As the new year is about to start, I made a decision. In 2020 I’m going to write and publish my own story. Or at least try to.
I have a universe, and several plots/settings/casts nearly up and ready to go. I have a total word count in mind for the final piece. I’ll probably set up a writing goal to do each day. But I don’t know what plot to chose, thinking about it is kinda stressing me out, and I honestly don’t know which one would be best as my debut.
So I’m turning to the helpful community of FR for a bit of help. If anyone is willing to sit through chapter previews, character concepts, plot ideas, and everything else of the like, just send me a PM. I don’t have anything to offer, but I’d appreciate the honest support. I can send links to examples of my writing, too, if you need it.
For a bit more context:
It’s fantasy/adventure-esque kinda-series of books. Some of them are in an actual series, but there’s also stand-alones; all of these are set in the same universe. There’s four known worlds: Ashana (the “founding” world and the birthplace of the generally-worshiped demi-goddess Ava), Aliela (a world in modern setting, lacking in most magical things), Tirren (the war-torn world where untamed mystical beasts like dragons roam), and ZooEthnos (Name is “Animal Kingdom” in Greek; it’s basically just that). There’s multiple human-like species, along with a few animal-like ones, being: humans, Eslets (elves), Vers (fairies), Izix (humans with animal ears/tail, deformed offspring of Shapeshifters which was eventually dubbed their own species), Lixono (witches), Shapeshifters (humans with the ability to turn into at least one type of animal; for example, arctic fox or redtail hawk), Didilo (literally a circle with bunny ears, little stubby arms and legs, and fur that looks like overalls. Don’t question their creation), and one other species I keep forgetting the name to. There’s different “tribes” such as the ForestHunters or Ithealians as well.
There’d be some cursing, sometimes violence, depending on the cast the use of strong drinks (only by one character, though). I don’t really know the general age range for the stories. It’s also written in third-person 99% of the time.
I’d just like to have someone to bounce ideas off of as my only friend I know could help is kinda notorious for saying “idk” (if said person is reading this: love you ^^). I’m going to hope I can trust people won’t just use my idea and publish it before me so I end up getting sued for plagiarism or something look I seriously fear that don’t look at me like that.
Anyway, that’s my rant for the day. All and any help would be deeply appreciated!
I’ll be subscribed, too, so no need to ping.
As the new year is about to start, I made a decision. In 2020 I’m going to write and publish my own story. Or at least try to.
I have a universe, and several plots/settings/casts nearly up and ready to go. I have a total word count in mind for the final piece. I’ll probably set up a writing goal to do each day. But I don’t know what plot to chose, thinking about it is kinda stressing me out, and I honestly don’t know which one would be best as my debut.
So I’m turning to the helpful community of FR for a bit of help. If anyone is willing to sit through chapter previews, character concepts, plot ideas, and everything else of the like, just send me a PM. I don’t have anything to offer, but I’d appreciate the honest support. I can send links to examples of my writing, too, if you need it.
For a bit more context:
It’s fantasy/adventure-esque kinda-series of books. Some of them are in an actual series, but there’s also stand-alones; all of these are set in the same universe. There’s four known worlds: Ashana (the “founding” world and the birthplace of the generally-worshiped demi-goddess Ava), Aliela (a world in modern setting, lacking in most magical things), Tirren (the war-torn world where untamed mystical beasts like dragons roam), and ZooEthnos (Name is “Animal Kingdom” in Greek; it’s basically just that). There’s multiple human-like species, along with a few animal-like ones, being: humans, Eslets (elves), Vers (fairies), Izix (humans with animal ears/tail, deformed offspring of Shapeshifters which was eventually dubbed their own species), Lixono (witches), Shapeshifters (humans with the ability to turn into at least one type of animal; for example, arctic fox or redtail hawk), Didilo (literally a circle with bunny ears, little stubby arms and legs, and fur that looks like overalls. Don’t question their creation), and one other species I keep forgetting the name to. There’s different “tribes” such as the ForestHunters or Ithealians as well.
There’d be some cursing, sometimes violence, depending on the cast the use of strong drinks (only by one character, though). I don’t really know the general age range for the stories. It’s also written in third-person 99% of the time.
I’d just like to have someone to bounce ideas off of as my only friend I know could help is kinda notorious for saying “idk” (if said person is reading this: love you ^^). I’m going to hope I can trust people won’t just use my idea and publish it before me so I end up getting sued for plagiarism or something look I seriously fear that don’t look at me like that.
Anyway, that’s my rant for the day. All and any help would be deeply appreciated!
I’ll be subscribed, too, so no need to ping.
I'm in a similar boat, though I don't like to make New Year's resolutions. I don't have anyone to bounce ideas off of and I'm a little nervous someone will steal my idea BUT I figure there's no way to be 100% safe so eh
My book idea takes place at least a few hundred years in the future, after humanity has colonised the moon, Mars, Venus, Europa, and maybe some other smaller moons. The governments of Earth have "united" (as much as wholly unique countries can) in a sort of United Nations 2.0 system that actually works... for the most part. Anyway, the colonies on the other planets/moons want independence and that's basically all I've got for story. I was considering covering some environmental themes... I figure climate change will have been reversed at least like 70 years before the story begins but maybe my protagonist could be an activist trying to allocate land for restoration? Maybe on Europa or something they discovered alien life and there's this whole thing about preserving it even though the colonies need resources from deep under the moon's crust.
I'm thinking it would be for a young adult audience purely because of complex themes (if I can figure out how to pull them off...) and language.
See, just typing it out helps me consider new ideas haha. Anyway, I would be happy to be your conversation partner to help solidify your ideas. I'd consider myself an alright storyteller, and I ran a Dungeons and Dragons campaign a couple years ago so I'm open to "high fantasy" concepts like what you're going for.
I'm in a similar boat, though I don't like to make New Year's resolutions. I don't have anyone to bounce ideas off of and I'm a little nervous someone will steal my idea BUT I figure there's no way to be 100% safe so eh
My book idea takes place at least a few hundred years in the future, after humanity has colonised the moon, Mars, Venus, Europa, and maybe some other smaller moons. The governments of Earth have "united" (as much as wholly unique countries can) in a sort of United Nations 2.0 system that actually works... for the most part. Anyway, the colonies on the other planets/moons want independence and that's basically all I've got for story. I was considering covering some environmental themes... I figure climate change will have been reversed at least like 70 years before the story begins but maybe my protagonist could be an activist trying to allocate land for restoration? Maybe on Europa or something they discovered alien life and there's this whole thing about preserving it even though the colonies need resources from deep under the moon's crust.
I'm thinking it would be for a young adult audience purely because of complex themes (if I can figure out how to pull them off...) and language.
See, just typing it out helps me consider new ideas haha. Anyway, I would be happy to be your conversation partner to help solidify your ideas. I'd consider myself an alright storyteller, and I ran a Dungeons and Dragons campaign a couple years ago so I'm open to "high fantasy" concepts like what you're going for.
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I can try to help and form ideas the best I can but I think I’m better cut out for fanfics XP
I’d be happy to contribute to the cause somehow :) Maybe make maps of some sort? I’m not the best at world-building but I can also proofread! You’re my friend, so I want to help a little bit, at least. I can also try to help by figuring out which idea to go with first. Maybe my time spent reading books can help you write yours?
Overall I wish you the best of luck :)
I can try to help and form ideas the best I can but I think I’m better cut out for fanfics XP
I’d be happy to contribute to the cause somehow :) Maybe make maps of some sort? I’m not the best at world-building but I can also proofread! You’re my friend, so I want to help a little bit, at least. I can also try to help by figuring out which idea to go with first. Maybe my time spent reading books can help you write yours?
Overall I wish you the best of luck :)
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PuppyLuvr06
People stealing your ideas isn't actually actually something you should be worried about. This is partly because ideas can't be copyrighted, and so someone else could take the concept of four different worlds, with all those different species in them (most of which aren't unique, original creations anyway - nobody can copyright elves or people with animal ears and tails), and even when using those ideas, they'd end up creating a very different story to the one you would.
The only thing that
can be copyrighted is the final product, the finished story. And for that, you would have ample proof that it was your creation, not theirs.
And then there is the simple fact that for most writers, ideas are plentiful. Idea theft is actually incredibly rare because every writer already has more ideas than they ever have time to write, and chances are, they're going to think their own ideas are far more interesting than yours. Because that happens to every writer. They all get really passionate and invested in their own stories, to the point of fearing that others might steal it... except all the people who are in a position to steal it already have stories
they're intensely passionate about. While you're worrying about them stealing your ideas, they're worried about you stealing theirs!
I could list off all the project ideas I'm playing around with right now, and even if you thought they were cool, you'd still be more excited to work on
your ideas than you would be in stealing mine. And likewise, I'm so focused on my projects that I have no interest in stealing yours. And every other person who posts in this thread will feel the same way about their projects.
Anybody so bad at coming up with ideas that they'd need to steal yours would never have the skill to write a publishable novel. People with no imagination make terrible authors.
So, yeah, you have nothing to fear. :)
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PuppyLuvr06
People stealing your ideas isn't actually actually something you should be worried about. This is partly because ideas can't be copyrighted, and so someone else could take the concept of four different worlds, with all those different species in them (most of which aren't unique, original creations anyway - nobody can copyright elves or people with animal ears and tails), and even when using those ideas, they'd end up creating a very different story to the one you would.
The only thing that
can be copyrighted is the final product, the finished story. And for that, you would have ample proof that it was your creation, not theirs.
And then there is the simple fact that for most writers, ideas are plentiful. Idea theft is actually incredibly rare because every writer already has more ideas than they ever have time to write, and chances are, they're going to think their own ideas are far more interesting than yours. Because that happens to every writer. They all get really passionate and invested in their own stories, to the point of fearing that others might steal it... except all the people who are in a position to steal it already have stories
they're intensely passionate about. While you're worrying about them stealing your ideas, they're worried about you stealing theirs!
I could list off all the project ideas I'm playing around with right now, and even if you thought they were cool, you'd still be more excited to work on
your ideas than you would be in stealing mine. And likewise, I'm so focused on my projects that I have no interest in stealing yours. And every other person who posts in this thread will feel the same way about their projects.
Anybody so bad at coming up with ideas that they'd need to steal yours would never have the skill to write a publishable novel. People with no imagination make terrible authors.
So, yeah, you have nothing to fear. :)
Ever since I’ve finished Game of Thrones (the show) a year ago I’ve always appreciated gruesome twists on Fantasy because it’s then more believable to me, it feels more “immersive”.. It’s something that also draws people in. I started reading Game of Thrones now too. I’d say if it’s not intended for a child audience consider some dark elements to your story? Even some small ones.
Ever since I’ve finished Game of Thrones (the show) a year ago I’ve always appreciated gruesome twists on Fantasy because it’s then more believable to me, it feels more “immersive”.. It’s something that also draws people in. I started reading Game of Thrones now too. I’d say if it’s not intended for a child audience consider some dark elements to your story? Even some small ones.
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RabidWhovian
I’m not much of a sci-fi, heavily futuristic gal, but it’s always nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of!
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Ruan
Heh...yeah I think I get a little paranoid sometimes, especially when it comes to my creative efforts and generally anything I spend quite a good deal of time on.
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VanillaPuff
See, I’m not really all that interested in gore and the amount of violence in a story would depend solely on the plot. Many of the plots do go over darker/serious themes, though—one is about two boys, raised by their aunt because their mother disappeared and their father didn’t want them, then having to come to their grandparents’ house as their aunt didn’t have enough money on her own, and eventually they end up trying to figure out what happened to their mother; another is literally about a girl unleashing a demon by accident and realizing the people who are supposed to help are fakes, thus leaving her to deal with her own mess; and in yet another, the main character is what’s left of a powerful warrior’s soul after she was killed, with no recollection of her past.
Sorry if none of you wanted to get pinged...
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RabidWhovian
I’m not much of a sci-fi, heavily futuristic gal, but it’s always nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of!
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Ruan
Heh...yeah I think I get a little paranoid sometimes, especially when it comes to my creative efforts and generally anything I spend quite a good deal of time on.
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VanillaPuff
See, I’m not really all that interested in gore and the amount of violence in a story would depend solely on the plot. Many of the plots do go over darker/serious themes, though—one is about two boys, raised by their aunt because their mother disappeared and their father didn’t want them, then having to come to their grandparents’ house as their aunt didn’t have enough money on her own, and eventually they end up trying to figure out what happened to their mother; another is literally about a girl unleashing a demon by accident and realizing the people who are supposed to help are fakes, thus leaving her to deal with her own mess; and in yet another, the main character is what’s left of a powerful warrior’s soul after she was killed, with no recollection of her past.
Sorry if none of you wanted to get pinged...
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Puppyluvr06
That sounds like a really good goal for 2020. I'm hoping to start writing my novel this year as well, as soon as I finish developing my plot and characters. But your idea sounds really good, I'd love to hear more. I'm definitely a fantasy geek, and I am probably a little too absorbed by the concept of other worlds, Magic, and fascinating creatures from another land. First Impression, the world sounds super interesting, and has potential to be a great story.
One of the things I've had the most problems with in my writing is the lack of development before I start the first draft. Because of this, I got frustrated when things didn't work out, and I quit part way through the story (one time I wrote 60000 words of a story- and then scrapped the whole thing. Rest In Peace you old manuscript). I urge to make sure that everything is developed as much as
you need it to be. Please don't make the same mistakes I did.
I'd love to help you. It sounds like we have similar writing tastes, and I would try my very hardest to be as helpful as I can. Just a warning, I might ask a LOT of questions. I have scrapped story ideas before because my sisters (love them) asked too many questions that I couldn't answer. But part of the problem stemmed from lack of a developed plot, and one dimensional characters.
As long as you're prepared, your manuscript will be great. That level of prep will be different for different writers, but it is preparation just the same. I believe in you! You got this!
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Puppyluvr06
That sounds like a really good goal for 2020. I'm hoping to start writing my novel this year as well, as soon as I finish developing my plot and characters. But your idea sounds really good, I'd love to hear more. I'm definitely a fantasy geek, and I am probably a little too absorbed by the concept of other worlds, Magic, and fascinating creatures from another land. First Impression, the world sounds super interesting, and has potential to be a great story.
One of the things I've had the most problems with in my writing is the lack of development before I start the first draft. Because of this, I got frustrated when things didn't work out, and I quit part way through the story (one time I wrote 60000 words of a story- and then scrapped the whole thing. Rest In Peace you old manuscript). I urge to make sure that everything is developed as much as
you need it to be. Please don't make the same mistakes I did.
I'd love to help you. It sounds like we have similar writing tastes, and I would try my very hardest to be as helpful as I can. Just a warning, I might ask a LOT of questions. I have scrapped story ideas before because my sisters (love them) asked too many questions that I couldn't answer. But part of the problem stemmed from lack of a developed plot, and one dimensional characters.
As long as you're prepared, your manuscript will be great. That level of prep will be different for different writers, but it is preparation just the same. I believe in you! You got this!
Basically Redoing my Clan's Lore- for the third time.
Ooh! First of all, congrats on deciding your goal! You got this! Are you going to self-publish or try to go with traditional publishing? I wish I had the planning capabilities to think that far ahead when it came to my own stories. I want to publish one day too, but to get to that point, I have to actually finish a draft LOL. I for one would love to help you come up with ideas, proofread, edit, whatever you want; world-building is one of my favorite things to do, and I just love to see what other people create.
Your story seems very interesting. Fantasy is my go-to genre and I love big worlds with multiple species and countries and everything like that. I'm a sucker for that kinda stuff.
I myself have been writing since 2013 or so and my main story has been in the works since then. It's changed a lot, but it's a high fantasy/sci-fi (kinda) story that focuses on a single planet and humanoid species that's in an entirely different universe. The main plot revolves around a revolution aiming to overthrow and take down a violent and oppressive military dictatorship to "fix" society, but things take a turn for the worse with counter-revolutions, assassinations, civil wars, conflict with other countries, and so on. I drew a lot of inspiration from World War 2, the Cold War, and countless historical figures and events. Naturally, it's full of violence and cursing and other terrible things, so it's not like I can ever post it on most sites LOL. I have considered Wattpad to use for the time being, but I'm not sure if it has the right audience for this type of story.
I have other story ideas too (too many, actually, I keep getting ideas and inspiration), but my main secondary stories include a superhero-type story that I keep changing and another high fantasy story with multiple worlds and species and a whole lotta conflict.
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MysticalScribe
I'm the same way when it comes to the development and stuff when writing drafts... I'm one of those people where nearly everything has to be
planned perfectly 100% in order to even try writing a draft. If I try to write a story or draft on a whim just to see how it goes, I end up giving up and scrapping the whole thing, forcing myself back to square one, and slowing the process tenfold.
Ooh! First of all, congrats on deciding your goal! You got this! Are you going to self-publish or try to go with traditional publishing? I wish I had the planning capabilities to think that far ahead when it came to my own stories. I want to publish one day too, but to get to that point, I have to actually finish a draft LOL. I for one would love to help you come up with ideas, proofread, edit, whatever you want; world-building is one of my favorite things to do, and I just love to see what other people create.
Your story seems very interesting. Fantasy is my go-to genre and I love big worlds with multiple species and countries and everything like that. I'm a sucker for that kinda stuff.
I myself have been writing since 2013 or so and my main story has been in the works since then. It's changed a lot, but it's a high fantasy/sci-fi (kinda) story that focuses on a single planet and humanoid species that's in an entirely different universe. The main plot revolves around a revolution aiming to overthrow and take down a violent and oppressive military dictatorship to "fix" society, but things take a turn for the worse with counter-revolutions, assassinations, civil wars, conflict with other countries, and so on. I drew a lot of inspiration from World War 2, the Cold War, and countless historical figures and events. Naturally, it's full of violence and cursing and other terrible things, so it's not like I can ever post it on most sites LOL. I have considered Wattpad to use for the time being, but I'm not sure if it has the right audience for this type of story.
I have other story ideas too (too many, actually, I keep getting ideas and inspiration), but my main secondary stories include a superhero-type story that I keep changing and another high fantasy story with multiple worlds and species and a whole lotta conflict.
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MysticalScribe
I'm the same way when it comes to the development and stuff when writing drafts... I'm one of those people where nearly everything has to be
planned perfectly 100% in order to even try writing a draft. If I try to write a story or draft on a whim just to see how it goes, I end up giving up and scrapping the whole thing, forcing myself back to square one, and slowing the process tenfold.
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Negative
Honestly I don’t know. I’m hoping my mom can take care of that for me when the time comes. In the end it would probably boil down to whichever ends up being cheaper.
Thanks! I’ve been working on and off on it for...four years? I remember it’s simple beginnings, but not so much when that happened. For the most part, I think I have most of the world building down but if I ever need a hand I’ll keep you in mind.
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MysticalScribe
I’m actually like that, too! Sometimes I try to start a story with only a few pieces in mind, but I end up not able to finish it because I just go “welp, I wrote the part I wanted to write...now what?”
Eventually I’ll get around to writing down all the plot summaries for you guys...
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Negative
Honestly I don’t know. I’m hoping my mom can take care of that for me when the time comes. In the end it would probably boil down to whichever ends up being cheaper.
Thanks! I’ve been working on and off on it for...four years? I remember it’s simple beginnings, but not so much when that happened. For the most part, I think I have most of the world building down but if I ever need a hand I’ll keep you in mind.
@
MysticalScribe
I’m actually like that, too! Sometimes I try to start a story with only a few pieces in mind, but I end up not able to finish it because I just go “welp, I wrote the part I wanted to write...now what?”
Eventually I’ll get around to writing down all the plot summaries for you guys...