Based on an excellent dream that I decided not to write down because I was half-asleep and not yet making good decisions.
Working Title: Twenty Minutes
Genre: Sci-Fi
Protagonist: Gordan, an energetic young man whose job is at a doughnut shop. He holds family in high regards but still appreciates alone time on a regular basis. He dreams of swimming in the Olympics but hasn't done much about it outside of regular training.
Other Main Characters: Celeste, a 33-year-old woman with long hair and an average figure. She's serious by default but can lighten up in appropriate situations. She's very goal-oriented but a bit of a doormat at times.
Antagonist: A small but well-funded agency that deals with technology.
Setting: A luxury cruise ship. The trip is a 5-day one in the Caribbean with some island stops. Modern day or near future.
Plot: A rather secretive organisation selects Gordan, a former affiliate, as a tester for a prototype watch. The gadget has the ability to send the consciousness of the user back in time at minute increments up to twenty minutes. Gordan goes along with the trial and its rules despite being on vacation during the time they want him to try it out. At first, he's only doing small tasks and experiments, but when Celeste is killed at one of the starboard bars, he sets out to save her and digs up a sinister plot in the process.
Point of View: Third-person, limited to Gordan.
Showing posts with label sci-fi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sci-fi. Show all posts
Friday, July 4, 2014
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Genre Schmenre
I've never been good at figuring out precisely what genres I write. In fact, when a professor asked me what kind of stories I write, I took a moment and replied, "Anything that could never happen in real life."
Of course, that mostly puts me in science fiction and fantasy, but now there are so many subgenres of those that I still don't know where I fit. Steampunk is more of a cosy niche, but those I label with that genre can be questionable because most of them really aren't that "punk." Macbay, of course, would have to count because he goes against the government basically his whole life and for the whole story, but Mount? I think it only follows the steampunk aesthetic without really being a steampunk story. So what on earth does that make it?
Then there are the handful of story ideas that don't even fall into one of those broader categories. Generally, I'll label them horror because, being myself, I usually end up killing or otherwise harming everyone. But is that really what constitutes a horror novel? What about thriller? Where's the line? Four Walls is trying to be literary—can that even work hand-in-hand with the horror genre? Or is it horror at all?
And what difference does it really make? I'll judge a book by its cover and synopsis before I ever see what genre it's assigned, but I suppose those in turn are based on the genre. But what if it's more of a general feel of the book? Is that or genre more important? And how does genre affect audiences on ebook sites, like Smashwords, where I'll be publishing? If I label my books incorrectly, will those interested not be able to find it? How specific a genre/subgenre does the average reader prefer?
Basically, genres confuse me, but they're necessary. Do tell me about them, if you like.
Of course, that mostly puts me in science fiction and fantasy, but now there are so many subgenres of those that I still don't know where I fit. Steampunk is more of a cosy niche, but those I label with that genre can be questionable because most of them really aren't that "punk." Macbay, of course, would have to count because he goes against the government basically his whole life and for the whole story, but Mount? I think it only follows the steampunk aesthetic without really being a steampunk story. So what on earth does that make it?
Then there are the handful of story ideas that don't even fall into one of those broader categories. Generally, I'll label them horror because, being myself, I usually end up killing or otherwise harming everyone. But is that really what constitutes a horror novel? What about thriller? Where's the line? Four Walls is trying to be literary—can that even work hand-in-hand with the horror genre? Or is it horror at all?
And what difference does it really make? I'll judge a book by its cover and synopsis before I ever see what genre it's assigned, but I suppose those in turn are based on the genre. But what if it's more of a general feel of the book? Is that or genre more important? And how does genre affect audiences on ebook sites, like Smashwords, where I'll be publishing? If I label my books incorrectly, will those interested not be able to find it? How specific a genre/subgenre does the average reader prefer?
Basically, genres confuse me, but they're necessary. Do tell me about them, if you like.
Monday, September 30, 2013
World-Building... in Space
For this update on my world-building activities, I will be detailing some aspects of the world of New Fiction Idea #17 (not Macbay Transportation Services this time).
Tevyne is the home planet of Liutas. Our lion-man is of the planet's dominant species. Due to the general environment, most groups are nomadic. There is a long history of warring tribes/clans, and the society is collective and honour-based. By the advent of the Human Empire (which, incidentally, branched off from Earth's "lost" colony and doesn't actually involve Earth), most of the planet's technological level was similar to ours today. By now they've caught up to the rest of the Empire and usually work with the military (although only if they're accepted with the rest of their family or friend group).
Tevyne
Tevyne is the home planet of Liutas. Our lion-man is of the planet's dominant species. Due to the general environment, most groups are nomadic. There is a long history of warring tribes/clans, and the society is collective and honour-based. By the advent of the Human Empire (which, incidentally, branched off from Earth's "lost" colony and doesn't actually involve Earth), most of the planet's technological level was similar to ours today. By now they've caught up to the rest of the Empire and usually work with the military (although only if they're accepted with the rest of their family or friend group).
Salynas
Salynas is the home planet of Kaliause. It is mainly water, with most land masses being archipelagos. As a result, many different genotypes, cultures, and languages are isolated; they adopted English as a planetary language because the Human Empire found them before any native language spread significantly. Around Kaliause's part of town, the culture is individualist, although family units are a very close second in importance culturally. The language is primarily based on a musical scale, but different vocalisations with the same "tune" have started to come up, especially in slang. They were at about medieval-era technology before the Empire found them, and they've (some archipelagos more than others, mind you) pretty much caught up with the high technology of the time.
Domus
Domus is the home planet of Stannum. First colonised by humans, it has been terraformed and contains a mostly human population, although some smaller, "uninhabitable" areas have been taken up by other intelligent species, and some species more physiologically compatible with Earth conditions live in the cities. As such, it's very similar to Earth of the same time period, plus the extra diversity. Stannum was once an average businessman with a small household he didn't particularly like, but he died of heart-related issues. As is common in highly-populated areas in the same galaxy as Valka, his body was kidnapped and "reclaimed" to work endlessly in the haunted graves.
Valka
Valka is the main setting of the story. It's been war-torn for some time due to outsiders trying to secure its natural resources (by blowing a lot of it up, but let's not question the ones with the guns...). Even before battles started breaking out, it wasn't a particularly pleasant place. Some sale of resources has led to a very corrupted upper class and government, and its cities are nearly entirely underbelly. Its original dominant species was pterodactyl-like, but it hosts a large diversity now.
This is a very vague summary, but let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to hear. I'm still in the process of fleshing these places out a bit, so I'll be glad for an appropriate challenge.
This is a very vague summary, but let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to hear. I'm still in the process of fleshing these places out a bit, so I'll be glad for an appropriate challenge.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
New Fiction Idea #34
This was an idea from some time ago, when I was wondering if I could basically write more Hunger Games fan fiction without it actually being the Hunger Games. Better title suggestions are welcome.
Working Title: Tournament of the World
Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi
Protagonist: Corey, a 17-year-old Canadian and one of Region 4's randomly-chosen athletes for the year. He's not actually particularly athletic, although he does pride himself on being a very good swimmer. His hair is a medium brown and kept short. His eyebrows have a solid look to them. He's a bit of a people-pleaser, although he can loose his cool if someone's a bit too irritating.
Other Main Characters: Pierce, a 21-year-old American and another of Region 4's athletes. He's a star wrestler on his university team and looks the part. Reasonably handsome, he has blue eyes and dark, cropped hair. He's more annoying than kind verbally, but he's not opposed to helping people out every once in a while.
Aiko (愛子), an 18-year-old Japanese (Region 3). She's quite small and not much of an actual athlete, although she's determined. She's also quite the doormat about anything she's not so devoted to.
"Rin" (Екатерина), an 18-year-old Russian and athlete from Region 17. Slender but toned, she's tall and keeps her dark hair in a low ponytail. She's fierce and not very friendly, although she's a team player when she sees strength in numbers.
Antagonists: The other athletes in the 16-23 bracket, as well as those in other age groups if the protagonists get that far. More trouble will usually come from within their group and the elements.
Setting: Future Earth, with a much-too-large population that has already started many wars just to reduce itself. The council of civilised nations has condemned such activities but opened up a life-or-death international competition. Nations compete to host as they would the Olympics, but the competition is once a year. The world is divided into regions for the purpose of the competition, and a certain proportion of "athletes" of reproductive age are randomly chosen (although some nations send out a suspiciously high proportion of actual athletes) from each region. Each competitive bracket is thrown into a vast arena with each other until few (or, in the final competition, one) remain alive. Competitors are given a meal and a pack of supplies before each round and helped no more. Around-the-clock footage is provided so regions can cheer for their athletes, although the cheering is more often by country.
Plot: Corey and company struggle to stay alive, particularly in the way of food, in the outdoor arena. They also struggle to stay together when certain revelations (say, Corey having a real-life girlfriend despite keeping up an online relationship with an anonymous young woman who may also be in the competition) come to light.
Point of View: First person (Corey).
Working Title: Tournament of the World
Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi
Protagonist: Corey, a 17-year-old Canadian and one of Region 4's randomly-chosen athletes for the year. He's not actually particularly athletic, although he does pride himself on being a very good swimmer. His hair is a medium brown and kept short. His eyebrows have a solid look to them. He's a bit of a people-pleaser, although he can loose his cool if someone's a bit too irritating.
Other Main Characters: Pierce, a 21-year-old American and another of Region 4's athletes. He's a star wrestler on his university team and looks the part. Reasonably handsome, he has blue eyes and dark, cropped hair. He's more annoying than kind verbally, but he's not opposed to helping people out every once in a while.
Aiko (愛子), an 18-year-old Japanese (Region 3). She's quite small and not much of an actual athlete, although she's determined. She's also quite the doormat about anything she's not so devoted to.
"Rin" (Екатерина), an 18-year-old Russian and athlete from Region 17. Slender but toned, she's tall and keeps her dark hair in a low ponytail. She's fierce and not very friendly, although she's a team player when she sees strength in numbers.
Antagonists: The other athletes in the 16-23 bracket, as well as those in other age groups if the protagonists get that far. More trouble will usually come from within their group and the elements.
Setting: Future Earth, with a much-too-large population that has already started many wars just to reduce itself. The council of civilised nations has condemned such activities but opened up a life-or-death international competition. Nations compete to host as they would the Olympics, but the competition is once a year. The world is divided into regions for the purpose of the competition, and a certain proportion of "athletes" of reproductive age are randomly chosen (although some nations send out a suspiciously high proportion of actual athletes) from each region. Each competitive bracket is thrown into a vast arena with each other until few (or, in the final competition, one) remain alive. Competitors are given a meal and a pack of supplies before each round and helped no more. Around-the-clock footage is provided so regions can cheer for their athletes, although the cheering is more often by country.
Plot: Corey and company struggle to stay alive, particularly in the way of food, in the outdoor arena. They also struggle to stay together when certain revelations (say, Corey having a real-life girlfriend despite keeping up an online relationship with an anonymous young woman who may also be in the competition) come to light.
Point of View: First person (Corey).
Thursday, August 29, 2013
New Short Story Idea #4
I considered doing this for the Writer's Digest genre short story competition, but I don't think I'll have a decent version out in time for the due date. At any rate, it doesn't feel like it has enough to it to be a whole novel.
Working Title: "Communications Breakdown"
Genre: Sci-Fi
Main Characters: Tommus Richards, a 24-year-old black man who is appropriately full of himself. He is a world-famous runner (anyone could guess from his physique alone) and loves it. He can be rather greedy, and he'll look down on others often, but he's not always offensive. He abandoned the long-running family business for his current career and, as a result, has been estranged from the rest of the family.
Phil, the antagonist. More greedy than Tommus, he's rather slippery and unafraid to take risks, whether they involve him or someone else.
Setting: Future Earth's largest hospital. The size of a city, it demands a large workforce and a multilayered communication system. It consists of several futuristic buildings as well as some outdoor space.
Plot: Tommus is lounging in his summer mansion waiting for the next competition in a month or so when there's a knock at his door. The man there informs him that somehow the entire hospital communication system has crashed, and they're in desperate need of some people to help get information from one place to another fast. Figuring it could be a decent training opportunity, Tommus agrees to volunteer a bit, and it's all fun and games until he starts to stumble upon clues that the shutdown wasn't an accident and just how much money Phil could get if a few delayed messages lead to deaths.
Point of View: First person (Tommus).
Working Title: "Communications Breakdown"
Genre: Sci-Fi
Main Characters: Tommus Richards, a 24-year-old black man who is appropriately full of himself. He is a world-famous runner (anyone could guess from his physique alone) and loves it. He can be rather greedy, and he'll look down on others often, but he's not always offensive. He abandoned the long-running family business for his current career and, as a result, has been estranged from the rest of the family.
Phil, the antagonist. More greedy than Tommus, he's rather slippery and unafraid to take risks, whether they involve him or someone else.
Setting: Future Earth's largest hospital. The size of a city, it demands a large workforce and a multilayered communication system. It consists of several futuristic buildings as well as some outdoor space.
Plot: Tommus is lounging in his summer mansion waiting for the next competition in a month or so when there's a knock at his door. The man there informs him that somehow the entire hospital communication system has crashed, and they're in desperate need of some people to help get information from one place to another fast. Figuring it could be a decent training opportunity, Tommus agrees to volunteer a bit, and it's all fun and games until he starts to stumble upon clues that the shutdown wasn't an accident and just how much money Phil could get if a few delayed messages lead to deaths.
Point of View: First person (Tommus).
Friday, July 19, 2013
New Fiction Idea #27
Definitely not a complete idea yet, but something I felt needed noting down.
Working Title: Crime or Punishment
Genre: Sci-Fi/Suspense
Protagonist: Michelle, a 22-year-old tall woman with long, dirty blonde hair she keeps in a low ponytail. She's fierce but quiet and a very good shot. While she ha a certain fondness for long skirts, she's usually in her police uniform.
Other Main Character: Cayman, a 22-year-old mixed-heritage woman with short, dark hair kept braided. She smiles a lot and can be very talkative, especially when she's bragging, and she's very much an adrenaline junkie. She's excellent as disguise and avoiding detection. Technically her boyfriend is the leader of her new crime organisation, but she really holds the reins.
Antagonists: Various members of both organisations.
Setting: A futuristic American city and some of its suburbs. Population density is very high, and all non-foot traffic is kept underground. Cost of living is high due to energy shortages. An experimental new form of energy occurs in normal battery-size units; it can power an average house for a week or, alternatively, can be opened up and its contents used as a potent stimulant. Cayman's organisation deals in this product.
Plot: The local police are determined to stop Cayman's organisation while they still can. Michelle is one of those sent to fight this battle; however, she is addicted to the energy drug being dealt (it's not widespread enough yet for police drug testing to catch it). Struggling to keep with her assignment without losing her source of fuel, Michelle works with Cayman (an early childhood friend she knew well through middle school) to keep the crime organisation stable but stunted without raising suspicions from either side.
Point of View: Third-person, alternatively limited to Michelle or Cayman.
Working Title: Crime or Punishment
Genre: Sci-Fi/Suspense
Protagonist: Michelle, a 22-year-old tall woman with long, dirty blonde hair she keeps in a low ponytail. She's fierce but quiet and a very good shot. While she ha a certain fondness for long skirts, she's usually in her police uniform.
Other Main Character: Cayman, a 22-year-old mixed-heritage woman with short, dark hair kept braided. She smiles a lot and can be very talkative, especially when she's bragging, and she's very much an adrenaline junkie. She's excellent as disguise and avoiding detection. Technically her boyfriend is the leader of her new crime organisation, but she really holds the reins.
Antagonists: Various members of both organisations.
Setting: A futuristic American city and some of its suburbs. Population density is very high, and all non-foot traffic is kept underground. Cost of living is high due to energy shortages. An experimental new form of energy occurs in normal battery-size units; it can power an average house for a week or, alternatively, can be opened up and its contents used as a potent stimulant. Cayman's organisation deals in this product.
Plot: The local police are determined to stop Cayman's organisation while they still can. Michelle is one of those sent to fight this battle; however, she is addicted to the energy drug being dealt (it's not widespread enough yet for police drug testing to catch it). Struggling to keep with her assignment without losing her source of fuel, Michelle works with Cayman (an early childhood friend she knew well through middle school) to keep the crime organisation stable but stunted without raising suspicions from either side.
Point of View: Third-person, alternatively limited to Michelle or Cayman.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
New Fiction Idea #24
Original idea from a phrase in my history textbook. I had no idea what to do with it until inspiration suddenly struck me in Japan. Hey, whatever works.
Working Title: Bloom
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Protagonist: M, a teenage girl with long, straight blonde hair and blue-green eyes. She's slender and weak and not that good at interacting with others after spending most of her life in a sort of solitary confinement. Various plants bloom at her touch, and she develops similar powers as the story goes on.
Other Main Character: Lawrence, a young man with messy, black hair and dark brown eyes. He's short and sturdy and rather tan. He can be quite clueless but is capable of acting under stress. He suffers (really) from bipolar disorder.
Antagonist: Smith, a 36-year-old government worker who does not smile. He's tall and muscular, though not excessively so.
Setting: A"sterile jungle of glass and metal." No plants are left; all things are synthesized. The city is rather soulless.
Plot: M has been locked up since about the age of four. Now she fights to escape to some sort of safety, with Lawrence tagging along.
Point of View: Third-person, omniscient.
Working Title: Bloom
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Protagonist: M, a teenage girl with long, straight blonde hair and blue-green eyes. She's slender and weak and not that good at interacting with others after spending most of her life in a sort of solitary confinement. Various plants bloom at her touch, and she develops similar powers as the story goes on.
Other Main Character: Lawrence, a young man with messy, black hair and dark brown eyes. He's short and sturdy and rather tan. He can be quite clueless but is capable of acting under stress. He suffers (really) from bipolar disorder.
Antagonist: Smith, a 36-year-old government worker who does not smile. He's tall and muscular, though not excessively so.
Setting: A"sterile jungle of glass and metal." No plants are left; all things are synthesized. The city is rather soulless.
Plot: M has been locked up since about the age of four. Now she fights to escape to some sort of safety, with Lawrence tagging along.
Point of View: Third-person, omniscient.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
New Fiction Idea #17
Got the spark to do some version of The Wizard of Oz, and then suddenly things started hitting me. I'm pretty excited for this.
Working Title: Sector-O, Galaxy-Z193-9
Genre: Sci-Fi
Protagonist: Tommy, a sixteen-year-old human boy with short, dark hair. He's on the short side, but he's fit enough without really being an athlete. He's easily frazzled, a bit reckless, and very loyal. His father Michael abandoned his family when he was six, and he's very teen-angsty about it.
Other Main Characters: Kaliause, an eighteen-year-old mostly-human woman of mixed Asian heritage (though she's never seen Asia—or Earth for that matter—in her life). Due to a crash accident, about half of her brain has been replaced digitally, but it's not reliable technology, and she often blanks out on information at bad times. She's very tough and reasonably caring but hates her condition.
Stannum, a Reclaimed human who died at about fifty but has been functioning for thirteen years since his infusion with cybertronics. He works in a graveyard when the technology is functioning enough for him to move. He's not in good shape and he knows it, but he carries on day by day wishing for the real life he once had.
Liutas, a former High Command military officer who's about thirty. He's a very large and well-built furry humanoid alien. A situation of torture has more or less broken him, and he fled the military afterwards despite the already-low soldier count. Rejected from society and wanted by the authorities, he leads a shamed and reclusive life.
Antagonist: Vonda, leader of the faction waging war against the High Command. She's determined to take down Michael, the last uncorrupted member of the High Command, and whoever stands with him. On her side are several minions, including the Nefret, a loyal (or, forced to be loyal through brain wiring) species of flying creatures with six long limbs and high intelligence, and the Subaltern, her private police/military force.
Many others involved in various facets of the war, or just being jerks, could also stir up trouble.
Setting: See title. While Tommy is from future Earth and knows nothing of the other worlds at the beginning of the story, the others (and where the story takes place) are from Valka, a war-torn planet of the above galaxy. Technology is advanced but usually not that enduring.
Plot: After doing angsty rebellious teen things in a restricted area, Tommy runs from the police and hides in what he doesn't realise is an experimental warp travel device. He inadvertently activates it and ends up crash-landing on Valka. First to help him is Hea, a blonde girl who tells him how to find his father before vanishing. Travel goes relatively well at first, but soon the news that Michael's son is in the area spreads, and Tommy finds himself banding together with Kaliause, Stannum, and Liutas as the three try to make it to Michael for their own ends.
Point of View: Third-person, limited to different characters but mostly Tommy.
I've always wanted to do something based on the music video for "Silent Running" by Mike & the Mechanics, and when I decided to try a sci-fi take on The Wizard of Oz, it came to mind. I really hope I get to write this, and figure out just what I can throw in to make it a trilogy, which would seem cool.
Better title suggestions are welcome.
Thanks to Sharon and the rest for helping me figure out how to make my Tin Man tick (or not tick, as the case may be).
(Also, going through Google Translate for names for my Lion, I ran into both "Aslan" and "Simba." See, I'm not the only one who does this!)
Working Title: Sector-O, Galaxy-Z193-9
Genre: Sci-Fi
Protagonist: Tommy, a sixteen-year-old human boy with short, dark hair. He's on the short side, but he's fit enough without really being an athlete. He's easily frazzled, a bit reckless, and very loyal. His father Michael abandoned his family when he was six, and he's very teen-angsty about it.
Other Main Characters: Kaliause, an eighteen-year-old mostly-human woman of mixed Asian heritage (though she's never seen Asia—or Earth for that matter—in her life). Due to a crash accident, about half of her brain has been replaced digitally, but it's not reliable technology, and she often blanks out on information at bad times. She's very tough and reasonably caring but hates her condition.
Stannum, a Reclaimed human who died at about fifty but has been functioning for thirteen years since his infusion with cybertronics. He works in a graveyard when the technology is functioning enough for him to move. He's not in good shape and he knows it, but he carries on day by day wishing for the real life he once had.
Liutas, a former High Command military officer who's about thirty. He's a very large and well-built furry humanoid alien. A situation of torture has more or less broken him, and he fled the military afterwards despite the already-low soldier count. Rejected from society and wanted by the authorities, he leads a shamed and reclusive life.
Antagonist: Vonda, leader of the faction waging war against the High Command. She's determined to take down Michael, the last uncorrupted member of the High Command, and whoever stands with him. On her side are several minions, including the Nefret, a loyal (or, forced to be loyal through brain wiring) species of flying creatures with six long limbs and high intelligence, and the Subaltern, her private police/military force.
Many others involved in various facets of the war, or just being jerks, could also stir up trouble.
Setting: See title. While Tommy is from future Earth and knows nothing of the other worlds at the beginning of the story, the others (and where the story takes place) are from Valka, a war-torn planet of the above galaxy. Technology is advanced but usually not that enduring.
Plot: After doing angsty rebellious teen things in a restricted area, Tommy runs from the police and hides in what he doesn't realise is an experimental warp travel device. He inadvertently activates it and ends up crash-landing on Valka. First to help him is Hea, a blonde girl who tells him how to find his father before vanishing. Travel goes relatively well at first, but soon the news that Michael's son is in the area spreads, and Tommy finds himself banding together with Kaliause, Stannum, and Liutas as the three try to make it to Michael for their own ends.
Point of View: Third-person, limited to different characters but mostly Tommy.
I've always wanted to do something based on the music video for "Silent Running" by Mike & the Mechanics, and when I decided to try a sci-fi take on The Wizard of Oz, it came to mind. I really hope I get to write this, and figure out just what I can throw in to make it a trilogy, which would seem cool.
Better title suggestions are welcome.
Thanks to Sharon and the rest for helping me figure out how to make my Tin Man tick (or not tick, as the case may be).
(Also, going through Google Translate for names for my Lion, I ran into both "Aslan" and "Simba." See, I'm not the only one who does this!)
Thursday, January 31, 2013
New Fiction Idea #9
This is one I started a while ago. It was very strictly structured—I had to end each chapter with a cliffhanger within three pages—but hardly planned out at all. One of my friends read some chapters and liked it (though I didn't give a good enough impression of the main characters' ages), but I sort of ran out of steam somewhere in the teen chapters. I doubt I'll come back to it, but there's somewhat of a chance.
Title: Special
Genre: Science Fiction
Protagonist: Kori, a 15-year-old thin girl with long, dark hair. She's good at running and of above average intelligence. She comes to the story as an amnesiac, but she comes to find out that she is a Special—in her case, her blood is highly corrosive to anything but her insides, including her skin.
Other Main Characters: Victor, a 17-year-old boy of Russian heritage with platinum blonde hair. He has a good build. He tends to be grave and not that chatty, and he also doesn't remember being a Special, but he's the first to find out from the Black Suits' computers. If his hands are uncovered (he wears gloves), he quickly becomes encoated in ice, with frozen claws, and will destroy everything he can until his hands are covered again.
Josephine, a 15-year-old blonde with twin low ponytails. She's quite small in stature. She is also a Special—she exhales large amounts of carbon monoxide, and she has an increased tolerance for it.
Antagonists: The Black Suits (at least, Kori names them this after their formal dress), members of a private agency seeking to contain the Specials, or at least those committed to their facility. They're normally armed, and their preferred vehicles are black Jeeps.
Setting: Modern day America, Nevada as far as I can remember. Specials live among humans, including their parents, but many of their abilities are more trouble than they're worth, or more trouble than their loved ones think they're worth. There exists a facility to which several Specials are committed, where the agency experiments on them in search of cures.
Plot: Kori is on the run from some very unfriendly, gun-pointing Black Suits. She's also trying to figure out who, what, where, and why she is. Her only clue is the melted-looking knife in her shoulder bag until Victor finds her. Both of them continue running, defeating the Black Suits when necessary, and befriending Josephine. I didn't write much past that point, but they go on to figure out the facility, meet with Price (the Special responsible for freeing them), find the corruption in the system, and somehow correct it.
Point of View: First person (Kori).
This was originally a complete rip-off of X-Men, and it's still quite a bit like that. Overall, it just doesn't feel that original to me, so it'll need some spicing up if I plan to get back to it.
Title: Special
Genre: Science Fiction
Protagonist: Kori, a 15-year-old thin girl with long, dark hair. She's good at running and of above average intelligence. She comes to the story as an amnesiac, but she comes to find out that she is a Special—in her case, her blood is highly corrosive to anything but her insides, including her skin.
Other Main Characters: Victor, a 17-year-old boy of Russian heritage with platinum blonde hair. He has a good build. He tends to be grave and not that chatty, and he also doesn't remember being a Special, but he's the first to find out from the Black Suits' computers. If his hands are uncovered (he wears gloves), he quickly becomes encoated in ice, with frozen claws, and will destroy everything he can until his hands are covered again.
Josephine, a 15-year-old blonde with twin low ponytails. She's quite small in stature. She is also a Special—she exhales large amounts of carbon monoxide, and she has an increased tolerance for it.
Antagonists: The Black Suits (at least, Kori names them this after their formal dress), members of a private agency seeking to contain the Specials, or at least those committed to their facility. They're normally armed, and their preferred vehicles are black Jeeps.
Setting: Modern day America, Nevada as far as I can remember. Specials live among humans, including their parents, but many of their abilities are more trouble than they're worth, or more trouble than their loved ones think they're worth. There exists a facility to which several Specials are committed, where the agency experiments on them in search of cures.
Plot: Kori is on the run from some very unfriendly, gun-pointing Black Suits. She's also trying to figure out who, what, where, and why she is. Her only clue is the melted-looking knife in her shoulder bag until Victor finds her. Both of them continue running, defeating the Black Suits when necessary, and befriending Josephine. I didn't write much past that point, but they go on to figure out the facility, meet with Price (the Special responsible for freeing them), find the corruption in the system, and somehow correct it.
Point of View: First person (Kori).
This was originally a complete rip-off of X-Men, and it's still quite a bit like that. Overall, it just doesn't feel that original to me, so it'll need some spicing up if I plan to get back to it.
Friday, January 4, 2013
New Fiction Idea #5
I've toyed with this one for a while. I tried putting it through the Novelist's Boot Camp techniques, but the way I wanted to format it didn't really work out with that, and I put it to the side in favour of Macbay Transportation Services. I've gone through more of the book's exercises with it, though I'm still doing some world-building before I try to jump into it. This one hasn't seen much action since.
Title: War (could be changed)
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Protagonists: Several, including people fighting and leading on both sides of the war. No particularly main characters have yet been developed/established.
Antagonists: See protagonists. Good guy/bad guy distinctions aren't really made most of the time.
Setting: Very far into the future, on Earth, mostly in the trenches of a dry and dusty battlefield. All soldiers have a series of nanobots in their bloodstreams for instant healing and brain chips for telepathic communication purposes.
Plot: Beyond the two sides fighting is an organization of pacifists. This organization has managed to hack the technology within the soldiers so that each soldier on one side is connected to one on another side; if one of the pair is killed, the other will die. The story follows the soldiers and those above them as they fight, discover what's going on, and try to figure out what to do about it.
Point of View: First person, switching between quite a few characters.
Just an idea to toy with at this point. We'll see if I ever try to flesh it out someday.
Title: War (could be changed)
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Protagonists: Several, including people fighting and leading on both sides of the war. No particularly main characters have yet been developed/established.
Antagonists: See protagonists. Good guy/bad guy distinctions aren't really made most of the time.
Setting: Very far into the future, on Earth, mostly in the trenches of a dry and dusty battlefield. All soldiers have a series of nanobots in their bloodstreams for instant healing and brain chips for telepathic communication purposes.
Plot: Beyond the two sides fighting is an organization of pacifists. This organization has managed to hack the technology within the soldiers so that each soldier on one side is connected to one on another side; if one of the pair is killed, the other will die. The story follows the soldiers and those above them as they fight, discover what's going on, and try to figure out what to do about it.
Point of View: First person, switching between quite a few characters.
Just an idea to toy with at this point. We'll see if I ever try to flesh it out someday.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
New Fiction Idea #4
This might be the first novel I tried to write. "Tried," because the main character was so flat (especially compared to the other characters) I just starting writing scenarios to scare the crap out of him, and needless to say the entire story went totally downhill. It originally came from a dream, and I feel like I might give it another shot someday, so here's a slightly revised outline of it.
Title: Chemists (originally Scientists)
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Protagonists: Jacob and Scarlet, sixteen-year-old boyfriend and girlfriend. Scarlet is very stubborn and determined, and although she can be sweet she usually only shows her soft side to children and Jacob. Jacob is usually quite content, but if he doesn't get what he wants he'll be very uncooperative.
Other Main Characters: Abel, a second-generation genetically enhanced sixteen-year-old. He's very friendly, even tolerating the ridiculously competitive "Rip" (Harold) as his arch-nemesis. He plays guitar, has been in love with Cora for a while, and has always wanted to be a Fire Elementalist.
Cora, a sixteen-year-old girl with very good looks, though she always wears an obscuring black hoodie and doesn't go after boys. She's very smart but acidic towards others.
Jordan, a seventeen-year-old Cyber who hits on Scarlet like nobody's business. The crooked-smile type, he can be quite nice, though he's devoted to the war cause.
Antagonists: The Cybers, a group of particularly technologically advanced rebels going against the world government and kidnapping recruits for their ranks.
Setting: The skies of (probably) Earth in the future. Jacob is onboard a Chemist (those defending the world government) skyship, and Scarlet on a Cyber skyship. The Chemist ship functions as a training ground and school, and the Cyber ship is a training ground and attack unit. Both sides have access to Elementalists, people who after absorbing Celestial Matter gain the ability to control fire, electricity, water, or shadows.
Plot: Jacob and Scarlet are alone in Jacob's house when a Cyber ship comes to kidnap them. They flee, eventually becoming trapped in a building, where the desperate Jacob subconsciously absorbs Celestial Matter and passes out. He wakes to find himself on a Chemist ship—while the Cybers were taking Scarlet, some Chemists came down and saved him. The Chemists immediately enroll Jacob in their classes and training sessions, and he has to deal with all of this and becoming a Fire Elementalist as he tries to use the Chemists to find Scarlet. Scarlet, meanwhile, struggles to find Jacob and resist the Cybers as they prepare her to battle for them. Both realize the sides and the war aren't quite what they thought they were.
Point of View: Third person limited to Jacob, with updates from Scarlet as well.
So, a beloved idea of old undergoing development to be something interesting, hopefully. We'll see if I actually write it.
Title: Chemists (originally Scientists)
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Protagonists: Jacob and Scarlet, sixteen-year-old boyfriend and girlfriend. Scarlet is very stubborn and determined, and although she can be sweet she usually only shows her soft side to children and Jacob. Jacob is usually quite content, but if he doesn't get what he wants he'll be very uncooperative.
Other Main Characters: Abel, a second-generation genetically enhanced sixteen-year-old. He's very friendly, even tolerating the ridiculously competitive "Rip" (Harold) as his arch-nemesis. He plays guitar, has been in love with Cora for a while, and has always wanted to be a Fire Elementalist.
Cora, a sixteen-year-old girl with very good looks, though she always wears an obscuring black hoodie and doesn't go after boys. She's very smart but acidic towards others.
Jordan, a seventeen-year-old Cyber who hits on Scarlet like nobody's business. The crooked-smile type, he can be quite nice, though he's devoted to the war cause.
Antagonists: The Cybers, a group of particularly technologically advanced rebels going against the world government and kidnapping recruits for their ranks.
Setting: The skies of (probably) Earth in the future. Jacob is onboard a Chemist (those defending the world government) skyship, and Scarlet on a Cyber skyship. The Chemist ship functions as a training ground and school, and the Cyber ship is a training ground and attack unit. Both sides have access to Elementalists, people who after absorbing Celestial Matter gain the ability to control fire, electricity, water, or shadows.
Plot: Jacob and Scarlet are alone in Jacob's house when a Cyber ship comes to kidnap them. They flee, eventually becoming trapped in a building, where the desperate Jacob subconsciously absorbs Celestial Matter and passes out. He wakes to find himself on a Chemist ship—while the Cybers were taking Scarlet, some Chemists came down and saved him. The Chemists immediately enroll Jacob in their classes and training sessions, and he has to deal with all of this and becoming a Fire Elementalist as he tries to use the Chemists to find Scarlet. Scarlet, meanwhile, struggles to find Jacob and resist the Cybers as they prepare her to battle for them. Both realize the sides and the war aren't quite what they thought they were.
Point of View: Third person limited to Jacob, with updates from Scarlet as well.
So, a beloved idea of old undergoing development to be something interesting, hopefully. We'll see if I actually write it.
Monday, December 17, 2012
New Fiction Idea #3
This idea was sort of awkward, since it hit me in the middle of singing a hymn. I managed to push it down until the devotional was over, though it still interested me afterward.
Title: Crumbling
Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller, perhaps?
Protagonist: Emilia, a ghost of undetermined age that was about 16 when she died. She has long, wavy brown hair and is rather tall and thin. She's a sort of hesitant person and can be a coward, but she's capable of really caring for others.
Other Main Character: Joel, a 16-year-old Protestant boy of about half-Latino blood. He's rather fun to be around, though he's usually shy, and he has the ability to see ghosts.
Antagonist: Not sure—probably just time.
Setting: Earth, somewhere in the future during a cumulative apocalypse, including a lethal virus, major storms, and tectonic actions. I haven't yet determined what I want to cause a dead person to be trapped as a ghost, but I'm aiming for something different since I don't want this to be a murder mystery.
Plot: Emilia hadn't taken action to free her soul for years, but when the world starts to crumble, she has no choice but to take action if she wants a fate other than perishing with the earth. The first Seeing human she can find is Joel, who may not be an expert on ghosts but promises to do what he can.
Point of View: Third person, omniscient.
This one's certainly not as fleshed-out as some of my others, but I thought it was worth noting here.
Title: Crumbling
Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller, perhaps?
Protagonist: Emilia, a ghost of undetermined age that was about 16 when she died. She has long, wavy brown hair and is rather tall and thin. She's a sort of hesitant person and can be a coward, but she's capable of really caring for others.
Other Main Character: Joel, a 16-year-old Protestant boy of about half-Latino blood. He's rather fun to be around, though he's usually shy, and he has the ability to see ghosts.
Antagonist: Not sure—probably just time.
Setting: Earth, somewhere in the future during a cumulative apocalypse, including a lethal virus, major storms, and tectonic actions. I haven't yet determined what I want to cause a dead person to be trapped as a ghost, but I'm aiming for something different since I don't want this to be a murder mystery.
Plot: Emilia hadn't taken action to free her soul for years, but when the world starts to crumble, she has no choice but to take action if she wants a fate other than perishing with the earth. The first Seeing human she can find is Joel, who may not be an expert on ghosts but promises to do what he can.
Point of View: Third person, omniscient.
This one's certainly not as fleshed-out as some of my others, but I thought it was worth noting here.
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