Hello, I have an idea for a fantasy story, but it is feeling a little empty and I'm not sure how to push this forward. I don't want to give away stuff like names because they may change, but please tell me how to develop this and any ideas you may have. Thanks So first, some backstory on the setting. Let's call them A, B, and Peninsula. the land is kind of shaped regularly but has a huge peninsula like thing on the left of it. Bigger than a peninsula, but that shape. The peninsula like thing is A, the other land is B. There is a tiny curved peninsula off the top, which I'll call Peninsula for right now. originally, A and B were one country, but B was really oppressing the land of A and A broke off. The top peninsula contains a village of assassins. They're generally allied with A, and B doesn't know much about them or where the assassins are exactly. So the main guy, let's call G, is one of the king's archers and protectors. He had a fiancee, let's call K. A group of assassins came, broke into the castle, and set fire to several keeps. K resided in one of the keeps, so when the fire was over and g couldn't find her, G assumed K was dead. But K was on the assassin's side and ran off with the assassins. the story is from two diff POVs, K's and G's. So G is kind of depressed, but nevertheless a very loyal and very skilled archer and protector. The story is about the assassins trying to kill the King of B, and G and the land of B trying to stay alive. The line of kings ruling B are powerhungry and a bit corrupt, and after all that A has been through, A wants revenge on the king. Eventually, K comes with another guy to assassinate the king. K nearly succeeds in getting close, but G comes up and shoots her in the stomach, not killing her so they can interrogate her and find out the location of the assassins. G comes up and sees that it is K, and runs off with her north to near the peninsula to save her. The band of assassins help her and she lives. G learns how unfit the king is, and because he was highly respected and had lots of friends in the archer guards, he is able to overthrow the king. He is replaced by a great and pure man, and they try to make peace with A. But A can't forgive B for all B has done to A, so they keep fighting anyway. B is forced to fight back. G and K realize they can't do anything to fix it, and sail north, leaving B and A to kill each other. Okay that's the story, thanks for reading it. How can I flesh this out a little more? It seems like just a bare skeleton and i'm having a hard time developing any meat. Any and all help would be appreciated. Thanks for your time
Since you seem to have the setting and plot already, what you need to focus on is: Themes: What is the basic idea or message your want your story to be built on? (Can be more then one.) If the plot is what happens in the story, the theme is what the story is about. For example, the plot of the Star Wars movies is about an evil empire and an nearly extinct order of warrior monks. but the themes are Good vs Evil, Corruption vs Redemption, and the life of a man who ultimately embodies both sides of these two conflicts. Motif: These are reoccurring, symbolic structures, imageries or references that appear throughout the story. Motives are often tied to the themes and can be arranged to emphasize them. Along with your personal style, this is can be said to be the way your story is told. Characters: Develop your characters and try to figure out how they fit into the plot and theme. I'm not sure how other writers do it but at least to me, this is very important: what a characters decides to do or not do determines how the story unravels and those decisions are in turn decided by his or her personality, beliefs and past experiences. Of course, there is always the element of random chance, but your goal is ultimately to make the story happen as a result of who the characters are. These are all pretty much the fundamental elements of storytelling. The more you can work them into each other the more clear idea you'll have of how to tell your story.
Thanks! I'll try that today to start making my world and story a little deeper and more solid. I have a question -- right now, my concern seems to be that I have multiple important main events but that is mostly at the beginning and the end and one or two in the middle, but I feel like I have a bit of an idea drought for the beginning-late middle area. Should I just start writing and see where it takes me? Or should I plan this out a bit more before I try to write anything at all? I know where I want to end up, I know where I need to start, and I know connecting the two will make sense. I'm just a little empty for the connection I guess. Should I develop the characters and let them get there how they want to?
some people swear by outlines. some don't. I personally don't. I have tried them and when it comes time to following them different (and genearlly more appealing) ones pop in my head. Just start writing it, things will come in. Let your characters tell the story.
I really agree with you, however I believe that making an outline is still a great idea. Use it as a skeleton to build upon.
I recently began writing seriously and an outline has really helped me along. I used to write as things happened and I found myself re-writing a lot. When I give myself a little structure I notice things seem to be smoother when I'm writing. That's just a personal opinion.
