My idea is that there is a "Cursing Stone" upon a school's ground. The Cursing Stone, when a person's name is scribed upon it, curses them, and should they ever read their name on the Cursing Stone, they supposedly die. Living in a very superstitious part of the world, in order to prevent kids from reaching the Cursing Stone, people have built extensions on to the school to seclude that area so that the only way to reach the Cursing Stone would be to either be strong enough to break through solid brick walls, or to jump from the top of the school, which would be the dumbest fucking thing ever. The MC, after a series of unfortunate events, is pushed from the roof of the school, and lands in the area the Cursing Stone is located in. Half in jest, he writes the names of the bullies on the Cursing Stone under the impression that there's no way they'll ever actually see it. He simply liked the thought of them getting payback for that one moment, even if he knew it wouldn't come. After scribing the names of the bullies on the Cursing Stone, he begins to read names that have previously been written on it. It wasn't until he got to the bottom of the list that he found his name, and before he knew what was happening he found himself in The Midnight, with his appearance having changed completely. The Midnight was named by those who reside there, it's explained to him by a resident he first met upon arrival. Its explained that this is the area between the realm we reside in and the True Realm. It is where those who have been "cursed" come when they finally "die." It is explained that there exist two types of beings in this world -- those who fell, and those who were created, dubbed "Cursed Children" and "Lifeless." It is unknown why the Cursing Stone is as it is and it is unknown why Lifeless are created, but it is explained that both beings can escape. By forming a contract with Lifelesses, Cursed Children can, though barely and temporarily, spread the burden of their link to the Midnight with the Lifelesses and can, for a time, not only travel the Human Realm, but the True Realm as well. The True Realm may sound great, but rather it is a world composed entirely of everyone's truth, and the world took a different turn than it did in our own. Though births and deaths between the two bodies are simultaneous, the methods may differ, and it is unexplained how the two realm's are able to conform to the other's cycles of life and death. These "true bodies," a human's truth, act as their "human" counterparts would, but imagine if every subconscious thought and feeling and every suppressed personality trait and every suppressed emotion surfaced from the depths of one's mind and however drastically this would change their personality is the being of the True Body. ...And I'm not sure where to go from here. I'm not sure how to fit the realm of Truth, the ability to travel between the two realms, the Lifeless, the Cursed Stone or the contract of Lifeness and Cursed Children together, though this is the concept I thought of.
Give your character some issues once he's in the other dimension, and some storylines that relate to other people--friends he's trying to help/avenge/rescue, or enemies who he's trying to outsmart, etc. Create some plot ideas based on the characters, and then use the Truth realm traveling, Curse stone, contracts, etc. to fit into the plot, i.e. how would the characters use those things to attain their personal goals.
Uhh it sound pretty confusing to me from what you are saying. So, basically, there are 3 realms? The normal one, the True Realm and the Midnight?
I do think it's confusing to have more than two realms, after reading it again. Is there a way to combine the two worlds into one?
There is not really a way to merge them, since the premise is based around the existence of this alternate world that resembles the Truth of everything in our world. I have actually fit all of this information together in a, what I believe to be, coherent manner. I simply need help figuring out how I would go about writing the True Realm as I am unsure of what a realm that represents the "truth" of everything would be like.
I was on board for your first couple of paragraphs, but I'm not sure I understand the concepts of True World, Lifeless, etc well enough to offer concrete suggestions. But maybe answering some questions will help you... What is the role of the Lifeless exactly? Are they just a conduit to (somehow) break a Cursed Child's bond to the Midnight so they can travel to other realms? Travelling to other realms sounds like a benefit to a Cursed Child, so what's the associated cost of making a contract with a Lifeless? What happens to the Lifeless when a contract is made? What are the pros and cons of that for a Lifeless? What are their goals? If they can travel to other realms, then how are they 'lifeless', or are they named as such for some other reason? How are you defining 'truth'? What's 'untrue' about the Human Realm? Are you just implying that 'truth' is everyone's intentions being out in the open? Why is an intention somehow more 'true' than being able to get a result? (E.g. my intention may be to be king of the world, but if I'm incapable of this [I know, huge if...], isn't the proof in the pudding?) And what about paradoxes? If the truth of a person in the Human Realm is that they're devious, and suddenly their intentions are in the open in the True Realm... then they're suddenly not devious... and if they were only powerful because they were devious, then they're no threat whatsoever... I take it that the Midnight is just some kinda of 'purgatory' zone? There's nothing much to do there and existence is pretty meaningless until you move to some other realm? On that note, where does meaning actually exist? What matters in this story? I imagine you're using the True Realm as a way for the protagonist to solve mysteries that exist in the Human Realm? If that's the case... why does the Human Realm even matter any more, now that one can live in the True Realm? On this note, does permanent death still exist (is it only death associated with the Cursing Stone that leads to the Midnight? How does one get back to the Midnight or the Human Realm from the True Realm?)? If death just leads to transitioning between Realms, I think you'll struggle to come up with a plot that has dramatic impact. Of what I've raised, I think that last bullet point is the most important in terms of coming up with a plot. The rest helps clarify the framework though, which may help me (or others) offer suggestions. (NB. After reading your first 1.5 sentences, the image I had in my head was of a rock that yelled things like, 'Hey kid! Fuck you, arsehole!' Vaguely disappointed that this turned out not to be the case )
I have thought through almost everything and though I don't wish to spoil the intention behind everything that may seem pointless, I have managed to connect it together as apart of the world and lore and history as I tried to make it all relevant -- which I feel I've succeeded in somewhat. There's even relevance in the "False Realm," or ours. Though I don't know how exactly to define "Truth," as I'm actually having a multitude of troubles planning out what the "True Realm" will be like. Also, if this project comes to a screeching halt I'll definitely use your idea for such a casually profane stone.
Though "I'm actually having a multitude of troubles planning out what the "True Realm" will be like" is something I'd appreciate greatly to get some help on if anyone is willing to lend a hand. However, trying not to give too much away, as I don't fancy myself a great writer however on the off chance I craft a presentable piece of literature I'd like for some suspense to still exist, I will expand upon the meaning behind the realms of Truth and Falsity. The Realm of Falsity is our realm. Not given the name because ALL things are particularly "false," wrong," or just untrue but rather that the "true nature" of things isn't realized to its full capacity. The usage of the terms "true nature" constitutes all aspects of a being/entity, be it living or nonliving. For example, everything has potential to be great or to be not so great at particular tasks/activities though all forms of this inherent potential are masked by other such forms of limits -- though this isn't to say that beings in the Realm of Truth are limitless or perfect. As such, there may be a person who has the potential to be great at one task if he put his mind to it, but not another, regardless of whether or not he wants to -- the full potential that a person has, regardless of how little that really is, is fully realized in the True Realm's version of this entity. This also includes simply physical properties, such as how strong something is prior to outside interference and taking into account the previous strength of everything that composes the object -- I.E. a brick wall will inherently be strongest in the True Realm. One can describe the versions of everything that exist in the True Realm as personifications of the "essence" -- yes, metaphysical essence -- of that which exists in the Falsity Realm, where all the true aspects of something -- be it physical, spiritual, mental or metaphysical -- are wholly prominent and fully realized. I am simply unsure of how to go about writing such a world. All the other holes that may be present I have done my best to look at and fill in, but such information would be best left unreleased for, like I said, the off-chance this novels ends up presentable.
