EditorAdmin Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 Introduction to Pre-event Assignments The below seven assignments are vital to reaching an understanding of specific and critical core elements that go into the creation of a commercially viable genre novel or narrative non-fiction. Of course, there is more to it than this, as you will see, but here we have a good primer that assures we're literally all on the same page before the event begins. You may return here as many times as you need to edit your topic post (login and click "edit"). Pay special attention to antagonists, setting, conflict and core wound hooks. And btw, quiet novels do not sell. Keep that in mind and be aggressive with your work. Michael Neff Algonkian Conference Director ____________ After you've registered and logged in, create your reply to this topic (button top right). Please utilize only one reply for all of your responses so the forum topic will not become cluttered. Also, strongly suggest typing up your "reply" in a separate file then copying it over to your post before submitting. Not a good idea to lose what you've done! __________________________________________________________ THE ACT OF STORY STATEMENT Before you begin to consider or rewrite your story premise, you must develop a simple "story statement." In other words, what's the mission of your protagonist? The goal? What must be done? What must this person create? Save? Restore? Accomplish? Defeat?... Defy the dictator of the city and her bury brother’s body (ANTIGONE)? Struggle for control over the asylum (ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST)? Do whatever it takes to recover lost love (THE GREAT GATSBY)? Save the farm and live to tell the story (COLD MOUNTAIN)? Find the wizard and a way home to Kansas (WIZARD OF OZ)? Note that all of these are books with strong antagonists who drive the plot line (see also "Core Wounds and Conflict Lines" below). FIRST ASSIGNMENT: write your story statement. ___________________________________________________ THE ANTAGONIST PLOTS THE POINT (Photo : Javert from "Les Misérables") What are the odds of you having your manuscript published if the overall story and narrative fail to meet publisher demands for sufficient suspense, character concern, and conflict? Answer: none. You might therefore ask, what major factor makes for a quiet and dull manuscript brimming with insipid characters and a story that cascades from chapter to chapter with tens of thousands of words, all of them combining irresistibly to produce an audible thudding sound in the mind like a mallet hitting a side of cold beef? Answer: the unwillingness or inability of the writer to create a suitable antagonist who stirs and spices the plot hash. Let's make it clear what we're talking about. By "antagonist" we specifically refer to an actual fictional character, an embodiment of certain traits and motivations who plays a significant role in catalyzing and energizing plot line(s), or at bare minimum, in assisting to evolve the protagonist's character arc (and by default the story itself) by igniting complication(s) the protagonist, and possibly other characters, must face and solve (or fail to solve). CONTINUE READING ENTIRE ARTICLE AT NWOE THEN RETURN HERE. SECOND ASSIGNMENT: in 200 words or less, sketch the antagonist or antagonistic force in your story. Keep in mind their goals, their background, and the ways they react to the world about them. ___________________________________________________ CONJURING YOUR BREAKOUT TITLE What is your breakout title? How important is a great title before you even become published? Very important! Quite often, agents and editors will get a feel for a work and even sense the marketing potential just from a title. A title has the ability to attract and condition the reader's attention. It can be magical or thud like a bag of wet chalk, so choose carefully. A poor title sends the clear message that what comes after will also be of poor quality. Go to Amazon.Com and research a good share of titles in your genre, come up with options, write them down and let them simmer for at least 24 hours. Consider character or place names, settings, or a "label" that describes a major character, like THE ENGLISH PATIENT or THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST. Consider also images, objects, or metaphors in the novel that might help create a title, or perhaps a quotation from another source (poetry, the Bible, etc.) that thematically represents your story. Or how about a title that summarizes the whole story: THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP, etc. Keep in mind that the difference between a mediocre title and a great title is the difference between THE DEAD GIRL'S SKELETON and THE LOVELY BONES, between TIME TO LOVE THAT CHOLERA and LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA between STRANGERS FROM WITHIN (Golding's original title) and LORD OF THE FLIES, between BEING LIGHT AND UNBEARABLE and THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING. THIRD ASSIGNMENT: create a breakout title (list several options, not more than three, and revisit to edit as needed). ___________________________________________________ DECIDING YOUR GENRE AND APPROACHING COMPARABLES Did you know that a high percentage of new novel writers don't fully understand their genre, much less comprehend comparables? When informing professionals about the nuances of your novel, whether by query letter or oral pitch, you must know your genre first, and provide smart comparables second. In other words, you need to transcend just a simple statement of genre (literary, mystery, thriller, romance, science fiction, etc.) by identifying and relating your novel more specifically to each publisher's or agent's area of expertise, and you accomplish this by wisely comparing your novel to contemporary published novels they will most likely recognize and appreciate--and it usually doesn't take more than two good comps to make your point. Agents and publishing house editors always want to know the comps. There is more than one reason for this. First, it helps them understand your readership, and thus how to position your work for the market. Secondly, it demonstrates up front that you are a professional who understands your contemporary market, not just the classics. Very important! And finally, it serves as a tool to enable them to pitch your novel to the decision-makers in the business. Most likely you will need to research your comps. If you're not sure how to begin, go to Amazon.Com, type in the title of a novel you believe very similar to yours, choose it, then scroll down the page to see Amazon's list of "Readers Also Bought This" and begin your search that way. Keep in mind that before you begin, you should know enough about your own novel to make the comparison in the first place! By the way, beware of using comparables by overly popular and classic authors. If you compare your work to classic authors like H.G. Wells and Gabriel Marquez in the same breath you will risk being declared insane. If you compare your work to huge contemporary authors like Nick Hornby or Jodi Picoult or Nora Ephron or Dan Brown or J.K. Rowling, and so forth, you will not be laughed at, but you will also not be taken seriously since thousands of others compare their work to the same writers. Best to use two rising stars in your genre. If you can't do this, use only one classic or popular author and combine with a rising star. Choose carefully! FOURTH ASSIGNMENT: - Read this NWOE article on comparables then return here. - Develop two smart comparables for your novel. This is a good opportunity to immerse yourself in your chosen genre. Who compares to you? And why? ____________________________________________________ CORE WOUND AND THE PRIMARY CONFLICT Conflict, tension, complication, drama--all basically related, and all going a long way to keeping the reader's eyes fixated on your story. These days, serving up a big manuscript of quiet is a sure path to damnation. You need tension on the page at all times, and the best way to accomplish this is to create conflict and complications in the plot and narrative. Consider "conflict" divided into three parts, all of which you MUST have present in the novel. First part, the primary dramatic conflict which drives through the work from beginning to end, from first major plot point to final reversal, and finally resolving with an important climax. Next, secondary conflicts or complications that take various social forms - anything from a vigorous love subplot to family issues to turmoil with fellow characters. Finally, those various inner conflicts and core wounds all important characters must endure and resolve as the story moves forward. But now, back to the PRIMARY DRAMATIC CONFLICT. If you've taken care to consider your story description and your hook line, you should be able to identify your main conflict(s). Let's look at some basic information regarding the history of conflict in storytelling. Conflict was first described in ancient Greek literature as the agon, or central contest in tragedy. According to Aristotle, in order to hold the interest, the hero must have a single conflict. The agon, or act of conflict, involves the protagonist (the "first fighter" or "hero") and the antagonist corresponding to the villain (whatever form that takes). The outcome of the contest cannot be known in advance, and, according to later drama critics such as Plutarch, the hero's struggle should be ennobling. Is that always true these days? Not always, but let's move on. Even in contemporary, non-dramatic literature, critics have observed that the agon is the central unit of the plot. The easier it is for the protagonist to triumph, the less value there is in the drama. In internal and external conflict alike, the antagonist must act upon the protagonist and must seem at first to overmatch him or her. The above defines classic drama that creates conflict with real stakes. You see it everywhere, to one degree or another, from classic contemporary westerns like THE SAVAGE BREED to a time-tested novel as literary as THE GREAT GATSBY. And of course, you need to have conflict or complications in nonfiction also, in some form, or you have a story that is too quiet. For examples let's return to the story descriptions and create some HOOK LINES. Let's don't forget to consider the "core wound" of the protagonist. Please read this article at NWOE then return here. The Hand of Fatima by Ildefonso Falcones A young Moor torn between Islam and Christianity, scorned and tormented by both, struggles to bridge the two faiths by seeking common ground in the very nature of God. Summer's Sisters by Judy Blume After sharing a magical summer with a friend, a young woman must confront her friend's betrayal of her with the man she loved. The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud As an apprentice mage seeks revenge on an elder magician who humiliated him, he unleashes a powerful Djinn who joins the mage to confront a danger that threatens their entire world. Note that it is fairly easy to ascertain the stakes in each case above: a young woman's love and friendship, the entire world, and harmony between opposed religions. If you cannot make the stakes clear, the odds are you don't have any. Also, is the core wound obvious or implied? FIFTH ASSIGNMENT: write your own hook line (logline) with conflict and core wound following the format above. Though you may not have one now, keep in mind this is a great developmental tool. In other words, you best begin focusing on this if you're serious about commercial publication. ______________________________________________________ OTHER MATTERS OF CONFLICT: TWO MORE LEVELS As noted above, consider "conflict" divided into three parts, all of which you should ideally have present. First, the primary conflict which drives through the core of the work from beginning to end and which zeniths with an important climax (falling action and denouement to follow). Next, secondary conflicts or complications which can take various social forms (anything from a vigorous love subplot to family issues to turmoil with fellow characters). Finally, those inner conflicts the major characters must endure and resolve. You must note the inner personal conflicts elsewhere in this profile, but make certain to note any important interpersonal conflicts within this particular category." SIXTH ASSIGNMENT: sketch out the conditions for the inner conflict your protagonist will have. Why will they feel in turmoil? Conflicted? Anxious? Sketch out one hypothetical scenario in the story wherein this would be the case--consider the trigger and the reaction. Next, likewise sketch a hypothetical scenario for the "secondary conflict" involving the social environment. Will this involve family? Friends? Associates? What is the nature of it? ______________________________________________________ THE INCREDIBLE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING When considering your novel, whether taking place in a contemporary urban world or on a distant magical planet in Andromeda, you must first sketch the best overall setting and sub-settings for your story. Consider: the more unique and intriguing (or quirky) your setting, the more easily you're able to create energetic scenes, narrative, and overall story. A great setting maximizes opportunities for interesting characters, circumstances, and complications, and therefore makes your writing life so much easier. Imagination is truly your best friend when it comes to writing competitive fiction, and nothing provides a stronger foundation than a great setting. One of the best selling contemporary novels, THE HUNGER GAMES, is driven by the circumstances of the setting, and the characters are a product of that unique environment, the plot also. But even if you're not writing SF/F, the choice of setting is just as important, perhaps even more so. If you must place your upmarket story in a sleepy little town in Maine winter, then choose a setting within that town that maximizes opportunities for verve and conflict, for example, a bed and breakfast stocked to the ceiling with odd characters who combine to create comical, suspenseful, dangerous or difficult complications or subplot reversals that the bewildered and sympathetic protagonist must endure and resolve while he or she is perhaps engaged in a bigger plot line: restarting an old love affair, reuniting with a family member, starting a new business, etc. And don't forget that non-gratuitous sex goes a long way, especially for American readers. CONTINUE TO READ THIS ARTICLE THEN RETURN. FINAL ASSIGNMENT: sketch out your setting in detail. What makes it interesting enough, scene by scene, to allow for uniqueness and cinema in your narrative and story? Please don't simply repeat what you already have which may well be too quiet. You can change it. That's why you're here! Start now. Imagination is your best friend, and be aggressive with it. ________________________ Below are several links to part of an article or whole articles that we feel are the most valuable for memoir writers. We have reviewed these and agree 110%. MEMOIR WRITING - CHOOSE A SPECIFIC EVENT (good general primer) How to Write a Memoir That People Care About | NY Book Editors NYBOOKEDITORS.COM Are you thinking of writing a memoir but you're stuck? We've got the remedy. Check out our beginner's guide on writing an epic and engaging memoir. MEMOIR MUST INCLUDE TRANSCENDENCE Writing Memoir? Include Transcendence - Memoir coach and author Marion Roach MARIONROACH.COM MEMOIR REQUIRES TRANSCENDENCE. Something has to happen. Or shift. Someone has to change a little. Or grow. It’s the bare hack minimum of memoir. WRITE IT LIKE A NOVEL How to Write a Powerful Memoir in 5 Simple Steps JERRYJENKINS.COM When it comes to writing a memoir, there are 5 things you need to focus on. If you do, your powerful story will have the best chance of impacting others. MEMOIR ANECDOTES - HOW TO MAKE THEM SHINE How to Write an Anecdote That Makes Your Nonfiction Come Alive JERRYJENKINS.COM Knowing how to write an anecdote lets you utilize the power of story with your nonfiction and engage your reader from the first page. ________________________ Quote AC Admin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S. R. Hatcher Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 Assignment 1: A notorious thief must find and steal the heart of the princess’s late betrothed while navigating a debt to a fire-breathing dragon and the vicious politics of the black-market trade. Assignment 2: The dragon, Arnevir, is a red herring antagonist. He burns the protagonist, Odel, for pilfering his hoard and seals him to a debt that will end in Odel giving up the heart of his deceased beloved or falling slave to the dragon’s command. But the dragon is testing him, for he knows Odel is more than a thief, but the heir to the Old Kings before imperialism destroyed the throne. The true antagonists are Baron Vein and the Empress. The Baron is the cruel leader of the heart peddling guild who manipulates Odel into stealing the most valuable heart in the Empire and trading it for the heart of his love. Baron Vein is a womanizer, a crime boss, and motivated by his lust for flesh and coin. He is but a puppet to his chief benefactor, the Empress. She hoards the hearts the Baron collects and enslaves an army of half elves for their magic, which is fueled by said hearts. She herself is secretly half elf and is determined to reclaim the immortality generations of human oppression have taken from her race. But she wants all that power for herself, the rest of the half elves be damned. Assignment 3: The Heart Peddler Thief of Hearts The Heart Thief Assignment 4: The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty is my first comparison title. This fantasy is set around a talented thief who has magical abilities she does not understand. The thief embarks on a lengthy quest with someone of her ancestry who teaches her about the power she wields. The setting for the first half of my novel is quite similar to Chakraborty’s – a land of desert sand where religion and magic intertwine. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is my second comparable. It is a thieving fantasy centering around an impossible heist, morally grey protagonist, and multiple antagonistic forces at play. The utilization of flashbacks for character development is key to the storytelling. Also, those with magic are feared, hunted, and enslaved, treated as second-class citizens or worse. At the very end, there is a twist; a big reveal which unveils the true antagonist with a cliffhanger ending. Assignment 5: A desperate thief has been slave to the black-market heart trade for his entire life and seizes one final job which could grant him freedom. Assignment 6: Odel has a few drops of elven blood running through his veins. He is still considered a half elf and identifies as such with his pointed ears and dark hair. But he denies this part of his identity, hiding his ears like other half elves and disbelieving in the magical abilities his kind is rumored to possess. His circumstances are grim, having been plucked off the streets as a wayward orphan and forced into a life of crime, he is constantly chasing freedom in the form of “just one more job.” He must learn that chasing freedom is equivalent to running from it. Hypothetical Scenario: Inner Conflict Odel has taken “one more job” for the Imperial Princess and embarks on a journey with her to find and steal the heart of her late betrothed. The Princess reveals to him that the Imperial line is not purely human as mandated, but tainted with elven blood and the magical abilities which come with it. She is fully accepting of her identity as a half elf and attempts to teach Odel how to wield magic conjured from the memories held within the hearts he peddles. In the hope of buying himself the freedom he so desperately desires, Odel tries to conjure coins from the heart, but the spell goes terribly wrong as he never truly believed in magic, only the power of gold. He burns himself with the coins which turn to molten metal in his hand and must conjure another spell to heal himself. The emotional toll of conjuring a memory of his own hand from the heart of his deceased love is overwhelming. He angrily promises to never use heart magic ever again, the anxiety of coming face to face with the power he had denied his entire life and the shame of causing his true love’s death far too much to bear. It is easier to continue chasing a life of freedom and deny his ancestral powers. Hypothetical Scenario: Secondary Conflict Odel’s lifelong love was killed by Baron Vein, the leader of his black-market heart peddling syndicate, and he subconsciously takes responsibility for gambling her safety on a risky heist. Now he carries her preserved heart and is preparing to deliver it to the dragon to pay off his debt. But he was again enticed by a job offered by the Imperial Princess to steal back the golden heart of her late betrothed – the same heart he peddled to the Baron to get his true love’s heart back in the first place. He keeps this secret from the Princess and takes the job anyway. Now he must return his love’s heart to the dragon and re-steal the heart of the prince-to-be for the Princess. But Odel is falling in love… and of course denying it. When the Princess sits up with him at night after an arduous day of battling their enemies, Odel holds her hand. But in his pocket, he’s squeezing the heart of his love in the other. He is feeling guilty for loving the Princess not only because he is in mourning for his deceased partner, but because the Princess is enduring the same loss. Assignment 7: The Empire of Gladius is rich in history. Naervin, the continent to the North, is the ancestral land of the humans, who formed the Old Kingdom. A greedy king stretched the Old Kingdom to the Southern continent, Sorros, the ancestral land of the elves. With this imperial expansion, the Gladian Empire was born, and the power of the Old Kings lost to an undiscovered twin of the final King and first Emperor. Humans slaughtered elves for fear of their magical abilities, but stole their anatomical religion and the practice of embalming the heart after death. The Empress (or Emperor) rules Naervin and Sorros from Isle Meridi between the two continents, and the Imperial Princess lives in the Palace of Marion, Goddess of Women, in the farthest reaches of the South. The heart of the prince-to-be, who met an untimely demise before his marriage to the Princess, went missing on its guarded pilgrimage to the Tower of Trell, God of Men, in the farthest reaches of the North. The embalming of hearts makes them particularly valuable for collectors, jewelers, and criminals alike for the precious metals and gems which decorate them. The Hepatic Portal is the black-market heart peddling guild which controls the trade of these precious organs. Heart peddlers are skilled thieves who make it their occupation to hunt hearts, uncover details of their former masters in life, and trade them for ample amounts of coin. The Imperial Princess is abandoning her duties to employ and accompany Odel on a quest to recover the heart of her prince-to-be, the heart Odel had just peddled away. At every turn, Odel and the Princess are at risk of discovery not only by Imperial forces who would return the Princess to the shelter of her palace and execute Odel, but also from hired brutes enforcing The Hepatic Portal’s specific “no double dipping” policy. Odel could get in serious trouble if he is caught trying to peddle the same heart twice, not to mention that he is keeping this fact a secret from the very intelligent, but naïve, Princess. Odel is a Northern man with Northern customs, Naervin having been inspired by Anglo Saxon and Norse lands. But he is thrown into the mysterious sands of the South, where the Princess is most comfortable, but he is not, forcing him to adapt to a culture completely alien to him. It is a land inspired by Arabian myth and civilizations lost to war and time. Throughout their journey North through both continents, Odel and the Princess must challenge their cultural norms. All the while, an all-powerful dragon is breathing down Odel’s neck for fulfillment of a debt and the nomadic descendants of the Old Kings are rampaging lost adventurers for their supplies in the remote reaches of the Empire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samihainlove Posted April 26 Share Posted April 26 FIRST ASSIGNMENT: write your story statement. To be free of the vampires and Empire that controls her homeland. SECOND ASSIGNMENT: sketch the antagonist. Set in a world where he did not die in 1476, Tsar Vlad the Impaler is the story's antagonist. Out of spite for the man who attempted to kill him (Sultan Mehmet), Vlad grew his empire to control most of the Asian continent, specifically its Muslim populations to fracture the empire Sultan Mehmet once had. With vast regions under his control, Vlad maintains subjugation of the people by use of vampires who feed on non-Russian citizens. Vlad, however, is not satisfied with the vampires and his thirst for power makes him use human bodies (from the colonized areas) to experiment and create a more lethal monster. Vlad's only fatal flaw is his pride: he believes he is immortal, which blinds him to underestimate the protagonist. THIRD ASSIGNMENT: create a breakout title Blood Eater Daughter of the Blood Hills FOURTH ASSIGNMENT: - Two smart comparables for your novel. Blood Eater Vampires of El Norte Vampires of El Norte Castlevania FIFTH ASSIGNMENT: write your own hook line (logline) with conflict and core wound. A young woman becomes a vampire slayer to kill the Russian tsar who has taken over South Asia to free herself and her people. SIXTH ASSIGNMENT: sketch out the conditions for the inner conflict your protagonist will have. Primary conflict: rid the land of vampires Inner conflict: in her desperation to be free, she relies on rage, which threatens her to lose her humanity (becoming something who only kills) Secondary conflict: her cousin is loyal to the empire, and some of the townspeople aren’t supportive of her revolutionary movement FINAL ASSIGNMENT: sketch out your setting in detail. The book takes place in pre-modern Bangladesh and India during the early 1800s. Vlad has wrested control of it from its predecessors, and calls the entire region (Indian Subcontinent) the Southern Orient of Vlad, or Soov. The Russian Empire extends across most of Asia but stops at Arabia and Turkey since the Ottoman Empire has blocked Vlad from expanding. Most of the setting is in townships and villages, including markets and hideouts for resistance. The time period includes an industrial revolution but is not as technologically driven. While there are automobiles and the introduction of electricity, most of the setting's advancements are replaced by a science-black magic combination instead. For example, Vlad's creation of the vampires is a mix of human enhancement and jinn possession. His later creation, a werewolf, is similar in vein. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katiewalkergevedon Posted April 28 Share Posted April 28 Shadows of Siphons // Young Adult Fantasy // 99,000 words Assignment 1: The Act of Story Statement Keep family safe while discovering potential within. Assignment 2: The Antagonist Plots the Point Within this novel, there are two antagonists, one being the main focus while the other lurks in the background. Griffin is a Vogullon, a dark, shadow-like human turned demon and subordinate to the Darkness Wielder (the “big bad”). The Darkness Wielder found him on the streets, nearly at death, and bestowed a fraction of his power on Griffin. After restoring his lifeforce, the dark energy allowed Griffin the ability to shift from his human body into one more demonic with black, bat-like wings, crimson eyes like blood, and skin covered with patchy green scales. He is one of hundreds of Vogullon, but is who the Darkness Wielder tasks with stalking the protagonist from a young age to capture and bring her to him so he can claim a power she unknowingly wields. Over the eighteen years he comes close to capturing her but is unsuccessful. Griffin learns of the protagonist’s capabilities and breaks free of his shackles from the Darkness Wielder to claim that power for himself. He aims to bring the same pain, suffering, darkness, and humiliation to mankind that was bestowed upon him in his mortal life. He allows his greed to consume him and attacks the protagonist in broad daylight, something he was forbidden from doing while under the Darkness Wielder’s control. Assignment 3: Conjuring Your Breakout Title -Shadows of Siphons -Destiny Written in Shadows -Irreverent Shadows Assignment 4: Deciding Your Genre and Approaching Comparables Young Adult Fantasy My first comp title is Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. Set in our modern, present day world, the protagonist finds herself surrounded by ancient magic and shadow creatures that hunt her, as well as others. She learns she has a power she was unaware of before. She also must uncover the secrets of an underground society which does not accept her, eventually discovering she’s tragically one of the main parts of that society. Similar themes include: self-discovery, facing one’s destiny head on, grief, uncovering and learning to control a hidden power. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is my second comp title. The protagonist is discovered to have an uncovered and incredibly desirable power, one that the antagonist seeks to claim as his own. The antagonist wields shadows and plays a direct role in the protagonist’s journey to discovering her true potential. The story also includes volcra, shadow creatures that were once human, that feed off dark energy. Similar themes include: light and dark as opposing forces, the allure of power, and self-control. Assignment 5: Core Wounds and the Primary Conflict A young woman, after years of running, is filled with guilt after watching her friends become flooded with ancient magic and are now tasked with protecting the world from a shadow demon, all because of her. Assignment 6: Other Matters of Conflict: Two More Levels Inner Conflict - Meira is driven by fear and anxiety, as her whole life has been spent running from humanoid shadows of the night that always appear to want something from her. Her grandmother packs her and her twin sister up any time Meira reports a sighting and takes them across the country to a new place. This happens frequently, and so often that Meira has lost her sense of belonging anywhere. After the shadows are revealed to be real and attempt to take her away, she finds her sister and friends are flooded with ancient elemental magic, and it’s entirely her fault. The others are taken to a magical facility to hone their magic. Meira is also dragged along, but she’s forbidden from seeing the others. And while they are being put on a pedestal by those around them for their magic, Meira is ridiculed and dismissed as a threat. Because of all this, and the numerous characters who express their strong disinterest in her being there, Meira struggles with a lack of belonging within this “world” despite being the sole reason that she and the others are there to begin with. Scene - In a scene where Meira sees her sister and friends for the first time in weeks, after being isolated from them, a side character who despises Meira rips her apart from them and tells her to “go where she belongs.” After some arguing and the other characters leave her, as she feels they always do, she replays the character’s words in her mind and states that she would go where she belonged if she knew where that was. Secondary Conflict - Meira’s secondary conflict revolves around our sorcerer, Ryder. Ryder has known Meira and her sister since they were children, so upon his arrival, she anticipates their relationship to be the same as it has been; friendly, warm, genuine. Instead, she is met with a version of Ryder she’s unfamiliar with; one who is cold, standoffish, and can wield magic she had no idea existed before. She attempts to ask him questions about the things happening around her, but he is more concerned with the other four with magic. Upon arriving at their facility, Ryder casts Meira to the side and tells her he cannot help her. As the story progresses, Meira attempts to confront Ryder multiple times, growing frustrated and angry when she’s met with indifference. He even goes as far as to tell her he won’t speak to her as it’s for her own safety, which she doesn’t believe. After her own previously unknown powers awaken, she finds information on Ryder and thanks to her paranoia, believes him to be working with the villain. Ryder then informs her he’s going to take her away from where they are, separating her from those she cares about, which she believes is a way to keep her from stopping his plans to harm the Elementals. Scene - While looking for someone, Meira stumbles into Ryder’s office and finds missing pages of a book highlighting that the Elementals, our four characters with magic, were the ones who created the villain long ago. These pages were previously missing from books she found, and upon finding them, she’s immediately suspicious and wants to know why he is hiding them. She also finds notes within these pages with details about how the villain’s creation came to be, how it happened, and she starts to believe he’s hoping to recreate this process and that he’s secretly working with the villain. Ryder appears, and when she calls him on it, he responds by saying she doesn’t understand what she’s talking about, immediately followed by his announcement that he’s sending her away, permanently separating her from her sister and friends. Meira protests, but he gives her no choice, and then proceeds to tell her he has one reason for being in this world, and it’s to protect the Elementals from anyone, her included. Assignment 7: The Incredible Importance of Setting There are three main settings throughout the novel. The story begins in downtown Denver, Colorado in modern day. We see Meira’s apartment; a tiny apartment with creaking floors and chipped paint, a kitchen so small only one person can properly fit at a time, and a dining room table and three chairs as the only real furniture. With the constant moving, they hardly have anything big to take with them, and anything accumulated within the time frame of being there is often left with the exception of the clothing they can fit into one or two bags each. Meira’s grandmother, the caretaker of her and her twin sister, has just enough money to help them survive, so technology is not a luxury they possess though it is present in the timeframe we’re in. It’s night time and incredibly dark, which makes Meira even more paranoid, as all the signs of seeing the mysterious shadows that haunt her are all around. The second setting within our story is the setting found within a majority of the novel and comes following the catalyst events. Our sorcerer uses magic to transport our characters to Brooklyn, NY, and we find ourselves in a secret facility surrounded by followers of the Elementals. The magically warded facility is called the Center, and is one of our east coast locations for the Elemental’s Legion. The Center is a massive hexagonal training arena with halls leading down each side of the main arena. In its center we see multiple boxing rings and walls lined with weaponry the Legion uses in order to train and prepare to fight the Darkness. The ceiling is glass and allows the only access to the outside world, which later shows the dark clouds of the Darkness Wielder rolling inward as it closes in on the Center. All over the room Meira sees shields and banners with a golden six pointed star. Each member of the Legion, Meira included, wears gray and silver training suits with this symbol present, representing the elements. The Elementals wear similar suits but where there are silver accents on the Legion’s suits, the Elementals wear gold to match the symbol around the Center. Within the hallways around the hexagonal arena, each hall leads to something; sleeping quarters, the infirmary, the cafeteria. One hallway houses the Elementals and only captains or those of higher status are permitted to enter. This hall houses not only the living quarters for the four Elementals, it has an individualized training arena for each Elemental. The one we see most often is the water arena. This room is large and has pearl white walls and floors and water everywhere. The high ceilings are made of glass much like the main arena. Streams flow through the room and surround a central area for the water wielder to practice and train. Upon leaving the Center in the final leg of the novel, we return outside to the streets of Brooklyn, NY. The skies are dark and filled with black clouds that unnerve all below. Those clouds roll in and out of view as the fight with the antagonist persists, with them being more dominant as our protagonist is “losing,” and seeming to disappear as she is “winning.” All around we see destruction and debris from the Darkness, sirens from cars sound all around, and fire burns along multiple storefronts and buildings. Many structures are nearly flattened by the final battle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna-Christina Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 Assignment 1, The Act of Story Statement: Catherine, captain of a secret supernatural order, must defy divine authority and partner with an unknowing human to save Santa Ana Island - and the world - from the effects of climate change. Assignment 2, THE ANTAGONIST PLOTS THE POINT OnHigh, the antagonist in DOTK, appears as a beautiful older woman with an unplaceable European accent on her English. Her age sometimes skips back and forth. She is charming, laughs easily, but there’s no question that she will do what is correct. In her mind, things are as they are and there’s nothing to do about it. There are others like her, and a hierarchy of even more powerful beings above her. She travels among all the worlds in all the multiverses, overseeing their progress toward justice and equilibrium. She thinks of herself almost as an editor, and even though she doesn’t expect things to end well, when a world ends badly, her heart breaks. However she discards it and never thinks of it again. There are many other worlds to engage with and guide to a better place. She has soft spots for some of the losers. When a Guardian pleads with her to save a particular world, she finds it as adorable as a misbehaving puppy, but it doesn’t change her focus and there’s no change in the outcome. She’s lonely, and still remembers the time when she had the everyday concerns of a human being, and she still craves the comfort of an embrace, a shared meal, any kind of human connection. Assignment 3, Titles: Death of the Kraken Death of the Kraken, A Love Story Shape of an Island Assignment 4, Comps: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, comparable because it involves people in an alternate future dealing with a world-changing catastrophe, trying to preserve what they can of the before-times. Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng, comparable because its characters also live in a near future world of lost love and reduced circumstances, and they must fight to preserve their relationships and connections. Assignment 5, Logline In the year 2173 on an island protected from climate change, a 500 year old woman with supernatural powers defies divine authority to save the world for the child she never had. Assignment 6, two examples of secondary conflict: The first example of when Catherine feels inner conflict in a visceral way is when, having completed the removal of the ward the protects the island from sharks, a six year old boy is bitten. He survives, but loses his right leg from the knee down. Catherine is distraught. She has done her duty, and it has resulted in grave injury to a child. An example of secondary conflict also occurs around the fire, when she argues with one of the other Guardians, and he tells her to fuck herself before stalking away down the beach. Assignment 7, Setting: The island: Shaped like a fat boomerang, Santa Ana lay just beyond the sight of the mainland, an arrow pointing east. The northeastern shore rose to rocky bluffs where surfers lolled in the water, while to the southeast, wide flat beaches baked in the sun. On the western side of the island, the water was smooth and deep with a marina that was the center of town. The fertile soil in the island's middle valley was fed. by underwater springs that filled a large freshwater lake. Libertine, the house where the Guardians live: The shadowed path onto Libertine’s drive was easy to find. The two acres of lawn appeared before her as a shimmering green sea, with Libertine’s graceful shape rising in the near distance. The smell of the thick even grass reminded her of watermelon, and underneath was the smell of warm clean earth. There were still lawns like this in formal public places, and in select conservatories and museums, but she had never seen one in the wild. She bent down to run her hand over the smooth green, and it flattened and sprang back under her touch. “Oh,” she said. She didn’t know what she’d expected. She remembered a book from the before time about guests at a party spilling out over a lawn, and the magic of that book fizzed out into the air and already this party felt like a place where something enchanting could happen. She heard faint music from behind the house but didn’t see anyone so she slipped off her sandals and stepped onto the tickling grass. Springiness, dampness. She wondered if the greenness might rub onto her feet. She turned around and tried to walk in the indentations of her footsteps so she wouldn’t mar the grass further. She slipped her shoes back on and floated up the drive toward the house, three stories of white stucco and a red tiled roof with wide front steps and arched doors, which were propped open. To the right was a modern addition, also white stucco. There was an arbor with climbing roses and set a little bit toward the back a stone cottage. The music led her through the open doors into a large foyer, and she walked through the house and out the French doors into the back garden. There were tables of food set up along the patio, and steps down to another fresh lawn and a pool, bordered by a stone walkway and parapet. Beyond that was the sea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AA Bastian Posted Sunday at 01:37 AM Share Posted Sunday at 01:37 AM The Act of Story Statement (Assignment 1) An out of work seaman needs to survive a dangerous journey across Asia without financial assistance to complete a mission he has not chosen, and report about it. The Antagonist Plots the Point (Assignment 2) Levi Savage overcomes his and Luddington’s status as alternates on the mission by stealing attention and promoting his own importance at the expense the quieter Elam Luddington. Savage’s more wordy style nearly erases Luddington’s presence. But Luddington finds a comeback only to meet new antagonism in the strangers he is now dependent on. Conjuring Your Breakout Title (Assignment 3) Misrepresented: The Secret 1850s Asia Journal Misrepresented The Secret 1850s Asia Journal The Writing Seaman The Unsigned Letter The Accidental Letter Deciding Your Genre and Approaching Comparables (Assignment 4) Narrative Nonfiction History American Zion by Benjamin Park meets The Anarchy by William Dalrymple American Zion: A New History of Mormonism by Benjamin Park is a social exploration of the history of the Mormon faith and how it shaped the United States. Park critiques the faith while humanizing it in the context of evolving American socio-political forces. The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company by William Dalrymple is a history of the political chaos of the British East India Company’s blunders in 19th century India. Dalrymple captures the humanity, sometimes comedy, but also the misjudgments of the British and South Asians as they struggle to maintain a role on the continent. Core Wound and the Primary Conflict (Assignment 5) A former seaman seeks to regain purpose after his chosen career comes to a halt by joining the Mormons, who in turn send him on a dangerous mission without money to Asia and forget him. Other Matters of Conflict: Two More Levels (Assignment 6) Inner Conflict Elam Luddington is meant to preach as a Mormon missionary in Asia but he fights the stigma of being chosen as an alternate and lacks the religious zeal of his counterparts. He finds the social and political oddities of Asia more interesting than his purpose, which further relegates him in the others’ eyes. He must find something to report that matters and may redeem his role on the mission. He finds a mid-ranking British sergeant with just such a meaning and purpose for his writings, though no one else understands what the import is or why he’s chosen a different path. Secondary Conflict Luddington determines his work has been fruitless and wants to return home but the journey is still far and he has already begged his way through the last days in Siam. Merchants and other Christian missionaries see his rough sea voyages as an ill omen for his conversion to Mormonism and won’t support him. He is conflicted by his status and values as a missionary and the rougher crowd of opium dealers and sex workers willing to sustain him. His status among the British in Hong Kong is too low to access the assistance he needs to cross the ocean back to California. Until someone changes their mind. The Incredible Importance of Setting (Assignment 7) In 1854 it is not a given yet that Britain’s empire would follow the sun around the globe. The British East India Company still generally sees itself as a company in bed with, but separate, from the crown back home in England. Asian leaders are now making the decisions as to how they will engage with the British. For some there’s still time to find a path that preserves their sovereignty and remain on the throne. Siam is in the throes of these critical choices. Where most histories divorce Asian countries from their neighbors, this one travels through multiple countries, and their dilemmas, all watching each others’ moves to model a response to the British. And now we know that due to an unsigned letter from Elam Luddington Siam’s king takes an unexpected turn. Monsoon winds and ferocious storms at sea nearly drown Elam Luddington and alter his path. His lack of funds and the difficulty of the journey leads him to engage with society, which he might not have, from the ships’ crews to the British governors of Pinang, Singapore, and Hong Kong, to American diplomats about to sign the treaties that will become infamous. It’s this setting that allows him to write what no other first person historical journal has recorded about this tenuous time. The dismissal of his Mormon identity and the lack of success on his mission, from both Mormons and non-Mormons alike, has kept his writings from taking any role in mapping out this history with otherwise few reliable sources. Yet it is also the influence of Mormon leaders who require him to write the detailed and one of a kind reports that, as a seaman in his prior life, he would not have. We see Asia in the 19th century like we never have before—some of which has only been imagined—but until now not with an authentic primary source. In as much color and drive as the stormy seas and a backdrop of several Asian countries deliver, Luddington’s journal surprisingly survives, and for the first time, comes alive in this narrative history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celeste Simone Posted Sunday at 06:44 PM Share Posted Sunday at 06:44 PM Assignment #1: “A fish and a bird may indeed fall in love, but where shall they live?” A girl and a boy from different classes must escape an oppressive society that aims to control and torment them so they can finally be truly themselves. Assignment #2: Oriana must face a few antagonists and one main force. The first antagonist is Odon, a half-blood tyrant who threatens her life and the lives of those she cares about. He at first appears as a God-like force to Oriana, until she learns of his true nature as an actual person. She constantly questions if he can read her thoughts and is watching over her. He becomes her own conscience. Then she faces individual antagonists throughout her journey who force her to reflect on her “goodness.” Azura causes her to question herself as the protagonist of her own story because to the rebels she is an enemy. Her sister Lenora is an antagonist who gives her up to the authorities at the University. We see through her eyes how each individual in a corrupt society can become an antagonist through their limited perspective and depending on the agenda of those in power. Assignment #3: Oriana’s Eyes: Book One of the Great Oak Trilogy Oriana’s Rebirth The Half-Blood’s Destiny Assignment #4: 1984 by George Orwell but make it a YA fantasy novel. This story is The Giver meets The Hunger Games, meets Romeo and Juliet. Perfect for readers who loved Delirium, Divergent, The Cure and The Selection. Assignment #5: A girl questions the inescapable oppressive University and is drawn to the secrets that a forbidden young man can offer her about the outside world. As their Rebirth draws nearer a secret transformation could be their one opportunity to overthrow Odon and free her people from his tyrant grasp. Assignment #6 Oriana is a pureblood Winglet who has grown up under Odon’s rule. Her existence was confined to the University where purity and obedience are commended. Her conflict begins when she meets Dorian, a forbidden half-blood boy who shows her a world outside the University’s walls. She struggles with her awakening love and the reality and truth of the world she lives in. The more she learns about the world beyond the University, the more she realizes that escaping is only a small piece of the puzzle. When Oriana finally escapes and goes from being the highest revered race to the enemy, she must face the truth about her people and how they have been treating those “beneath” them. She also must face that everything she grew up learning was a lie and propaganda. Assignment #6 Part 2: The secondary conflict that Oriana faces is that although she has escaped there are others still trapped inside the University and under Odon’s control. She must now join in the fight to overthrow Odon and free her friends. This is at great risk to her own life and freedom. Similar to Plato’s cave scenario, Oriana escapes and becomes enlightened. She then must return to the cave to try and save the others. Assignment #7: Oriana’s Eyes takes place on an imaginary planet that is being controlled by half-blood tyrants. Oriana's world is much smaller, she has no idea what the outside world is facing. Her perspective is limited to the inside of the University, ruled by Odon. A University is usually known to be a place of education, instead Odon's University is a place of mind control and oppression with the illusion that it is teaching valuable lessons. The University is stark white and futuristic in its cold, minimalistic design. The physical coldness of the stone and metal keeps its students on edge and uncomfortable. They are forced to be on high alert constantly to maintain obedience. Everything in the University reminds students of the importance of purity. They are divided by their race to maintain this purity. The modern design also defies the chaotic randomness of nature. It shows the need for control and order that Odon is trying to force on his subjects. The University represents the desire for perceived perfection through sameness, repetition, and order. Rather than uniqueness and diversity. The University has one place of escape, a garden, walled in by protective hedges. This is a stark contrast to the University and the natural world, which Oriana desperately yearns for. She fears making a mistake and stepping out of line, which is wearing her down. When Oriana is captured and brought into the caves beneath the University, she is trapped in darkness physically, but ironically she wakes up to the illusion that the University provided. Whereas the brightness of the University should coincide with clarity, it was blinding. The caves represent a modality to enlightenment. She finds herself in the underbelly of the true darkness that Odon was trying to hide. Rather than being oppressed though, Oriana is reborn. When she escapes the caves it’s like she is awakening to the truth and seeing the light for the first time. She finds herself in the wilds of nature, which includes variation, disorder, and death. Undesirables are no longer hidden away. Life becomes raw, honest, and real. Lastly, Oriana is introduced to the Great Oak. This is the location of the rebels' hideout. The Great Oak is a massive tree with an extensive network of platforms and homes set among its branches. The Great Oak represents both a family tree and the tree of life. Oriana finds a new life and is awakened to the deep knowledge of her ancestors at the Great Oak. It holds the connection between the people and their planet as well as the perfect place to remain hidden. In some ways, the Great Oak is both a setting and main character in the book. She is the embodiment of Mother Nature and is personified through the love of her people. 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