My story is following the story arc for the hero's journey which is modeled after Homer's Odyssey. I would like to give nod to the original story in a couple of places. My giant snarling beast is going to be blind in one eye, so that's my cyclops but I would love to have something for the sirens or the fates. I know the sirens are what lures Homer and his buddies to the island. Any ideas on a modern day take on a siren especially with a female main character? I want her to have something that tempts her but is actually very dangerous to her if she falls for the temptation. Another thought I had was doing something with the Greek myth of the fates, the three old women who decide everyone's fate - one spins the thread, one measures the thread and one cuts the thread. I told my son I'd like to do something like a women's quilting or sewing circle of rich snobby women and he said he wasn't quite sure how it would fit into my story. (I am pretty sure the fates aren't in the Odyssey but if I can find a place for them I'd still like to use them because I love the idea of them.).
It would help if we knew a little more about your story. Is it a fantasy, taking place in a fictional world with fantastic beasts and mysterious magic? Or is it a romance or mystery, taking place in the real world with no magic whatsoever? I don't want to suggest a flying purple monster or a necklace that can teleport people great distances if neither of those things are possible in your world.
You're right I guess that would help. My MC has run away from her abusive boyfriend, she took what she could pack in a duffel bag and hopped a Greyhound - this is the beginning of her quest. On the bus she meets an older, grandmotherly type woman who befriends her and after hearing MC explain how she has no idea what she is going to do when she gets where she is going, the woman tells her that her brother is the head of the city's cemetery association and she knows he is looking for someone to put the boxes of paper files onto the computer data base so the records can be accessed online by anyone looking for them. The woman explains her brother might even let her stay in the old caretakers apt that is located in the same building. Once the MC gets into the job, which is located in a very creepy house inside the actual cemetery, she starts to meet a variety of people - she thinks they are normal people, but in reality they are ghosts but that won't be revealed until the climax of the story. A large, mangy, one eyed dog (Pit bull or rottweiler) will be a protagonist as he will scare her and she will avoid going down the path that he is hanging around at. (The dog will become the hero of the story at the climax). Her abusive boyfriend will show back up and want to bring her back home and she'll be forced to decide to stay with the ghosts or go with him, knowing he will most likely revert back to his abusive ways once she goes with him - that's her critical choice. For the fates I am thinking three very gossipy, judgmental women but I am trying to figure out what setting to put them in. My son suggested they be doing something around the mausoleums, like they think they are better than everyone else because they are above ground. When my MC first encounters them though they need to appear to her to be just some of the many visitors that she's seen around the cemetery, so what could they be doing at the mausoleums? Any suggestions? For the sirens I was thinking possibly something with her boyfriend or another man - some good looking guy who can tempt her and make her give serious consideration to going with him although she knows it could be a dangerous situation.
That's definitely what I was thinking too. You already have her abusive ex representing the side of the living. You need a man to represent the side of the dead -- a handsome, smooth-talking stranger with a silky voice. As for the fates... My first image was three older women, scrunched together on a small bench in front of a grave, knitting and gossiping. Maybe their story could be (I'm assuming they all have cover stories?) that their mother is buried there, so they sit and tell her what's been going on in their lives. I don't know if that works for your story or not. But I really like the premise! Hopefully you get it written so I can read it!
I will let you know when I am ready for beta readers, I am hoping sometime in Jan to be ready for that part of the process.
