Shadowfax

Er... I'm actually moving to Missouri... We are packing the trailer on the 25th and starting our drive from Washington state the 26th. But we are headed to St. Joseph. I just didn't want to have to update my profile a bunch of times lolol

​I uphold values of the Church of Wayne! My accent changes every time I worship (drink). And it's never exactly the same accent. xD I have also picked up accents everywhere I've traveled and generally adjust my language and tone, etc when speaking to others. Can I join?

Don't worry about feeling dated. I was alive and already making up stories in my mind by 1989. I just never got around to trying writing until 1992 when I had an amazing teacher in middle school And I would go with proud tenacity. I've shelved so many projects that had potential that I should be embarassed. But, potential for a work doens't mean I could have made it what it could have been. This one though, this one I can *feel*. So if you can feel that one, then you should be proud for clinging to it and nurturing it through all these years. It's like a child and you're the mother. You can't just let it go, not when it's a part of you that large.

Perhaps they Snapped at such a young age, they use their gold to literally determine how to move forward in their own life? Someone who relies so much on what they could have been in the past that they sit and determine which choices they made that led to the options gold shows them as past selves and uses those deductions to determine what they should do in their future? The internal struggle is real.

This is actually the main character plot for the brother, but saying anything more would include so many spoilers it wouldn't be funny. She is a rather static character, in the grand scope of fantasy. Her immutability is both a strength and a weakness in that she literally refuses to change what she "knows" without solid empirical evidence. Her brother is more faith driven. Definite tension Thank you so much for this back and forth. I've literally been stuck in this rut for a long time. By long time, I mean somewhere in the realm of years. I can't even remember how many.

Well, the shardholder is, and we know it's been splintered, so the power exists in some form. The dead Vessel couldn't do squat, though, I give you that. And the key is "as far as we know". We know they disappear. We know the magics are based in the Cognitive. The rest is speculation and conjecture. Saying they can't do something simply because we don't know that they can or can't is fallacious. The monks may believe they die, but without someone on the other side reporting to them what happens, they know about as much as we do. The point of theories is to question and wonder, which is all I'm doing. OP posited that the monks were drawn into the Physical, and destroyed by the Dor in the process. My wonder was, and what if they weren't destroyed?

Only one of the siblings, the sister, is the actual researcher. She considers herself a scholar of sorts (more akin to Earth's concept of archeologist). During her early chapters she uncovers clues at a "dig site" (it's not a formal one, just a place she started digging, and I haven't finished the history or motivation for why she chose that location yet) that begin her character arc. She's addicted to knowledge, it's probably one of the only things she actually holds sacred. She's driven by these clues to find out more about the history behind what she uncovered. During this arc, she encounters a lot of opposition from organized religion, political entities, and even her own brother, who has a simpler way of looking at the world than she does and becomes influenced over time by one of the forces at work. Perhaps that IS enough to tie the mains to the background plot? Maybe I'm so used to there being some sort of entity saying "oh, you found that, now you're on a path you can't change" that I felt I had to have the same. Maybe... maybe I don't. Maybe I disregard the need to have some voice of wisdom helping guide my characters? Perhaps I alternate viewpoints enough to give readers clues to the battle of forces happening in the background while allowing my mains to operate in ignorance. I don't need an Allanon, a Moiraine, a wizened old fool or anything to guide or direct my characters. I should just their natural inclinations drag them through the mud plot! This talking and brainstorming thing really does help xD

I feel your pain! Luckily, as I'm mostly in planning, and only have a few scenes written, I have wiggle room to write myself out of this conundrum. On the other hand, I think you have a good setup for some major wow moments My mains are paired up - they are actually a brother and sister, and so the bond is pre-established and simply reiterated through interaction. EDIT: I just had a thought.... My characters don't HAVE to know of the plot, right? Is it good enough to let the readers know but not the characters? Then, there would be tension created as the reader (through another viewpoint character) would see the "big picture" while the mains wouldn't, nor would my mains know what consequences their actions are creating....

Perhaps I should add some backstory so my predicament makes sense. I don't necessarily have a villain. I have forces at work that keep the world balance tilted in their favor, and that balance is beginning to be upset as one force tries to break free from captivity from the other force holding it. The book ends with one force tipping the scales dramatically in their own favor. This only happens because of the actions (and in some case inactions) of the main characters. These characters are not well informed. They don't know what they're doing, not *truly*, they simply think they know based on their own research (that they pick up along the way during their personal story arcs). The battle between the 2 forces is concurrent with but mostly separate from the character arcs of the main characters. It just so happens that the main characters end up directly impacting the battle between the forces. I think this is what is making it so hard for me to clearly define to readers (and therefore my characters) the battle plot and why/how the main characters are important enough at the beginning of the book to actually be the main characters. Right now I'm trying an exercise to outline the book using all my notes as a guide for the outline to see if that helps me. I'm not much of an outliner but at least I feel I'm attempting to work this out.

I could definitely get on board with this. Now my mind is abuzz with what happens to the monks who are tossed into the Cognitive. Are they literally torn apart by the Dor? Do they exist there for a time, tempted with the pull to the Beyond? Are they trained to resist and cross back into the Physical? Are they protected by Devotion, who sees their sacrifice as a holy interpretation of their love for Dominion? So many questions

I'm currently having a difficult time trying to decide how to introduce my plot to my main characters. Like, I know how the book is going to end. I know the implications of said ending. I know HOW it happens and what needs to happen in order to make the ending work the way it needs to. But I can't quite figure out how to let my characters know there's a problem they are about to become involved in. I've considered the "mentor" figure, and scratched that idea as it wouldn't work. I've considered dreams, as dreams are part of the magic system and will be used during the book, but I discounted this as being too deus-ex-machina as at the beginning of the book there is nothing that sets my 2 mains apart as being special to this task, it is literally something they grow into as part of their personal character arcs. Honestly, the book is more about these 2 characters and their personal stories that happen to coincide with the plot happening in background which they inadvertently become part of as the book progresses. All that said... I feel that they should have some way of being aware of the plot in some form. I'm so stuck. Anyone care to help me brainstorm this out?

Part of my brain just decided that Susebron kept it on himself, perhaps after using it to communicate with his priests. We know that he could write to them, so it would make sense he had access to something on which he could write, without being needlesly wasteful with resources.

Exactly. We've seen cadmium used for basically the combat version of parlor tricks. I think exploring actual practical applications would be interesting.

I just had to bite my tongue to keep from giggling loud enough to wake up my boyfriend. This is perfect xDIn reply to OP, I'd love reading a story about a cadmium misting who works as an assistant field medic or nurse during a civil war, perhaps in the time between The Lost Metal and era 3 books. By slowing time for wounded soldiers this misting can help save lives as doctors can get to them quicker.

Yes, I've read this, too. My questing isn't about Seon use of magic, but what changed in them on a spiritual/cognitive/physical level once the Shaod completed. I see the Shaod enhancing the bond Perhaps in book 2 we will learn more, but I can't shake the thought that the chasm line might hinder the changes in the Seons, at least in some way. If not the chasm line, then the event that caused it, perhaps. If the Aons can be fixed, then there must logically be a way to fix the Seons. Now, that doesn't mean it can be accomplished. I just feel that there is a problem and all problems have a solution of some sort, even if it is far from ideal or even probable. Perhaps the solution lies in "technology" no longer accessible Just my thoughts. I'm just fascinated with these little creatures and I hate feeling like they have been reduced to less than what they should be even though AonDor has been "fixed". Another thought is whether Seons can be affected, and thereby "fixed", using soulstamps. Perhaps to rewrite their central Aons with the chasm line.

I'm still waiting to technically be added to the list, but if I'm added in time I'd love to submit Monday. I won't be able to for a couple weeks after that, so it's Monday or wait 3 weeks.

Yay! Sadly it seems I've missed reading this week by one day. That said, if anyone wants to, they can send me this week's submissions (their own, only, of course) and I'll happily review. I'm hoping to have something put together soon, perhaps for Monday. Depends if I get added to the list in time to request to submit.

I literally just discovered 2 threads that, combined, gave me that same answer So, now that I know why they went mad during Shaod due to Reod.... the question is, what changed inherently in Seons post-transformation, if anything? SA and if the bond are similar, on a spiritual level, it stands to reason the Seons would be affected in some way. Perhaps the lack of chasm line in them keeps the change from happening, but as they're splinters, I doubt that. Sort of. More research for me

Thank you for making that much more clear to me. Now to figure out why/how Seons are affected by the Shaod when their humans are. I'm still combing these forums, so I haven't read all the theories yet but maybe I'll find some interesting tidbits.

What bothered me the most was that the Seons worked without having chasm lines added to the Aons that were "inside" them. Unless the Seons we saw in Elantris are super under-powered, which could be true as we dont know much about them. So, they're part of the magic but don't run off AonDor? It confuses me.

*waves* I just sent a PM to Silk asking to be added to this group. I'm very excited to begin critiquing work... for some reason that helps me in writing my own. Makes me aware. Anyway... I'm new on this site, but I've been interested in writing for decades. I have a smattering of poems, stories, unfinished works, etc sitting on my hard drive begging to be worked on. I lack motivation. Part of it is due to mental illness, and I hope that by adding myself to a talented group of other writers I can help myself overcome this challenge and begin truly writing again. I also love to read. I read mysteries and fantasy mostly. SO many authors I couldn't possibly name them all. I prefer series over standalones because I become truly invested in good characters and can't handle saying goodbye to them. That said, I've read ASOIAF many times and still cheer when people die.... hmmm lol Hmm, this isn't much of an introduction. I am not good at talking about myself. I'll open up eventually. I'm excited to be here though. I've recently dusted off some old story notes and I want to expand on them and work on them some more. It'll be nice to have readers who want to critique instead of trying to shove my stores on friends and family who are too afraid to tell me what they really think about them. So, ok. Uhm, "HI"