If there was a published Fallout novel, what would be the best storyline and/or base plot? Which faction would it be focused on? Who should the main character be? I believe a nice setting would be in a Vault, the story of being locked in a bunker of seemingly endless corridors for years, unsure of whats happening in the outside world. What do you think?

Well!

I prefer stories about the "little people". People who are staking it out for themselves. The "human" aspect of the Wasteland. For example, the diary entries from Jaime and Dunwich.

I suppose my real answer is, I would like short stories, or original stories following a big adventure of one particular person, such as thekettleison's "The Sound of Silence". (Hint, hint...Kettle, finish that damn thing already )

Now that you mention it, a collection of short stories would be an excellent idea, being that there are so many possibilities for stories (hence, my question).

I have to put a plug in here for fan-written stuff, too. There are a couple really good writers who lurk on the forum, who have both posted stories and are active in some RPs. Personally, if the story is good, and it fits in really well with Fallout lore/canon, I don't see why fans' work couldn't be published. Personally, I find that there are some of us fans who really, really love FO and try to use that love as inspiration to write stuff we are proud to share.

You are new, have a http://www.uesp.net/wiki/General:Fishy_Stick.

Well, there are plenty of ideas it there, however, you always, and I mean always want to go with something original even if it's just character wise. You want a setting you are familiar with surged it be in terms of Fallout familiar, or RL with radiation and 200 years mixed in. For instance look at the stories of SentientSurfer, excellent examples of originality with an amazing number of characters, the details in those characters, and te backstory for them all. You can also start with a blank slate and slowly build those characters up from a strong foundation, ether that foundation be something dramatic happening, or an actual foundation of the characters moral and beliefs. There are very many ways you can do this. But I must warn you, if you actually mean novel you have a very bumpy and quiet road ahead. Myself and others can testify to this. It will consume very much of your time, and even more of your energy. Novels themselves are typically larger than 20,000 words, much much larger. That in and of itself is an exhausting thing to do, but the reward is worth it. And by reward I mean you giving yourself a lag on the back, and others commending you on your valiant efforts. To make an actual fallout novel would involve a or of back and forth emails between the devs and their people, and you and your publisher, and the signing of documents in blood and such.

Novels are indeed hard work, but not impossible. The main problem that keeps most people from finishing a novel is the writer loses interest in the story, or loses direction, and then the whole project falls through.

When it comes to fan novels/fiction, I think that is doubly true, because it's easy to start writing an idea that you have, but then either become distracted with other things (life, work, etc.) or a new installment in the series. If you don't really love your idea, or know where it is going to end, it's so easy to become discouraged and just drop the whole thing.

I think a vault setting would be too limiting for a novel. A vault you wind up exiting (by yourself or with other vault dwellers) would be pretty similar story-line wise to the games.

I think a good novel would follow a character from PreWar, into a vault, and then out of the vault, into the post fallout world.

Regarding the sub points: A novel is generally considered to be anything from 50,000-175,000 words.

I think Wolfman’s Weston is a considered a novella.

Old Andy, Lorca, and Goris the Scholar have written and posted full-length novels on this site. (Where are you Goris?)

I have also posted a novel on here as my sig line (and Skirt and WolfMan’s kind words) imply. (Child of Atom series is 110,000 words)

Sadly, Zenimx/Interplay/Bethesda will NOT grant you publishing rights…even if you gave them your soul. So its purely a labor of love : :fallout:

Right you are about the novella, I was only 9000 words away

The whole post is moot? Aww.

At least, fan stuff is a good way to practice, especially for people like me who hadn't written anything creative for years, hehe.