea #29

I would really rather see this as a fan game, but since it includes both 2D and 3D characters and at least one OC, that's probably not reasonable.

A silly attempt to rectify the fact that, of all the main characters, only those of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney seem to have not been accused of murder.

Working Title: Turnabout Sacrifices

Fandom: Phoenix Wright/Ace Attorney

Genre Tags: Mystery/Suspense

Length: Multichapter

Protagonists: Apollo Justice; later, Athena Cykes.

Other Main Characters: For the prosecution, we have Simon Blackquill and Klavier Gavin. For the detectives, we have Gumshoe and Ema. For the assistants, we have Trucy and later Phoenix. Lamiroir also plays an important part.

Antagonist: Spoiler, of course.

Setting: Post-Dual Destinies, with the crime scene just outside Kurain village.

Plot: Vera Misham is stabbed to death and Lamiroir injured, and Klavier is arrested as the prime suspect. Apollo takes the case and, in the process of proving his client innocent, ends up implicating himself. Athena vows to set him free even when a guilty verdict seems inevitable.

Point of View: First person, corresponding the the appropriate attorney.

New Fan Fiction Idea #28

I'd like to toy with this, but I know it will fall short of the state of inspiration I had for Phoenix Wright: Ace Tribute.

Working Title: Tributes and Tribulations

Fandom: Phoenix Wright (Ace Attorney)/Hunger Games crossover

Genre Tags: Suspense/(I never know what to tag Hunger Games stories)

Length: Multichapter

Protagonist: Viola Cadaverini (15 years old, District 9).

Other Main Character: Furio Tigre (18 years old, District 9).

Antagonists: The other tributes, taken mostly from Trials and Tribulations and aged appropriately. Includes Ron DeLite, Desiree DeLite, Luke Atmey, a Hawthorne or two, Terry Fawles, Glen Elg and Lisa Basil (most certainly District 3), Shelly de Killer, and Adrian Andrews.

Setting: An early Games, in the vicinity of the 15th. The arena is mostly beach- and island-like.

Plot: There are certain... problems in District 9 we need to take care of, as you know well. What would you believe to be the best place to strike?
If I'm not mistaken, two vital pieces seem to be eligible for the Games...
Do you mean... rigging the reapings, sir?
Something of the sort. And there are a few in other districts whom we may want to take care of as well...
Viola is reaped in spite of her family name, and a certain grandfather assigns Furio to get her back alive.

Point of View: First person (Viola).

New Fan Fiction Idea #27

Somewhat in the vein of Lessons in Chemistry via Hetalia.

Working Title: "The Detectives' Guide to the Chemistry Lab"

Fandom: Phoenix Wright/Ace Attorney

Genre Tags: Humour/General

Length: Oneshot; could be broken up into a few chapters, but probably not.

Protagonists: Detectives Gumshoe and Skye.

Other Main Characters: A few others may make appearances, but only Gumshoe and Ema get a significant amount of "screen time."

Antagonist: Science. Possibly more accurately, Gumshoe.

Setting: Sometime just before Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (Ema is indeed her detective self). As far as place, it's in a chemistry lab equipped with the usual stuff, a storage room, and an analytical chemistry room for a small section of the story.

Plot: Detective Skye decides to shoot a safety video to get into the forensics lab, but she only ends up in a university lab. Furthermore, her lovely assistant Gumshoe is extremely skilled at being a bad example.

Point of View: Third person, omniscient.

New Fan Fiction Idea #26

This is so silly I might just have to write it. We'll see if I find the time for it.

Working Title: The Luckless Turnabout

Fandom: Phoenix Wright/Ace Attorney

Genre Tags: Humour/Mystery

Length: Multichapter

Protagonist: Phoenix, naturally.

Other Main Characters: Maggey and Larry as the defendants. Maya and Gumshoe as the, er, helpers.

Antagonist: Winston Payne, Miles Edgeworth, and lastly Franziska von Karma are the prosecuting attorneys. And then there's whoever actually committed the murders.

Setting: Typical PW:AA Japanifornia. One crime scene is at a decently nice steakhouse, another is at Exposé Park (I think that's the name?), and the third is at a patch of woods near Gourd Lake.

Plot: The two unluckiest characters of the game (i.e. Larry and Maggey) go on one date. After a long series of mishaps with their meal, they start to head home only to be caught in a freak accident that hospitalises them both with not-terribly-dire injuries. When they wake up, they are informed that there is strong evidence suggesting that both of them were responsible for a murder at the restaurant that night, as well as two other murders at the same day in different locations. Phoenix finds himself taking their cases and has to do a fair amount of legwork to stay on top of things. Gumshoe is doing his best to help Maggey out but is unconvinced that Larry isn't the killer (named Harry) the detective still thinks he is. Additionally, Gumshoe is trying to break up the somewhat-not-really budding relationship, while Larry finds himself romantically torn between Maggey and Franziska.

Point of View: First person (Phoenix).

New Fan Fiction Idea #24

While it's a little hard to imagine doing a more traditional Phoenix Wright case in fan fiction form, it's still something I'd like to try.

Of course, I can't stray too far from my usual type of writing...

Working Title: The Tortured Turnabout

Fandom: Phoenix Wright/Ace Attorney

Genre Tags: Mystery/Horror?

Length: Multichapter

Protagonist: I'm not entirely sure yet if it's really Phoenix or Gumshoe. It might turn out to be pretty equally split between the two.

Other Main Characters: Maya, Maggey, and Edgeworth.

Antagonist: Spoiler! (The murderer. Edgeworth could also be considered an antagonist for at least part of it, I suppose, although he certainly wouldn't be "the bad guy.")

Setting: In the general Phoenix Wright-verse. The body is found in a botanical park in July. It always seems weird to try to squeeze fan fiction cases between those of canon, but this probably takes place in the middle of the third game or shortly after it (I think it may also have to be after Ace Attorney Investigations, but I haven't played that yet, so...). I might not make it that explicit, honestly.

Plot: A month after Gumshoe manages to escape a torture situation (location unrecorded in the haste; culprit masked but male and interested in utterly destroying Edgeworth's reputation), a corpse is found in the park. Maggey, who had recently gained employment at the park and appears to have been the only one there that night, is arrested before the corpse is found to have the exact same scars that Gumshoe obtained a month prior. Phoenix does his best to defend Maggey as the true location of death is found and the real culprit appears to be the torturer himself. Gumshoe does his best to be of assistance without breaking down from all of it.

Point of View: Alternating between first person (Phoenix) and third person, limited to Gumshoe.

I was pretty surprised that, unlike many of my other mini-ideas for Phoenix Wright cases, I actually got past the initial murder in my head-plotting... and then got all the way to the end. I still don't know all of the details, but this is an idea that could eventually happen if I want it to.

New Fan Fiction Idea #23

It seems like I haven't been so full of ideas recently, especially pertaining to fan fiction. It's probably a combination of switching main fandoms and the general lack of inspiration after writing an 80,000-word fan fiction in a month.

Working Title: Turnabout Escape

Fandom: Phoenix Wright/Ace Attorney

Genre Tags: Mystery/Horror or Suspense

Length: Multichapter, probably under 50k

Protagonist: Phoenix Wright.

Other Main Characters: Maya Fey, Miles Edgeworth, and Detective Gumshoe.

Antagonist: So far unknown. They're very mean, though.

Setting: Timewise, somewhere in the vicinity of the original trilogy. As far as place, most of the initial trouble and later investigation takes place in a small complex. At its centre is a heavily fortified room, square in layout (aside from the opening into the sink-and-toilet bathroom) and empty of all furniture but an ordinary domed ceiling light. The door is thick metal and opens by sliding when an appropriate signal comes from outside the room. Outside of the room is a labyrinthine, concentric series of empty hallways that lead to a thick-glass-lined exterior wall with no visible doors. The building is hidden in the woods but not far from a few villages.

Plot: The main characters are all more or less assaulted while going about their daily lives, and they all awake to find themselves trapped in the inner room. In the centre of the square is a knife and a piece of paper informing them that no one will be able to leave until one of them is dead. One way or the other, some of them make it out and set out to discover the one behind it all.

Point of View: First person (Phoenix).

The summary here isn't that great, but I'd hate to spoil the story.

I've been toying with the idea for a while without really considering it valid; first, they found a way out much too quickly; in the second version, they took far too much time doing nothing. At this point, I think I have a good idea for the timing and who gets out.

A Character Comparison

After recently getting the impression that a certain Phoenix Wright character was a lot like one of mine, I got the idea to try matching the characters from that game to others I created myself. I'm not sure precisely when I started playing Phoenix Wright, but the majority of my characters were created before I had ever heard of it. So this is just a compilation of interesting coincidences, I suppose.

1. The One Who Started It All: Jake Marshall

While his Wild West persona is the most obvious thing about him, for some reason he seriously reminds me of Smith. While I don't think the blues guitarist carries a flask with him or references Texas often, their basic behaviour and tone really seem to be the same. Low-key, a little snide... It's a little hard to say precisely, but there's definitely an eerie similarity there. Their expressions seem to be the same as well. Now here's hoping I don't start writing Smith and suddenly find him calling everyone "bambina" or "hombre"...

2: Kicking Rear with a Loveable Smile: Desirée DeLite

Although I don't imagine her being quite as devoted to her man as the lady above, I think Cayman might be a good match in this case. Both are thrill-seekers, get (and spend) a lot of money because of their husband/boyfriend (who is notably less strong), and give off the impression that they can more than hold their own despite their sweet smiles. They're both pretty determined and active as well, and I could really imagine Cayman using the same poses and gestures as Desirée. I'm not so sure that Cayman drives a motorbike, but anything's possible.

3: The Big-Hearted Big Guy with Not-Such-a-Big Brain: Dick Gumshoe

I didn't think I had any major characters in this, but then I realised a certain scruffy detective is actually a lot like Edwin. Neither could ever be called the brains of the group (of, if they can, the circumstances are pretty dire), but they're still good for a lot more than comic relief. They have their own useful skill sets, both of which include being the imposing one who'll take a hit if it will help the rest of the group keep going. Interestingly, Gumshoe is my favourite character in the series, and Edwin, while not quite up with the competition among all of my other characters, was good enough to receive one of my favourite names for a boy.

4: We Take Our Crimes Seriously: Lana Skye

While there may be an "Adrian" in the game, Lana is the one who reminds me of my own Adrian. Rather cold, rather outspoken when angry, and not terribly much range of facial expression overall. Both have more or less been criminals for a span not entirely voluntarily, but, more importantly, both defend their little sisters fiercely. They may not seem all that similar in, say, the severity of their crimes, but there's definitely a connection.

5: Arrogant Within Reason: Maximilian Galactica

While I still get the feeling that this is a little contrived, somehow I quickly identified Max with Harold. Although both have rather wild hair—Harold's is neon green and spiked—Harold isn't nearly as "fabulous" (nor does he overuse, or probably even use the word), he doesn't call anyone "sweetie," and he doesn't have any interest in magic tricks. Yet both are ambitious and competitive, with rivals in their own group (both of which end up losing their romantic interest battles to the formers). As far as I've gathered, both also come from large families that they don't talk about because they're busy with their current occupations and don't really want to talk about it, as non-traumatic as it may have been. I can't imagine Harold using any of the same poses as Max, and the former has a much more casual speech pattern overall, but somehow they seem alike. Oh, and both of them do their best to not go by their given names.

That's all I can think up for now, but, with the number of characters I have, I could have missed some really good ones. I could try for a second instalment of this if anyone's interested.