|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Aug 10, 2021 4:09:49 GMT -6
I haven't been doing much script writing lately, but I did enter a writing competition over the weekend which was really fun! I've never participated in a writing completion before but a friend of mine convinced me and I was really glad I did because it was a great creative exercise  |
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 29, 2021 3:42:25 GMT -6
"The Little Bad" | REVIEW
Episode four starts off just as expected with the gang going on a stake out to find the enemy. We get to see a glimpse of another magic user in Pierce and it turns out that even though he almost got the upper hand on them during their fight later in the episode that he's pretty low level. That's surprising. While I was reading I was thinking "Man, so this is who they're gonna be up against." But it turns out there's even worse than him. Our heroes are in trouble. Hopefully Miles can get them better trained, and fast. But onto the earlier part of the episode. I liked the stake out. How you divided them up into two groups and we got a little bit of a Link and Asher moment. I enjoyed their talk about Meredith and the relationship between her and Asher. Every episode we're getting a little bit more about that relationship and its really becoming a main focus or at least a pretty prominent side plot. I'm wondering whether or not we're gonna go back into the other characters' personal lives as well. So far we've only talked a little bit about how Link's studies in the last episode but I'm hoping to see more of that soon. Along with Evie's home life as well. But in this webisode format it can be quite the task to try to move the main plot forward while covering the extra ground of keeping up with every characters personal lives. You're doing a really job so far with pacing and keeping a balance of character and plot. I'm just really interested in finding out more about these characters. So good job there. That action sequence was really fun to read and very well written. Action scenes are always a kicker for me and they're difficult to get just write, especially when you're limited to just magical blasts and spells. But you really painted a nice picture and it was very entertaining. I look forward to reading more scenes like that in the future and you should have fun coming up with new cool ways to describe different spells and attacks. All in all, another solid installment. This show is really moving forward nicely. I can't wait to see what happens next with Pierce going to The Guild. Should be lots to digest there. Thanks for another review Jamison! I'm glad you enjoyed the character pairings this episode. They all have a very fun dynamic to write no matter which way you pair them up and it's great when I can see people picking up on that and finding it fun to read. It's very try that the Asher/Meredith subplot is quite prominent at the moment as currently it has the highest stakes, but I promise we will definitely be seeing some more of Link and Evie's home lives/outside of magic lives in the second half of the sequence. That's high praise for the action scene, and they're actually some of the scenes I find hardest to translate from my head to the page. That said I'm so happy you find them well written and hopefully I can deliver action scenes of equal or better quality in the future. Thanks so much for the review (again). I do think you'll be a little surprised with the direction in the next episode (and hopefully it's not a bad surprise) but once you've read it feel free to look at my reply to Jay's review of episode 5 for a little more explanation |
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 29, 2021 3:33:42 GMT -6
1.04 "The Little Bad" - Review
Things didn't quite go to plan but they got there in the end. At the beginning of this episode, we are introduced to Pierce, who we know as an evil sorcerer and by the end of the episode, this is still all we know about this character. I would have liked to learn a bit more about Pierce in this episode and I don't doubt that we will in the next, but a little more info in this episode would have been nice. However, you chose to focus on our protagonists and how they adapt to these new surroundings out the field which works well. I enjoyed that you divided the team up into different pairs in this episode. It was nice seeing Asher and Link having their moment to bond at the beginning of the episode discussing how they are finding juggling their old lives with the new. Although Link was interrupted before he was able to offer his advice about Meredith you can sense that the two have already build a friendship between the episodes. It's great that you can convey this without having to show these types of scenes and just stick to what drives your story forward. Evie and Miles are always a delight to read, they have great chemistry and I love their dynamic and Evie's changes between cocky student and teacher's pet. With Link and Asher losing their target and Evie not doing much better after her criticism the gang head back to the clothing building where they are met with Pierce. This is the first time you have had an action sequence and I'm impressed with how well you wrote it. It isn't easy writing an action sequence especially one that involves 5 characters and bursts of magical energy going back and forth but you did well. With so much going on I'm glad you made it easy for readers to follow. The episode ends with the gang having their first encounter with an evil "low level" sorcerer and have now discovered that the potential threats they may face going forward can only get worse. Over a great episode. I had hoped to find a little more about Pierce in the end fight but I guess I'll have to move on to 1.05 for answers. Really entertaining so far, I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Thanks for the review on this episode! I'm glad you're enjoying the friendships and relationships between the main characters, as it was something I worked very hard on in the planning and writing of the show. I wanted their relationships to feel natural, like there's a lot to their interactions that happens off screen and you're just happening to see bits and pieces of it. It's not necessarily because I don't want to write out the building up of those relationships, more that with the structure of a web series (or any series really) you're not going to see every little moment that builds up their friendship. That was a little bit or a ramble but essentially I tried to write them so they feel like genuine friends and I'm glad that's the way it comes across. As I've mentioned before the intent is that this is a very character driven show so the fact your are enjoying the characters is a huge relief, hahaha! Since I've seen you've read the next episode I'll say this about Pierce (and mild spoilers for anyone who hasn't read ahead), you don't actually see him in the next episode because of the fact that he is not actually a powerful sorcerer. In the grand scheme of things Miles taking him in would be considered a fairly easy job (and had he not been worried about his proteges he probably would have been a lot quicker to end the fight) which is why we don't actually spend a lot of time on him or touch upon him in the next episode. There are much bigger and badder fish in the sea and you'll get to see a little bit of them in coming episodes and in the the later part of the sequence. Thanks again for reading and reviewing. As always it means so much to me and is very encouraging |
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 20, 2021 0:22:14 GMT -6
1.03 "Everyone's on Strings" - Review An episode with some answers. Over the past couple of episodes, Asher has come to the forefront of the series and I really enjoy diving into his storyline. His interactions with Miles was what I found most interesting about the episode and the approach taken to help Asher come to grips with magic. We find out more about Asher's back story and his life outside of this new world and Miles really breaks it down for him why that may be holding him back. It was nice to see Miles properly mentor rather than asking them to do things and offered a new dynamic that I'm interested in exploring. We're already on episode three and Asher is finding himself at a crossroads, is learning magic really for him? The passion is there but he's lacking where his peers are excelling which is causing doubts. It's nice to see that he can still turn to Meredith even if she does know the whole truth. I knew from the start that I was going to need an Asher focused episode early on because there is a lot happening internally for him with the whole magic thing that I wasn't able to portray clearly in the first couple of episodes. I also knew we needed to see the side of Miles that is actually a good teacher and not just a dick, haha! I think it's clear to say that Asher has the most complicated relationship with magic (and also a life that becomes very complicated by magic) and I wanted to establish that so readers could get a better sense of who Asher is. Nice pick up on Link and Evie both leaning towards the creative. Open-minded people definitely have an easier time with magic in this world because a lot of using magic is about your will, if you don't believe you can it won't work. You've also been able to point out one of Evie's flaws, and one of the reasons why I found it so personally amusing that people kept picking Evie as leadership material. Yes, she has a lot of qualities that make her a good leader but she also has a few that could be detrimental. Though, to be fair, all of them have pros and cons in this regard to we will just have to see where that ends up. Thanks again for the review! I've said it once but I'll say it again, it's very much appreciated. Hopefully you'll enjoy what the future episodes have to offer. |
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 20, 2021 0:05:11 GMT -6
1.02 "Run It Again" - ReviewAnother solid episode. I'm really happy that you've wasted no time jumping right into the action with their training. We know that the three have been working with Miles for a month now, so that relationship has already been established but you use the training well for this newfound friendship and them to slowly get to know one another whilst bonding over the training and the mystery that is Miles. Evie just continues to steal the show for me. Her personality shines through in every scene and even from the first episode when she smirked after receiving a compliment from the customer she had just tattooed, you can tell she is a perfectionist and thrives off of being the best at what she does. So seeing her implement that in her magic and trying to prove to Miles that she is more ready than he thinks was entertaining to read. I'm glad that you are enjoying Evie's character. She is probably one of the easiest to write as so much of who she is is just out there in the open for everyone to see, which is part of the reason she has such a presence. Compared to Link and Asher, who are perhaps are a bit more subdued and don't feel the need to, or want to, have themselves so out in the open she does stand out. Ah, yes, Asher has gotten himself into quite a spot and a big part of his story this sequence is going to be tied into that internal conflict of 'tell Meredith' or 'don't tell Meredith'. It's definitely going to be rough either way and he genuinely is just trying to do what he thinks is best, but a lot of people still make the wrong decisions while attempting to be good people. Hopefully when this particular conflict comes to an end you will be happy with the outcome but, as you said, only time will tell. It's definitely a balance of how much information to put in each episode about the world, about magic, about the three apprentices, and about Miles. There is a lot of background there and I don't want to dump it on everyone in one go because that is not going to be enjoyable. Instead I'm working on sprinkling it throughout the episodes but that does mean some explanations and information has to be left until later. Hopefully it's more intriguing than it is annoying! Thanks for another review. It genuinely means a lot to read people's reactions to the episodes and I love to hear what you have to say |
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 19, 2021 23:53:04 GMT -6
1.01 "Team Magic" - Review. I remember falling in love with this pitch originally but I wasn't as active as much on the site when it started airing so I never got around to reading and reviewing it. But we're here now and I'm excited to get stuck in. Going back over the pilot I know there were some tweaks that you made at the beginning which was a suggestion from Jack. I feel like reading the pilot this time around it felt more rounded. Giving us that glimpse into the Guild of Sorcery at the beginning adds a whole lot of mystery and raises a bunch of questions which I'm sure you'll soon answer in the coming episodes and having Miles show up at the end connecting us with the three protagonists really pays off and ends as a perfect catalyst of this adventure. I have to say your character introductions are fantastic. The personality of these characters jump right out of the page and I immediately get a sense of who they are without you having to really tell me much. Evie seems like a badass and an instant favourite, Link is very relatable and Asher may have the most complicated time as he's introduced to be in this serious relationship but at the same time having to cover up his new hobby. Just from the dialogue and settings for each of your characters, you got to convey a lot in such a short amount of time and it's really impressive. I'm really excited to see where you take this series and finding out about who the Guild are? Why they need these new recruits? An what is their role is within this world? Overall great first episode. Your writing flows really well and very easy to envision this on screen. I'm already a fan. Expect more reviews coming soon. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! Characters and dialogue I have always felt are my strongest skills when it comes to my writing so I am glad to see that still appears to be the case, haha! I'm very fond of my little case of characters for this series and I'm glad I have been able to get people interested in them from the very beginning. Hopefully you enjoy the rest of the sequence and I'm looking forward to hearing your opinions. |
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 19, 2021 23:48:30 GMT -6
A Study In Haphazard Magic | "Run It Again" Review Onto episode two and this really builds off the things established in the first episode quite nicely. I love that we just get right into the action with Miles training Evie, Link and Asher. No time was wasted in that regard and I think that was a good choice. It's looking like Evie is being set up to be the leader of this little trio and I'm totally okay with that because even in the first episode I feel like I connected with her character the most. Not that the others aren't just as interesting to read so far because they definitely are. I'm dying to learn even more about them and their individual personalities. Really see what makes this tick. I'm also interested in seeing their first introduction to Miles and magic. I'm more sure if you'll go into that or not or think it would even be that necessary to do so, but it would be interesting to see their initial thoughts and reactions. It's so funny that people keep pinning Evie as a possible 'leader' for the group, because that is one thing I'm still not entirely sure of myself. I keep bouncing between which one of them would make a good leader and if there should be a singled out leader at all. That said, Evie does have a very strong personality so I can see why people keep leaning towards her. As for learning more about the characters, there's definitely a few more tidbits scattered throughout the first half of the sequence and there is at least one episode in the second half of the sequence that delves into their lives outside of magic a bit more so hopefully you enjoy those when they pop up. As for the first meeting each of them had with Miles? I have ideas, it's just a case of if/when it's the right time to show it. Thank you! I actually have always felt that the descriptive writing is my weakest skill so it's very nice to hear that it is actually doing it's job well. I'm glad you picked up on the colour with the magic because it is very deliberate and there will be some explanation on that in future episodes. Asher and Meredith will definitely get some more screen time together so you can look forward to that if you're a fan of them. As for if Asher comes clean about the magic or not and what impacts it might have on their relationship, you will have to wait and see. Again, thank you so much for taking the time to review. It means so much and is a massive motivator for the times when I'm struggling to motivate myself to keep working on my creative projects |
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 19, 2021 23:35:41 GMT -6
A Study In Haphazard Magic | "Team Magic" Review So I went into this knowing next to nothing about what I was getting myself into and that was sort of refreshing for me. I knew it obviously had something to do with magic but other than that I was going in pretty blind. Just from this first episode I find myself very intrigued. The amount you were able to set up with the amount of pages you had at your disposal shows real promise if your writing ability. The pacing here was great. Taking the first episode to set up your characters, how they operate in the world outside of magic and then finally showing them together was a really great starting point and I can't wait to see what happens next. I liked how you introduced each character individually so we can get a glimpse of each of their lives and personalities before eventually introducing them to one another, with Miles being the one to have brought them all together. I'm interested in seeing how they bounce of one another which I'm sure we'll get to see in the next episode. Some of the worldbuilding you've already managed to set up interests me as well. Things like the Guild of Sorcery, the Council and these mysterious "enemies" they're fighting. I'm really excited to discovering more as I keep reading. You've definitely got a new fan in me! Thank you so much for your review and the compliments on the first episode. I always had quite a clear idea that the first episode would focus on the three apprentice sorcerers just living their normal lives before it brought them together for the reveal (for them at least) that they are all training under the same person. The intro with the Guild was actually a late addition based on some comments from when I first pitched it saying they felt something was missing. In the end I was very happy with the result and hopefully I have been able to maintain that good balance of pacing and story telling in the later scripts. This series was always intended to be a character driven series so we will certainly see more about them as episodes and sequences progress so hopefully you enjoy learning more about them. I'm certainly having a lot of fun writing them. I'm also glad the world building interests you. Sometimes it's hard to know as a writer if something is going to be successful or not once it's out of your brain and on to the page but based on reviews it seems like I've gotten it right, hopefully I can keep the trend going. |
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 17, 2021 1:37:09 GMT -6
Just wanted stop in to say I see the reviews that have come in over the last few days and I'm so appreciative that people have taken the time to not only read but leave some commentary too! I work on weekdays but I'm hoping to have a bit more time this weekend to reply to all the reviews.
|
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 15, 2021 7:10:03 GMT -6
EPISODES 7-12 REVEALED
| | As work kicks off on the planning of the second half of Haphazard Magic's first sequence I have been able to reveal the titles and descriptions of episodes seven through to twelve. The new episode information can be found at the start of the thread in the 'Episode Guide' post.
| |
|
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 13, 2021 23:07:14 GMT -6
So I just read episodes two, three, and four, and here are my thoughts. First and foremost I'm a bit conflicted with this series. I wanted to give it a proper chance to capture me so I made sure that I read all the available episodes but it seems like it's just not going to vibe with me. Now please, please understand that a lot of this is probably going to be flavoured by my personal preferences in media and I'm sure there will be plenty of people who love this new direction but I don't think I'm going to be one of them. I'll give my opinions because who knows, there might be something in here that you find helpful, but don't let the fact that I personally am not enjoying everything about Bionic discourage you from continuing it. Okay, in my last review I mentioned that, to me, it looked like the show was going for a more mature tone and that theme continued through the next few episodes. There's continued allusions to violence and the way sex is handled is just... not my jam. For me personally the mature elements seem a bit forced in some places too, but I'll leave the comments about this more 'mature/dark' tone there because it is definitely not my preference and I don't want to go on and on about something that is personal preference. In terms of the plot I found it rather jarring. There's definitely a mystery element to some things which is great and adds an intriguing element but other things are written like they are supposed to make sense to us as a viewer/reader and for me they just didn't. If I had to guess about why exactly I felt this way I would say that it's because the story is focusing on the wrong things- that or it's not making connections between story threads clear enough. I may have missed some things while reading but the only plot thread I'm really able to follow at the moment is what's happening with Cody and Ben. That's been done fairly well and I'm curious about what's going to come from that confrontation. As for the other plot points, I don't really understand where Bionic (the title character) fits into all this. He's kind of just hanging around having flashbacks at the moment. There's been nothing to really strongly tie him in to the main story. I also don't really know what's going on with the people we're focusing on at Biotech? It feels like that's a whole different world compared to the rest of the story and again I'm struggling to see how it links together with other plot points and what its purpose is. I understand that writing in a webisode format is much easier in terms of the time commitment and allows you to tell stories that are maybe not quite big enough to run as a full hour/half hour show, but I also know it comes with challenges in terms of pacing (from my own experiences anyway). It feels like that may be a bit of an issue here, as by episode 4 I would have hoped to have a much stronger idea of where the story is going and who the major players are. It might have been a case of too much being introduced too early and perhaps a focus on just one major storyline with a slow introduction later for the others might have been a better choice. In summary I just don't think Bionic, or at least this new iteration, is going to be a series for me. Overall the themes and storytelling in Bionic just aren't really my thing, but I'll do my best to continue to provide support and encourage your writing because, as I said, I'm sure there are plenty of others who will vibe with it |
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 13, 2021 20:50:31 GMT -6
HAPHAZARD MAGIC UPDATE
| | Hi all, a bit of an update to keep you abreast of what is happening with A Study in Haphazard Magic.
Firstly, the mid-sequence finale is finally up after a three year hiatus so you can finally get some closure after that cliffhanger I left you on. My apologies for that.
Secondly, I plan to do a little tweaking and editing of the first six episodes to fix some small mistakes and get myself familiar with the story and scriptwriting in general again. I don't plan on this taking too long, and it shouldn't alter any of the previous scripts so much that you would need to re-read them, it will mostly just be fixing technical things, names of 'extras' and so on.
Thirdly, I will be plotting out episodes 7-12 and (hopefully) writing them over the next month or two so they can be aired in the later half of the year. I have the basic plots down but they still need to be fleshed out and written. This time I will not be airing the second half of the sequence until ALL the episodes are written as I learnt I cannot always trust my self to stick to a self imposed schedule.
All in all I'm looking forward to your reactions and feedback on the first half of the sequence, and keep an eye out for the descriptions of episode 7-12 as I'm hoping to have them out sooner or later. Thanks for the support everyone!
- Addison | |
|
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 13, 2021 20:18:09 GMT -6
 | Airdate:
July 14th, 2021
Description:
The enemies of the Guild are everywhere and they’re not about to let the Guild train up three new magic users. Separated from each other, Link, Evie, and Asher are going to have to find a way to survive.
Written by:
A. Blackwood
Link: 1.06 The First Test | |
|
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 13, 2021 4:50:33 GMT -6
So when is this magical series coming back? I love it Almost a year late but, hopefully, tomorrow! |
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jun 11, 2021 23:46:04 GMT -6
So I just read the first episode of the 'new' Bionic. I'm pretty sure I read some of the original one from memory so I was curious to see what this version was going to be like. I'm going to put the rest of my comments under a spoiler because they're going to contain - surprise - spoilers, haha! Okay, so even though I sort of remember the original Bionic and don't remember a lot but the general vibe I'm getting from this version is that it's aiming to be a lot more mature? I can't remember if there was that much 'sex and violence' in the last iteration but it does certainly push the show into that more adult direction. Is that a good thing? Hard to tell from just one episode. Sometimes the mature elements seemed a little ham-fisted, sometimes they worked but I think for now I'm going to hold out judgment and see where it goes. I'm very disappointed that you killed Seth, who I liked from just this one episode. While I am mostly joking about this I was legitimately bummed out with that ending so  I think the idea of there being information that has been stolen and people who are desperately looking for it was a good hook. I'm already asking questions like 'did he store the data somewhere?' or 'is Cody now in danger because he got Seth's call?' so it was effective in pulling my in to the master and what was going there. One area I felt it fell down a little was with the very first scene because it happens but then isn't addressed at all? This may be partly to do with the webisode format but because we get no official follow through it feels a bit out of place and like it may have benefited from being elsewhere in the first season. I'm assuming Justin is still Bionic in this iteration (forgive me if that's not the case, I'm leaning a little on what I remember of the original scrips) but if I didn't know that from outside information that first scene connecting with the later scene with Bionic wouldn't happen. I think it could have been better for the story if, in the scene where you reveal Bionic, we get some inkling or confirmation that this is the same person from the opening scene, or, alternatively, scraping the first scene or saving it for later down the line. Overall I was interested as I was reading and curious to read more so you very much succeed there. I'm definitely going to read the next few episodes to see what direction you're taking it and am looking forward to writing some more reviews for you |
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jan 1, 2018 2:57:29 GMT -6
A STUDY IN HAPHAZARD MAGIC | "Everyone's On Strings" Review Right off the bat, I just want to say that I really enjoyed the focus on Asher in this episode, and I never would have thought — just going off the pilot — that he would be the character that's most established and evolved from just three episodes in. I kind of accepted his relationship with Meredith as establishing his world, but this episode added more layers to him that I found really compelling and interesting and did a lot of great service to him that I definitely felt was needed, so props for being able to do that through the story and have it feel like an organic progress rather than a quick-fix or anything. I think I knew going in there was no way I was going to be able to focus on three main characters in one or two opening episodes so I’ve planned for Asher, Evie, and Link to all have their moments during sequence 1. Knowing that I was going to have this focus on Asher so early meant I was able to stick to the bare minimum when introducing him because we were going to get a lot of info about him in the following episodes. It’s the approach I’m trying to take for the whole series. Rather than dumping information or forcing it to the forefront in ways that seem unnatural I wanted it to be more a slow build, so you get a few bits and pieces every episode and gradually build the picture of who the characters are, how magic works, etc. Like I mentioned above, I always knew what Asher was studying and that his thought process was going to impact on his ability with magic initially, but to fit all that into episode one was going to be really awkward. I’m glad you feel that the information is cropping up in an organic way too, because that’s always been the intention but you never know how well you pulled it off until people start reading and reviewing, haha! Miles is a much better teacher than he thinks he is and it does show through when he’s one on one with Asher, Evie or Link. As you’ll see in future episodes he also tends to adjust the way he interacts with each of them to make them feel comfortable while still maintaining his signature sarcasm. To be totally honest I can’t stand constant romance drama which is why I wanted Asher and Meredith to have a nice stable relationship from the get go. That’s not to say they won’t have their fair share of things that they’ll have to work through but it’s more than likely going to be them working as a team instead of them causing angst for each other. I’m glad you enjoy their dynamic though, and feel free to keep praising it, that is a-okay with me! Haha! This first sequence, especially the first 6 episodes, is a lot of building and establishing dynamics, and you’ll find that it tends to swap around with each episode. Because this episode was going to focus on Asher/Miles, and to some extent Asher/Meredith, it was easy to then slip in some Evie/Link interaction because they didn’t have a big role in the episode plot. It’s a lot of fun slowly fleshing out all the characters though, and I only hope they you continue to enjoy learning about the cast of characters as the sequence progresses. It has been such a fine line to walk with what to reveal and how to reveal it. Obviously there are certain things that need to come in chunks or it’s not going to make sense but it’s making the explanation/reveal of those not boring or overwhelming that I’m always worried about. I’m glad it worked decently well in this episode according to you- that gives me some really good guidance of how to approach situations where I have to get across a lot of information in future episodes. Hopefully the next episode lives up to expectations! You always have such awesome reviews for me but every time I see a new one I keep worrying that it will finally be the episode that lets you down. Your feedback is always appreciated and just hope that you continue to enjoy the series. Again, thank you so much for taking the time to review! As mentioned it really helps me to see what’s working really well, what I may need to do a little bit of work on and so on. I know my response was a little late but better late than never! Just know that I really appreciate your comments |
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jan 1, 2018 1:44:06 GMT -6
This is definitely an interesting idea. I'm the first to admit I don't know a whole lot about comic superheroes but I'm always a fan of more original superhero stories that don't necessarily rely on decades of history because I find them a lot easier to get into. I'd love to see this pitch when you add some more details about characters and plot because I'm very curious to see where you want to take it |
|
|
|
Post by A. Blackwood on Jul 31, 2017 3:53:34 GMT -6
A STUDY IN HAPHAZARD MAGIC | "Run It Again" Review I must admit I was incredibly nervous to see your review for the second episode because you had such positive things to say about the first episode I was worried the second would be a disappointment somehow. I'm glad to see that fear was unfounded, haha!
Writing a webisode series has been a real challenge for me in terms of telling a contained and somewhat fast paced story each episode, and finding that leaping off point for a new episode has been hard so I'm glad it worked for you. As for Evie, she's definitely the easiest character to write because her personality is so out there and in your face, unlike Asher and Link who are a bit more subdued. Positioning Evie as a 'leader' is definitely something that has happened naturally in the evolution of the story, but if ever asked to act as an out right leader she would turn it down. Evie is very aware of herself and she knows that while her brash personality is good for getting things done, she doesn't think that only would make her a good leader. For now though she's definitely leading the charge in terms of delving into this new magical world and the boys are happy to follow.
I'm really glad you felt that Miles holding off on giving them information worked for the story/world building and the suspense. When writing it I was worried it would come off as a really forced thing, and it isn't, Miles honestly has his reasons for holding off giving them them the information then, but I knew it was running the risk of being odd. So yes, very glad this worked for you. I really enjoy incorporating a slow world build into things I write too, throwing people into the middle of things and then giving them new pieces of information as they need them rather than all at once is I what I always enjoyed as a reader so I try to emulate that in writing too.
One of the main reasons I wasn't too worried about the lack of Asher in episode one was because I knew there would be a focus on him in this episode and episode three. I'm glad you feel like you learnt a lot about him through his relationship with Meredith, because she is a huge part of his life and he's definitely his most comfortable around her. We'll also be seeing more of Meredith, I can guarantee, so if you're a fan of her you have that to look forward to.
Oh, for us certainly it's easy to think Meredith is silly for jumping to the wrong conclusion but let's be honest, we're primed to know that 'magic' means something special here. If we were in Meredith's shoes, as far as we would be concerned the only type of 'magic' is magic tricks. You're also right in that I didn't want Asher to outright lie to her, because he isn't the kind of guy who would want to lie to his partner about something like this for long, if at all. This way he told the truth, even if Meredith misinterpreted it, so he has a little bit of time before he starts feeling guilty about things- something touched on in the next episode.
Don't be surprised if Miles pulls out the potatoes again, haha, but yes, there is definitely a lot of growing they still have to do in terms of their magical powers. Loved hearing you're thoughts Jack, they're always very insightful and encouraging!
|
|
