Hello everyone,
I wanted to post an encouraging word or two about fans taking the
Shinsengumi into new fields/media/literature.
Just do it (^_^).
Don't feel as if you need to write the Shinsengumi story from
beginning to end, as you've seen it in television, films or manga.
Make it your own! In my own case, I've been happy to adapt Fujita
Goro into my own short story, which turned into a novel (still being
edited) and now a screenplay for this contest
http://www.capeusa.org
(don't enter if you can't devote yourself to it---it's going to cost
you $40, no exceptions).
Sometimes, creators are overwhelmed by the "scope" of the Shinsengumi
story, and they should not be. Pick 1 or 2 characters, a theme, an
angle and work at it. You won't be able to fit everyone into your
story---that's fine. Just work with the ones which speak to you.
Don't think "epic"---think smaller drama, horror or comedy. The
pitfall of epic stories is it gets so 'big' you lose the intimacy
between audience and character. You 'think' 20 chapter novel, but
your stamina tells you --- you can manage 5 chapters. Listen to the
practical voice in you. It's better to finish something rather than
abandoning a work.
I watch fanfiction.net to see if stories are being finished---they've
been abandoned (-_-) either because no one is posting reviews or the
writer gets bored.
You can't get bored if the work is truly unique.
That's why I wondered why no one has written a Shinsengumi "horror"
piece yet....