Who is attempting to write an epic novel?

[DailyBlessings]

It's not so much that I fear being accused of uncreativity, I just resent that whenever I summarize my plot, the book is already tainted by the notions people have of the film characters. Both were poorly done, and nothing like those in my own representation. Clearly, I have pressed forward on the novel, I just was annoyed by the film. Plus, the bad characterisation I kind of took as an insult to certian people I had in an odd way befriended. Marcus Aurelius trying to abolish the Imperium? Bleh.

 

[Jinn_Ku]

I've started a four or five book series. It keeps growing in the telling, as they say. I'm about half-way through the first book and have a new appreciation for God. Just thinking up a plausable world with twenty or thirty characters has taken me almost two years to wrap my brain around. To actually create a working world is mind boggling.

I'd suggest just writing. I've reshaped mine so many times I don't remember what it originally was. Start with whatever comes easiest, then build on that. Its your story and your world, so get it on paper (or harddrive) and tinker with it until its what you want. Look into how the Dark Tower series started and ended. Now that's a case of overhauling and tinkering in action.

 

[Slina]

Yeah, if you come up with a story/book idea, then something comes out with a similar plot, go ahead and write it anyway. Chances are it won't end up the way you think it will anyway. Plots have a way of changing as you write I've noticed. And just the fact that your idea is similar to something in an episode of a tv show really shouldn't stop you from writing about it.

 

[NIMBYatheist42!!!]

I am- kind of

 

[icy_crusader]

I'm curious to hear some plots. Anybody willing to reveal the plot of their story? Or myabe I should begin?

 

[DailyBlessings]

Sure, if you like. The plot for Arturus (Just my working name, probably not the final title) is one that has changed greatly since it's original conception, but I think it is starting to solidify.

After the turn of the millenium, two half brothers briefly shared a dual lordship over the greatest empire in all the world. One was a man of words and intellect, the other a lover of glamour and parades. On the way back from a campaign, the latter mysteriously dissapears. But as an investigation proceeds, it becomes clear that the doom which befell him was at the hands of a force so awesome as to threaten Rome itself. Meanwhile, an ancient secret surfaces in the middle east and makes its way northward toward the capital, to a cataclysmic fate of its own. When the two tales meet, the surviving brother is forced to make a decision that will have unthinkable consequences for the history of the world.

 

[Wicked Willow]

My fantasy epic starts in medias res, about 16 years after the events that will culminate in the major conflict of my story, but for the sake of simplicity, I'll try to tell it in chronological order, and tell the story from the very beginning:
1. The mythical past: The ghost-singers of a tribe that was on the verge of being exterminated by foreign invaders opened a portal to another dimension, gaining the aid of three mystical entities known as the Sternenschwestern (=sisters of the stars). In order to interact with the mortal world, three female ghost-singers offered their bodies to house the essence of the Sisters, sacrificing their own identity in order to save their people. And save them they did: The invaders were quickly defeated, and the tribe rose to enormous power.
There was only one problem - the Sisters were trapped in their mortal bodies, unable to return to their own world. They could elongate the host body's life, preserving their youth and vigour for a long stretch of time, but eventually, they were bound to die.
To make the best of their lot, they gathered the human tribes and erected a nation of unprecedented splendour and bliss - and they produced mortal offspring, who inherited some of their parents' power. (Other possible story-arcs are embedded within here, but I'll stick to the facts that are relevant for my first book.)
2. The distant past:
The descendants of the Sisters continued in the tradition of their ancestors, but eventually, their realm was deteriorating: stability became stagnation, protection became tyranny, and peace became oppression. It was not even that the rulers were exceptionally cruel or unjust, but their reign left no room for individual freedom, and their exalted status filled their hearts with a certain feeling of superiority when compared to ordinary mortals. They were the Fair Folk, the Drudes, the Lightblooded, enhancing their inherited powers through ornate "jewellery" made of gold and silver, since these metals seemed to enhance their otherworldly abilities.
One day, however, a rebellion arose, and (to keep matters short) the ancient realm crumbled to dust - literally -, and the surviving refugees journeyed on to find a new home. Already, a form of hero-worship was developing in their ranks, since they regarded the deceased leader of the uprising as a divine being - for who else could have defeated the Fair Folk? They themselves had also learned to defeat the Lightblooded, though: Cold iron was like poison for those who were "of the blood", and disrupted their magical abilities, thus serving as an excellent weapon.
Eventually, they reached a new land - but found that it was already occupied by other people, who seemed to be Fae, too. With nowhere else to go, and with a burning hatred for all Drudes stengthening their resolve, the refugees invaded the country and waged a genocidal war on its inhabitants, finally defeating the last bastion of their opponents in an event that was henceforth remembered and celebrated annually as "The Banshee's Last Wail".

 

[Wicked Willow]

3. The not-so-distant-past:
The new land has split up into a loose alliance of five separate countries, called the Pentarchy and ruled by a council of Warrior Orders. These Orders are based on the aforementioned hero-worship, a blend of religion and military finesse, with a moral code that is centered around protecting the land, keeping up the law and winning as much glory as possible. The Banshees (as the Fae are now called) and everything connected to their rule is still despised and shunned, but in the meantime, a few bands of dispossessed lighblooded are free to travel the country, although they are not allowed to own any land or to settle down permanently. Especially in the northernmost country, many of the lightblooded gather, since its huge woods and its sparse population make it easy to live without encountering too many spiteful people. Besides, it is also the mythical homeland of the original tribe, with huge monuments of stone standing on the bare mountaintops and ghostly fires dancing in the sky.
But a conflict is approaching: Foreign tribes from beyond the mountains invade the northern lands, pillaging, plundering and burning everything that stands in their way. The Warrior Order cannot stop them, because there are too few people around, and so the leader of the Order makes a surprising decision: he asks the Lightblooded for help, forging an alliance that would have been considered anathema for countless generations. But in the North, the Fae have become such a common sight that the old prejudices are not as strongly pronounced as they used to be. He even urges his son Morrigg to marry one of the Banshees, seeing that his son and one of the female fighters have fallen in love, and seeks to cement the alliance permanently by advocating a peace treaty within the Pentarchy Council. Two of the five countries openly oppose the proposition, one other country joins the Northlands in its plea, and the last remaining (and most powerful) country remains undecided. From now on, it's just a matter of power politics.
Morrigg, however, is happily married to a Banshee, and swears the oath of true hearts, pledging his hand to protect her or else to have it wither and die. Soon, she is with child, and after their daughter is born, they travel to the Council capital to witness the final decision concerning the peace treaty. Everything looks very favourably, since Morrigg's best friend is the son of Thoreas, the leader of the undecided Order. It is announced that the Peace shall be signed on the day that used to see the celebration of "The Banshee's Last Wail", signalling a final cessation of hostilities between the two estranged people.
But then, everything starts to collapse: Morrigg's father and the leaders of the Fifth Order are assassinated, and it looks as though a band of fanatical Banshee's has done the deed, using the opportunity to strike at their oldest foes and eliminating any chance of a peaceful coexistence between Men and Lightblooded. Morrigg's wife is accused of high treason, too, and it is officially announced that she was one of the leading figures in the plot. She and the other convicts are to be burned at the stake, thus bringing the bonfire tradition of "the banshee's last wail" back to its grim origin. Morrigg himself is believed to be a hapless victim, and cleared of all charges due to the testimony of his best friend, who sees all his prejudices against the Banshees confirmed. He is, however, required to witness the execution.
When that happens, his wife looks at him across the crowd, facing her death with calm resolve, and starts to cite the oath of true hearts. Morrigg, knowing that she is innocent, and seeing that she accuses him of betraying his oath, tries to rescue her, but it is too late: While he struggles with the guards, the fire is lighted, and she is enveloped by the flames. Morrigg reaches out to her in despair, trying to pull her away and burning his hand beyond repair in the process. His hand has withered and died, just as the oath predicted. Utterly disillusioned, Morrigg turns his back to the Orders, forsaking his pledge of allegiance and taking his infant daughter with him.

 

[Wicked Willow]

And this is where my story starts!

Seventeen years have passed, and Morrigg awakes from fitful sleep, witnessing the execution of his wife again and again. He lives the life of an exile, hidden in the woods of the north, despised by his former best friend (who is now the leader of the Council), but still respected by the people of the North and the Banshees.
His daughter Alienor has become a rebellious teenager, as of yet ignorant of the events that led to the death of her mother and striving to become a warrior, even though it does not beseem a woman at all to fight, and the Orders even actively forbid women among their ranks. (The Fae were matriarchal, so putting a woman in a position of power is completely out of the question.)
What is to follow? We shall see...

 

[DailyBlessings]

That's quite a setup Willow! It sounds like you had a lot of fun inventing the universe where your story takes place.

 

[Wicked Willow]

You bet! As I said, I started to craft this world in my early teens, and it went through immense permutations while my own understanding of the real world expanded and grew. The toughest part was to get rid of the fantasy *clichés* without demolishing the archetypical elements of *myth*.
I cared most about getting rid of the "absolute good vs. absolute evil"-template. In my first drafts, Morrigg was a scheming villain, secretly forging an alliance with the sinister Banshees and toppling the rightful rulers, only to find that his daughter and heir becomes his gravest enemy (because he killed her beloved one during the war against the ruling house).
It was still somewhat powerful, because it involved a father-daughter-tragedy somewhat reminiscent of Greek drama, and a heroine who found herself fighting for a people who hated her against those of her own blood.
But I simply wasn't satisfied with that. Inhumane villains who wreak havoc just because they can strike me as quite unrealistic. The conflicts in the setting I presented here do not arise from the fact that one side is "good" and the other "evil", but from conflicting ideologies, clashing cultures, nurtured antipathies and historical events that cast long shadows.

 

[Wicked Willow]

Having told you so much about it, I feel almost compelled to share my introductory passage. (Please point out any phrases or words that sound "un-English", since it's certainly somewhat tricky not to write in my own language - but lots of fun as well!)
Sooo... *harrumph* Here we go...

The smell of burnt hair. The crackle of flames. A cheering crowd drowning out agonized screams. I pledge my heart to you… Shattering pots of oil. The angry roar of the bonfire. May it shelter you and warm you, or else wither and die… Guards withdrawing from the heat. I pledge my hand to you… Her eyes, piercing him. Looking right into his soul and telling him more than a thousand words. May it shield you and hold you, or else wither and die… Fighting against the crowd, trying to reach her. The face of a guard, confusedly lifting his spear to bar his passage. United in love, strengthened by honour… Shoving and struggling, running, reaching, almost reaching. Almost… For this is the oath of true hearts.


Morrigg jerked up from his bed, barely stifling a scream by lifting a sweat-drenched arm to his mouth. The dream. He closed his eyes again, consciously drawing deep breaths to still his racing heartbeat, trying to drive the pictures from his mind. Not pictures. Not a dream. Memories. He could almost feel the pain, flames engulfing his swordhand and consuming his flesh while he did the only thing that was left to do. One plunge of the blade had put an end to the cruel spectacle. And to his love. May it shield you and hold you, or else wither and die. Aching everywhere, Morrigg forced his eyelids to open, examining the ugly stump on his right arm. The scars were old now, and he could barely remember what it was like to use both hands. But the pain was still the same. Oh, how I have failed you! There was nothing else he could have done, once the terrible string of events had been set in motion, except to die by her side. I could have died a traitor’s death, and chose to live a traitor’s life instead. The bitter irony of it all galled his mood even further. If only…

A knock on the door disrupted his thoughts. He straightened and forced his face into a mask of calm dignity. “Enter.”

 

[icy_crusader]

Wow, what you have written so far is great. You're alot further along than I am, of course this is your life dream and I just began forming the idea in my head last week. How much do you actually have written so far?

 

[Wicked Willow]

Oh, my earlier drafts (back in the good old black-and-white-cliché days) should approximately fill one hundred pages, but as far as the version I presented here is concerned, well... what you see is (almost) what you get. Only one page of it has been actually written, so you know about half of it already.

 

[DailyBlessings]

Don't feel bad- I've been on the Arturus project for years and all I've written are a few vignettes from various points in the story. I've nothing so comprehensive as an actual chapter.

 

[Fledge]

I started writing a sci-fi story a while back, and ended up starting over at least a dozen times. In the process, I've accumulated quite a bit of "history", which I think is vital to writing a high-quality tale (look at all the data Tolkien accumulated). Among other things, I've written (and actually finished) some short stories simply because they provide a more detailed look at some of the history behind my main story. I have a hard time just sitting down and writing unless I "feel like it", which doesn't happen as often as I would like.

Oh, well. Once I finally get going, I'll probably want to spend more time on it. Initially, I wrote and erased about a dozen beginnings, and some of them ran to several thousand words before I realized I had to junk them.

As a question for everybody, do your characters take on a life of their own? I've found that sometimes I'll write something down that looks good, and then stop and then realize that the character wouldn't do it like that, or maybe not at all. So I've had to drop some very funny lines occasionally, simply because the character I was dealing with wouldn't have said that under the circumstances.

 

[icy_crusader]

Some do, in a way. I can usually pick out something a character wouldn't do fairly easily. I use a rule I learned in theater class, everything must have a purpose. The character must not walk to the other side of the stage simply to create movement in scene, they must do it so that can pick something up, point out an object, or to simply because they are becoming restless and anxious. Sometimes it is too easily manipulated, but its a good rule none the less. I've created characters in my random journal writings that sometimes I just don't want anything bad to happen to them, but have to force myself in order to create plot and conflict. It's a bit strange.

 

[DailyBlessings]

Oh yes, the characters rule my stories, and I have little control over them. Occasionally they will say or do something that surprises me as I'm typing. In my current project, one of the minor characters suddenly became integral, spurring the addition of an entirely new plotline, which has now become a major part of the story.

 

[icy_crusader]

I have a writing in which I write in frequently. I write tidbits of story ideas, dialogue, poems, and when I'm really emotional I write in free verse or first person prose. It's almost like a diary to me and connects me with my stories in a way that no one else can appreciate them. I can't just write something and throw it away.

 

[Lithium Hobo]

Though not a novel yet, it's quite long. It's a collaboration of thousands of IM posts of an RP with a friend of mine. Went on, and still is, for over four years. Of just dialogues and short descriptions, it's 400 pages long. Should be more than twice that once I start typing it up in story form.