Okay, so I came up with a concept for this year's NaNo that I'm really excited about writing out, about spirits that embody and control the elements (air, fire, earth, water, ether) and the infighting and prejudices that exist within their society, and two main characters that I like, a young pair of spirits that are sort of a star-crossed romantic pair, only I have no idea how to connect the two together! The conflict in the novel is about a multi-sided war between the various elemental spirits in their world, but unfortunately I have of yet no idea how to get the two involved until things are well underway, but I want them to take a more active role in things . . . can somebody give me some advice as to how to do that?
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50,521 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2007 - 07 55
... do you mean involved with each other or with the plot as a whole?
If you mean as a whole, you could have the war affect them on a personal level - depending on how young they are, one could have been drafted into the army and be preparing to go off to war, or maybe people they know die or disappear, or they're otherwise employed in the war effort?
These experiences could be quite different, if the elemental cultures are different enough.
If you mean involved with each other, maybe you could alternate points of view, so they both get equal amounts of page-time before they meet?
... I hope that makes sense, my brain is a bit mushy at the moment...
1,725 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2007 - 08 54
A couple of possiblities come to mind.
1: Peace talks - gives characters a chance to be forced to meet and work together when they otherwise may not.
2: Spy mission - one of the characters is around the other under false pretenses
3: Since the war is described as multi-sided, as task force created by a temporary coalition. Best solution to my mind. Gives the ability of joining together against outside forces as well as the knowledge that the alliance is only met to be temp in nature and the secret revealed today may be used against them tomorrow.
20,212 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2007 - 09 34
Other than I have twice as many elements as you, and only one being for each...you've nearly described my novel. ^^
0 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2007 - 15 36
I meant involved with the plot as a whole, yes . . . and part of the problem is that I want the two of them to learn what's going on BEFORE the war actually breaks out on a large scale . . . basically one of the sides in the war (haven't decided on which yet) makes a surprise attack on the another side, and only then will full-scale war break out . . . anyway, I want them to find out the plans for the surprise attack beforehand, but be unable/unwilling to stop it, and only then have to go through the whole "agony of war" thing.
And I agree, our premises seem similiar, except that in my novel it's more of a war between the Spirits who only want specialists in one element to associate and mate with those of the element they specialize in, and those who think they should be able to associate with whoever they want. And then of course there is another faction who thinks that everyone other than them should be eliminated.
Wow. It's amazing how much I was helped by just writing this out. I still need some help, but already a lot of things are clearer in my mind.