Lampa
6/05/2007 1:12pm,
I'm a PR writer for Penn State University and a freelance magazine article writer. I came up with an idea I started working on not too long ago that is vaguely related to this site in two ways and was looking for some input from you guys.
The idea is a series of short fiction (borrowed from real events and people and whatnot, but marketed as entirely fictional) about combat sports and what they mean to the majority of their practitioners. This focusses primarily on working to middle class men/women who aren't really good enough to compete on any notable scale, which is most of us.
Now, most magazines won't committ to a series from a no-name pay-nothing freelancer like me. Trust me, I've asked. But I can probably get them sold here and there to smaller magazines.
Anyway, the first thing I wanted input on was some of the ideas and themes that you guys would like to see represented in this series. I don't want to cover only positive stuff. For example, the one that I'm finishing up is about a guy who has sort of a lonely personal life and likes to train because it keeps him busy and level. He's a nice enough guy but because he's eager to get something done in his life that matters to other people he walks into a self defense situation he could have avoided and ends up getting killed.
Before I get accused of being an RBSD proponent, anyone, no matter what they train in, can do something stupid if they have the right mentality for it. And all of us at some point have entertained that it would be cool to act like Superman and come out on top, if only in our minds. So, the story addresses some real things, including the fact that martial arts can be good for you, but won't necessarily turn your life around like the movies say.
But, that being said, I don't want them to be negative either. So I'm looking for ideas. Any theme or event or anything that represents what practicing a combat sport means to the average guy. Any suggestions or things you guys think about that you'd like to see would be helpful.
The second thing is, I was planning on using a bullshido throwdown as the back drop in the next one, once this one is finished. The weird feeling that they have, at least speaking to the few I've attended, of being very similar yet wholely different than a normal sparring session with folks you train with seemed like fertile enough creative ground.
While I'm fairly certain I've got nothing to worry abou, legally, I still wanted to check with some senior members/administrators about how they want the community represented, since I do hold it in pretty high regard.
Thanks in advance for reading through this much of my long-ass post.
The idea is a series of short fiction (borrowed from real events and people and whatnot, but marketed as entirely fictional) about combat sports and what they mean to the majority of their practitioners. This focusses primarily on working to middle class men/women who aren't really good enough to compete on any notable scale, which is most of us.
Now, most magazines won't committ to a series from a no-name pay-nothing freelancer like me. Trust me, I've asked. But I can probably get them sold here and there to smaller magazines.
Anyway, the first thing I wanted input on was some of the ideas and themes that you guys would like to see represented in this series. I don't want to cover only positive stuff. For example, the one that I'm finishing up is about a guy who has sort of a lonely personal life and likes to train because it keeps him busy and level. He's a nice enough guy but because he's eager to get something done in his life that matters to other people he walks into a self defense situation he could have avoided and ends up getting killed.
Before I get accused of being an RBSD proponent, anyone, no matter what they train in, can do something stupid if they have the right mentality for it. And all of us at some point have entertained that it would be cool to act like Superman and come out on top, if only in our minds. So, the story addresses some real things, including the fact that martial arts can be good for you, but won't necessarily turn your life around like the movies say.
But, that being said, I don't want them to be negative either. So I'm looking for ideas. Any theme or event or anything that represents what practicing a combat sport means to the average guy. Any suggestions or things you guys think about that you'd like to see would be helpful.
The second thing is, I was planning on using a bullshido throwdown as the back drop in the next one, once this one is finished. The weird feeling that they have, at least speaking to the few I've attended, of being very similar yet wholely different than a normal sparring session with folks you train with seemed like fertile enough creative ground.
While I'm fairly certain I've got nothing to worry abou, legally, I still wanted to check with some senior members/administrators about how they want the community represented, since I do hold it in pretty high regard.
Thanks in advance for reading through this much of my long-ass post.