Werewolves choosing to Infect others...

[Coyote]

I guess one of the questions would be... how much of the Werewolf ideas would the film's creators wish to take from existing myth, legend, Hollywood, etc.? Is it important to adhere to any one particular myth, or is the idea to create a new one?

There's a whole heckuva lot of myths to choose from!

I see statements like:

"We want to show werewolves in a way they've never been shown"
but also
"We want to focus more on the characters and the slice of life they're going through"

If it's going to be a story with events that happen quickly, in one day, it may simply be unreasonable to expect to be able to create a whole new werewolf myth (or even describe existing ones). If we're busy seeing what the characters have going on _RIGHT THIS MINUTE AHH!! LOOK OUT!_ then there's probably not a lot of time for "in the beginning, when the world was young, werewolves sprang from blah blah blah" : )

This seems more like a personal fantasy playing out on the movie screen than the makings of a truely engaging story. (I know, because that is almost Exactly the way it works in the "fantasy" short stories I often write.)

Conflict and hardship make for much deeper, more emotionally moving stories than wish fullfillment.

As for the comment about my statements being me suggesting something that played to my personal fantasy... well... of course they were. Did I imply elsewise? <grin> I was saying what I liked, and would like to see. That doesn't mean I'm gonna go beat up the film-makers if I don't get it. It's _their_ movie, and if I have (or anyone has) an idea that they don't like, they won't use it. As for whether it would make an interesting story or would have conflict, I think it's just as ripe for conflict and story as any other idea here. (Note: I believe that there's all sorts of good storytelling in whether it's an infection, a curse, a magic spell, hereditary, whatever).

An example of a conflict the person would have if they were "born to be a werewolf" or "were special" might simply be that being born different, or with some difficult destony that you didn't get to pick generates conflict with your idea of self, your place in society, with other people, etc. There's even likely to be literal conflict. Just because _I_ would like to be a werecritter doesn't mean that the character in the story is happy with how it comes out, or is ready for it!

Conflict, in a story, is not just people yelling at each other or getting into fights.
: )

Regardless, I'm just throwing it out there. I'd seen statements about showing werewolves that weren't like all the other ones out there, or showing werewolves in a way they hadn't been before. I've already seen a _lot_ of "getting infected" or "being under a curse". Why not something that makes it seem more like a "difficult blessing", or something that is "right and natural" for the person. Conflict can come from _all sorts_ of quarters.

Hell... let's be real though. I'm just tossing this out there. I'll most likely enjoy the movie even if the werewolves are cursed, or bitten, or whatever. You can do stuff with _all_ these scenarios that's worth seeing!

Coyote

[SGrayWolf]

Conflict, in a story, is not just people yelling at each other or getting into fights.
: )

Right.... there's alot of different forms of conflict.

Internal conflict --> conflict with something regarding themself

Personal conflict --> conflicts with another individual (on a "small" scale)

Social conflict --> conflict with society (as a whole, or part of)

Elemental conflict --> conflict with nature/environment

[Vuldari]

As for the comment about my statements being me suggesting something that played to my personal fantasy... well... of course they were. Did I imply elsewise? <grin> I was saying what I liked, and would like to see. That doesn't mean I'm gonna go beat up the film-makers if I don't get it. It's _their_ movie, and if I have (or anyone has) an idea that they don't like, they won't use it. As for whether it would make an interesting story or would have conflict, I think it's just as ripe for conflict and story as any other idea here. (Note: I believe that there's all sorts of good storytelling in whether it's an infection, a curse, a magic spell, hereditary, whatever).

An example of a conflict the person would have if they were "born to be a werewolf" or "were special" might simply be that being born different, or with some difficult destony that you didn't get to pick generates conflict with your idea of self, your place in society, with other people, etc. There's even likely to be literal conflict. Just because _I_ would like to be a werecritter doesn't mean that the character in the story is happy with how it comes out, or is ready for it!

Conflict, in a story, is not just people yelling at each other or getting into fights.
: )

Regardless, I'm just throwing it out there. I'd seen statements about showing werewolves that weren't like all the other ones out there, or showing werewolves in a way they hadn't been before. I've already seen a _lot_ of "getting infected" or "being under a curse". Why not something that makes it seem more like a "difficult blessing", or something that is "right and natural" for the person. Conflict can come from _all sorts_ of quarters.

Hell... let's be real though. I'm just tossing this out there. I'll most likely enjoy the movie even if the werewolves are cursed, or bitten, or whatever. You can do stuff with _all_ these scenarios that's worth seeing!

Coyote

Right.... there's alot of different forms of conflict.

Internal conflict --> conflict with something regarding themself

Personal conflict --> conflicts with another individual (on a "small" scale)

Social conflict --> conflict with society (as a whole, or part of)

Elemental conflict --> conflict with nature/environment

I'm sorry...I've got a bad habit of acting like I'm the only one who knows what's going on sometimes. It looks like most of us have a good sense of what makes a good story "Good".

Indeed...there ARE alot more forms of conflict than just "Person VS Person".

Also...I have definately been a bit overinsistant about the Werewolves being interpreted within my own guidelines. I am not going to "beat up the filmakers" either if my expectations are dodged in favor of a suprise in the plot.
...I would prefer that actually.

[JoeDarkfall]

So, here we go.

Lets say that a Werewolf's HUMAN mate is mortally wounded. The death isn't instantanious, it's long and painful. Possibly an hour or so. Anyhow, the Werewolf decides to bite the mate before they die in hopes of infecting them.

Of course, one of the old myths is that a werewolf can die, then come back to life three days later (if they're not killed PROPERLY). So, what do ya think, would it work?

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

To answer these kind of question we need to decide how werewolves are going to be created for this movie. If they are going to be born as werewolves then the whole biting thing and it's consequences are moot. If they are created by bite then we have a whole new series of questions, but first your question. The bite may or may not work, some movies have said that if you kill the werewolf that bite you then you are human, so if the one that bite his mate dies then it might not work. I like both ideas , since with the first one people who are not werewolves can become one, but you have the whole curse thing and then whenever anyone is attacked by a werewolf they have the chance to become one. Being born as one is quite a bit more simpler though.

[Figarou]

So, here we go.

Lets say that a Werewolf's HUMAN mate is mortally wounded. The death isn't instantanious, it's long and painful. Possibly an hour or so. Anyhow, the Werewolf decides to bite the mate before they die in hopes of infecting them.

Of course, one of the old myths is that a werewolf can die, then come back to life three days later (if they're not killed PROPERLY). So, what do ya think, would it work?

Hmmmm...this sounds familiar. I know someone had a similar idea. I'm just trying to place it. Think....think. Ah! here we go!!

http://calypso-blue.com/werewolf/viewto ... =2454#2454

To answer these kind of question we need to decide how werewolves are going to be created for this movie. If they are going to be born as werewolves then the whole biting thing and it's consequences are moot. If they are created by bite then we have a whole new series of questions, but first your question. The bite may or may not work, some movies have said that if you kill the werewolf that bite you then you are human, so if the one that bite his mate dies then it might not work. I like both ideas , since with the first one people who are not werewolves can become one, but you have the whole curse thing and then whenever anyone is attacked by a werewolf they have the chance to become one. Being born as one is quite a bit more simpler though.

whoa!! Same thinking patterns!!!


http://calypso-blue.com/werewolf/viewto ... =2618#2618

[Terastas]

I've always kind of thought it was silly that someone became a werewolf by being bitten or "infected".

Aesthetically, if a person isn't just _born_ a werewolf, I'm happier with the idea that at least _part_ of what causes them to become one is something from inside them... whether it's a certain personality, a destiny, genetics, whatever. To me, it's more pleasing if there's _something_ about a person that makes them predisposed to such a thing... that it's not something that can happen to just anyone, regardless of who they are, through some simple means.

The thing that makes someone different could be explained as genetic, supernatural, or just something to do with the type of personality they are... but I think the whole idea of it being a curse, or just the result of some biting is kinda... well... blech.

Coyote

I'll admit I haven't read every response after this one, so please forgive me if I repeat and/or contradict someone.

While I agree that lycanthropy as an infection is somewhat of a stretch of reality, I think it would be an even greater stretch to presume that werewolves as a species would have survived the countless witch hunts, inquisitions and other events of religious/political persecution throughout European/American history. The way I see it, after several hundred years of political/religious turmoil, the only surviving werewolves would be the descendants of bite victims.

But on the other hand, I love the idea of lycanthropy only being active in certain individuals. In another thread, I suggested the possibility that, over the centuries, the lycanthropic virus (or whatever you want to call it) has spread via intercourse, infections and blood transfusions to millions, yet has gone unnoticed all this time because the virus is only active under specific circumstances.
Personally, between the three factors you mentioned (genetic, supernatural, and personality), I like the last one the best. The idea I had for the active factor would be that the virus becomes active when triggered by specific nerve impulses from the brain which essentially will the body to shift. Or in simpler terms: the person has to know he's a lycanthrope in order for lycanthropy to work. That would go along with the theory because it would explain why lycanthropes have gone unnoticed all these years; the virus has always been there, but only became active again with the introduction of the concept of werewolf spirituality (Why not? It would mean all of us are werewolves by that definition, but it's not like any of us would deny it. ).
It could also be a good horror element too because, by that definition, one out of ten people don't turn into werewolves because they didn't know one out of ten werewolves had lycanthropy... Which they will know after watching the movie. After all, aren't those the best horror movies; the ones where that "creeping horror" feeling leaves the theatre with you?

[Ronkonkoma]

My thoughts are that if there is a situation where a WW wants to bring a human into the pack, the first thing that has to happen is that the WW needs to let the rest of the pack know "hey this person would make a good pack member and can keep The Secret"

The rest of the pack would go though a small trial period of observing said human secretly, seeing how they acted and what their personality was like, after that was over, and approved of human, then that WW could start on easing Human into the Pack, first by entertaining the idea 'do you think WWs really exist, what you do if someone you knew was one? ever think you might want to be one?'

postive responces would eventually lead to eventually showing said human you are a WW, and before a human can be a WW they first gotta be comfortible seeing a WW.
Once they get square with that, they have to get taught about pack rules, laws, about the change ect. Once said human is comfortible (and rest of pack is satisified and comfortible) and human -wants- to be a WW, only then can that human be bitten -by the WW that informed human of the secret-

Once bitten, the human will have to be watched and observed up until their First Change. At the night of the FC, said bitten Human, WW and a few pack members get together and wait, and as human changes into a WW, the other pack members make sure nothing goes wrong.

After that, the former human is the responcibility of the WW that bit them, and if the new bitten WW gets into trouble, the Biter gets punished along with the Bitten.