I've got the main character! Now all I need is a story (and series to go with it)

[underthecity]

A coworker named John was wearing a polo shirt the other day that said "Falcon" across the breast. Since I'm so hilarious, asked him if I was supposed to call him "Mr. Falcon" or just "Falcon." He explained that a few years ago our company was supposed build a machine called the "Falcon" and they distributed the shirts to employees. But the project fell through and the machines were never built.

Then I realized the name "John Falcon" would make an excellent lead character name in adventure series. John Falcon, the man's man. John Falcon, the world adventurer. Oh, he's cool. He's John Falcon. He may look like a regular guy, but no, he's an action hero that doesn't take any shit from anyone.

I thought John Falcon could be a little like Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt character and a whole series could be written about him.

I have the name, all I need now is the story.

allen

(But because I'm so hilarious, I still call my coworker "John Falcon." Another guy named Tom is working with him . I asked Tom if he had a nickname, and he said that he was just "the guy who works with John Falcon.")

 

[SageFury]

Well my characters make their own story so I hope your able to hear it's voice...

Just don't name him Captain Falcon or Capcom will sue you =)

 

[Calla Lily]

John Falcon, the man's man. John Falcon, the world adventurer. Oh, he's cool. He's John Falcon. He may look like a regular guy, but no, he's an action hero that doesn't take any shit from anyone.

He needs perfect teeth. So perfect that when a nubile female first meets him, she's never sure if they gave off a cartoony gleam or not.

He needs to be able to construct an escape mechanism out of a gum wrapper, a shoelace, amd a dust bunny from the floor of the eerie basement/dungeon/remote island storm cellar he's trapped in.

And just to make him human, he should have one little flaw. Perhaps imminent male pattern baldness--so when the nubile females surprise him in his 5-star hotel rooms, he quickly has to switch from the Procede infomercial to an Ah-nuld action flick.

 

[~grace~]

He needs perfect teeth. So perfect that when a nubile female first meets him, she's never sure if they gave off a cartoony gleam or not.

He needs to be able to construct an escape mechanism out of a gum wrapper, a shoelace, amd a dust bunny from the floor of the eerie basement/dungeon/remote island storm cellar he's trapped in.

And just to make him human, he should have one little flaw. Perhaps imminent male pattern baldness--so when the nubile females surprise him in his 5-star hotel rooms, he quickly has to switch from the Procede infomercial to an Ah-nuld action flick.

I think the flaw should be an Achilles Tooth. If it gets chipped, he dies.

 

[Calla Lily]

I think the flaw should be an Achilles Tooth. If it gets chipped, he dies.

But what'd that do for the series? The movies? The Burger King Action figure tie-ins?

Perhaps his main squeeze should be a dentist-turned-spy. Then when John (da-dah-daaaah!) Falcon's pearly whites are damaged, she'll rush to his side with the latest in cosmetic dental equipment.

 

[underthecity]

He needs perfect teeth. So perfect that when a nubile female first meets him, she's never sure if they gave off a cartoony gleam or not.

He needs to be able to construct an escape mechanism out of a gum wrapper, a shoelace, amd a dust bunny from the floor of the eerie basement/dungeon/remote island storm cellar he's trapped in.

<busily scribbling all this down>

And just to make him human, he should have one little flaw. Perhaps imminent male pattern baldness

No, John Falcon should have perfect hair. Perfect all the time, even after his most recent narrow escape from the exploding building.

Maybe he should wear an eyepatch. That would give him an air of mystery. Then, in the twentieth and last (?) novel in the series, he would reveal that he had perfect vision all the time.

allen

 

[Akuma]

For Heaven's sake, darling, character simply is story.

*goes back to looking at pretentious modern art*

 

[Stormhawk]

Maybe he should wear an eyepatch. That would give him an air of mystery. Then, in the twentieth and last (?) novel in the series, he would reveal that he had perfect vision all the time.

allen

There's a character in Bleach that does that, he wears the eyepatch (an energy-sucking eyepatch mind you) to make fights more difficult, interesting and fun for himself.

*wishes for a Ken-chan plushie*

As for the series...there should be a submarine. And a zeppelin.

 

[~grace~]

There's a character in Bleach that does that, he wears the eyepatch (an energy-sucking eyepatch mind you) to make fights more difficult, interesting and fun for himself.

*wishes for a Ken-chan plushie*

As for the series...there should be a submarine. And a zeppelin.

or! or!

a SUBMARINE ZEPPELIN.

you know how James Bond has that car that turns into an underwater boat thingy? like that--except a SUBMARINE ZEPPELIN. The SubZep, for short.


man, I'm getting sooo into this John Falcon idea.

 

[underthecity]

<flips page> All these great ideas. I like the transformable subzep. At the end, he could be flying away in it toward the sunset, a gorgeous model clinging to his chiseled, hairy--but not too hairy--chest.

allen

 

[KTC]

This could be your first sentence: Who is John Falcon?

 

[Stew21]

<busily scribbling all this down>



No, John Falcon should have perfect hair. Perfect all the time, even after his most recent narrow escape from the exploding building.

Maybe he should wear an eyepatch. That would give him an air of mystery. Then, in the twentieth and last (?) novel in the series, he would reveal that he had perfect vision all the time.

allen

then his flaw can be his certainty that he is perfect. Other people find this trait arrogant and somewhat ridiculous. His flaw is, he can't see his flaws.

 

[maddythemad]

But he doesn't have any flaws. So he's actually correct in believing he's perfect. So... *wait for it*

HIS BELIEVING HE HAS NO FLAWS IS NOT A FLAW!

 

[Stormhawk]

Does anyone else feel we're on the verge of the reinvention of the pulp hero?

 

[Akuma]

Does anyone else feel we're on the verge of the reinvention of the pulp hero?

Sounds fun to me.

 

[SageFury]

Like watching an interesting accident... =)

 

[AllisterGrim]

Since I've had waaaaaaaaaaay too much coffee I thought I'd chime in with some wacky ideas. I'm sensing you have an inclination to play the character up for laughs so...

Super agent fry cook -
John Falcon is a daredevil, crackshot, master of martial arts and all around amazing guy with a nifty haircut. After a particularly stressful mission he decides to bag the super spy game, and yearns for a nice normal boring life. After all we always won't want we don't have. So he gets the most mundane job he can think of... flipping burgers (replace with any other crappy job you can think of, working in a box factory, walmart greeter etc).

His one big problem is the universe won't leave him alone. If he goes to the bank to cash a check, that just happens to be the day that bank robbers are trying to blow up the vault. When he is cleaning up after work, time traveling ninjas show up to share their problems with him, etc. While all of this is annoying and no big deal for him, he has a tenancy to pull everyone around him into his action hero-like existence : the sheepish manager at the burger stand, his slacker wisecracking co-worker, the dimwitted guy who has problems with the fry machine, etc. Think James Bond trying to fit in with the main characters in the movie Clerks.

Demigod -
Why are those action heros so much better then us normal humans? Suppose that just as in classical times, these heroes are children of the gods. Maybe ole John is the child of Aphrodite. He has this weird over-the-top power to look good doing almost anything, but he isn't actually that skilled.

Sure, he can be thrown out of a building explosion and never muss up his hair, but he screwed up defusing the bomb in the first place. You could make him a bumbling immortal, trying to live up to all those "family" expectations. Or you could make him a reluctant hero, and frame it more like modern day quests from antiquity (like 12 tasks of Hercules, etc). He could get mixed up with the critters from mythology, or you could make it very super agent, with the mythological elements intruding.

Occult Super Agent -
A common idea in fantasy is that there are different schools of magic (ie Some people learn magic to create fire etc). Suppose that John's learned a school of magic that lets him do all the super spy stuff. He works for a secret society that is run more like a secret government agency then men in robes and chanting. His unconventional magic is firing guns so they are never empty, or being able to miraculously avoid being hit. He gets little magic talismans that do unconventional things. Maybe he has a talking familiar as a side kick, or even as a superior. Imagine that he has to take orders from a talking cat who teams up with him on missions.

They send him on assignments that are like a mix of James Bond and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Assassinate demons, keep magical super weapons out of the hands of nut cases, etc. Maybe he gets nifty magical gadgets, A lighter that summons an imp, a miniature crystal ball that can show five minutes into the future. There's a lot you can play up for laughs... poking fun at both the urban fantasy genre and the superspy genre.

 

[wayndom]

Maybe John Falcon needs a sidekick. How about Max Power?

Oh, no, wait... Homer Simpson already took that one.

 

[underthecity]

Since I've had waaaaaaaaaaay too much coffee I thought I'd chime in with some wacky ideas. I'm sensing you have an inclination to play the character up for laughs so...

Super agent fry cook . . .

Demigod . . .

Occult Super Agent . . .

I think I'm seeing three different series here. Boy, I'm gonna be one busy author.

allen