Talk:The Legend of Total Drama Island

Prologue/Prelaunch Discussion
Okay. *reads prologue* This sounds awesome. I am officially excited for it. Sprinklemist Cyan is the new green. 03:19, August 23, 2010 (UTC)

I just know I will really enjoy this story, as it is basically the telling of Total Drama Island from the perspective of a contestant, which means we get to see another side of the story! If I had to guess who the story is being told by, I would have to guess either Heather, Gwen or Courtney, but I guess I will just have to wait and see!- The Anonymous User 03:33, August 23, 2010 (UTC)

Oh. Mai. Gawd. This. Was. Epic. So. Much. I. Can't. Speak. Without. One. Word. Setntences. XD. Epic. Job! --Reddude

Oh my goodness. *adds to bookmark widget* Another FF to stalk on My Home.

Any particular reason for that guess, TAU, beyond the fact that those three were central to my previous stories? Gideoncrawle I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 04:22, August 23, 2010 (UTC)

Epic! I loved this "chapter" of the story. After a year of waiting...I get to see Gideon write again! Goldenshane 13:11, August 23, 2010 (UTC)

I also got a Gwen or Heather vibe from reading it. I'm really not sure why. Watch it be someone random, like Izzy. XD Sprinklemist Cyan is the new green. 13:21, August 23, 2010 (UTC)

Bet it's Eva.-Nad331

It could always be Leshawna or Bridgette...for me, it gives me a Heather or Bridgette vibe. Izzy drowned at the age of twenty-six after sinking from a ship, remember? XD...weird Legacy reference... Dark clouds all around, lightning rain is  pouring down!  17:54, August 23, 2010 (UTC)

I guessed one of those three as they seem most likely and most fitting to tell a Gideoncrawle-style tale about the horrors of first-season TDI. I know Heather and Gwen were infamous for griping about every minute detail of Chris' sadism or Chef's brutality/culinary "skills" or just the experience as a whole. I chose Courtney for similar reasons, but she was only a second-quarter out, so she would be less likely if it weren't for her seemingly timeless grudge-holding skills.- The Anonymous User 01:39, August 24, 2010 (UTC)

@ TAU: Keep in mind that this is a reimagining, which means (among other things) a different elimination order, so Courntey's status as a 2nd-quarter casualty in the original wouldn't necessarily be significant.

@ Shane: I'm not sure where you get the "year of waiting", unless you weren't aware that I started posting my Courtney story a few weeks ago. That cuts the year into two more or less equal parts. (Granted, CatVoD has neither the scope of LTDI nor the emotional power of Legacy, but still...) Also, while TDI-G&amp;S is rather a different animal, it nevertheless showcases certain elements of my writing, most notably my sense of humor (as Sprink has noted elsewhere). There's also a chance that I may have a one-shot or two, or perhaps another Fake Souls chapter, between now and the official launch of LTDI.

@ all: In addition to the standard Winner Guessing and/or Final Three Guessing, I will also have Storyteller Guessing. (Probably by poll, unless I can think of a prize.) I don't think it's revealing too much to say that the storyteller's identity will not be explicity revealed until near the end, but there will be certain clues throughout the story, mainly in the way certain contestants are depicted. The beauty of this--not the main reason I'm doing it, but a nice bonus--is that, if I should happen to slip and make a character a little too out of character or a little too Mary Sue-ish, it can be ascribed to the storyteller's biases and/or imperfect memory.

I will also have guessing on one other matter alluded to in the Prologue. (Hint: do the math.) Gideoncrawle  I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 03:43, August 24, 2010 (UTC)

Please tell me it's Courtney or Izzy, I just get that feeling. Christin McClean actually hosting? So this means your story is in the Sunshineverse?! That is so cool. I really can't comment on the story, since it really hasn't started yet.I love you when you dance when you're freestyling trance  So pure such an expression  14:39, August 24, 2010 (UTC)

I had planned almost from the beginning to mention Christin by name in the Prologue, because she ties in to the "Legend Of" part, and I have recently been thinking that she may actually appear in one scene. (I did change the spelling of her surname to match the most widely accepted spelling.) I chose Christin, instead of some relative of my own invention, because--well, really for no other reason than to please a friend. Gideoncrawle I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 16:29, August 24, 2010 (UTC)

Aw...the story won't start until, like, April of 2011? :( Dark clouds all  around, lightning rain is  pouring down!  03:28, August 25, 2010 (UTC)

If then. My Featured User interview, scheduled to appear in the September newsletter, will have more details. Gideoncrawle I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 04:06, August 25, 2010 (UTC)

Prologue = epic win, Gideon. I seriously cannot wait for the rest of this story, and not just 'cause my character got mentioned. XD It seriously looks absolutely amazing, even just from the prologue. I seemed to get a Gwen-ish vibe from the storyteller, but I wouldn't be surprised if you fooled us all and made the narrator someone completely unexpected. Now I just have to wait until the spring...

@TDIRM: Sunshineverse? I have a universe? o.o *grabs crown and scepter* *ALL HAIL MY UNIVERSE XD* (And now I await the many people giving me worried glances out of the corner of their eye, as per usual... XD) -- Sunshineandravioli- Legendary  Pixie!   RAVIOLI EVERYWHERE!  15:15, September 2, 2010 (UTC)

@Sunshine: All hail the Sun Queen! (There was a Sun King--Louis XIII of France--so why not a Sun Queen?) Yes, I know that was OT... Gideoncrawle  I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 16:50, September 2, 2010 (UTC)

Great prolouge, Gideon! I'm so excited for this to start, and I'm kinda really looking forward to that LAL parody you mentioned in your Featured User interview. xD -- I sing the song of the fading  silver star...  17:30, September 2, 2010 (UTC)

In order to add to the theory that this story was, intentionally or not, created for me, I'd like to mention a realization I had the other day: I suddenly recalled that, almost a year ago, I started planning out an eventual follow up to my (now on hiatus) competition story Total Drama Fame. This story, set several years afterwards, starred several original characters as well as offspring of original characters. The title of this fanfic was none other than "Total Drama: the Next Generation". I figured this little tidbit would amuse all of you. XD -- Sunshineandravioli- Legendary  Pixie!   RAVIOLI EVERYWHERE!  23:45, September 18, 2010 (UTC)

Also, Sunshine, you may recall a tie-in I mentioned on a peripherally related blog discussion, a tie-in between one of LTDI's talent show acts and a way you have fun naming your Pokemon. (If you don't remember that, I wont repeat it here. No point in spoiling twice.) Anyway, if you feel a degree of "ownership" from all this--especially the things I'm doing intentionally--then so much the better. Not only will you enjoy the story more, but I will eventually be in the market for someone (or multiple someones) to illustrate it. Gideoncrawle I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 20:18, September 19, 2010 (UTC)

OMG. I just read this the prologue and previews. THIS STORY IS SO INCREDIBLE!!!! Or the previews and prologue are. I CAN'T wait to read this. Are you going to post it all at once or a chapter at a time? Either way this story sounds incredible. I like all the poetry in. I love how you wrote everyone so unique. And I LOVED all the ROMANCE. I can't tell who is with Courtney though. Is it Duncan, DJ or Eziekel? I guess I'll have to wait. What is this rated? And will we find out who the mom is first or at the end. And how does the mom know everything thats going on? Not that I don't love nor not want the mom. The mom is a really cool part. Can't wait for more. Are you planning on giving a preview for st. patrick's day? Rhonda the stalker fan! 05:16, March 7, 2011 (UTC)

A little Q&A
In the comment immediately preceding this section, Rhonda asked several questions. Since she’s undoubtedly not the only one who would be interested to know, I will answer them in this section.

Are you going to post it all at once or a chapter at a time?
 * I’ll be posting one chapter at a time, because that tends to generate more feedback. When I’m ready for the official launch, I expect to post either every week or every two weeks, depending on how many chapters there are and how long they are. I will post Chapter one when it’s ready, rather than waiting for the official launch, because it will have little more than the character intros and will probably be the longest chapter in the whole story.

''I can't tell who is with Courtney though. Is it Duncan, DJ or Eziekel?''
 * At this stage, you’re not supposed to know. One of my criteria for selecting preview scenes is that they can’t have more than minor spoiler potential. I’ll let you in on a little secret, though: an early chapter actually mentions a fourth prospect for Courtney.


 * In the time that I’ve been working on LTDI, the story has gone in various directions that I didn’t necessarily intend, and Courtney’s popularity with the boys is one of these. This is partly because the LTDI Courtney retains the personality that her canon counterpart started with: bossy and driven, but friendly and generally well-meaning.

What is this rated?
 * LTDI is rated PG-13 for adult situations and mature subject matter. “Mature subject matter” is a fairly nebulous term, but “adult situations” usually means sexual content. “Adult situations”, though, is not to be confused with “explicit content”, which requres an R rating. The difference is in the level of detail.


 * For example, suppose a story calls for Duncan to have sex with Sunshine (a scenario I played with in one of the Valentine’s Day scenes). R-rated “explicit content” means that their encounter would be described in considerable detail, perhaps even a “play-by-play”. (Note, however, that if you have too much detail, or if its too graphic, it could go into the realm of pornography, which most fanfic sites don’t even allow.) Conversely, a PG-13 “adult situation” might describe something leading up to “the act” (e.g. the couple retiring to a private room) or after it (e.g. waking up in the same bed) without any mention of the “encounter” itself, or it might be stated that they had sex, with little or no detail given, or their fornication might be described in the sort of euphemistic terms common in romance novels. Note that, other things being equal, sex between 16-year-olds does NOT normally require a more restrictive rating than sex between 18-year-olds or even 21-year-olds.


 * One of the “mature subjects” LTDI deals with is teen pregnancy. Readers who did the math from the prologue learned that the Storyteller’s son is the right age to have been conceived either during the competition or shortly afterward. When LTDI launches, I plan to have four guessing games: winner guessing, Final Three guessing, Storyteller guessing, and paternity guessing.

Will we find out who the mom is first or at the end?
 * The Storyteller’s identity won’t be explicitly revealed until near the end, but I suspect that many—perhaps even most—readers will have it figured out well before then. There will be clues throughout the story, mainly in the way that certain campers are depicted.

How does the mom know everything that’s going on?
 * By talking to other ex-campers after arriving at the Playa de Losers and at the reunion, by watching the finished episodes, and by watching additional footage—especially confessionals—that the producers made available at the Playa de Losers to help the losers with their votes. There is also some educated guesswork on the Storyteller’s part for the sake of a more interesting story, and the Storyteller is undoubtedly embellishing certain details, especially in the story’s more cartoonish elements. (It’s called a "legend", after all. Besides, it's been 17 years.)

Are you planning on giving a preview for st. patrick's day?
 * No. Although I’ll make exceptions for special situations (e.g. posting romance and romance-related scenes on Valentines day, or posting the Courtney/Ezekiel scene on short notice because it was topical to events on the wiki) I have generally been posting previews on a two-month cycle. Since I previewed four scenes last month, and I don’t have anything that specifically fits St. Patty’s Day, the next preview will be around the end of April.


 * Sometime between now and then, I may do something special for my 3,000th edit. Perhaps the LTDI tropes listing (from the TV Tropes website) that I mentioned previously. Gideoncrawle  I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 03:04, March 13, 2011 (UTC)

Preview Announcements
My fans have spoken and, over a single dissenting vote, you have called for additional previews on my blog page whilst you wait for the official launch. The next preview is scheduled for Saturday, 30 October, and will be part of my Halloween-themed 2,000th Edit Special. Gideoncrawle I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 02:15, October 21, 2010 (UTC)

For the sake of completeness, here's a link to the first preview, a scene from the talent show, which I posted two months before I created the story page.

The second set of previews is up. My Halloween Special blog post includes two LTDI scenes fitting the Halloween theme. These are Gwen's arrival (because her Gothic aesthetic fits the occasion) and a scene from the phobia challenge. Gideoncrawle I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 00:55, November 1, 2010 (UTC)

The third preview is posted. This preview features a scene that fits the "renewal" theme of New Year's Day, and also relates to an impending event in my own life. Gideoncrawle I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 00:22, January 4, 2011 (UTC)

I have posted an unscheduled preview. I had not intended to preview this particular scene, because it has a couple of minor spoilers, but I decided that its ripped-from-the-wiki-headlines topicality made up for that. Don't worry, though, LTDI fans, you'll still get the "hot 'n' steamy" Valentine's Day preview I promised you. Gideoncrawle I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 14:15, February 7, 2011 (UTC)

The Valentine's Day preview is now posted. This preview includes a couple of polls, so please vote. Gideoncrawle I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 02:58, February 15, 2011 (UTC)

The sixth preview is now posted. This time, it's two short scenes, the first of which gives a look at the mother-and-son framing story. Gideoncrawle I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 01:40, May 2, 2011 (UTC)

For those of you who are fans of the TV Tropes website, I have worked up a listing of tropes appearing in LTDI, as part of my 3,000th Edit special. Based on what I've written so far, and on the notes I've sketched out, I have identified an even 200 tropes in LTDI. There are undoubtedly more that I haven't identified yet, or that will appear as I write additional scenes. Gideoncrawle I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 01:11, May 12, 2011 (UTC)

I have posted a holiday preview marking the anniversary (more or less) of the day that I announced this project to the wiki. This preview illustrates how I am making my story Darker and Edgier than the original by (among other methods) playing for drama certain incidents that the original played for laughs. Gideoncrawle I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I-- 23:41, July 3, 2011 (UTC)

Prologue/Prelaunch Discussion, part 2
Thanks for answering my questions! Rhonda the stalker fan! 08:44, March 13, 2011 (UTC)

Please tell me that the chapters will be posted, soon. I'm really digging this! :D I also loved that recent preview blog featuring the Heather/LeShawna conflict. ♪I wish that I could have this moment 4 life♫ ♪Whenever you call, baby I&#39;ll roll up♫ ♪After a hurricane comes a rainbow♫ 23:24, July 17, 2011 (UTC)

Wow... Never thought I'd see the day where LTDI actually started! XD Judging from previews, I'll be rooting for Sadie. She's one of my favorite characters and VERY underused. Can't wait! -- Spotted at the hottest shows, interview on Charlie Rose,  they all want a piece of you!  03:15, August 20, 2011 (UTC)

It's starting in a few weeks! :D I can't say I've waited as long as some others, but I'm excited. Since I'm such a slow reader, it would probably take me like an hour to read each chapter, but whatever. XD SG has a habit   of changing his siggy   once a month.  04:51, August 20, 2011 (UTC)

I hear you, SG. I've always been a very slow reader, too. Gideoncrawle I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I--  04:59, August 20, 2011 (UTC)

First Night Poll
Oh, dear, what has the poor girl so affrighted? Something obviously harmless (like the canon cockroach) Something that looks dangerous, but isn't Something genuinely dangerous

Well...What can I say. I really, really enjoyed the first posting. I don't really know how to describe my feelings, but it feels like how it seemed when I first started watching Total Drama Island. It is a feeling of wonderful, new...a "what is this?" kind of feeling. I can't wait for the next posting. Great job, Gideon. TDIwriter Ruining everyone's fun since 2009! 23:59, September 3, 2011 (UTC)

Wow. This was amazing. There's so much I wanna talk about, but there's too much. It would take me an hour to say the amazing things in this story. It's like Total Drama Island reimagining, but in a much deeper and nostalgic way. It's like the regular Total Drama, but with much deeper insight on the contestants. Noah is much more than just the average sarcastic bookworm. He's a charmer with his intellect. I'm not usually the best reader, but I couldn't stop reading this (Okay, I skipped over a couple very detailed paragraphs :P). I'm especially excited to see Gwen in this story. The insight focused on her arrival was amazing, and made me look at the canon Gwen in a whole different way. I'm guessing the elimination order will be different, although I don't know if you've revealed that, but I'm excited to see what happened. Well done, Gideon.-- Radicalm18 "Nice guys finish last,  that's why I'll treat you like trash." 00:07, September 4, 2011 (UTC)

Oh crap was my first thing I thought when I saw the chapter knowing that it was this long but I think it's worth it. I loved the way you explained things and I'm hoping the eliminations won't be the same as Total Drama Island. I kind of find it as boring because some of my favorite characters didn't get their chance to shine. --HINT:A AWESOME USER, that loves Chatango and Chatting but wonders, what's with Cyan? 00:55, September 4, 2011 (UTC)


 * The elimination order is different from the original. As I've said elsewhere, how well I liked a given character in the original actually has little bearing on how far that character will get in LTDI. Some of my favorites do well, some don't. Gideoncrawle  I have a song to sing, O!  Sing me your song, O!  A wandering minstrel, I--  00:58, September 4, 2011 (UTC)


 * WOO, now I'm ecstatic as Sadie and Bridgette have a better chance to shine. I just hate the way Bridgette was portrayed in the last two seasons. :D --HINT:A AWESOME USER, that loves Chatango and Chatting but wonders, what's with Cyan? 01:02, September 4, 2011 (UTC)

OH MY GIDEON THAT WAS AWESOME! Sorry to go all caps but I loved that. TDIwriter said it well when he said it was like when seeing Total Drama Island the first time. You portrayed them so well. It was funny and extremely witty. You've given it a lot of depth. I'm still taking in what I just read. I can't decide who I like best! You answered a lot of the questions Total Drama Island left (like how the boat brings one contestant at a time). I really liked Izzy. She was super funny and I really loved the Sunshine joke. I think you gave everyone a good amount of screentime and didn't feel like anyone was too minor. I'm so excited for the next chapter! Oh, come on. I bought KFC. It pretends to be southern, you pretend to be southern. Don't go there!   01:05, September 4, 2011 (UTC)