What do you all think of a war story?

[stephanielopez]

Yes. Yes. Yes!!! I really like those ideas. People always put in numbers, but never really what a person might or might have been going through. OF course there are those rare stories that captivates a person. All of those are the real questions

[KSlinger]

Most of the stories I write revolve around war. The central plot of my current comic West involves a war between the living and the dead. It is set in an alternate universe, not Earth but something similar.

While the war in West is a major element of the story it's certainly not all that it's about. It's just a framework: a basic underlying mission that keeps Jed on course. There always something to be done towards solving the war, but sometimes other priorities get in the way. All throughout his journey minor missions crop up. Like 'how do we get from A to B?' and 'why is everyone here so sick?'. In most cases the answers to these questions relate back to the war he is trying to stop, but not always. Sometimes the latest problem is quite mundane like 'Why is this person so mad at me?' or 'How do I tell x what I really want to say?'.

Alternatively, in another story of mine, The Scabbard Altar, war is the main source of contention for all the characters. Some characters support it and others don't, even members within the same team. Some characters aren't interested in the war at all, just preservation of their lives and traditions. Others are exploiting the war to get ahead. Relationships between characters come into play, but the war is at the heart of it and at the fore front of almost everyone's minds.

War is a common device in the fictional world but the importance of it and its overall effect on your story is entirely up to you. I'd certainly agree with @aronthemason and his comment on doing your research, though. If you're going to base your story on history do it as best you can, as much for immersion as credibility.

[FixerTheWise]

Definately on earth. I would write it in this way: a small unit of soldiers are forced to fight for their land. I would focus on characters developement and how they live through the war, losing friends gaining new ones. That's kinda what I would do!

[zetina]

My first thought upon reading the topic was a loud "NOOO!" because recently I watched the two Battle Royale movies. Despite some things, I rather liked the first one ok... but I was severely disappointed and downright bored by the sequel. Reason? It was a "war movie". All it was, was a mess of people in similar uniforms, shots of them shooting guns, explosions, screaming and chaos. I did not care at all about what was going on. The character aspect was so weak... It was supposed to make me feel terrible to watch children fighting a war, instead I started chatting to a friend over skype. (I think I accidentally watched the extended cut or smth)

But everyone here knows where the story in a war setting lies - the people, the individuals. I do like strategy and tactics though but more like when cool, smart characters with a name and personality come up with them. A tactician coming face-to-face with individual soldiers he's putting in danger? Having to accept that this or that family lost their loved one because of his faulty plan? Ooooh yessssssss.....

I kind of have war in a story of mine but I never really thought about that aspect much. It's more like a backdrop - lots of conflict and skirmishes happen, that's just how this time period is for them. But I hope to get inspiration from real war stories of the past.

[joannekwan]

I did come up with one during college, but now I've shelved it for later development if I ever want to go back to it again. Anyway, it's set in a psuedo-European country (ca. 1917 our history) where they're at war with their neighbor for territory (for the fifth time in their history). I focus on three groups of people, two soldiers who desert after the rest of their platoon get blown up, a colonel contemplating the point of all this bloodshed, and four lowly message runners. The story is basically how all three groups change their outlook on war/life as time passes. Anyway, this was the first serious story I came up with.

Also the American Civil War is my favorite subject of study history-wise, my all-time favorite movie is Glory. I wrote some short stories about some Union soldiers many years ago, influenced by the work of Stephen Crane (The Red Badge of Courage). And I always love dropping in a ghost of two from the war, but currently I don't think I'll write anything set in 1863. I'm a history perfectionist, and if it really happened, I feel the most comfortable doing tons of research before publishing it for the world to see. I don't have time for research now, and since I'm out of school I don't have the university library at my disposal.

[VermillionWorks]

I actually have an idea for a psychological horror story set in World War I....I'm thinking of probably doing a series of horror shorts after Daniel is finished, so it may happen eventually. XP

I'm actually a bit tired of war scenes in fantasy epics though....even if there must be a big battle, there has got to be other, different outcomes for fantasy epics! XD

I'm cool with war stories, though perhaps I don't necessarily flock to them They tend to win me over the most when they explore the more emotional side of things. The battle scenes can be dramatic and scary, especially when it's based off a real life war, but for every other fictional story I could usually care less about the battle scenes. It just takes a lot for me to find them riveting. (Plus I just prefer watching/reading about one on one fights in fiction. XP)

[joannekwan]

It just takes a lot for me to find them riveting.

Yeah I usually glaze through battle scenes. I'm like "hurry up and get to some dialogue, some character development!"

[shazzbaa]

War stories are difficult for me to invest in. I'll be moved by emotional or heavy moments like anyone else, but they don't really resonate with me.

For the same reason, I'd find it really hard to write about. War hasn't touched my life in a personal way, so I feel like I wouldn't have much to bring to a story about it, whether fantastical or based on reality. The only voice I have that can really speak to war is my grandmother's, since she was a Japanese civilian during World War II -- if I ever did write a story where war was the focus, it would probably stay off the battlefield and pull more from the stories she's told me.

[dsandoval3]

it dont matter what type of story you make as long as its good. u can make a story about barney realizing he is a bloodthirsty dinosaur keep sedated by the shows creators to entertain the children of the world to finance there brainwashing research but as long as its good ill read it

[VermillionWorks]

it dont matter what type of story you make as long as its good. u can make a story about barney realizing he is a bloodthirsty dinosaur keep sedated by the shows creators to entertain the children of the world to finance there brainwashing research but as long as its good ill read it

I know what my next comic's going to be!!

[nikacomics]

Ha, my first instinct, to @aronthemason's point, would be to do a war story in an alternate setting where I didn't have to do a ton of research about a particular culture/geography. Research is like a big great rabbit hole that can suck you in forever...

Still, I love @AnnaLandin's ideas of exploring different aspects of history. I find the wars in the first half of the 20th century pretty fascinating, since they seem like a long time ago, and yet recent enough to have a huge impact on our modern world. I probably wouldn't be the right person to do justice to them, though!

[glennsong]

@stephanielopez A lot of my other sci-fi story ideas are war stories, but I never really sat down to pen them out. I still want too, but apart of me also wants to avoid it. So many war stories are about the soldiers fighting and dying -- so many video games are about shooting nameless soldiers/insurgents in the face, because... war. I get it...the heroism and daring-do and the gravitas of it all, but we've told that story so many times. The faces change but the game is still the same and I'm wondering if there's something new to say?

I don't know if I'd care about the military prowess of some fictional Napoleon either. I'd almost rather do a story about the people who got left behind or are affected by the war. They didn't ask for it, they didn't want it, but it's at their doorstep anyway. I remember Downton Abbey had a few seasons set during WWI where we see how society begins to change in Britain because of the conflict. That I thought was interesting.

[carloswebcomic]

War stories, specially ones based on real events, are tricky at best. It's very hard to remain impartial.
Fictional wars with fictional sides tend to be a lot easier to digest (like Star Wars). Otherwise you'll start going down the flag waving path and that's not pretty.

[alexfitzgerald]

In any war story, you almost have to have that attention grabber to catch the attention of whoever is interested in your webcomic. You are not alone working on a war story despite that I face the same struggles as you do. But overall it have to be different, not only the storyline but the characters and their own originality have to make the story almost... Come together. I noticed many used digital artwork here. Makes me wonder if I am the only one who traditionally draws out his comics. But it will take work and time. Which is what any comic requires with dedication. I just hope your story will catch the interest of the crowd, especially and hopefully a fanbase.

[letitridecomics]

I wouldn't say that a lack of impartiality leads to jingoism.

Off the top of my head, here's a fine case of a "war story" that doesn't devolve into flag waving.

So bring it on. Just as the painter may choose to work in everything from pastels to eye-searing saturated tones, the producer should be able to draw on the full spectrum of the human experience, much of which can only--thankfully--be found in war.

[revzet]

Boy, my current comic and another one I'm working on are based around wars. I've seen a reply or two regarding "taking a side" in the war, and what I have usually done to combat this is to make lovable characters on all sides, and then make them are complete jerks to each other. That way everyone is equally good, and bad! xD In general though, I've had to do a lot of research to make sure it's done right. War is a very soft subject and can easily be written wrong/ not taken seriously enough.(unless not serious is your intention)

[lovedinothonormore]

My story (Call Me Robby) is about war. Another problem with the war genre is that you have to make a value judgment about war and its combatants. That is always tricky.

[punkarsenic]

i dont know, what makes a story a war story as opposed to a story set in a war, or about a war?

my comic is called there was a war, so obviously, war is an important element which im trying to look at closely and pick apart, but i wouldnt call it a war story, as theres a lot of other important elements and the primary aim is not to tell the reader something about war. that would be more, like, michael morpurgo kinda stuff, right?

[KSlinger]

Historical wars? Depends on the context and period. Fictional wars? Sure. West is centered round a war (or at least a breakdown in the existing status quo) and I'm looking forward to exploring how pressures produced by that situation affect characters in the story-- and it really does at certain times. War makes a great petri dish for character development and world building and can also offer a lot in the way of interesting plot twists too, if you organise it right.

At the same time, though, I wasn't a fan of war stories like Attack On Titan because there was just toooo muuuuch angst. It became so depressing! I couldn't believe it. I've also read books with battle scenes so long I skipped them, referring back when absolutely necessary (looking at you, Fencer Trilogy).

Loved the wars in all the LOTR films because there were truck loads of character development both during and in between. When someone died, you really felt it, and when you thought someone was going to get hurt you were genuinely anxious for them. Or at least I was. I know some people didn't 'get' the films and were very confused about all the locations, which is another pitfall you'd have to watch out for I suppose. Not only that, but the wars in LOTR were also funny. I love stories with a good sense of humour and that film series had just the right touch.

With regards to your Q, the war in West is between two sides of a fictional world, except no one's really prepared for it, no one really knows it's happening, and the people who can take care of it are missing. One of my first ever story ideas (and one I dedicated a lot of time to) was also about a war, so I guess when it comes to plot devices large scale battle is my weapon of choice.

[Devika]

It depends for me.

If it's all about the battles and endless shouting and masses of people crashing against each other... yawn If it's only about showing how horrible war is... I know it's horrible. I'm an extremely empathic (is that the right word?) person, and my teacher in eighth grade made us watch hours upon hours of movies about the horrors of the world wars. They featured torture scenes, endless nazi camps, walking corpses, everything, and I felt like I was in Nazi Germany during those weeks in that dark classroom. One of the movies was a trilogy, and each movie was over three hours long... We even read a comic about the horrors of the trench war in WWI (very well drawn and all that, I think by a survivor...) but bloody hell I get the point and I will never forget. So I don't need any more of that. I'll never advocate war, relax. Uh, flash of mild trauma there. Yeah. So that's my first instinctive reaction when I hear "war stories".

But! My favorite series right now is Shoukoku no Altair, and its main plot is about war. But, and here's the thing: It's still about the humans. I'm really invested in the main characters, and it's really nice to see a (fictional) Middle Eastern setting instead of the old central European bore, haha. It's a bit hard to explain, but she's telling a story with characters growing and all that jazz, and that's what hooks me.

That, and the fact that it's so damn gorgeous.