Little help here?

Vairah · Post by **Vairah** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 11:14 am

I could give a really detailed description of my problem, and at first I did, but then I thought "who's gonna read a post that long? no one!" So here's my question: which of these stories would you be most interested in reading?

1. A quest-type fantasy set in an almost entirely subterranean world, wherein the hero is a cynical and short-tempered outcast who doesn't see why he should go out of his way to help anyone, much less save an entire race that hates him. Snarkiness abounds. Of all the possible endings I've thought up, none of them are happy.

2. Our heroes: a small band of... well... terrorists, to put it bluntly. Their leader can sense the time and manner of a person's death if he knows their name and appearance, and has thought of a few interesting ways to make the nobles' lives a living hell. Will contain, naturally, a great deal of character death, and probably won't end well either.

3. Half-elves rule the world - but are sterile, so they force humans and elves to make half-elf babies whom they then adopt. An elf inexplicably abducts his half-elf daughter and her mother and goes on a mad flight across the countryside. Said human woman recently got married and her husband isn't exactly thrilled. Neither is anyone else.

4. A prophecy dictates that a Chosen One will come to save the people, and will be known by the name of Jeharaal. Well, at the appointed date, three people named Jeharaal show up - all with divine magic and each quite certain that he or she is the one true Chosen. Not a great deal of plotting has been done to this point, but I really like the idea. >_>

I didn't notice when I was typing this, but they are arranged in ascending order of the probability of a happy ending. The first two are serious, and the others have elements of parody.

Meagan · Post by **Meagan** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 6:10 pm

Hmmmm... I actually like the first one the best. Outcast people are cool. ^~^"

Kyosuke · Post by **Kyosuke** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:42 am

I've always liked the idea of Chosen one prophecies, but if you go with that one, the name thing might not be a good idea. It's rather nightmarish to have a story with more than one character with the same name running around, and saying Jeharaal One, Jeharaal Two, and Jeharaal Three sounds really lame. If you were to go with the chosen one prophecy, it might be better for you to clue in on some other trait other than name.

Vairah · Post by **Vairah** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 6:37 am

True. I did have each of them settling on a nickname fairly quickly, but I wanted to play with the idea that no two characters in fantasy ever have the same name unless one is named after the other. Always struck me as a bit odd, that... Then again, I could do something stupid and cliched like OMGSPESHUL violet eyes... which could be funny...

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 9:18 am

The idea behind #3 is rather new and very interesting, but you're going to have to follow it up with an even better plot to keep the interest of readers. Maybe add in some kind of conspiracy? That always seems to work. =P

#4 has some greay promise as well. But, again, to keep the interest of readers, you would have to come up with an amazing plot/storyline.

I have a million plots going on in my head day to day, but can never find a good enough story to actually use them. If you want any help finding some good plots message me sometime and maybe one I have would work for you?

Kyosuke · Post by **Kyosuke** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 3:50 am

Well, the main reason that most fantasy stories don't have anybody with the same name is probably to avoid confusion. If you want people to read your stories, it's best to avoid confusing them, unless it's a story that's meant to make em think. But that's a different idea altogether.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 1:19 pm

I have to say that #1 is my favorite, albeit it is also the least 'original'. I think originality is overrated. But does it need to end tragically? Maybe a bittersweet ending?

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 3:13 pm

lol, Soran, I think you're only attracted to #1 because of the main character's personality. ^_~ just kidding...

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 3:19 pm

Damn straight ^_~

Vairah · Post by **Vairah** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:55 pm

Hrm... All good points... Thanks, everyone. I know what I'm doing now.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:49 pm

What are you doooooing? *peers over shoulder*

Vairah · Post by **Vairah** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:22 pm

Well... I'm doing number one because one of my friends threatened to throw bricks through my windows if I didn't finish it. And I believe she'd do it.