Need help writing a story? I am happy to help

[Darkness Ascendant]

This goes for anyone. The story does not have to be a book. It can be a videogame, a movie or... Well.... Anything really. If you r having a hard time coming up with a legit reason for an occurrence in your story then contact me!

[Darkness Ascendant]

P.S If u want to keep it private please message me via my profile page.

[Sir Jerric]

You want to help with story development? Perhaps you can help me with this puzzle.

She has the wisdom, magical capability, and political influence of Gandalf.

She has the invulnerability, strength, and social grace of the Incredible Hulk, minus the anger issues.

She has a problem that she cannot resolve, and a pair of normal people are going to take care of it on her behalf.

What are some problems that could fit this frame? Expect the reader to want to know why she could not resolve the problem herself.

[Darkness Ascendant]

You want to help with story development? Perhaps you can help me with this puzzle.

She has the wisdom, magical capability, and political influence of Gandalf.

She has the invulnerability, strength, and social grace of the Incredible Hulk, minus the anger issues.

She has a problem that she cannot resolve, and a pair of normal people are going to take care of it on her behalf.

What are some problems that could fit this frame? Expect the reader to want to know why she could not resolve the problem herself.

Been thinking about this for an hour whilst I was doing my homework. The problem has infinite capability, perhaps, since she has those attributes (by 'social grace' do u mean the opposite as I do not remember Hulk having any social grace) her people fear her rather than regard her as a goddess. The two people could be trying to show everyone else that she is not something to be feared and that she seeks acceptance. This is evident in Superman, as some people worship him whilst the others want him deported from Earth. The two normal people that helped him were Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane. If you need more feel free to ask!!

[Darkness Ascendant]

Hope that was helpful.....

[Sir Jerric]

Thank you for your suggestion. (And there is no need to double post within a day. =) There is an edit link at the bottom of each post)

 

You understood the irony of the "social grace" comment as intended. Most people on first meeting her react with fear and run. However, I also noted the "political influence" of Gandalf. She has contacts with the rulers and high nobility of several kingdoms, and can ask those contacts to get things done for her.

 

While the problem you propose could be interesting, it seemed too commonplace a story to excite me. I picture her as not caring if most people accept her or not. She has her friends who have gotten to know her, and those friends are sufficient for her objectives.

 

If you can think of some more problem ideas, some that are external to her (as in, not caused by her flaws, but possibly made difficult by her flaws), I would appreciate more input.

 

(This is not the first time I've requested help with this puzzle. Previous suggestions offered up the angles of "she cannot solve a problem she does not know about" or "she cannot be everywhere at once." Which could work, if you want to explore those further, but if the reader asks "couldn't she have solved that better herself?" then I need to have an answer to make the story satisfying.)

[Darkness Ascendant]

Thank you for your suggestion. (And there is no need to double post within a day. =) There is an edit link at the bottom of each post)

 

You understood the irony of the "social grace" comment as intended. Most people on first meeting her react with fear and run. However, I also noted the "political influence" of Gandalf. She has contacts with the rulers and high nobility of several kingdoms, and can ask those contacts to get things done for her.

 

While the problem you propose could be interesting, it seemed too commonplace a story to excite me. I picture her as not caring if most people accept her or not. She has her friends who have gotten to know her, and those friends are sufficient for her objectives.

 

If you can think of some more problem ideas, some that are external to her (as in, not caused by her flaws, but possibly made difficult by her flaws), I would appreciate more input.

 

(This is not the first time I've requested help with this puzzle. Previous suggestions offered up the angles of "she cannot solve a problem she does not know about" or "she cannot be everywhere at once." Which could work, if you want to explore those further, but if the reader asks "couldn't she have solved that better herself?" then I need to have an answer to make the story satisfying.)

Understood. Perhaps one day she finds her powers gone and she needs her friends to teach her how to act like a normal person

[Sir Jerric]

Understood. Perhaps one day she finds her powers gone and she needs her friends to teach her how to act like a normal person

That is an option that might someone could explore, but that is again an internal sort of problem.

 

Are you familiar with the concept of the antagonist? Not to be confused with the villain, though they can be one and the same in many stories. The antagonist creates obstacles in the protagonist's pursuit of a goal. The antagonist does not need to be evil, or unfriendly, or even opposed to the protagonist's goal.

 

In some ways, she could be labeled the antagonist. The pair of normal people (the protagonists) want to do something for her benefit, but her superior capability is creating a major obstacle.

 

However, she is more an element of the setting than she is either antagonist or protagonist. I am seeking conflicts that stem from her nature, not from changing her or her place in the setting. She is the status quo. I might find a threat to the status quo interesting, but stories that result from changing the status quo do not fit my chosen theme.

 

I hope I am not discouraging you with all of this counter-argument. I'd rather just point at ideas that sound cool in your posts and see where positive input takes you. With these short suggestions, there isn't much to work with. So I turn instead to trying to express the form of what sounds appealing to me.

 

If nothing else, you are still helping me refine what I want. =)

[Darkness Ascendant]

Hmmmm.... Could u send me the plot line to ur story and tell me who's perspective the story I from? It would give me more to work with if I knew more thanks.

[ccstat]

@ Sir Jerric: One possibility is to task her with bodyguard duties for (e.g.) Joe Genius on his save the world from techno-threat mission, and have them dislike each other. Either the two normal people are trying to help the relationship be less antagonistic, by pointing out ways that she is acerbic or identifying ways to give JG more space.
Alternatively (or twist in the middle), she fails at the bodyguarding and JG dies through a botched kidnapping or a genuine assassination. Then the norms could help her deal with the failure/grief/guilt. (And/or, this now leaves her in the position of trying to do JG's job, without his intellectual background and ability, so the norms help her to tackle an area in which she has little ability and has to learn all-new skills.)



As for my story problem, I've been struggling with villain motivations. Major Villain is plotting a coup, so they have Minor Villain (who lives in an outlying region) kidnap the emperor's daughter (our protagonist) as a feint to draw off the imperial forces from the capital. My problem: why does Minor Villain go through with it, when they know that the army will probably come to punish them? What can they get out of the short-term hostage situation? What might Major Villain be offering them? What is their exit strategy?

 

For context, royals have magical ability, but our protagonist is not known for her strength in that area. Minor Villain is a landholding noble, in charge of a poorly productive agricultural landship. Due to travel difficulties, minor villain can expect a 4-month window before they have to deal with a large enemy force.

[Sir Jerric]

Hmmmm.... Could u send me the plot line to ur story and tell me who's perspective the story I from? It would give me more to work with if I knew more thanks.

I actually don't have more plot to share than I have already, but I can tell it more concisely.

The pair of normal people are the protagonists.

All POV's are (probably) from the pair.

The antagonist role is up for grabs.

The inciting incident reveals the problem to the pair.

The fateful decision is when the pair decide to engage with the problem themselves.

The resolution has the pair successfully resolving the problem.

The denouement reveals her reaction to the pair's solution.

 

The rest of the plot outline is nothing but mist and haze, and even what I've shared is no more than the roughest of formulaic jargon. I have nothing specific about this ephemeral problem yet. The only fixed points are the ones I shared originally:

 

She has the wisdom, magical capability, and political influence of Gandalf.

She has the invulnerability, strength, and social grace of the Incredible Hulk, minus the anger issues.

She has a problem that she cannot resolve, and a pair of normal people are going to take care of it on her behalf.

What are some problems that could fit this frame? Expect the reader to want to know why she could not resolve the problem herself.

@ Sir Jerric: One possibility is to task her with bodyguard duties for (e.g.) Joe Genius on his save the world from techno-threat mission, and have them dislike each other. Either the two normal people are trying to help the relationship be less antagonistic, by pointing out ways that she is acerbic or identifying ways to give JG more space.

Alternatively (or twist in the middle), she fails at the bodyguarding and JG dies through a botched kidnapping or a genuine assassination. Then the norms could help her deal with the failure/grief/guilt. (And/or, this now leaves her in the position of trying to do JG's job, without his intellectual background and ability, so the norms help her to tackle an area in which she has little ability and has to learn all-new skills.)

Thanks for the suggestions. Not sure that they fit with my expression of her as a uber-Gandalf figure. I have no desire to tell a story in which her competence is reduced or at all doubted. My aim is to tell a story where the question of whether the pair should let her solve the problem herself is a potential obstacle for them to overcome.

---

As for my story problem, I've been struggling with villain motivations. Major Villain is plotting a coup, so they have Minor Villain (who lives in an outlying region) kidnap the emperor's daughter (our protagonist) as a feint to draw off the imperial forces from the capital. My problem: why does Minor Villain go through with it, when they know that the army will probably come to punish them? What can they get out of the short-term hostage situation? What might Major Villain be offering them? What is their exit strategy?

 

For context, royals have magical ability, but our protagonist is not known for her strength in that area. Minor Villain is a landholding noble, in charge of a poorly productive agricultural landship. Due to travel difficulties, minor villain can expect a 4-month window before they have to deal with a large enemy force.

Lord Minor knows about the potential for military reprisal (Minor Villain is a male for now). This is a good sign, as that implies that Lord Minor thinks ahead. In order to make his motivations interesting, you will want to think ahead in turn.

 

An army does not deploy on too many fronts at once, lest they be defeated on all of them. Can the army be tied up in another conflict to delay them?

 

Does Lord Minor have the ability to disguise his participation? Can he plant a false trail leading to a rival? Can the rival be someone he has amiable relations with, to reduce the odds of his being the next suspect?

 

Does the magic system allow for harvesting power for later use? Can Lord Minor use the princess to charge a magic battery for his personal use?

 

Does this magic have something like a Rumpelstiltskin effect? Can the princess be locked in a room filled with straw and be told to spin it into gold? Gold is useful for many exit strategies.

 

Can Lord Minor be planning an alliance with a external government, and double-cross Major Villain under their protection?

 

Can Lord Minor convince the princess that he is on her side, and rescue her from her kidnappers?

 

I believe I might be over-complicating the optimal selection of events. What is the simplest version of the grand plan? How much leeway does Lord Minor have in his role? Can he develop his own kidnapping plan?

 

---

@ Eternal_Radiance: Please note the above as an example of "give as you expect to receive". I do not expect to be provided with the right idea for my story. I am hunting for ideas. Go wild.  

[Darkness Ascendant]

@Sir Jerric

I like the bodyguard Idea. Perhaps the two ordinary people are important and She was employed to protect them. But then She discovers a terrible conspiracy against them (perhaps to kill them?) that would destroy their world as they know it. Yet She, knowing that she cannot protect them tasks them with finding a mythical, nonexistent object that would put the two people out of harms way and thus helping her in a way she cannot do herself. Then She goes to try and stop the conspiracy and is captured somehow while trying to find out who is brewing the conspiracy (the mysterious antagonist). The two people find out that they were sent on a false quest and return in anger, only to find their home in ruins and their family dead, Then the two people rescue Her (who was captured) and stop the conspiracy (for now... ). This teaches Her that the two people were more than She thought they were and teaches her that ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things.

Here is the plotline (do whatever you want with it)

1. She is employed to protect 2 ordinary but important people

2. She then uncovers an conspiracy against them

3. She then sends them on a false quest. (I recommend you do not tell the readers that it is a false quest)

4. The two people go off on their adventure

5. She tries to find out who is behind the conspiracy

6. The two people find out that is a fool's quest (PLOT TWIST)

7. She is captured

8. The two people's home is destroyed and they are presumed dead(?)

9. The tow people return and find their family dead

10. The two people find out that She has been captured

11. The two people go and rescue her.

12. The antagonist is revealed unexpectedly

13. The group now go and stop the conspiracy

14. Their homeland acknowledges them as heroes

15. Status Quo Updated.

Whew.

 

@ Sir Jerric: One possibility is to task her with bodyguard duties for (e.g.) Joe Genius on his save the world from techno-threat mission, and have them dislike each other. Either the two normal people are trying to help the relationship be less antagonistic, by pointing out ways that she is acerbic or identifying ways to give JG more space.
Alternatively (or twist in the middle), she fails at the bodyguarding and JG dies through a botched kidnapping or a genuine assassination. Then the norms could help her deal with the failure/grief/guilt. (And/or, this now leaves her in the position of trying to do JG's job, without his intellectual background and ability, so the norms help her to tackle an area in which she has little ability and has to learn all-new skills.)



As for my story problem, I've been struggling with villain motivations. Major Villain is plotting a coup, so they have Minor Villain (who lives in an outlying region) kidnap the emperor's daughter (our protagonist) as a feint to draw off the imperial forces from the capital. My problem: why does Minor Villain go through with it, when they know that the army will probably come to punish them? What can they get out of the short-term hostage situation? What might Major Villain be offering them? What is their exit strategy?

 

For context, royals have magical ability, but our protagonist is not known for her strength in that area. Minor Villain is a landholding noble, in charge of a poorly productive agricultural landship. Due to travel difficulties, minor villain can expect a 4-month window before they have to deal with a large enemy force.

Hmmmmm. This should turn out well. So the emperor may be a corrupt rich person with no care for his people. Major Villain is just a man with a vision and intends to claim the lands and govern the people. But even then they would be no better off as Major Villain is still a very, very bad person and intends to take control for himself not for the people. The emperor's daughter has been kidnapped for ransom but this is all a front. Minor Villain knows this and goes ahead as he realises that it will be beneficial to him (perhaps he is bribed to do so). You mentioned that they (royals) have magical powers, so lets say the powers can be harvested and the emperor's brother leads the army. Major Villain is a very powerful man and intends to bait the imperial army and the emperor's brother into an ambush and slaughters them after accepting the ransom. As the Emperor's brother has magical powers and is killed by Major Villain, lets say the emperor's brother's powers are transferred to his killer. In this case Major Villain. Then Minor Villain is allowed to go and kill the emperor's daughter and so also gain magical abilities. But the emperor's daughter escapes into the mountains where she is taken in by a group of magical people who teach her how to use her powers. After a few weeks she returns more powerful than ever and finds out that the emperor is dead. She then rallies all of her people ( remember Major Villain's rule is just as bad as the Emperor's if not worse) and takes back the kingdom. If you are planning a sequel, lets say at the end of the story Major Villain fakes his death and escapes.

As for what Major Villain is offering Minor Villain, I guess it should now be obvious, Minor Villain is offered wealth, nobility, magical abilities and other stuff. Lets say he is greedy and accepts. I should think that he dies in the story if not the next one.

Storyline

1. Major Villain plans revolt and brings Minor Villain to his side. Lets say, since he is from an outlying region, he has the support of a higher group of people from another kingdom.

2. He kidnaps the emperor's daughter and holds her for ransom

3. The Emperor's army comes along with his brother and they pay the ransom

4. Major Villain slaughters them and gains magical abilities

5. Major Villain offers Minor Villain magical powers if he kills the Emperor's daughter

6. Emperor's daughter escapes

7. The kingdoms is taken by Major Villain and the emperor is killed

8. The Emperor's daughter is taken in by a group of mountain people and  then learns how to control her magic from them

9. She returns and takes back the kingdom

10. She becomes a wise and better ruler than her father and the people love her

11. Status Quo updated

>>MY BRAIN HURTS<<

[Sir Jerric]

@Sir Jerric

I like the bodyguard Idea.

< snip >

Glad to hear that you liked it. Are you planning to write that story? You have a decent outline going, and it would be a shame to waste all of that work.

As for my story, thank you for your efforts in trying to come up with a plot, but that is not what I'm looking for help with. I am still seeking ideas (plural) for problems that the pair can confront, within the constraints previously mentioned. If you come up with any I'll gladly consider them.

In the future, please keep in mind that the best way to help a writer is to identify what they are passionate about, and pushing them to pursue that. =)

[Darkness Ascendant]

Glad to hear that you liked it. Are you planning to write that story? You have a decent outline going, and it would be a shame to waste all of that work.

As for my story, thank you for your efforts in trying to come up with a plot, but that is not what I'm looking for help with. I am still seeking ideas (plural) for problems that the pair can confront, within the constraints previously mentioned. If you come up with any I'll gladly consider them.

In the future, please keep in mind that the best way to help a writer is to identify what they are passionate about, and pushing them to pursue that. =)

The plot was for you.....

If u need more help just shout!

[ccstat]

Thanks to you both for your suggestions. I'm in the rewrite phase, and unfortunately most of the ideas won't fit with the world/plot as it stands now (e.g. no harvesting of magic possible), but reasoning through why they won't work has helped me identify the constraints on the story, and the things that could legitimately change. In particular, I realized that though I've been treating Minor Villain as a dupe rather than a player, that isn't strictly necessary. They could easily be in on the larger plot, provided Major Villain has a backup betrayal option (which, given how things go in the second half, actually works really well.)

 

 

 

I believe I might be over-complicating the optimal selection of events. What is the simplest version of the grand plan? How much leeway does Lord Minor have in his role? Can he develop his own kidnapping plan?

Short version: Major Villain needs to sneakily murder the 4-5 people ahead of her son in the line of succession (first casualty was the protagonist's brother), draw the army away from the capital, and stage a political incident that makes the current emperor look weak. She has already fomented a rebellion in a southern province that is taking the army's attention, and the kidnapping is (in the current version) intended to make it look like the western provinces are joining in on that fight.

 

Minor Villain has quite a bit of leeway, depending on how the political connections make the most sense. I'm revising that portion, so it is open to adjustment in a number of directions. The main constraint on the kidnapping plan is that it can't require much subterfuge on the front end, since the story includes a classic lady-in-waiting-switcheroo-and-mistaken-identity element that won't work if the kidnappers spend any real time with the princess's party before springing the trap. 

[Darkness Ascendant]

Thanks to you both for your suggestions. I'm in the rewrite phase, and unfortunately most of the ideas won't fit with the world/plot as it stands now (e.g. no harvesting of magic possible), but reasoning through why they won't work has helped me identify the constraints on the story, and the things that could legitimately change. In particular, I realized that though I've been treating Minor Villain as a dupe rather than a player, that isn't strictly necessary. They could easily be in on the larger plot, provided Major Villain has a backup betrayal option (which, given how things go in the second half, actually works really well.)

 

Short version: Major Villain needs to sneakily murder the 4-5 people ahead of her son in the line of succession (first casualty was the protagonist's brother), draw the army away from the capital, and stage a political incident that makes the current emperor look weak. She has already fomented a rebellion in a southern province that is taking the army's attention, and the kidnapping is (in the current version) intended to make it look like the western provinces are joining in on that fight.

 

Minor Villain has quite a bit of leeway, depending on how the political connections make the most sense. I'm revising that portion, so it is open to adjustment in a number of directions. The main constraint on the kidnapping plan is that it can't require much subterfuge on the front end, since the story includes a classic lady-in-waiting-switcheroo-and-mistaken-identity element that won't work if the kidnappers spend any real time with the princess's party before springing the trap. 

But what if Major Villain rediscovers an ancient technique to channel someone's magic. So rather than harvest it, He would be like a Magic stealer. ( whenever a magical person is in close proximity to him, he steals their magic)

[ccstat]

I agree that would be an interesting direction to take things, but having that ability in-world would fundamentally change the plot and themes of the story, and immensely complicate the other aspects of the magic that I am exploring. (Magic stealing isn't something I can toss into the middle and not use again, especially in a book about wresting control of a government where legitimacy of the imperial family originally derives from magical ability.)

The closest I could get would be to have the villain try it based on an old legend that ended up being about something else entirely. Actually, that version has some real potential if I used it to increase the tension and to foreshadow some later events, but I'm going to have to think carefully about whether I want to introduce the idea of magic stealing only to debunk it later. I especially worry that readers would think the debunking is misdirection and expect that ability to show up after all.

[Sir Jerric]

Thanks to you both for your suggestions. I'm in the rewrite phase, and unfortunately most of the ideas won't fit with the world/plot as it stands now (e.g. no harvesting of magic possible), . . .

Should I keep hoping for the princess to spin straw into gold then?

 

. . . but reasoning through why they won't work has helped me identify the constraints on the story, and the things that could legitimately change.

While I haven't had any ideas that fit with my aims either, I have better defined why I want to tell my story, which is never a bad thing.

 

In particular, I realized that though I've been treating Minor Villain as a dupe rather than a player, that isn't strictly necessary. They could easily be in on the larger plot, provided Major Villain has a backup betrayal option (which, given how things go in the second half, actually works really well.)

Short version: Major Villain needs to sneakily murder the 4-5 people ahead of her son in the line of succession (first casualty was the protagonist's brother), draw the army away from the capital, and stage a political incident that makes the current emperor look weak. She has already fomented a rebellion in a southern province that is taking the army's attention, and the kidnapping is (in the current version) intended to make it look like the western provinces are joining in on that fight.

Minor Villain has quite a bit of leeway, depending on how the political connections make the most sense. I'm revising that portion, so it is open to adjustment in a number of directions.

Sounds like an interesting story. Do you mind if I continue tossing around a few more suggestions? If so, I guess you can stop reading here.

 

For a little context: during work on my own project, I built character motivations be analyzing the sum of their activities through out the story, and asked myself "what would make someone behave that way?" So if my suggestions look more like plot ideas, it is because I am trying to find patterns of behavior without having direct access to the real events.

 

Since you didn't provide anything to work with, I am going to assume that the princess's magic does not play into Minor Villain's motivation and ignore it.

 

Lady Minor (she is a lady now) lives in the far western provinces? Was she once closer to the capital and the imperial court? Did she get ostracized by political machinations? Might the current emperor have wronged her and her family, forcing them into a disgraced withdraw?

 

Personally, I think revenge is way overdone as a motive, and I tend to get disgusted with those characters. So instead of revenge, does Lady Minor seek to redress a injustice done? Perhaps she has been simmering in the western political backwater, and has seen many other evidences of imperial misdeeds (real or perceived)?

 

Many nobles take an oath of fealty to their overlords, and the overlord gives an oath of support in return. Does Lady Minor believe that the emperor broke his oath to her family?

 

Does Lady Minor think that the coup is justified by higher moral authority? Does she believe that a god intends for the empire to change hands?

 

Does Lady Minor act on a religious faith that Major Villain does not believe in, yet they work toward a common goal?

 

When did Lady Minor become involved in the coup? Did Major Villain recruit her, or did she approach Major Villain? (If the later, how did she find out about Major Villain's goal, or did Lady Minor actually instigate the whole thing?)

 

What does Lady Minor think of Major Villain's plans and skill of execution? Does she have evidence for her opinion? Is Major Villain the "everything is moving according to plan" type, and thus Lady Minor is not inclined to cross or question? Or is Major Villain the "some setbacks are inevitable" type, and thus Lady Minor can bicker and argue? Or is Major Villain an untried source, and the first misjudgement provokes a betrayal by the underlings?

 

The main constraint on the kidnapping plan is that it can't require much subterfuge on the front end, since the story includes a classic lady-in-waiting-switcheroo-and-mistaken-identity element that won't work if the kidnappers spend any real time with the princess's party before springing the trap.

So, when you say most . . . does that mean that the "rescued from the kidnappers" option is still on the table? Because I thought of some more fun in conjunction with this section, and I'm going to indulge in a little further exploration of that. Again, you won't hurt my feelings by ignoring me entirely.

 

[storytime]

Lady Minor hires mercenaries (or recruits an ally) from beyond the empire's border and sends them to kidnap the princess. They break in (or whatever scenario), snatch the lady in the imperial finery, and bundle her away, successfully evading the uproar and pursuit.

 

They reach the rendezvous with Lady Minor (or her representative). The villain are already murdering imperial hiers; what is the value of a few foreigners? (Double-cross may be complicated by not bringing the hostage to the meeting. ) (Eventually) Lady Minor "rescues" the hostage and brings her safe to her rural manor.

 

The lady-in-waiting has been very loyal and courageous. She knew that if her captors had learned that she was not the imperial princess, her life would likely be forfeit. But now she is safe in a loyal noble house, so she reveals the deception.

[/storytime]

 

I am enthralled with all of the complications that could come of that scenario. Does Lady Minor get angry? Does she panic? How will Major Villain react if she finds out that the kidnapping was bungled? What should Lady Minor do with the hostage? Would she be rewarded for returning the hostage to her mistress?

 

What if the lady-in-waiting had cracked and let the truth slip before the rendezvous? Would the kidnappers head back for a second try? Or was there a more dangerous (to the princess) fall-back plan that may yet be executed?

 

Meanwhile, does the princess-on-the-loose reveal herself to her allies? Does she hide at her allies' urging, or to preserve the life of the lady-in-waiting, or because she fears that she was betrayed, or because she and/or her allies want to let the trap finish springing first, or all of the above?

[Darkness Ascendant]

I agree that would be an interesting direction to take things, but having that ability in-world would fundamentally change the plot and themes of the story, and immensely complicate the other aspects of the magic that I am exploring. (Magic stealing isn't something I can toss into the middle and not use again, especially in a book about wresting control of a government where legitimacy of the imperial family originally derives from magical ability.)

The closest I could get would be to have the villain try it based on an old legend that ended up being about something else entirely. Actually, that version has some real potential if I used it to increase the tension and to foreshadow some later events, but I'm going to have to think carefully about whether I want to introduce the idea of magic stealing only to debunk it later. I especially worry that readers would think the debunking is misdirection and expect that ability to show up after all.

Perhaps Major Villain does not want to take a direct assault as my plot suggests, perhaps he claims that the Royals r fake and that their magic is a lie. Maybe their bloodline split into two way back at their ancestors. Say Major Villain is on one branch of the bloodline and the Emperor is on the other. Maybe Major Villain wants to claim his 'birth-right'.

[ccstat]

Thanks for the input. I'm encouraged that you are interested. I didn't want to overdo on the specifics if you weren't. I have some work deadlines that will keep me if the site for a few days, but when I get back I'll write up a more involved summary and address your ideas. Some of them do sound promising.

[Darkness Ascendant]

Thanks for the input. I'm encouraged that you are interested. I didn't want to overdo on the specifics if you weren't. I have some work deadlines that will keep me if the site for a few days, but when I get back I'll write up a more involved summary and address your ideas. Some of them do sound promising.

Like I said I am happy to help. Besides, this is good practise for when I become a writer....

[Sir Jerric]

Like I said I am happy to help. Besides, this is good practise for when I become a writer....

 

I started writing before I could write.

Are you waiting for something in particular?

A writer writes.

Because I'm fairly certain you're already qualified.

[Darkness Ascendant]

Are you waiting for something in particular?

Because I'm fairly certain you're already qualified.

Haha lol, I meant as a proffesion, I have actually wrote a number of short stories, perhaps I will share them with everyone on 17th Shard. Currently I am writing a Series of Short novellas, which r basically WoK and WoR told completely by Szeth in the first person. I titled the first 2 books Truthless. The first book is called Son-of-None and I haven't started writing the second one.