I'm in a conflict with myself in terms of what kind of transportation I want to use in my novel I'm working on. I originally wanted the only transportation to be on horseback, but I was having trouble writing the story's setting the way I visioned it. I'm rewriting to see if I can come up with a better setting and I'm trying out some things I didn't include before: new industrialized buildings, motors, gunpowder starting to be used, trains, steamboats, and maybe some aircraft. I thought some sort of motorcycle or bike would fit this better than horses, but I still can't get that image out of my head of my character riding down a narrow path through a thick forest. I was thinking since most of the cities built tall, stone walls around them that the people inside of the cities prohibit going to the other side of the walls, in fear of danger and such, unless they are armed and have reason with the king. The roads in the "outside world" might have been left barren and unused for years, with grass growing through the cracks, giving the main character a reason to ride on horseback through the wilderness. Anyone have any other thoughts about this?
Only you can know what's right for your story. sit down and think about this for a while. you could make a list of pros and cons ? good luck
It gives the story more depth, allowing for history and back story to grow, just like the grass. A curiosity and reason to get beyond the walls certainly drives the plot. As to the modes of transportation, try following your character around the city. What is the MC seeing? The transportation and the technology. Do the different classes have different modes of transportation, i.e. the well-to-do boarding fancy trains and steamers, young dare devils with motorbike disturbing the peace. Is it more of a steampunk environment or is it a post war world? Are these cities based in real geography and time or are they of your own creation? What means does the MC have at their disposal? Do they own a horse and/or motorbike? Do they borrow or steal one? Play with the environment and the variations; the answer may present itself. Even if I am partial to horses myself. - Darkkin
I think that it sounds like a good idea; going outside the city walls maybe impossible with something like a car, being to wide to pass though the overgrown vegataion, which in additon could get caught up in something like a bike making it too dangerous to travel. With that travellers would need to find a mechanic if they can't do repairs themselves (but then they'd need all the parts). On top of that, how far apart are the different cities and how easy is it to gain access? Going on horse back on the outside maybe much less hassle, but some places maybe unpassible with a horse without doing a bit of clearing at least. Okay, here a question - what about trades between places? Can alone city produce everything it needs? Does it have all the resources it needs? They may have farm lands making food resources okay, but what about materials to make buildings, furniture, gatges, transportation etc? What about medical supplies? You need some way for these place to interact with each other and trade. You mentioned aircrafts, but would every city have th capablity and space for it? And what about trains? If the outside if overgrown, then wouldn't the railways be overed and unusable? If the tracks are on platforms then engeriners would need to be send out to do matinens on the standings to ensure they stable. Sorry if I've gone on to much, but I hope any of this can help to develop your idea! I think it does sound good.
Whos to stop you from creating your own forms of transportation? Maybe a hover bike that's capable of flying through the forests without ever snagging on branches and stuff. Maybe an advanced form of jetpack that uses free-energy technology so it never runs out of fuel, and doesn't make much noise. The possibilities are limitless. Heh, I've even see one book that involved parallel universes where the other universe was smaller than ours, but traveling between them still placed you in corresponding locations. The end result is that traveling on foot a day in the smaller universe would be the same as traveling a week non-stop in ours in terms of distance covered. (though due to supernatural dangers in the other universe, the main character preferred to travel in ours anyway).
