NationStates Jolt Archive

A friend of mine said that this is a great place to learn a persons views and opinions on things; I am a writer who is suffering from a most severe case of writers block.
I need some ideas for a new epic fantasy novel. I care what they are as long as they are not so outragous as to be considered retarded.
You can include anything you want. Plots, charactors, anything I don't care.

I've been writing a similar story off and on for about three years now.

I like throwing the old structures off balance. For instance, Elves and Dwarves are friendly towards one another in my book, and both shun humans.

My favorite creation so far has to be the "evil" force of my book using Vampires as it's elite spies.

While I prefer you not steal MY ideas, maybe I have jumpstarted your imagination, eh? ;)

Oh, and welcome to NS General! :)
No gun-smilies 1st post! OMGZ!!1!

I've been writing a similar story off and on for about three years now.

I like throwing the old structures off balance. For instance, Elves and Dwarves are friendly towards one another in my book, and both shun humans.

My favorite creation so far has to be the "evil" force of my book using Vampires as it's elite spies.

While I prefer you not steal MY ideas, maybe I have jumpstarted your imagination, eh? ;)

Oh, and welcome to NS General! :)
No gun-smilies 1st post! OMGZ!!1!


I have no intention of stealing anyones ideas; I just need a helpful nudge out of the endless abyss of writersblock.
Tell do you think that a wizard with the power to turn someones shadow against them is a good idea. I've been having my doubts, reading about a person being taken into the underworld by their own shadow sounds pretty cool. But I dont know.

Ideas, I have plenty of. What I don't have is a talent for writing them down. Unfortunately, I missed my calling as a traveling storyteller by about 600 years or so. :(

One of my more interesting ideas revolves around the idea that the gods(greek gods in my stories) have made a pact requiring them to forever remain outside the realm of men. However, in order to circumvent that pact, they merge their 'souls' with those of mortal men and women in order to forward their individual agendas on earth. My stories tend to revolve around the adventures of a young man named Chris Mercury and his symbiotic relationship with Hermes, God of Mischief. He is usually a narrator-like character who involves himself in great conflicts and battles of good vs. evil and helps good overcome. As a side, these are typically also battles of chaos versus order with the good guys usually representing chaos and evil representing order. I enjoy that sort of juxtaposition of classic plot. :)

I have no intention of stealing anyones ideas; I just need a helpful nudge out of the endless abyss of writersblock.
Tell do you think that a wizard with the power to turn someones shadow against them is a good idea. I've been having my doubts, reading about a person being taken into the underworld by their own shadow sounds pretty cool. But I dont know.

Move to Heidelberg, it worked for Mark Twain.

Oh and I would really love not to find any of my ideas found in any future books either. I wouldn't take to well to that; niether would my lawyer.:)

Ideas, I have plenty of. What I don't have is a talent for writing them down. Unfortunately, I missed my calling as a traveling storyteller by about 600 years or so. :(

One of my more interesting ideas revolves around the idea that the gods(greek gods in my stories) have made a pact requiring them to forever remain outside the realm of men. However, in order to circumvent that pact, they merge their 'souls' with those of mortal men and women in order to forward their individual agendas on earth. My stories tend to revolve around the adventures of a young man named Chris Mercury and his symbiotic relationship with Hermes, God of Mischief. He is usually a narrator-like character who involves himself in great conflicts and battles of good vs. evil and helps good overcome. As a side, these are typically also battles of chaos versus order with the good guys usually representing chaos and evil representing order. I enjoy that sort of juxtaposition of classic plot. :)

This isn't one of those archtype hero themes is it. They are so predictable that I almost throw up when I read some of them. The worst archtype book I've ever read is Harry Potter I fucking hate that book; sorry for the vulgarity but it was absolutely neccesary. Other than that I think a story with this plot would be enjoyable.
Though I want my story to really spin the readers head, none of this good vs. evil stuff where good always wins. Evil must prevail sometime.

No offence, but for a writer, you have really bad grammar and punctuation. Take a little more time with your posts. They're coming off incredibly rushed. It is making them a bit more difficult to understand.

I like writing absurdist material. Try reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. That's pretty good-working inspiration.

No offence, but for a writer, you have really bad grammar and punctuation. Take a little more time with your posts. They're coming off incredibly rushed. It is making them a bit more difficult to understand.

Sorry. I've been awake for nearly thirty ours straight trying to start my new novel. My wastepaper basket is literaly spilling out and down the stairs.

Sorry. I've been awake for nearly thirty ours straight trying to start my new novel. My wastepaper basket is literaly spilling out and down the stairs.

I know the feeling. Take a break, and get some sleep. Nothing kills the creative process quite like exhaustion and frustration.

Failing that, I suggest amphetamines ;)

I like writing absurdist material. Try reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. That's pretty good-working inspiration.

Maybe, but I don't really like writing science-fiction. Fantasy is more the tupe of genre I like writing about.

I know the feeling. Take a break, and get some sleep. Nothing kills the creative process quite like exhaustion and frustration.

Failing that, I suggest amphetamines ;)

I should, but if I could just get it started, the rest would pour onto the page.

I should, but if I could just get it started, the rest would pour onto the page.

First sentence is the hardest...but in my experience, the harder you have to force that first sentence, the worse it is. Who knows...maybe it'll come to you in a dream.

Keep a notebook by your bed. Every time you wake up, write down what your dream was about (we wake up much more often than most people think). You might get something good.

First sentence is the hardest...but in my experience, the harder you have to force that first sentence, the worse it is. Who knows...maybe it'll come to you in a dream.

Keep a notebook by your bed. Every time you wake up, write down what your dream was about (we wake up much more often than most people think). You might get something good.

You know, that is a great idea.
The first sentece, for me, is usually a breeze. It's the follow up and creating a living world that people can believe in that kills me.

Wired magazine told me that if you start off each day with beans on toast, it will help your intelligence. I'm not saying you're stupid. I just mean that that might help. Or just give you flatulence. Can't really go wrong with beans on bread.

This isn't one of those archtype hero themes is it. They are so predictable that I almost throw up when I read some of them. The worst archtype book I've ever read is Harry Potter I fucking hate that book; sorry for the vulgarity but it was absolutely neccesary. Other than that I think a story with this plot would be enjoyable.
Though I want my story to really spin the readers head, none of this good vs. evil stuff where good always wins. Evil must prevail sometime.

Chris Mercury isn't meant to be the hero. Certainly not the classic hero. he's the Deux Ex Machina. No, that really isn't fair either.

Have you ever seen any of the Kevin Smith movies? He takes a similar role as Jay and Silent Bob. Sometimes they act as plot device, sometimes as Deus ex Machina and other times as just a set of clown shoes. But (excluding 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back') they aren't the stories, they're the common thread between them. *nod*

Wired magazine told me that if you start off each day with beans on toast, it will help your intelligence. I'm not saying you're stupid. I just mean that that might help. Or just give you flatulence. Can't really go wrong with beans on bread.

????
I'm not following your line of thought here.

????
I'm not following your line of thought here.

Change of habit? Beans on bread in the morning. Might help with the creativity.

Chris Mercury isn't meant to be the hero. Certainly not the classic hero. he's the Deux Ex Machina. No, that really isn't fair either.

Have you ever seen any of the Kevin Smith movies? He takes a similar role as Jay and Silent Bob. Sometimes acting as plot device, sometimes as Deus ex Machina and other times as just a set of clown shoes. But (excluding 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back') they aren't the stories, they're the common thread between them. *nod*

Great. And no I havn't seen any Kevin Smith movies, but I have seen Jay and Silent Bob. I love that movie. ( comic relief sort or relaxes me so I've probably seen it more than a sane person should.)

Change of habit? Beans on bread in the morning. Might help with the creativity.

Okay, I'll try that; that's why I came here to get peoples thoughts. But it sounds an aweful lot like a joke, who eats beans on bread?

Great. And no I havn't seen any Kevin Smith movies, but I have seen Jay and Silent Bob. I love that movie. ( comic relief sort or relaxes me so I've probably seen it more than a sane person should.)

Kevin Smith is the director of the movies that Jay and Silent Bob are in. He's written and dircted "Clerks", "Mallrats", "Chasing Amy", "Dogma", "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back", "Jersey Girl" and "CLerks 2".

He's also been a writer for Marvel Comics and I've heard he does a lot of work fixing screenplays.

P.S: Kevin Smith IS Silent Bob. :)

Okay, I'll try that; that's why I came here to get peoples thoughts. But it sounds an aweful lot like a joke, who eats beans on bread?

No, really. I know it sounds like a joke but I read it in Wired Magazine. Something about it being the best possible breakfast, though the author of the article didn't eat it. I think he went for whole wheat waffles instead...

But you were right not to trust me. I would get a second opinion if I were you, even though I'm telling you the truth.

Kevin Smith is the director of the movies that Jay and Silent Bob are in. He's written and dircted "Clerks", "Mallrats", "Chasing Amy", "Dogma", "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back", "Jersey Girl" and "CLerks 2".

He's also been a writer for Marvel Comics and I've heard he does a lot of work fixing screenplays.

P.S: Kevin Smith IS Silent Bob. :)

Oh, well I've just learned something. I did not know that.

What would be an appropriate situation to let evil prevail over good? I've always had trouble figuring out were it would be most plausible. I really like do that in my writing because it breaks away from most standard fantasy novels.

This isn't one of those archtype hero themes is it. They are so predictable that I almost throw up when I read some of them. The worst archtype book I've ever read is Harry Potter I fucking hate that book; sorry for the vulgarity but it was absolutely neccesary. Other than that I think a story with this plot would be enjoyable.
Though I want my story to really spin the readers head, none of this good vs. evil stuff where good always wins. Evil must prevail sometime.How about you do not define either of the sides you present in story as good or evil. If you want to make a reader's head spin then write story that entices them to choose sides, but is has revelations that may change the reader's mind. Don't let anything be set in stone.

The reason why Harry Potter has trouble as a story is that the evil side never have their motivations truly explored. They merely have wanted to do evil things ever since birth. Fantasy books in general fail at characterisation - a fault that goes back to before Tolkien, but is evident in Tolkien's writings. I tend to find that science fiction books are much better at characterisation.

You could also examine the slow changing of a character's motivations that get him or her to change alligence from one side to another. Or you could examine a good/evil character performing evil/good actions and examing their motivations for doing so and how they subsequently deal with such actions.

Allow me to just drop some unfinished ideas here?

"Same perception leads to same judgement, same judgement to same values, same values to same behavior" the stranger explained. "This is why I came here. You all fall for the same scams!"

You have writer's block? Didn't Chandelier start a very similar thread last week? Well, they posted their 100 or so chapter long story and asked for opinions. I don't think that anybody read the whole thing...First sentence is the hardest...but in my experience, the harder you have to force that first sentence, the worse it is. Who knows...maybe it'll come to you in a dream.

Keep a notebook by your bed. Every time you wake up, write down what your dream was about (we wake up much more often than most people think). You might get something good. That is a very good idea. I've always thought of keeping a dream diary, but I'm too lazy to ever write as soon as I wake up and so I forget the dreams. But I am aware that some of my dreams have been so strange that they could form a novel.

I know the feeling. Take a break, and get some sleep. Nothing kills the creative process quite like exhaustion and frustration.Sleep always works. And I always find that the best ideas seem to formulate when you're trying to get to sleep and you're completely alone with your thoughts. You can't try to force inspiration. Sometimes inspiration can come in the strangest of places; one image from your daily wanderings can stick and form a whole pile of ideas.
But sitting waiting for inspiration rarely, if ever works. Go out. Travel maybe. It only takes one new angle to start a whole chain of ideas. I paint; and I find inspiration very hard at times. But then a book that I'm reading can trigger an idea. Writing can work similarly. Through observing the world's sights, sounds, tastes, smells, through feeling, we can come up with a whole variety of experiences that we can twist to suit our story. The realer the experience, the better it'll come across in paper.

What would be an appropriate situation to let evil prevail over good? I've always had trouble figuring out were it would be most plausible. I really like do that in my writing because it breaks away from most standard fantasy novels.I find that the best stories of evil prevailing over good are usually not a single evil person, but an evil entity in general. Political leaders/parties, gangs, groups. Individual members can die, but the threat of the masses prevails. Many films (or books) set during World War II have that constant, sinister threat; this feeling of powerlessness of the indivdual amongst the world. And many popular novels/films have been about the little guy striving against that.