#sonic storytelling

[calista-222]

One day I'll finally read a transcript of the entierty of the Sonic Battle dialogues and it'll be all over (<- Gemerl will take over my brain)

[dr-spectre]

I think that it's now more important than ever to keep making art.

Whether it's some scribbles on a piece of a paper, paint on a canvas, typing out erotic fanfiction about two cephalopod women, i need you to keep going. OKAY?!

Keep going at your own pace. Don't feel like you have to "grind" to achieve success, you're probably young as hell, you don't need to become a masculine obsessed fucking nutjob that is so obsessed with "discipline" and all this bullshit. Sure "discipline" is cool but... That shit takes a LONG TIME to develop and it only comes with experimentation and see what you believe in and what you enjoy. Don't get.... heh...... heh heh..... BRAINWASHED!!! by women hating bald bastards online who wanna turn you into a fun hating robot that's all about "work work work." Fuck them.

You are a human with flesh, blood, bones, a heart and a brain. You are not a machine. Got it?

Anyways, in talks of art, i wanna give my own sort of help for my writer friends out there! I thought it would be fun and plus, there's too many damn writing tips out there that boil down to "you HAVE to do this thing, you HAVE to follow this structure" and i think that is bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit that gives you more stress than needed. You know how many boring mid action movies come out that follow the hero's journey? The three act structure? The story circle? It is better to just make shit and learn what you could do for next time.

There are no rules, all of the "rules of storytelling" are just optional suggestions that you can either take or leave. Plus it seems like every fucking YouTuber has a different set of rules that conflict with each other anyways. However, I wanna share my own sort of "basic ass fundamentals of stories" that can fit into any story structure you want! I got these guidelines from the YouTube channel The Closer Look. I like their content, it's very insightful.

Here's Dr. Spectre's basic ass fundamentals for stories.

Characters. Simple, a story must have characters otherwise you are making something else that is not a story.

Progression. Is there a sense of progression? Does it feel like for every second of story it isn't stagnating or getting dull and boring? Does it feel like shit is happening and growing? If it feels boring to read for you, then it's gonna be boring for another person reading it. Progression could be plot based or character based and them growing as the story goes on. Doesn't matter which one, can be both or one. Good stories never feel like they are staying the same or spinning their wheels.

Delivery (Aka. Setup and payoff). Do you deliver on the promises in the story? And do you deliver them in a way where the audience after they finishing reading or watching, they felt like it was all worthwhile and they didn't waste time consuming your story.

Everything else? IT'S OPTIONAL!!! COMPLETLY OPTIONAL! YOU KNOW HOW MANY STORIES BREAK THE "RULES"?! Do not become reliant and dependent on these "rules" because it'll slow your development and discourage experimentation. Not every story is gonna fucking follow the Save The Cat format.

There is also the talk of theme and i will say this.

Theme is not "this story is about sex, drugs, greed." No. Theme is a message or argument, it is not a word, it is something you are trying to say via a story. People don't have to agree with the theme, but it must make people think about it. If your story is about sex, what is it trying to say about sex? That sex is a scary thing and that it's okay to feel scared and worried about your first time? What are you trying to say about greed? Etc. Etc.

I read through a Sonic comic recently that everyone loves called Scrapnik Island and guess what? I fucking love that comic too.

Scrapnik Island isn't truly about Sonic and Tails getting stuck on an island and Mecha Sonic is there and he becomes evil and does all this stuff. No, what it's ACTUALLY about is that your worth as a person isn't determined by successes and failures, Mecha Sonic feels like he is worthless and is a failure because he not only failed to kill Sonic, but also failed to help his friends on Scrapnik Island. However, Sonic snaps him out of that bullshit mindset and it's truly, truly wonderful stuff.

Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion isn't truly about Agent 8 being trapped in a facility and defeating an evil ai. It talks about racism and what does it talk about specifically? That it doesn't matter what someone looks like, as long as they are a good person that's all that matters. That life is varied and beautiful and it's worth protecting from those who wish to destroy it.

There's a reason why Agent 8 takes the time to soak in the fresh air and sunlight near the end of Octo Expansion, why Eight has memcakes to collect and we see their thoughts and wishes. it's there to explore that theme, that idea of what the story is truly about.

Splatoon as a franchise is about how wonderful creativity itself is, that art and life are connected and grow together and are important and deserved to be protected. Commander Tartar, Mr. Grizz and Overlorder are all opposed to that idea and that's why they are the antagonists. DJ Octavio less so because he is trying to save his own culture and art, even as to go far as manipulating a mentally ill Callie who was already growing distain and tiredness from her own culture, so it just so happens that these two chaotic forces share the same ideology.

Now, I wanna say, do you NEED a theme to make a story? No. BUT! If you don't have something to say and that connective tissue, then it's gonna weaken everything else and the action, plot and characters have to be fucking top notch. The "Rule of Cool" only works when... you know.... it's cool? And well done?

Anyways, I've rambled long enough. Please keep making art, please? Especially now considering what has happened. I need you to hold onto hope, hold onto creativity and fun. You must. You have to...

Be good people.

[celtrist]

I really want to see a more fucked up version of Charlie in canon. Like, okay, I am a die-hard for sweet bubbly girls in media. But I always see how some people make Charlie actually, oh I dunno... demonic? And it's so refreshing for her type of character. I could honestly see her having low empathy (and we kinda see this with how she handled Angel's situation or even Vaggie's nervousness about taking control on an activity). An exploration of that trait (if it was intended) would be interesting to see for a protagonist, especially when her main goal is about helping others. I would love to see her actually have a level of difficulty in understanding others' feelings from the other residents, sinners, and even her father.

But give her a fucked up side. Not a "she gets more power when she's angey uwu", but a "oh, she's a little fucked in the head". It would give so much to her character that she just doesn't have.

@/murmurmurena (don't wanna bother them so slash there we go) has some fun ideas with Charlie. I highly encourage people to check their stuff out! So many fun dark ideas with her character while also still keeping to her canon personality pretty well! Personally, I think Charlie being a bit more naive to her own messed up traits would work best but her also being aware of these traits can make for some interesting character for her.

THIS FIC, "A Game Between You and I". RIGHT HERE WITH THE FIRST CHAPTER. A bit of spoil for the fic here: but I love how they handled Charlie’s absolute ignorance as to why the idea of Russian roulette is horrifying to Angel Dust. It doesn't feel like her being intentionally malicious or aware that she's the odd man out here. This is also a pretty old fic going by only the pilot, but the point still stands that it was such a fun take for her character!

Charlie is one of my favorite characters in the show in part of the POTENTIAL she could have as being the most bubbly sweetheart character while also being the most messed up character in the show. I can't say I have strong confidence with the show's writing and fully expect them to stick with Charlie being the "nice girl but oh no, don't get her angry or she gets scarwy". Which isn't bad for a character mind you, there's just so much more potential to Charlie outside of that trope, especially when you get into the theories of her either being a doll, Roo's biological daughter, or what have you. And for the MAIN CHARACTER of the show, it would be not only interesting but also bring the spotlight back to her.

There's really no question that the side characters steal the show, particularly all the male characters. If I'm honest, Charlie does not feel like she gets a lot of love from the show itself when she's supposed to be the main character. She feels far more flat compared to the rest of the characters (again, the male cast in this "female-lead" show has more depth than most of the female cast currently. I wouldn't be pointing this tidbit concerning the genders of characters if it weren't for the fact Viv defended Helluva's lack of development with their female cast by saying "Hazbin is a female-lead show and Helluva is a male-lead" and Hazbin ended up with it not feeling female lead (to me) and the male cast just completely stealing the show. I don't normally care about gender stuff, especially since I do personally lean interest towards male characters. But using one show as a defense for poor development of the female characters, and then that show not really holding up with no very interesting well-developed feeling female characters irritates me. It's just very clear that these shows don't seem to care much about the female cast :/)

If you like how Charlie is written that's totally fine. PERSONALLY, I just think they're missing so much opportunity with her character by just making her the standard female character type. I honestly don't have a lot of faith they'll actually do something with Charlie's character though. She's a pretty static character in S1 being the same from start to end. Not changing or learning anything to create any development. What does the end of season Charlie do that start of season Charlie wouldn't do? Fight back? Because we see with the pilot (which is the “first episode”) that Charlie does fight people if pushed like with Katie Killjoy and even Valentino. Static characters can work in media depending on the show or their role. But Charlie is the MC of a show about “bettering one's self”. So to have her as a static with not a lot of strong dilemmas for herself (like we see with Angel Husk Al and even Vox) seems silly. Plus, considering Hazbin is telling a whole story and it's not a fun episodic thing, characters are expected to grow on some level. Or else, what was the point of their hero's journey?

[mysticwolfentertainment]

Hey sonic fandom, do we fw this?

[hjonko]

Me when I mix my top two hyperfixations again

Also I feel like people don’t utilize the potential of the freedom fighters being straight up rebels enough, so I mixed the vibes of the storyteller and yaelokre in general with them B)

also yes this is still sonic i just shot him with my oc-ification beam B)

[montydrawsstuff]

stuff in vector's desk .. and cat

[beevean]

I didn't comment on the short because I found little reason, but this sentiment feels highly disrespectful

I'm not even a huge SA2 fan, but you can't deny that it was leaps and bounds above its predecessor in terms of cinematography and storytelling. I can assure you that everyone understood since the beginning how nightmarish the ARK incident was. If it wasn't because of the sporadic flashbacks Shadow got, or thinga like Lost Colony being shrouded in complete darkness... how about Gerald's diary? Him telling in fear that he's losing his mind? Culminating in the way he turning Shadow into a tool for the sake of his insane revenge?

There was no need for a flashy short to "get" Shadow's past. Its effects on him are visible.

Similarly, ShTH does a pretty good job in showing Shadow and Maria's relationship! In The Doom we see the day of the raid, and Shadow can help Maria rescuing the researchers! Maria mentions running on slopes with him! In Lost Impact Maria asks Shadow for help against Artificial Chaos on the loose! Don't you think it's enough? Did you need to see her caress his cheek as confirmation that they cared about each other?

Shadow's story was already cemented. He already went forward. The short was cool, but aside from adding Emerl into the vision (whether it was real or BD's hallucination we don't know yet), it didn't do anything new that 20 yo games didn't already do.

I don't like this sentiment at all. SXSG will be a nice treat, but it was never necessary for Shadow's character, by far the most fleshed out in the cast precisely due to the heavy lifting of old games like SA2, ShTH and '06.

[siggiedraws]

Is it okay if I like idw Silver ? I prefer GameSilver and I love the way you write and draw Silver but I do enjoy Silver in the comic books too. I’ve been told im not a real and that I’m stupid for liking the comics which makes me sad

of course it's okay to have a different opinion. you didn't commit a crime. no one should be calling you those things and I'm really sorry to hear that!

this topic can get a bit heated because of the toxicity - for instance I have seen so much harassment levied towards people with criticism against the comics as well. I think at the end of the day it's a blue hedgehog franchise and we should learn to chill a little at dissenting opinions! obviously if you already behave in a reasonable way, that's not directed at you, but rather the people who feel the need to harass and insult others. it makes the community a very dangerous place to express opinions.

all in all, I don't feel anything hostile towards you if you like different Sonic media than I do! let's try to be kind and accepting towards each other 💙

[yeenobabino]

I came up with a perfect story for a Sonic fan-comic, but I have the work ethic of a cat.

Please, someone hear me out.

(I spoil the story below.)

The story starts with Sonic waking up in Eggman’s captivity, where he finds he doesn’t remember anything before a pinprick from a badnik. He’s disoriented, stiff, and completely mute.

Eggman reveals that he created a robotic duplicate of Sonic to take his place and betray his friends, complete with a perfect copy of Sonic walking and talking with Tails (and maybe Knuckles or Amy).

While weakened, Sonic still manages to escape from Eggman with ease. It’s like the mad scientist wasn’t even trying to stop him. He doesn’t have time to think about it, rushing to catch his doppelgänger before any harm comes to his friends.

Sonic catches up to everyone, and when he goes to stop his doppelgänger, his friends team up on him. He can’t explain what’s going on since he can’t speak, nor can he get a moment to communicate nonverbally.

He hears comments like “What is that?” “It looks like you!” and so on.

He tries on a few more occasions to stop his doppelgänger, all ending in similar ways. Things are starting to get weird, like Eggman must’ve done something to Sonic, or maybe even his friends.

That is until he catches his reflection. It dawns on him: it was all a ruse. His reality completely shatters. He isn’t Sonic. He’s Metal Sonic.

-

I thought it would be interesting if Metal Sonic operated like the Shadow androids, where he genuinely believes he is the real Sonic the hedgehog. Eggman would definitely pull a trick like this if given the opportunity.

Want to build a robot that thinks like Sonic? Give it Sonic’s mind. How to get it to fight Sonic? Convince him that the real Sonic is fake.

I hope this story concept interests people. I’d love to see it adapted into a comic.

[milenkeo]

“You’re a shell of who you once were, Sonic.”

“Do you really think that’s my fault?”

LORE DROP 🤯⁉️

This is my sonic design for a story im planning to write, he might be a little ooc but that’s okay <3

(Btw he still has some werehog dna in him, hence his multi colored quills/fur and fluffy chest)

I need to gts so bad it’s 2am n I have school sobs

[fernsnailz]

okay but can we talk about how seemingly every time sonic started to get distressed or emotional, shadow heaved a great big sigh and like. eased up on him a little and was less aggressive? because i'm obsessed with it

yeah it's a nice touch! their original world was shadow's home too, so i think he understands sonic's emotions in a sense. their conversation is really nicely paced across the episode, those downtimes of shadow being a little softer really help even things out. this sounds dumb but i like that they let the two of them just exist in a space together doing. nothing. even if only for a little bit

[nothingavailable]

Here’s my suggestion for the beginning of a Sonic the Hedgehog timeline mixing all previous media:

During the raid on the Space Colony ARK, Ivo Julian Robotnik is sent to a parallel world inhabited by anthropomorphic animals called Mobius through an accident with an experimental transportation device. After arriving, Robotnik becomes a renowned roboticist. However, the loss of and separation from his family causes him to become bitter and develop a desire for power.

When the time comes, after much planning Robotnik launches a devastating coup against Mobius that allows him to seize control over most of the planet via his mechanical armies of “Badniks”. His conquest is only stymied by the efforts of resistance fighters inspired by a hedgehog named Sonic, as well as other groups following his example.

Ultimately, Sonic and his allies are able to break the grip of Robotnik’s empire and force him from power. Although still having a large presence Robotnik, now going by the moniker “Eggman” never truly regains the hold on Mobius he once possessed.

[the-lonely-human]

I love Sonic games cause nobody has any clue wtf is happening half the time.

They are all just doing their own thing when they all randomly meet up, each knowing about 2% of the plot, and then the worlds ending and Eggman is up to his shit again, time to beat him with the power of friendship woohoo!

[icelogged]

i’ve said this countless of times but hayden is easily one of the greatest sonic storytellers of our generation and could probably rank amongst the greatest of all time— as in all of time; in consideration of the past, present AND future. this is my genuine opinion of her works, i couldn’t be any more serious. she’s simply gifted and has clearly worked hard to strengthen her craft. listening feels like a blessing

[virune]

scourge never believed that he could be happy.

after all, fate hadn't exactly been cordial with him. growing up without a mother, and also without a father, in some ways - not physically, but lacking the warmth and closeness he yearned for as his father ruled over the land, scourge had grown up deciding that he was worthless. that he was nothing.

this nothingness festered inside him. from young, quilling hoglet to scarred and snaggletoothed adult, fate had told him that he was nothing more than the villain, the evil counterpart to some perfect, adored hero, and scourge played the role, for he thought himself undeserving of anything else.

it was when he met mighty, then, that suddenly his fate seemed so strange, so questionable in its certainty, that scourge began to doubt. began to question. they did not get along at first - understandably so, as mighty was one of the good guys; not like scourge, who was a brute, a thug, a bad guy. but he could not stop his thoughts. could not temper his newfound attraction to someone so hopelessly unattainable to him that it hurt.

scourge ruminated far too many times on the way his reality had shifted since that day. when everything had seemed so sure, so set in place for him, the actor on his stage, the king on his throne, that the moment the curtains were drawn and his identity cast askew that scourge felt lost. directionless. fateless.

what was he to do, then? suddenly, giving in to his broken spirit and falling into the motions of a villain were no longer appealing. suddenly, his broken spirit had started to piece itself back together, somehow, when he wasn't paying attention. when all of his attention was on mighty.

so he stopped. stopped hurting, stopped conniving. stopped acting. he didn't want this life anymore. fate be damned. scourge wanted something else for himself. he wanted what the heroes had; trust, respect, acceptance. affection.

he was lonely. he wanted affection.

it didn't happen all at once, of course - it took time for him to convince the hero that he wanted something better for himself. wanted to be better. sonic wasn't immediately convinced, but if scourge knew anything about sonic, and he should, since they were two sides of the same coin, then he knew that sonic would give him a chance. even sonic's greatest enemy had gotten that.

scourge tried. tried the best he could. he wasn't used to it, this new way of life, but he tried. he knew he wouldn't flourish the way he wanted if he stayed where he was, so he left. inconspicuously, when everybody's backs were turned, he swiped the warp ring he needed and ran away to the prime dimension. he looked for mighty.

mighty was a pacifist, scourge had learned. stronger than anyone he'd ever met, but didn't like to fight. a year ago, scourge wouldn't have been able to understand it, but now he had a lot of respect for a guy who stuck to his principles. after all, scourge did that once, too. except his own principles didn't fit him. not really. his own principles had been like thorns digging into his skin, and he'd been running around like that was perfectly acceptable.

not anymore. scourge was ready to rip out those thorns and begin to heal.

[verzachionyx]