the dang beginning! OK, so here's the plot. It's sort of a fantasy novel, there's magic involved and my own made up world. But there's no relic to be returned and no Orcs or centaurs and the whatnot. It's about a princess who is married off to an evil barbarian king and he wants only to have sons. The princess ends up having a girl, so she disguises the baby until it starts to show of it's femininity. Then she sends the child to a town where no one will know who she is. When she's old enough to know why she was sent off, the Queen comes back and explains what the heck is going on. The young princess is furious and she does everything in her power to prove that she can be warrior and queen just as much as the next guy. The king isn't happy and tries to kill her mother off and sends warriors out to hunt the princess down. She made friends in the village she was sent off to and she was taught alot of stuff, so they help her along the way, yada yada yada. Now my problem is filling in every minute detail. I have the first page done, but I just can't seem to get past that. I tried to develop other areas of the story, but I'm still stumped. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Getting past the first page is really hard sometimes. The best advice I can give you is to store everything you've been planning well into the back of your mind - your subconscious. Then, without being pressured to make everything perfect, just write. Allow it to be messy and incoherent, there's always time to edit afterwards. As long as you can get the story to flow and the basic outlines of your plot and characters then you'll find yourself zooming through the first draft.
thanks Thanks, hopefully that will help me along. Can anyone help me with an outline worksheet? I can't seem to find one ANYWHERE! Maybe that will help me dole out some specifics and get organized. I'm a writing mess, everything is all over the place. Maybe that's my problem? Trying to get organized?
Well, a story doesn't have to be very descriptive (by 'very' I mean extremely) as long as you get the idea across and the reader understands it, it should be fine. Why don't you post what you have done so we can give you more feedback?
Work In Progress No Title Small flakes of snow flurried down, covering the last patches of dirt in a blanket of iridescent white. The horses whinnied softly in their stalls, huddling their head closer to protect each other from the icy wind. Romelia stared at the serene landscape for the last time, before being given away like chattel to a tribe of heathens. "Daughter, this is a splendid union! With the Boors as an ally every war is a sealed victory." "Do you think this fair? Being donated in exchange for bodies for your army? And to pagans!" Her body trembled with anger, her fate was sealed without question. Romelia's mother, elegant and serene, interjected. "Romelia, there is no need for you to lose your temper. Above all, you are in no place to put on your routine theatrics. Your father is in his every right to do with you as he deems fit. Think of your kingdom, your people." "Oh, bite your tongue mother. This is your idea of entertainment. You're still bitter because you were forced to give up a man you loved. Married against your will. You relish in the fact that I am being sold into misery." "Romelia, I don't think that- -" She left the room before her mother could finish her sentence. She kept walking down the corridor despite her mother's shrill cries ordering her to come back this instant. Her reminiscence was interrupted by the hollow lop of hooves on the stone path leading to the stables. She ran and hid in one of the empty stalls, raising her eyes just above the door for a clear view. The Boors' emissary had arrived with his retinue. She eyed the strangers with scrutiny. Their animal pelts draped over their thickset shoulders, leather sandal straps wrapped around sturdy bronze calves. Fierce eyes surveyed the area, yet the patience with which they awaited the stable boy was unexpected. Where is Gwidon? she thought. Suddenly there was a rattling in the next stall. "Gwidon come out here! Help our guests stable their beasts. I shall accompany you." The boy came out cautiously." If I'm to fight big burly men li' those, you can forget about my bein' a soldier. Those men are enormous! Look at their swords. That 'll take my head clean off!" Romelia laughed. The emissary looked as if he didn't quite belong with these men, there was something elegant about his nature compared to the soldiers at his side. He stared at Romelia's hips and thighs with a lick of his lips. She noticed and wrinkled her nose in disgust. The man smiled a beautiful white toothed smile, and followed her into the Great hall. "Your majesty, King Siophan of Evergard. Father, the emissary for King Methnyr of Tamehaft." There was a moment of awkwardness, since the messenger did not bow or make any sign of reverence toward him. They should have expected this from them. Respect wasn't in their vocabulary, much less in their actions. To Romelia's surprise the man spoke properly, with only a slight accent. "When is the feast? My men and I are very hungry and I have duties to perform back home. I would like to take my woman back tonight." Romelia scowled at him. "I am not your woman, I am your king's unfortunately, and though we are not married, I will like to be treated with respect. I believe that as princess in my own right, it's the least I deserve from his servants. Besides, what duties does a messenger have? More messages do deliver?" "Now, now, daughter. Well, I had hoped that you would at least wait till daybreak. I am sure you have had an exhausting journey and would like to rest." "It seems you do not wish to marry Methnyr. But since he has already seen what a beauty you are, I am afraid you have no choice." Both her and her father had a look of consternation in their faces. " I am King Methnyr. The best way to get things done is to do them yourself. I will have no messenger take charge of bringing my woman to me." This is all I have so far. It's more of a novel I'm trying to write, so I apologize for not specifying that at first. Now I am stuck with the rest of this chapter. This is the first one obviously, and I'm basically trying to illustrate how the evil king meets his weakness, Romelia his wife and the unwanted warrior princess' mother. I have so many ideas fluttering in my head but it's really difficult trying to get them down on paper or typing it up on word.
