Lonely Howling

[Alias]

Hello.  Does this forum have an introduction section?  I can't find it.  Anyway, I'm the creator of Vigil, and I made an account here because someone linked to me from the chat.  So if that was you, thanks, and let me know who you are.

Anyway, this thread isn't about that.  This thread is about this story I wrote, called Lonely Howling, which you can find here..  There are six chapters so far, and it's not done yet.  It is about a werewolf.

[Geary]

Yay! Lycanthropy!

[Lopez]

Firstly, I'd like to say that I love your web comic. You've got such a refreshing style; it's nice to see someone try something a little different than doing another Furthia High line drawing comic.

Only....

One of the things I'm finding I love about doing comics is that because it takes so long to tell a story, I'll never run out of story to tell.

Wow. We're going to be very much opposites here, I can tell.

But, onto the story.

I don't read many werewolf stories, and I read fewer mystery stories, so this one is very new for me. The opening seemed to remind me of "Thriller", for some reason. I guess the whole werewolf...going to a movie theme just resonated in my mind like that.

I love your two main characters, Felan and Flint. Because they're such opposites, it's easy to pick which one you're personally rooting for (not that they're competing, or anything. ). However, what really makes the story is that you're not afraid to involve the werewolf in the plot, too. In this situation, the werewolf is the werewolf...it does what it does. However, don't be afraid to delve a bit deeper into his/its mind, because he and his story is just as/if not more important than the two detectives.

The character background on what happened to Jason and the alchemist during the lycanthropic curse is very nice. However, it could use...transitions. It would be nice if they blended into the story better. What I mean by this, is, kind of like, "Character A saw object X. His eyes glazed over it, but he quickly moved on. (New paragraph) Object X was a crucial part of Character B's life as he..."

Something like that. You'll know how to transition better than I can. But by transitioning, you can give the story a sense of...oneness, as opposed to being two stories being told simultaneously. (Or, character traits created in the backdrop become revealed in the main story, or...I'll stop my ideaing for now.)

Great story so far, and welcome to our forum!

[Alias]

I should note that since I wrote that I have run out of comic story at least once >.<   Partially because I draw much faster now.

Don't worry, the werewolf's mindset is pretty integral to the plot.  Actually I'm not sure how much more inside its head I could even get.  If your paying attention, we even got a bit about how it felt about its family when it was human.

As for the background stories, the first I tied to the main story with the 'silver water' thing.  The Lycan's hunt of the Alchemist is being told in parallel with Flint hunting the werewolf; you can kind of see that already (the alchemist and the werewolf both tried to throw off their pursuer with a decoy, and both succeeded in causing a minor injury) but it will become more obvious as we go along.  So that's how I'm connecting that.  As for actual transitions, I dunno, I kinda like the cuts where I just take you to a new place all of a sudden and you only gradually realize how it's connected.

[KaiAdin]

Ahh I just managed to read Lonley Howling on my morning walk.

 It surprised me that the Great alchemist could be charged with casting the Lycan Curse, it really puts into perspective at how arrogant he was to be judging the werewolfs (former) family, especially since the alchemist has gotten himself into such a mess now that hes run from it.

Anyway I hope you're able to continue the story soon! (and also welcome again)

[Virmir]

Very cool story so far.  I like the curse idea and the stages necessary to become a full fledged werewolf.  I also like how the story isn't about a werewolf hero or a werewolf trying to fit into city life. (Those bore me to death. )  Looking forward to reading more.

No official welcoming board here.  So hello and welcome (again).

[Alias]

New chapter.  But where is the werewolf anyway?

http://white-curtains.deviantart.com/art/Lonely-Howling-Chapter-7-150674765

[KaiAdin]

Interesting.. I find it curious that the hunters do not know of "The Night" or its inhabitants.. and of course how to to deal with them and such. Is this just due to the fact that Felan is not as experienced or do the hunters usually avoid seeking out such places?

[Alias]

Hunters traditionally focus only on the aspects of the supernatural that either A: are directly and actively harmful to humans or B: are the most effective means for fighting category A.  Some hunters would know of the Night, but it's not considered important enough to teach to new hunters and Felan is kind of inexperienced.  He probably did know that the place existed and that things like the Wolf could be found there, but he wouldn't have recognized it.  And of course, actually meeting the Wolf, who is kind of like the king of the nightmare Things, would throw off anyone who wasn't a great magician or completely insane (or both, they tend to go together.)

There's also the fact that the Night is full of things that you just can't deal with, and that trips there often involve soul searching, which hard-boiled detective types like the hunters prefer to avoid.

[KaiAdin]

Ahhh right!

Heh! I suspect then that this incident might lead to the hunters getting more involved with this 'night' thing* or at least this would drag Felan into a world of things he probably didnt want to get involved with in the first place.

Hehe also YAY for answering random reader questions!

[Virmir]

I'll agree with Kai in that it seemed surprising that he didn't know about this night thing.  Your explanation works for me though.  I would consider working that into future parts of the story, if you don't plan to already.

Looking forward to the next part.