- Aug 1, 2018
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Okay, so I have a potentially interesting idea floating around in my head for a post-apocalyptic story.
The basic premise is that an apocalyptic event(which remains vague in the actual storyline as it's not really important to the plot) recently wiped out most of humanity. Those that survived have kind of taken to living off underground shelters and stuff, forming their own like-minded communities. In the months following the apocalypse they are working on re-establishing civilization. Among those survivors is a single bishop, which soon captures the interest of local Doomsday Cultists that have cropped up since the near complete destruction of humanity. They, being the fanatics they are, quickly learn who the bishop is and what he potentially represents to the rest of the survivors. Since they want to finish what they believe is incomplete they seek to kill the bishop, ending the church as he is the last direct link to the line of apostolic succession.
In comes our main protagonists, a rag-tag group of survivors who are soon tasked with protecting the bishop and transporting him to a place of refuge so he can attempt to rebuild the church and restore hope. It is a task they only reluctantly accept, but over time they become more devoted to it as they learn more deeply what exactly is at stake if they fail. (All the details between there are to be filled in along the way.)
That's the basic premise, but I'm honestly stuck on how to conduct the opening. It's the one thing currently holding me back from writing it. It is meant to begin with the group of survivors and then a couple chapters or so in they discover the bishop. Keep in mind that this particular group of survivors is made up of pretty awful people, or at least ones who did awful things in their lives previously to the apocalypse. I'm talking atheists, Satanists, thieves, gang members, etc. Exactly the sort of personalities one would not expect to be protecting a Christian bishop, of all people.
So yea, how do I go about starting this little tale off? I am a writer so I'm usually pretty good at this sort of thing. If anybody is wondering I'm going for dark and gritty, possibly violent due to the inevitable clashes with the antagonist faction. I also get a Mad Max sort of vibe, but with Orthodoxy.
The basic premise is that an apocalyptic event(which remains vague in the actual storyline as it's not really important to the plot) recently wiped out most of humanity. Those that survived have kind of taken to living off underground shelters and stuff, forming their own like-minded communities. In the months following the apocalypse they are working on re-establishing civilization. Among those survivors is a single bishop, which soon captures the interest of local Doomsday Cultists that have cropped up since the near complete destruction of humanity. They, being the fanatics they are, quickly learn who the bishop is and what he potentially represents to the rest of the survivors. Since they want to finish what they believe is incomplete they seek to kill the bishop, ending the church as he is the last direct link to the line of apostolic succession.
In comes our main protagonists, a rag-tag group of survivors who are soon tasked with protecting the bishop and transporting him to a place of refuge so he can attempt to rebuild the church and restore hope. It is a task they only reluctantly accept, but over time they become more devoted to it as they learn more deeply what exactly is at stake if they fail. (All the details between there are to be filled in along the way.)
That's the basic premise, but I'm honestly stuck on how to conduct the opening. It's the one thing currently holding me back from writing it. It is meant to begin with the group of survivors and then a couple chapters or so in they discover the bishop. Keep in mind that this particular group of survivors is made up of pretty awful people, or at least ones who did awful things in their lives previously to the apocalypse. I'm talking atheists, Satanists, thieves, gang members, etc. Exactly the sort of personalities one would not expect to be protecting a Christian bishop, of all people.
So yea, how do I go about starting this little tale off? I am a writer so I'm usually pretty good at this sort of thing. If anybody is wondering I'm going for dark and gritty, possibly violent due to the inevitable clashes with the antagonist faction. I also get a Mad Max sort of vibe, but with Orthodoxy.