Working Title: Tea from a Traveler
Genre: Steampunk
Protagonist: Lucy, a rather small young woman with a fondness for frilly things and dancing. She has a cheerful disposition whenever appropriate and has quite the knack for tea-brewing.
Other Main Characters: Hugh, Lucy's boyfriend for some months and one year her junior. He's a bit taller than her but rather thin, and he will occasionally draw attention because of his dark skin. He doesn't speak if it's not necessary, but he isn't perpetually serious. The engineering type, he finds joy in fixing things, literally or otherwise.
Cecelia, an easily excitable teenage girl who tends to run after every boy in sight. Her father, the owner of a large tea set-producing company, sort of assigned her to an apprenticeship with Lucy, but the girls get along well enough Cecelia doesn't mind much. She can hold her own in a fight.
Antagonist: Possibly none. Life. The past. Could be personified later in development.
Setting: Every nook and cranny of your typical steampunk England analogue.
Plot: Lucy and co. travel the world (at least, the portion easily accessible without resorting to ships or zeppelins) to serve tea to whomever they deem could use a cup. Although they tend to wander wherever, it seems that Lucy may be seeking out a particular person along the way...
Point of View: Third person, objective.
Showing posts with label steampunk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label steampunk. Show all posts
Friday, October 17, 2014
Thursday, October 9, 2014
New Fiction Idea #54
Working Title: The Final Apprentice
Genre: Steampunk
Protagonist: No one clear protagonist. The narrative switches between the main eight characters as equally as the plot allows.
Other Main Characters: Alejandro, a short but sturdy young man with a fox-like face and chronically unkempt hair. He's rather overreactive when startled, and he's a bit of a know-it-all, ready to correct others with a little finger-waggling.
Adelita, a tall and fairly muscular young woman who always keeps her hair in a thick braid over her right shoulder. At times, she's a bit flighty and tends to trail off into semantics; at other times, she's very decisive and aggresive. She tends to jump between personalities rapidly.
FermÃn, a young man of average stature and cropped hair. He's a bit shady and has been known to swipe money and items from friend and foe (usually returning them to the former). He considers himself very masculine and as such can often be seen shaving with a knife, even when he doesn't really need it.
Guadalupe, a pudgy young woman who's always smiling and has a habit of pulling down her bangs temporarily when she's thinking. She's a bit preoccupied with her appearance, particularly her face and makeup, butshe's very caring and giving and doesn't expect much in return.
Lorena, the youngest of the group. She's quiet, easily flattered, and very superstitious, particularly concerning the presence of interfering demons.
Tercero, a young man of impressive stature with a well-kept beard. He's very laid back and unopinionated, although he's brought to sniffles easily and keeps a handkerchief on hand. He tends to trail off sentences and in general leave things unfinished.
Hernando, a bony but very loud young man who's always wearing a tasteful hat. He tends to be showy, and his default pose is an upright stance with his fists against his hips. He feigns confidence but can easily lapse into screeching or wailing when he gets ignored. He also claims to have demonic heritage (much to the chagrin of Lorena) and to be sparing the world of the full extent of his powers.
Roque, a well-spoken young man with particularly curly hair and a lopsided smile. He considers himself quite the gentleman and goes out of his way to be effusively polite. He relies on others for most things and has a habit of crinkling some mechanism or another in his hands when he's nervous.
Antagonist: Mostly unknown. Several other armies stir up trouble.
Setting: Latin American steampunk. The nation has little identity in its state of war.
Plot: Eight promising young students have made it to the safe home of The Animator, a tinkerer who believes creating a functioning clockwork army is the solution to unifying the state and ceasing the strife. Although all are put to work, The Animator intends to only take one on as his personal apprentice based on their work—but one hopeful apprentice is found killed in the estate, and the remaining students must figure out how such a thing happened and how the rest of them may stay safe to aid in the army construction in light of it.
Point of View: First person.
Genre: Steampunk
Protagonist: No one clear protagonist. The narrative switches between the main eight characters as equally as the plot allows.
Other Main Characters: Alejandro, a short but sturdy young man with a fox-like face and chronically unkempt hair. He's rather overreactive when startled, and he's a bit of a know-it-all, ready to correct others with a little finger-waggling.
Adelita, a tall and fairly muscular young woman who always keeps her hair in a thick braid over her right shoulder. At times, she's a bit flighty and tends to trail off into semantics; at other times, she's very decisive and aggresive. She tends to jump between personalities rapidly.
FermÃn, a young man of average stature and cropped hair. He's a bit shady and has been known to swipe money and items from friend and foe (usually returning them to the former). He considers himself very masculine and as such can often be seen shaving with a knife, even when he doesn't really need it.
Guadalupe, a pudgy young woman who's always smiling and has a habit of pulling down her bangs temporarily when she's thinking. She's a bit preoccupied with her appearance, particularly her face and makeup, butshe's very caring and giving and doesn't expect much in return.
Lorena, the youngest of the group. She's quiet, easily flattered, and very superstitious, particularly concerning the presence of interfering demons.
Tercero, a young man of impressive stature with a well-kept beard. He's very laid back and unopinionated, although he's brought to sniffles easily and keeps a handkerchief on hand. He tends to trail off sentences and in general leave things unfinished.
Hernando, a bony but very loud young man who's always wearing a tasteful hat. He tends to be showy, and his default pose is an upright stance with his fists against his hips. He feigns confidence but can easily lapse into screeching or wailing when he gets ignored. He also claims to have demonic heritage (much to the chagrin of Lorena) and to be sparing the world of the full extent of his powers.
Roque, a well-spoken young man with particularly curly hair and a lopsided smile. He considers himself quite the gentleman and goes out of his way to be effusively polite. He relies on others for most things and has a habit of crinkling some mechanism or another in his hands when he's nervous.
Antagonist: Mostly unknown. Several other armies stir up trouble.
Setting: Latin American steampunk. The nation has little identity in its state of war.
Plot: Eight promising young students have made it to the safe home of The Animator, a tinkerer who believes creating a functioning clockwork army is the solution to unifying the state and ceasing the strife. Although all are put to work, The Animator intends to only take one on as his personal apprentice based on their work—but one hopeful apprentice is found killed in the estate, and the remaining students must figure out how such a thing happened and how the rest of them may stay safe to aid in the army construction in light of it.
Point of View: First person.
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.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
New Fiction Idea #35
A combination of the (never posted) Fragments "an alternate sci-fi interpretation of the word "photogate" (still taking "photo" to mean light)" and "someone with the ability to control doors (limited to locking/unlocking and switching hinges so that a pull door becomes a push door or vice versa)." Still needs a lot of work.
Working Title: Portalmancy
Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk
Protagonist: Daniel Jacobson, a 16-year-old with hazel eyes and dark brown hair that's a bit shaggy and covers his ears. Although he was raised in a fairly rich family, he considers it more of a handicap than a blessing as he wants to make a name for himself through something he accomplishes rather than inherits. He's serious but has a dry sense of humour, and he's a bit of a nerd.
Other Main Characters: Elizabeth, Daniel's smiley, 17-year-old sister. She's on her way to becoming a proper lady, but she's extremely curious about portalmancy and protective of her brother.
Hannah ("Hannes"), a 16-year-old disguising herself as a male to join the portalmancers. Her blonde hair is cut short, and her frame isn't large, but she's physically quite strong. She's a bit paranoid about her disguise failing, but she's naturally rather talkative and usually bears a wry smile.
Antagonist: The soldiers and portalmancers of enemy nations, as well as fellow soldiers-in-training who look down on Daniel and/or suspect Hannes's real identity.
Setting: The steampunk world of portalmancers, mid-war. Magic is like physical prowess: everyone has a bit, it takes training to go anywhere (and portalmancy is a strictly-guarded secret outside of the military), and different people have different knacks. All magic is based on doors, with a door being any framed structure capable of opening and closing without being damaged (so it includes sash windows and such). There is, of course, classic doorway magic, where the door opens into a completely difference place (and occassionally time if something goes wrong). There are also photogates, doors that open to an image of another place; their frames go undetected by those on the other side, but if anything blocks even a part of the doorway, the image disappears. People can walk through other doors to don perfect disguises or armour, or do quite a few other things.
Plot: Starting his training at 16 to go into the fields at 18, Daniel struggles to master portalmancy when his only talent seems to be switching door hinges. Hannes struggles to maintain her disguise, although her training is going well. The army struggles with the other nations involved, and to keep portalmancy secret as traitors attempt to leak techniques to the enemy and the more oppressed parts of the nation. Et cetera.
Point of View: Third-person, limited to Daniel.
Working Title: Portalmancy
Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk
Protagonist: Daniel Jacobson, a 16-year-old with hazel eyes and dark brown hair that's a bit shaggy and covers his ears. Although he was raised in a fairly rich family, he considers it more of a handicap than a blessing as he wants to make a name for himself through something he accomplishes rather than inherits. He's serious but has a dry sense of humour, and he's a bit of a nerd.
Other Main Characters: Elizabeth, Daniel's smiley, 17-year-old sister. She's on her way to becoming a proper lady, but she's extremely curious about portalmancy and protective of her brother.
Hannah ("Hannes"), a 16-year-old disguising herself as a male to join the portalmancers. Her blonde hair is cut short, and her frame isn't large, but she's physically quite strong. She's a bit paranoid about her disguise failing, but she's naturally rather talkative and usually bears a wry smile.
Antagonist: The soldiers and portalmancers of enemy nations, as well as fellow soldiers-in-training who look down on Daniel and/or suspect Hannes's real identity.
Setting: The steampunk world of portalmancers, mid-war. Magic is like physical prowess: everyone has a bit, it takes training to go anywhere (and portalmancy is a strictly-guarded secret outside of the military), and different people have different knacks. All magic is based on doors, with a door being any framed structure capable of opening and closing without being damaged (so it includes sash windows and such). There is, of course, classic doorway magic, where the door opens into a completely difference place (and occassionally time if something goes wrong). There are also photogates, doors that open to an image of another place; their frames go undetected by those on the other side, but if anything blocks even a part of the doorway, the image disappears. People can walk through other doors to don perfect disguises or armour, or do quite a few other things.
Plot: Starting his training at 16 to go into the fields at 18, Daniel struggles to master portalmancy when his only talent seems to be switching door hinges. Hannes struggles to maintain her disguise, although her training is going well. The army struggles with the other nations involved, and to keep portalmancy secret as traitors attempt to leak techniques to the enemy and the more oppressed parts of the nation. Et cetera.
Point of View: Third-person, limited to Daniel.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Wanderers (NFI#18) Revisited
You may recall that for the story Wanderers, I found my setting and haphazardly put together a few characters and a plot that weren't particularly inspired. Now I have a few alternatives to play with in this world. None are really complete, but at least they're there.
Alternative 1: The Original
Overall, everything is peaceful and there is little crime. Joey has finally separated from his parents and his main group of friends to marry Annette, who is now expecting. Then Peter swipes Annette's light jacket (containing some precious family heirloom) and runs. None of their group can quite catch up, and it's exceptionally difficult to track someone who doesn't want to be found.
Alternative 2: The Speed Demon
While anything other than walking is very much frowned upon, sometimes running just isn't fast enough to do the job. Meet Jonas Patriot, the emergency medicine expert whose motorbike puts him in more danger than most of his clients. Being of this world, his location at any one time is as unsure as a dog sniffing chocolate, but he spreads his telegraph address everywhere he walks, and there are plenty of stations along the bridges to holler a new job at him. If the injured or ill person is near, he might walk, but more often than not he has to break out the bike. Not that he minds terribly.
Alternative 3: The Tinkerer
It's a bit difficult to keep walking the bridges when one is carrying all manners of prototypes and tools. Nevertheless, Sterling does his best to keep his mountain of a backpack balanced as he waves his inventions at anyone who might use them. It's difficult for technology to catch on, however, and his uselessness in other ventures isn't good. After crossing the same bridges without being of service too anyone a few too many times, the grocers start to freeze him out, and the success of his next creation may be a matter of life and death.
Alternative 1: The Original
Overall, everything is peaceful and there is little crime. Joey has finally separated from his parents and his main group of friends to marry Annette, who is now expecting. Then Peter swipes Annette's light jacket (containing some precious family heirloom) and runs. None of their group can quite catch up, and it's exceptionally difficult to track someone who doesn't want to be found.
Alternative 2: The Speed Demon
While anything other than walking is very much frowned upon, sometimes running just isn't fast enough to do the job. Meet Jonas Patriot, the emergency medicine expert whose motorbike puts him in more danger than most of his clients. Being of this world, his location at any one time is as unsure as a dog sniffing chocolate, but he spreads his telegraph address everywhere he walks, and there are plenty of stations along the bridges to holler a new job at him. If the injured or ill person is near, he might walk, but more often than not he has to break out the bike. Not that he minds terribly.
Alternative 3: The Tinkerer
It's a bit difficult to keep walking the bridges when one is carrying all manners of prototypes and tools. Nevertheless, Sterling does his best to keep his mountain of a backpack balanced as he waves his inventions at anyone who might use them. It's difficult for technology to catch on, however, and his uselessness in other ventures isn't good. After crossing the same bridges without being of service too anyone a few too many times, the grocers start to freeze him out, and the success of his next creation may be a matter of life and death.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
New Short Story Idea #3
This was first going to be a story idea, but then it decided to be set in the Macbay-verse, so I felt it would work better as a short story tie-in.
Title: Thrill
Genre: Steampunk
Main Characters: Anthony, the seventeen-year-old son of Max Webb. Quite tall, he's a thin sort of muscular with oddly long fingers. He has straight, near-black hair he keeps spiked, and hazel eyes. He's attractive enough to have a few girls after him, and the distant/bad boy attitude helps. He doesn't speak or smile often, but he very much enjoys steambike racing.
Maude, a sixteen-year-old girl with shoulder-length, wavy, blonde hair. She's a bit of a fangirl when it comes to Anthony, although she's rather calm about it (enough so to gain some respect from him).
Fenton, Anthony's older brother. He's much more social than his brother and hasn't spent much time with him since Anthony started distancing himself.
Setting: Ten years after Macbay Transportation Services, in the same universe (specifically Central City). Steambike races are a huge form of entertainment, helped by the fact there are a lot of crashes on the hugely-banked tracks (and no effective brakes).
Plot: Anthony rides the race circuit in spite of the risk to his life. Maude tries to set him straight, but Anthony's family shame-based suicidal tendencies aren't an easy barrier to break.
Point of View: Third person, limited to Anthony.
Title: Thrill
Genre: Steampunk
Main Characters: Anthony, the seventeen-year-old son of Max Webb. Quite tall, he's a thin sort of muscular with oddly long fingers. He has straight, near-black hair he keeps spiked, and hazel eyes. He's attractive enough to have a few girls after him, and the distant/bad boy attitude helps. He doesn't speak or smile often, but he very much enjoys steambike racing.
Maude, a sixteen-year-old girl with shoulder-length, wavy, blonde hair. She's a bit of a fangirl when it comes to Anthony, although she's rather calm about it (enough so to gain some respect from him).
Fenton, Anthony's older brother. He's much more social than his brother and hasn't spent much time with him since Anthony started distancing himself.
Setting: Ten years after Macbay Transportation Services, in the same universe (specifically Central City). Steambike races are a huge form of entertainment, helped by the fact there are a lot of crashes on the hugely-banked tracks (and no effective brakes).
Plot: Anthony rides the race circuit in spite of the risk to his life. Maude tries to set him straight, but Anthony's family shame-based suicidal tendencies aren't an easy barrier to break.
Point of View: Third person, limited to Anthony.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
New Fiction Idea #18
Somehow inspired by seeing two flyovers on levels on top of each other. The world came before anything else.
Working Title: Wanderers
Genre: Steampunk/Mystery
Protagonist: Joey, a twenty-something man who is rather short. He dresses as well as anyone else and keeps his brown hair short, with bangs slicked back. He's rather easygoing and really a bit lazy, but he really loves people. His specialty is cobbling, but he's fit enough to help in construction crews and other ventures.
Other Main Characters: Annette, Peter's wife. She has dirty blonde hair kept under a flowery hat and is on the thin side. She's sweet but very quiet. She prefers to work with children, but she'll lend a hand in what she can.
Neal, Joey's single brother. He has curly, brown hair he keeps a bit too long for the times, but he still dresses normally. He has a passion for architecture and is a bit of a trickster.
Deborah, Annette's 18-year-old best friend since childhood. She has impeccably straight red hair kept shoulder-length, and she very much likes dresses although it's unusual for women to wear them for long periods of time. She's outgoing but a bit too susceptible to imbibing. She specialises in clothing design and hatmaking.
Kimberley, Deborah's best friend and boyfriend. He's dark-skinned and dark-haired, and he's confined to a wheelchair. He's only talkative around friends, but he doesn't have an indoor voice. He's a born tinkerer, though he also enjoys teaching.
Antagonist: Peter, a kleptomaniac who steals mostly loose clothing articles. He sees himself as the bad guy, but he's a bit too skilled at getting away with robberies. He has a bit of a drinking problem but incidentally can contribute to the operations of breweries he crosses.
Setting: A land of bridges and little else. On the ground live ranchers (and a few others), but it's exceptionally rare to get a glimpse of them. Bridges, mostly spanning from one bridge to another, cross the world and up into the sky. Various shops, hotel-like houses, schools, churches, and other amenities dot the sides and intersections of bridges, but there are no towns. Everyone walks (or otherwise moves), all of the time, getting food and contributing what they can whenever they run across the proper facility. "Settling down" and "home" are entirely unheard of.
Plot: Overall, everything is peaceful and there is little crime. Joey has finally separated from his parents and his main group of friends to marry Annette, who is now expecting. Then Peter swipes Annette's light jacket (containing some precious family heirloom) and runs. None of their group can quite catch up, and it's exceptionally difficult to track someone who doesn't want to be found.
Point of View: First person (Annette).
I really just now made up all of the characters and plot. It could change to just about anything; I just want to play with this world.
Working Title: Wanderers
Genre: Steampunk/Mystery
Protagonist: Joey, a twenty-something man who is rather short. He dresses as well as anyone else and keeps his brown hair short, with bangs slicked back. He's rather easygoing and really a bit lazy, but he really loves people. His specialty is cobbling, but he's fit enough to help in construction crews and other ventures.
Other Main Characters: Annette, Peter's wife. She has dirty blonde hair kept under a flowery hat and is on the thin side. She's sweet but very quiet. She prefers to work with children, but she'll lend a hand in what she can.
Neal, Joey's single brother. He has curly, brown hair he keeps a bit too long for the times, but he still dresses normally. He has a passion for architecture and is a bit of a trickster.
Deborah, Annette's 18-year-old best friend since childhood. She has impeccably straight red hair kept shoulder-length, and she very much likes dresses although it's unusual for women to wear them for long periods of time. She's outgoing but a bit too susceptible to imbibing. She specialises in clothing design and hatmaking.
Kimberley, Deborah's best friend and boyfriend. He's dark-skinned and dark-haired, and he's confined to a wheelchair. He's only talkative around friends, but he doesn't have an indoor voice. He's a born tinkerer, though he also enjoys teaching.
Antagonist: Peter, a kleptomaniac who steals mostly loose clothing articles. He sees himself as the bad guy, but he's a bit too skilled at getting away with robberies. He has a bit of a drinking problem but incidentally can contribute to the operations of breweries he crosses.
Setting: A land of bridges and little else. On the ground live ranchers (and a few others), but it's exceptionally rare to get a glimpse of them. Bridges, mostly spanning from one bridge to another, cross the world and up into the sky. Various shops, hotel-like houses, schools, churches, and other amenities dot the sides and intersections of bridges, but there are no towns. Everyone walks (or otherwise moves), all of the time, getting food and contributing what they can whenever they run across the proper facility. "Settling down" and "home" are entirely unheard of.
Plot: Overall, everything is peaceful and there is little crime. Joey has finally separated from his parents and his main group of friends to marry Annette, who is now expecting. Then Peter swipes Annette's light jacket (containing some precious family heirloom) and runs. None of their group can quite catch up, and it's exceptionally difficult to track someone who doesn't want to be found.
Point of View: First person (Annette).
I really just now made up all of the characters and plot. It could change to just about anything; I just want to play with this world.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Macbay Transportation Services Excerpt
Here's a sample of a situation in Macbay Transportation Services I felt like writing. It's not at all the beginning of the story, but some version of this event will be part of the novel. As always, constructive criticism is appreciated.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Yawning, Macbay watched the yellow-orange of Laurie's headlamps pass over the main street of Havil. There were few passersby at this hour, but there were plenty of buildings at either side of the pavement. Needless to say, there could still be some nasty damage if he let the truck drift off the road. He wasn't on a trip, anyway. No need to stay awake too awfully long.
Humming faintly, he led the truck past some number of buildings before a reasonably large parking space opened up to the right. After briefly checking for pedestrians, he pulled over, parked straight enough, and killed the engine.
It's not worth it to put the lights out, he decided, briefly swishing some mouthwash and spitting it out the side window. Kicking off his heavy shoes, he locked the doors and climbed onto the thin mattress in the back of the cab.
He had been asleep for a short while when a heavy, repetitive clanking woke him. Checking his pocketwatch with a groan, he rubbed his eyes and sat up. The metallic clanking paused before resuming more loudly.
"I'm coming," hollered Macbay, sitting up. The racket finally stopped.
Now let's just hope it's not someone here to arrest me. I'm pretty sure there's still evidence for something or other hanging around somewhere.
With a grunt, he pulled himself back into the driving seat and stuck his head and shoulders out of the open window. It wasn't yet dawn, but there were enough flickering flames in streetlights for him to see the figure just outside, hovering near the advertising panel of the truck.
It was a lady—or maybe just "woman" would be appropriate, given the hour she was out and the general lack of clothing on her person. Although a short-sleeved sienna jacket covered most of her upper body, the front of her tight-fitting button-up shirt was visible. Aside from that, she was wearing short pants of all things, the hemmed edges more than halfway up her thigh. While her outfit was certainly less than modest, Macbay didn't mind much.
I think this'll be a fun drive.
"Looking for a ride?" Macbay started.
"Yes, and fast," she responded, voice cold.
Macbay reached to tip his hat before realizing he wasn't wearing it. "I can manage that. Climb on in."
The woman gave a curt nod and hurried to the passenger door. Macbay unlocked it for her, and she stepped inside, slamming the panel shut behind her.
"Where are we headed?" Macbay started, slipping on his shoes as he got the engine cranking.
"Anywhere," the woman replied breathlessly, setting down a black bag and glancing out of the window.
"Careful what you say," Macbay replied with a grin, coaxing Laurie to start moving forwards. "Might have to travel pretty far with a nice-looking girl like you."
The woman's only reply was a "hmph" as she crossed her arms.
Around the truck echoed the clanking of the engine in full swing as Macbay pulled out of the parking space. Tossing on his hat, he glanced sideways at the woman, who continued to check the windows and mirrors.
"Might I inquire your name, miss?" he started.
She glanced at him before checking behind them again and finally pulling her head into the vehicle. "Loretta May."
"Sounds like a lovely name to me."
Crossing her legs, she didn't turn her head to look at him. "Shut up and drive, Macbay."
"All right, then." Turning off of the main street, Macbay pressed harder on the coal pedal, and the two went off into the night without another word.
Oh, well. She'll fall for my charms soon enough.
Around the truck echoed the clanking of the engine in full swing as Macbay pulled out of the parking space. Tossing on his hat, he glanced sideways at the woman, who continued to check the windows and mirrors.
"Might I inquire your name, miss?" he started.
She glanced at him before checking behind them again and finally pulling her head into the vehicle. "Loretta May."
"Sounds like a lovely name to me."
Crossing her legs, she didn't turn her head to look at him. "Shut up and drive, Macbay."
"All right, then." Turning off of the main street, Macbay pressed harder on the coal pedal, and the two went off into the night without another word.
Oh, well. She'll fall for my charms soon enough.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
New Fiction Idea #13
Somehow came to me while doing the environmental unit in chemistry (which makes me happy for the sole reason I haven't already had those lessons).
Title: Mount (could be changed)
Genre: Steampunk
Protagonist: Theodore Florence, a twenty-something young man with dark hair, olive skin, and hazel eyes. He's tall but skinny and dresses very well. His family is filthy-rich, and he's grown up in a sheltered place that let him stay cheerfully naive. He has an extremely positive view of human progress. He is stubborn and may be prone to challenging others to a duel-to-the-death if he doesn't get what he wants.
Other Main Characters: Daphne, Theodore's 19-year-old sister. Her skin and hair are lighter than her brother's, but they certainly have a family resemblance. She keeps her very long hair in a fancy updo and has a weakness for elaborate dresses and hats. She's very sympathetic towards others. She's just as naive as her brother but handles affronts to her fantasy world a bit better.
Dobson and Crick, two high-class engineers in the Florences' service. They're both well-built geniuses (though Dobson is a bit on the short side) that have fallen on hard times. They'll happily work on foolish projects just for the money.
Antagonist: At this point, nature and the laws of physics. There could be other opposition as the story progresses.
Setting: Typical steampunk universe. The actual story takes place in a Himalaya-type area, specifically their world's largest mountain. It has enough areas of vegetation to support some wildlife and peoples but is mostly rock face. The incline generally increases as the mountain goes up, and there are no roads beyond a few simple foot trails.
Plot: Theodore wants to build a railroad straight up the side of the mountain, more or less just because he can. Given the track and train won't be serving any real jobs, Dobson and Crick manage to work some steampunk engineering magic (depending of the advice of my engineer friends, it could involve actual magic if necessary) and start building the rails. The trip does not go smoothly, however, and Theodore's insistence on watching the entire process—and Daphne's tendency to follow him everywhere—starts to take a toll as the comforts available drop off. Still the Florences and their workers continue, challenging themselves to get past natural obstacles and the troublesome natives until they reach the summit.
Point of View: First person (Theodore).
Seems like pretty standard steampunk stuff. If the physics is a bit too much, I could make them try to get to the top to build a zeppelin airport, but that seems a little less fun.
Title: Mount (could be changed)
Genre: Steampunk
Protagonist: Theodore Florence, a twenty-something young man with dark hair, olive skin, and hazel eyes. He's tall but skinny and dresses very well. His family is filthy-rich, and he's grown up in a sheltered place that let him stay cheerfully naive. He has an extremely positive view of human progress. He is stubborn and may be prone to challenging others to a duel-to-the-death if he doesn't get what he wants.
Other Main Characters: Daphne, Theodore's 19-year-old sister. Her skin and hair are lighter than her brother's, but they certainly have a family resemblance. She keeps her very long hair in a fancy updo and has a weakness for elaborate dresses and hats. She's very sympathetic towards others. She's just as naive as her brother but handles affronts to her fantasy world a bit better.
Dobson and Crick, two high-class engineers in the Florences' service. They're both well-built geniuses (though Dobson is a bit on the short side) that have fallen on hard times. They'll happily work on foolish projects just for the money.
Antagonist: At this point, nature and the laws of physics. There could be other opposition as the story progresses.
Setting: Typical steampunk universe. The actual story takes place in a Himalaya-type area, specifically their world's largest mountain. It has enough areas of vegetation to support some wildlife and peoples but is mostly rock face. The incline generally increases as the mountain goes up, and there are no roads beyond a few simple foot trails.
Plot: Theodore wants to build a railroad straight up the side of the mountain, more or less just because he can. Given the track and train won't be serving any real jobs, Dobson and Crick manage to work some steampunk engineering magic (depending of the advice of my engineer friends, it could involve actual magic if necessary) and start building the rails. The trip does not go smoothly, however, and Theodore's insistence on watching the entire process—and Daphne's tendency to follow him everywhere—starts to take a toll as the comforts available drop off. Still the Florences and their workers continue, challenging themselves to get past natural obstacles and the troublesome natives until they reach the summit.
Point of View: First person (Theodore).
Seems like pretty standard steampunk stuff. If the physics is a bit too much, I could make them try to get to the top to build a zeppelin airport, but that seems a little less fun.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
New Fiction Idea #8
I made it this far without posting this idea? It's been my baby for a while. Be prepared for a lot of information. I've written multiple pages on these things.
Title: Macbay Transportation Services (could be changed to Steamtruck, or something better)
Genre: Steampunk/Fantasy
Protagonist: Bartholomew Macbay, a 27-year-old truck driver (box handle “Haulin’ Thol”) who transports goods and people—usually illegal—across The Empire’s mainland. His main goal in life, at the moment, is to carry on with his job until he’s too old to keep up or the thrill wears off. His face is rather flat and not particularly attractive. He has a bad scar curving down the left side of his forehead, though it’s usually hidden under his shaggy, black hair. His right index finger’s tip was lost on a job. He’s fairly muscular and on the taller side but not particularly big overall. He’s spectacularly brave but also self-centered. He’s both stubborn and determined and is extremely good at what he does for a living.
Other Main Characters: Loretta May Franklin, a 24-year-old factory worker and robber. She is very determined and is an excellent fighter. She’s rather cynical and can be hostile, but she will hold tight to her virtues. Nothing upsets her much more than being denied things or put down based on her gender, and her ultimate goal is to show that’s she’s more—or at least as—competent as any man. She has chin-length, light brown hair and a tan face. She’s overall rather attractive, but she also has musculature, which is shown off in her usual skimpy attire. She’s on the tall side, a fact made more obvious by her habit of never slouching. She has a few light scars on her arms but doesn’t bother to cover them.
Additionally, though "she" probably doesn't count, Macbay's truck is named Lauren/Laurie and is fairly awesome, though not animate or a mecha.
Antagonist: Maximilian “Max” Webb, the 36-year-old Manager of Conscription for The Empire. He is manipulative, suave, and a bit of a coward. His goal is to continue accumulating wealth and power in the government, though he hasn’t settled on exactly how high on the totem pole he expects to get. He is of average height, with near-black brown hair that is kept straight and reaches to his chin. He’s missing part of his left eyebrow from his time in the army, and his face is rather plain otherwise. He has average musculature but is approaching the plump side.
Setting: Rinheart, the main isle of The Homeland. The Empire stretches around the world, and The Homeland is a thriving place, but everyone has military service.
Plot: Beyond the growth of The Empire, a war has begun. Off the books, Max has begun a special conscription of magic users, the existence of whom is generally disbelieved. From their shared time in the army, he knows Macbay is one and will stop at nothing to force him back into the army. Loretta May, fleeing Havil after an incomplete robbery, hitches a ride with Macbay at just the wrong time in all of this.
Point of View: Third person, limited to Macbay. Possibly a few chapters closer to Max.
This story is currently in the Whirlpool of Infinite World-Building, so I can't be sure when I'll feel ready to get started. I've been using Novelist's Boot Camp, but I totally blanked out at the plot outline (in NaNoWriMo terminology, I am a natural pantser), switched to more world-building, and got stuck there.
Title: Macbay Transportation Services (could be changed to Steamtruck, or something better)
Genre: Steampunk/Fantasy
Protagonist: Bartholomew Macbay, a 27-year-old truck driver (box handle “Haulin’ Thol”) who transports goods and people—usually illegal—across The Empire’s mainland. His main goal in life, at the moment, is to carry on with his job until he’s too old to keep up or the thrill wears off. His face is rather flat and not particularly attractive. He has a bad scar curving down the left side of his forehead, though it’s usually hidden under his shaggy, black hair. His right index finger’s tip was lost on a job. He’s fairly muscular and on the taller side but not particularly big overall. He’s spectacularly brave but also self-centered. He’s both stubborn and determined and is extremely good at what he does for a living.
Other Main Characters: Loretta May Franklin, a 24-year-old factory worker and robber. She is very determined and is an excellent fighter. She’s rather cynical and can be hostile, but she will hold tight to her virtues. Nothing upsets her much more than being denied things or put down based on her gender, and her ultimate goal is to show that’s she’s more—or at least as—competent as any man. She has chin-length, light brown hair and a tan face. She’s overall rather attractive, but she also has musculature, which is shown off in her usual skimpy attire. She’s on the tall side, a fact made more obvious by her habit of never slouching. She has a few light scars on her arms but doesn’t bother to cover them.
Additionally, though "she" probably doesn't count, Macbay's truck is named Lauren/Laurie and is fairly awesome, though not animate or a mecha.
Antagonist: Maximilian “Max” Webb, the 36-year-old Manager of Conscription for The Empire. He is manipulative, suave, and a bit of a coward. His goal is to continue accumulating wealth and power in the government, though he hasn’t settled on exactly how high on the totem pole he expects to get. He is of average height, with near-black brown hair that is kept straight and reaches to his chin. He’s missing part of his left eyebrow from his time in the army, and his face is rather plain otherwise. He has average musculature but is approaching the plump side.
Setting: Rinheart, the main isle of The Homeland. The Empire stretches around the world, and The Homeland is a thriving place, but everyone has military service.
Plot: Beyond the growth of The Empire, a war has begun. Off the books, Max has begun a special conscription of magic users, the existence of whom is generally disbelieved. From their shared time in the army, he knows Macbay is one and will stop at nothing to force him back into the army. Loretta May, fleeing Havil after an incomplete robbery, hitches a ride with Macbay at just the wrong time in all of this.
Point of View: Third person, limited to Macbay. Possibly a few chapters closer to Max.
This story is currently in the Whirlpool of Infinite World-Building, so I can't be sure when I'll feel ready to get started. I've been using Novelist's Boot Camp, but I totally blanked out at the plot outline (in NaNoWriMo terminology, I am a natural pantser), switched to more world-building, and got stuck there.
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