Hey, folks

[KitsuneMarie]

I'm new to RAF, but I'm hardly new to Animorphs. I started reading the books when they first were published during my fifth grade year, and I and dutifully purchased the monthly installments until the series reached its completion.

Since I preferred fantasy settings to science fiction as a child, I was surpriseded by my own fascination with Applegate's books, but their rich character development, difficult moral questions they raised, and unending appeal of joining an effort larger than oneself they presented really hooked me. As indicated by my membership on this forum 13 years later, these books still have not let me go. I am now a 24-year-old working Houstonian with a B.A. in English and, despite all the incredible literature I have read in fulfillment of my degree, I have never encountered a story (especially not a children's story!) that treats the subject of a secret war fought by children with such brutality and honesty as Animorphs does.

Writing fiction is one of my favorite activities; after I wrap up my current book project, I'm seriously considering writing a trilogy of Animorphs screenplays -- any thoughts on the best plots to feature? I know this is a project that would probably never receive the funding and support it would need to avoid mimicking the horrible disappointment of the television show, but I just can't get this series out of my head! Has anyone else tackled a similar project? How did it go? Did you stick with canon book plots or fabricate new ones?

[Gaz]

Welcome! I'm Gaz, nice to meet you!

[DinosaurNothlit]

Welcome to RAF!  I'm DinosaurNothlit, but most call me Dino, DN, or Nothlit.  How do you do?

An Animorphs screenplay, eh?  Sounds awesome!  I'd recommend such plots that are integral to the storyline (Elfangor's landing and the first mission to the Yeerk pool, the discovery of Ax, the Ellimist's first appearance, etc.) and leave out all the ones that don't do much to develop the story.  I think most people would like to see a screenplay that sticks as close to canon as possible, of course, but some details just wind up being superfluous, such as the decloaking-attempt on the tanker ship in book #3.

[Kit Cloudkicker]

Welcome welcome welcome! I'm Jess, one of the resident RAF teachers--not to be confused with Jessi aka Teach aka Terenia. She will be SUPER excited to see you here, as you're practically next door neighbors.

Hope to see you around!

[KitsuneMarie]

Thanks, Gaz, Dino, and Jess!

Dino: Yeah, I think the Helmacrons probably won't make an appearance in my screenplays

My thoughts so far:

Book 1 has enough going on to make a great first movie.

The third movie would focus on the part of the series that always fascinated me the most, which begins with the recruitment from the rehabilitation center. Before then, the characters (especially Cassie) had always questioned the morality of their actions, but everything gets so much more unclear at that point. With the revelation of their war to their parents, their manipulation of the Chee, and their decision to go public, things just spiraled out of control thereafter. I think this rapid change is most evident in Jake's character: by the end, he is almost unrecognizable from the narrator of "The Invasion." So that's what I would really want to capture in a final film.

The middle one is still up in the air. Number 6 was always a personal favorite of mine, but maybe it could be worked into a bigger plot, as I don't think it's interesting enough to make a whole movie.

[Cloak]

*switches cloak and appears in the room.*

Hiya Kitsunemarie, I am Cloaky, a nickname Estelore gave me that stuck.  So, would you prefer kitty, kitsune, marie or ksm? -- Er, never mind that, it's not important.

. . .

Ahem, I can't resist:

[spoiler]Parody #307:

Somewhere in your mind's eye
There is someplace you have never been.
Welcome to the strangest place that you've ever been to,
Stranger than in dreams might give you a clue.
Close your eyes, its here for you

But everybody's crazy here in RAFLand
You have to be a bit insane.
To sit and watch a house fly away and play.
Beside a field of raisin cane.
Call it crazy, if you please
We're as happy as can be.

'Coz everybody's crazy here in RAFLand
You simply won't believe your eyes.
Because if you've never been you wouldn't understand.
You couldn't in a million tries.
You'll see combinations that no one ever sees.
Ain't anything normal even with a swarm of bees.

And I sure hope I can get back to RAFLand.
Back to RAFLand.
Back to RAFLand.
Back to RAFLand.
Back to RAFLand.
Back to RAFLand.

[/spoiler]

And --

Beware the seal.

[KitsuneMarie]

Hey Cloaky! Haha um, I don't really care, but I suppose "Marie" works just fine. The only one I veto is "kitty." Call me crazy, but I'm not really a cat person. I'm a bigger fan of canines (kitsune is the Japanese word for fox).

[Cloak]

I never really expected you to like that -- for all I know some inactive RAFian already holds that nickname.  Oh, and knew what kitsune meant, "vulpine" as well --

Wait a minute -- kitsune -- is that your RAF species?

[KitsuneMarie]

Sorry if I sounded pedantic! And, I hadn't really thought about that, but I suppose so!

[HiImshort]

*Walks out of cave.* Who woke me up? Oh, a kitsunemarie? What in the world? Anyways, Hi Marie. I'm the only Mewtwo on here so if you see any other Mewtwo tell me so i can promply knock it outso I can say hi. Anyways welcome to RAF.

[Dameg]

*Coming from the elevator*
wHELLcome, Kitsune-chan!
I'm Vis... I'm Dameg, another RAFian. I heard you had a project. Come with me, please, I gonna show you the projects we have here. It's here, after this door *Open a heavy door* We call them the RAFprojects. *Lead Kitsune to a long and dark hallway, with many doors, some in the dark, some with light coming from the other side. Arrive near the first door* Here at your left...

- The Ebooks project: [Help wanted!] Animorphs (http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php?board=14.0), Remnants (http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,157.0.html <= finished) and Everworld (http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,331.0.html); we need somebody to scan the volume #10 of Everworld, and the other Everworld/Animorphs ebooks need to be cleaned a little (mistakes, we don't know where the chapters begin and finish, etc.) so if you wanna be a correcter... call me, I head that projects.

Facing it is...

- RAFipedia: http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php?board=22.0, an encyclopedia headed up by Estelore, our star (a true star, who make light and burn in space... but she has a body to come on Earth);

Next it's...

- the Audiobooks project: http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php?board=15.0, a full-cast audio version of Animorphs who need more "actors" and voices, headed by Kit Cloudkicker (Jess), MrGuy, Morfowt, and Wildweathel;

and here...

- the Graphic Novel project: http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,416.0.html and http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,2276.0.html, a Webcomic headed by Gafrash.

You also have...

- the Smiley project: http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,1691.0.html, we make Animated gifs, smileys about Animorphs (Andalites, Hork-Bajirs...);

here and facing it is...

- the Translation project: http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,1907.0.html, a recently started project/mutual support group for translations into other languages; currently only in French (Tocade, Anidragon and myself), Chinese (Morfowt), Indonesian (Nat), Swedish (Mira and Zana), and Esperanto (Wildweathel); we translate only the volumes never edited in our countries/languages, to make the ebooks;

Next door is for the special project:

- http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,3738.0.html: the adventures of the RAFians;

At the end it's for the little projects:

- the http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,3810.0.html;

- the http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,3911.0.html to make the planets we hear about in Animorphs;

- the paper-RPG project: a role-playing game (on table, with paper, pen and dices...) about the World of Animorphs; I head this project, and it'll be write in French at the beginning, but we need help to find, class and write everything we know about the species, the planets, the powers we see in Animorphs, fix them, see what we keep and what we can't keep (because of the KASU, not clear, exception for the main characters/books, etc.), complete the knowledges about species/planets we know and even create new species/planets...; this project will be on my own website, so if you wanna join, ask me the link ^^;

- the RPG project: http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,4069.0.html to make a video game about Animorphs, with RPGmaker;

- the Command-line game project: http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,3787.0.html for another kind of video game about Animorphs;

- the http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,3773.0.html where we count all the people killed by the Animorphs;

- the RAFkaraoke: http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,3150.0.html, where we make songs and sing them... It's pretty new... But please sing with us!

and some other projects who come and go. Please check the list: http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/board,13.0.html

*Standing in front of Kistune* I hope you enjoyed your visit. Oh, and I also invite you to add your species on this list: http://animorphsforum.com/forum/index.php/topic,2154.0.html 'coz everybody isn't Human here. And we like to know who is what... For example, as you'll probably see, I'm a Controller. You have nothing against Controllers, do you ? 

Now I have to go, I don't invite you for the meal, sorry. *Beginning to go down dark stairs. Kistune can hear a cry coming from the cave.*
Have fun!
*Kistune is now alone in the hallway*

[Terenia]

Hello there! Jess already sort of introduced me. I am yet another RAFteacher. Call me Teach, Terenia, Jessi, T...whatever floats your boat. I am a high school English teacher in Houston, as well as an avid writer. It's great to meet you (even though I already technically met you in chat)!

Can't wait to see you around RAF.

[Phoenix004]

Welcome to RAF. Join for the Morphs, stay for the insanity.

[Stephquiem]

Welcome to RAF! I'm Steph, or Genies. ^_^

[KitsuneMarie]

Thanks, all! What a welcoming crew you are!