I know I've kind of posted a thread about this before (They were good suggestions)...but I'm still stuck on ideas for my 4th chapter..and cannot think of anything at all. Last time, On Alexis the Reminiscence.... Anieli and Jace (My MC's) receive blessings from the queen to be able to pass through the portal that leads to Earth. When they wake up, they have arrived. They look at the sky, and realise how different it is to theirs. That's were I left off on the 3rd chapter. I was originally planning for them to meet Alexis (Other MC) the minute they arrive..but that's unrealistic! So I want a bit of hard work to happen before they find her..like chapter 4 be a connecting chapter yet move the story along. Should this chapter just show their struggles surviving in a new society? I don't want to bore the reader... Thanks :]
do you want to write by committee?... if it's going to be your book, you really need to come up with your own story, don't you think?
did you make up plans beforehand what the story is going to be about or are you writing on a general feeling? because i think outlining the story and major events beforehand would be a great help when you dont know how to proceed. It may sound like taking away all the fun, but it isnt, it would preventing getting stuck. Im not saying you need to pull out the spreadsheet and map out every detail, your characters will still be able to surprise you but you will have something to fall back on. unfortunately im no fantasy writer, and i have never even read that kind of novels so i can not help you with the story.
Does that mean that the "Earth" isn't their Earth? If so, you have huge storytelling direction there. Also, what's the story about? They were in some magic land, and now they are, so what's the story about?
I agree that you should come up with your own ideas, but we all get stuck every now and then and need a fresh idea to jump start our own. So, here is an idea to help get yours going. As they stumble their way through the new world trying to get accustomed to the cultures, they run into the person they are supposed to meet. That person helps them get accustomed to the new planet as they do whatever it is that they have to do. You can use the opportunity to write in a little comedy as well. Also, you are only being unrealistic when you deny possibilities. Even if that planet had 10 billion people, the chance of them running into the person they need to run into is still 1/10,000,000,000. As long as the chances are not 0, I do not see how it can be unrealistic.
I already have my own story. I'm asking for suggestions about how I can go about writing this chapter... These 2 characters get sent on a mission to find the princess of Land (Alexis, who is currently residing on Earth) and bring her back to Aard (Their world). That's the basic plot. Thanks for the suggestion! I see where your coming from, I didn't want unrealistic good luck...Like 'Oh we've only been search 5 minutes but we've already found her.' It's like what? Also, they landed in the town she was in, so the chances of finding her are higher..
This isn't an idea per se (and shouldn't be) and someone above said something similar but...answer yourself this question; if you were blindfolded and driven to an unfamiliar town and dropped with nothing but yourself, what would you do? You'd have some problems to solve just by being in an unfamiliar place. Think it through in that type of vein.
The way those events usually happen is the characters gets transported to the new world. They discover it's different, but being on a mission they get to it searching for the girl, but their customs are different to those on earth and through their strange behavior and no doubt strange clothing get into some sort of trouble. The conflict is usually something small and they are pulled out of it by whoever they are searching for, and that's how they meet. That's the way I usually read it in books and TV shows. A good trick is to try put yourself in the characters shoes, visualize the town they are in and imagine you've been transported there from another world on a special mission. what's the first thing you do?
You know I do think coincidence is rather common in stories. In fact it is pretty much the norm is it not? I don't think you have to worry much about being unrealistic. Recently I read someone's article about writing in which they said "Coincidence - if it was good enough for Shakespeare, it's good enough for us." Also, considering that your story apparently involves getting consent from a queen to access a portal that leads to Earth, I think you've left realistic behind a while ago. If you're giving into strange things already you can certainly take a few more steps into the strange. Even if your story isn't about fate your characters certainly have a fate, after all you are the one who chooses their destiny. If you find yourself worrying about the realistic nature of your fictional story I suggest you worry more about whether your story is entertaining to your intended audience. People will not worry about the realistic nature of the meeting of your characters. As long as the you don't have your characters fall out of the sky and crush the person's bones I'm sure whatever you do will be fine. Ask yourself, does the message I'm trying to convey in the story need me to be worried about the odds of them meeting the character so soon? If not then don't waste your time trying to come up with realistic ways of meeting. It will probably lead to boredom on the readers part. Critics will degrade you for unrealistic circumstances, your intended audience will likely not give a flying expletive. I can't remember everything that happened in "Eragon" but how realistic was it that Brom should happen to be around Eragon? Coincidences are the foundation of pretty much every story. Without them there could be no story about unlikely heroes, the heroes would lose! If you absolutely must have work involved in finding her then give them something to go on. A compass, a set of instructions, or even just some way of identifying her such as "she is an avid ______" and thus you can look for her anywhere that ______ is done.
