H-H-Help. Ideas,stuck on how to begin my novel, I need help.

[anthorn]

This is a synopsis/blurb thing





A Thousand years ago the War of the Mystic Arts brought almost ruin to the land of Ona. Cities were levelled and the world forever changed. Only the combined might of the Council of Alexiamdras strongest Mancers was the "Great Evil." Anwyn defeated. As a result laws were passed prohibiting women from becoming sorceresses.

A Thousand years on the world has changed. Though once again the world is about to plunge into war. For five hundred years a rumor has existed, circulating across the land. That Anwyn, the woman responsible for the long ago war will be reborn in the womb of a child of Kuschev.

Faicaira is that girl, or so the council believe. All signs point to it. And so she is condemned to die. Unfortunately it has fallen to five unwilling people to save her.
Garrison. An Alcoholic desperate to escape his past.
Sorrel. A harlot seeking her daughter, sold for bread to slavers more than eight years ago.
Faelii. Once a Guardian now a mercinary, who's sole purpose is to save the child of Kuschev.
And Nikita. A Singer from the southern islands about to embark on a pilgramage and Anthorn a boy with no past that appeared during a firestorm. Might change these characters.

But a jaded army officer cares not for rumors or legends, only vengence, and plots to bring down the council.
And into this world steps a sorceress and self proclaimed god plotting ruin.

I'm stuck on how to begin it. I want to start with Nikita and Anthorn. But Its how to start. I dont know whether to have them know eachother at the start, or to meet during the first chapters. I know Nikita will be a Singer/Songmage, but Anthorn keeps fluxuating. I think i will keep him as a thief of sorts. One of my chapters start off with Nikita walking through the slums of the city. But that ends up with two pages of her inner thoughts and a description of her surroundings and her situation. And for the current one. It begins with Anthorn roaming the wilderness on his way to traverlers pass after being expelled from Mana City...

Could you help me, perhaps give me an idea in how to start it? perhaps how you would start the story?

 

[Commonmind]

Maybe you can introduce the readers to Faicaira and her captives. A scene of interrogation, where some vile inquisitor is questioning this seemingly innocent young girl about her (supposed) inherent powers, and what she plans to do with them, etc. etc. I always enjoy a story that starts with conflict of some sort; the crux of a good story is a problem, with a series of problems that need to be resolved in order to resolve the larger problem - this would be one way to introduce both one of the smaller (her captivity) and the larger (the reason for it).

Food for thought.

 

[anthorn]

That could be possible, but to make it clearer. Faircaira is the one who is preg

 

[Commonmind]

From the flow of your description I had the impression that Faircaira was the girl that was born from the womb, rather than the one carrying the child. Misunderstanding. Either way, some form of conflict involving the girl that is pregnant and those that want to see her dead would suffice.

 

[anthorn]

From what i plan, i have enough plans for her, but not for Anthorn and Nikita,

My plan the story would entail, her being rescued by the alcoholic and the mercinary, after being condemned. Then by chance the other characters would meet up, and they would end up having to stop this girl from getting captured

 

[Giovanna Clairval]

You could begin with a scene in which soldiers come to the house where the girl live. Her family tries to protect her, but fails.

Perhaps villagers aroused by the taking of one of theirs, who is pregnant, by the way. Sword swinging, implorations, blood...


This is action, which is easier to write than a scene about interrogation. The latter is mostly dialogue, which must be conducted in a subtle way, unless there's a lot of torture involved. And, well, we don't have the time to become acquainted with the girl, do we?


Or maybe your character is Joan of Arc-like, and she can speak in an astounding way. Btw, if you take the interrogation thing, reading the acts of Joan's trial could be inspiring.


Good luck!

 

[Creator]

Start with Calming down...

Then ask yourself....

Who? Where? what? why?

Who is the heroine?
Who is the enemy?
What is the goal?

 

[anthorn]

XCould you help me with the characters of Anthorn and Nikita now pleasex

 

[daisybee]

How about Nikita performing in a tavern, where Anthorn is drinking one night, when Faircaira is taken?
Let us watch the action over Nikita shoulder, see the locals reactions, as they spill into the streets to watch her being taken away.
Have Faircaira press something into Nikitas hand as she is dragged by..Hear the rumours about her unborn baby, have Nikita's suspicions raised as Anthorn is the only patron not to have gone outside to watch the action..why didn't he watch? Who is he hiding from?
Have her troubled by the young girls plight, only to have Anthorn demand the item that Faircaira had given to her..it was meant for him, he says. Etc. Two new people meet, you introduce the main thread of faircairas abduction and hint at the reasons for it, and can do all sorts of mysterious things with Anthorn's murky past.
Just some suggestions for you, good luck!

 

[anthorn]

I like that.

 

[Giovanna Clairval]

Wonderful idea, Daisybee.

 

[daisybee]

Thank-you Giovanna

 

[ray gower]

Just an question or two towards backdrop. No problem with the plot outline suggested, but it strikes me it needs something built in before and after?

Are the 'Council' already convinced that it is all going to be the girls fault, upon which case, how did they know it was her, also remembering that they would probably whisk her off to be topped before anybody knows what is happening.

Or is it that they know there is somebody- an unmarried mother born in the year of the Dragon who will give birth in the decade of the Lemon etc. And therefore run raiding parties to pickup useful suspects. (Think Herod).

The sudden arrival of the Inquistion will make it far more likely that people will develop extremes of reaction beyond mild ghoulish interest, which is the normal reaction to occasional police raids.

You might also like to make one or more of her friends a 'visitor' who does not know all the rules the locals live under: Much easier to break a rule if you don't know it exists, there is no 'We mustn't do this' check.

Also is here a genuine 'End of the World' character- Perhaps she lives next door and the Inquisition have picked up the wrong suspects?

Depending on whose side you are on, you might like to consider a prologue/introduction chapter, based on your synopsis, that lays down the myth and shows why the 'Council' are so terrified.

 

[anthorn]

The council, have heard only rumours about Anwyn being reborn in the womb of a girl. The rumour has persisted for some time, and Faircaira is not the first girl to be taken. But there are signs that the rumours might be true, like a girl with no ability to use magic, suddenly being able to, sort of thing.
The council started off as a democracy, type ruling party after the first empire collapsed, but now they've become slightly twisted, using enchantments to prolong their lives, and they rule the land with an iron fist.

They're also scared. After beating Anywn they made restriction on women users of the Mystic Arts, because if a women became a sorceress, they fear another war will be started. The women, feeling oppressed, started the rumour 500 years ago. If a woman who has never, shown an ability to use magic before they got pregnant, they're taken to be interogated, and killed, this happens every ten years.

There is a question mark over whether Faircaira's child is the reincarnation of Anwyn or not. Even the people who rescue her, have doubts. But from my original plan is that this question remains unanswered until the end of book 2 when Anwyn returns. I was thinking that certain people exploited the rumour to hide the fact that Anwyn was'nt dead but hiding.

 

[ray gower]

Fair enough, but that, particularly the reasons behind the 'snatch' need to come out before or during the scene, even if it's only to mark the fact people resent it.

 

[Birol]

I have more general advice, rather than specific, but if you're having trouble getting started or picking an exact way to start, begin writing a scene or two before you think the story starts. You know the backstory. This will help you ease into the story. By the time you're where things really start happening, you're writing, not thinking about how to begin. Later, during rewrites and edits, you can cut the unnecessary bits you used to ease into the writing.