A couple of weeks ago I started up a web serial about "superheroes" called Special People.

Here's the blurb from the About page:



There are already 11 chapters up, each between 500 and 1000 words, so there's plenty to read. I post a new chapter every Wednesday, and if readers meet my challenges I sometimes post chapters on Mondays, too!


I owe a lot to the LRR fan community, so I thought this might be a good place to talk about the project a bit and get some feedback.

I have big ideas for the future of Special People, and I hope some of you will join me in pursuing them!

I just read the whole lot and it's pretty awesome so far. I pretty much lost it when you first mentioned "Arm Fall Off Boy." I'm looking forward to reading more.

Glad you're enjoying it so far!

I must admit, I really love how AFOB has developed, and I'm really glad that the character was mentioned in the radio series I was listening to at the time when Tim was first looking for superhero names.

Which reminds me, I still really need to get round to reading Feel-Good and answering my emails...

Oh, I assumed it was in reference to this old DC character

I'm just impressed that, after thinking of the dumbest name for a superhero I could possibly muster (Medium Sized Chunk of Drywall Man) Tim somehow managed to turn him into an actual character. The fact that the character is so comically useless just makes it even better.

It was, I was listening to a radio show and the topic of superheroes came up, and Arm Fall Off Boy was one of a list of terrible superheroes. I suggested it because the concept amused me greatly and I completely failed at coming up with any original ideas of my own!

Myrph, I didn't know that name suggestion was a reference!

I'm technically violating copyright then, aren't I? Hmm... Not sure if I should do something about that or not. I could easily tweak it to Arm-Loss Boy or AFO Man, if necessary.

I have enjoyed reading it so far. I'll be following this, Tim.

My apologies in case it causes you issues! I'll try and make sure my next suggestion doesn't violate copyright!

@Myrph: My fault for not Googling it. I don't think it will cause a problem.

@RAIC: Thanks! I'll do my best not to disappoint.

New chapters up this week:

http://specialpeople.timsevenhuysen.com ... llowing-up
and
http://specialpeople.timsevenhuysen.com ... ng-on-andy

I must add this to my reading list. bump for awesomeness.

Thanks, Charlie!

would you be opposed to silly character suggestions? I would hate to start it then someone suggest something you were already working on and have someone claim its their IP.

I'm all for suggestions, as long as you understand that I'm going to mold that suggestion into something that works for me and for the world I'm creating. Several of the characters in the SP world are already reader suggestions, in fact, including Kevin Cox (the Baconmancer) and Andy Button (Arm-Fall-Off Boy, potential name change pending), and the two main characters in the upcoming Christmas short.

I've offered people the opportunity to give me character prompts as part of different preorders on my writing, or contests, etc. Right now there's still one day left to get that privilege by preordering my flash fiction chapbook Flare Fiction.

If you have an idea, run it by me, by all means. Since I've been gathering suggestions in other ways, though, I can't guarantee that I'll have room to work it in, but I always welcome inspiration and input.

In the case that I can't use your suggestion, I'd love to see what kind of story you could come up with for your own ideas, as well.

Here's the new chapter for this week: http://specialpeople.timsevenhuysen.com ... questions/

Finally got the chance to read through all of this. I'll admit I was a little wary of a story with a character that made bacon from thin air (mostly because I have weird psychological issues involving food), but I love the world you've created here. I also really like the chapter lengths. They're perfect for not getting too long, so I can finish as many as I want in a sitting without feeling like I have to wait until a good stopping point in the action. I do have to wonder, though, with this many special people in Victoria, there has to be a pretty good number in the planet as a whole.

Re: the number of specials in Victoria, the implication is definitely supposed to be that there are lots of specials all over the world. If being "special" means you can make bacon or turn into drywall, though, then it's not such a big deal. Some special abilities might not even be much of an advantage in life. It's just like being part of a minority group of sorts, with the accompanying cultural differences and prejudices.

Glad you're enjoying it!

Today I put up a Christmas-themed short story at SP.

Some touching moments, some very silly things, and a longer-than-usual update. I hope you enjoy it!

I haven't been posting updates here for a little while. I think I just forgot.

The "King of the Dark" story wrapped up a few weeks ago, and we're 6 chapters into the new arc, "Who Killed Walter Carton?" It would be super awesome if people wanted to head over and check it out.

Start here: http://specialpeople.timsevenhuysen.com ... the-enemy/

New chapter went up yesterday:

http://specialpeople.timsevenhuysen.com ... king-with/

In Thursday's chapter of Who Killed Walter Carton?, SMS, Pavelec, and Cyber go the The Hole to meet with Jovo, the gang boss who might know something about Walter Carton's murder. What kind of reception will they receive, and what might they learn?

http://specialpeople.timsevenhuysen.com ... /the-hole/

To read Who Killed Walter Carton? from the beginning, start here.

Does anyone else get a craving for bacon whenever Tim posts?

I read (and loved) the first of them when you originally posted and regrettably fell behind shortly after the signwriter's brother first showed up. I really do need to catch up on them.