Writer's Council V.2

I need some help getting a plot for a future "romance" novel. I only have three characters made for it and the name kind of sounds like a rip off of Safer's novel. I just need help with getting a plot.

I'm new to the writer's scene here at ZU, and I've decided to ask for a bit of advice.
First off, I really like writing..... but my experience is only limited to essays and short stories done for english class. They're okay, and my teachers do believe I have some talent, but I know I can vastly improve. So I decided to write a story on my own, and post it here to be critiqued. By doing this, hopefully it will get me on the right track to getting better.

Anyways, I started last night. I'm in the middle of writing the profiles of the characters that will appear in my story but......that's it. My problem is, while I can fabricate personas for my story no problem, I cannot think of a conflict or a plot for the death of me.

So my question is: how do you experienced writers out there get inspiration for things such as plots/conflicts? How do I come up with an interesting series of events for my fic, while being original?

Since I've started, I have about four pages of notes written on the characters, their backgrounds, and a couple of things I'd like the characters to do. And that's it.
So, if anyone can get me on the right track to starting this thing, it will be appreciated.

I may have not written any of my stories in physical form, but I can help with your delema. The way I get inseperation, is to simply go out there and read. If you see a conflict or plot you like, you can then modify it to the character, setting, time period, etc.

I hope that at least semi helps.

Originally Posted by Topo_Gego

I'm new to the writer's scene here at ZU, and I've decided to ask for a bit of advice.
First off, I really like writing..... but my experience is only limited to essays and short stories done for english class. They're okay, and my teachers do believe I have some talent, but I know I can vastly improve. So I decided to write a story on my own, and post it here to be critiqued. By doing this, hopefully it will get me on the right track to getting better.

Anyways, I started last night. I'm in the middle of writing the profiles of the characters that will appear in my story but......that's it. My problem is, while I can fabricate personas for my story no problem, I cannot think of a conflict or a plot for the death of me.

So my question is: how do you experienced writers out there get inspiration for things such as plots/conflicts? How do I come up with an interesting series of events for my fic, while being original?

Since I've started, I have about four pages of notes written on the characters, their backgrounds, and a couple of things I'd like the characters to do. And that's it.
So, if anyone can get me on the right track to starting this thing, it will be appreciated.

Ahhh yes. A classic problem.

A great way to solve this problem is:

Think of where your character is. What time setting does it take place? What's going on in the world around him? How is he affected by these events? How are his friends/co-workers/peers affected, and how does they being affected affect him?

I'll give you an example. My story's main character, Comros, is a member of a private force of knights, called the Private Militia. His world is like medieval earth. There are three countries that affect him.

What did I do to make the plot from here you ask? Well, I thought to myself, countries wage wars, right? So I had one of the countries start an uprising against another, which caused Comros' country to become an ally of the country being attacked. This got him into the Private Militia, and into the war.

Then figure how his friends are involved. Vasalis Maldor, another character, is the leader of the Private Militia. He's cocky, arrogant, and rude. He wants dominant unity from all three countries, and is Comros' co-worker and rival. The war inspires him to become a leader, which changes how he acts on the Private Militia, which affects Comros.

Then there's Kyla, a shy apple girl who has a crush on Comros and wants to be with him always. Her interference often causes Comros to go out of the way to save her. This affects Vasalis too, because Comros is a member of the Private Militia.

And suddenly, your story becomes an event of characters and places, and how they all affect eachother. All you need to do is turn it from raw ideas into a plot, which isn't hard at all. I hope this helps.

In my case, plot ideas or minor story events tend to just jump out at me. This normally happens when I'm reading, watching a movie, etc. Don't be afraid to use an idea from another source, but be sure to change and build on it to make it your own idea.

You'd be amazed what can inspire you. Of all things, the beginning of an 80s fantasy flick gave me an idea for my next Zelda story once I'm done with my current one.

Here's a more-recent excerpt from Wars:

More rain was on the way, or, at least, so said the mass of black clouds looming overhead. Not a good omen just before a battle. Link didn’t need to be well-versed on the arts of war to tell that. Then again, he had fought more than well enough in the rain last night, and that was without the bow, boomerang, and armguards, not to mention the spiffy green cap he sported now. He threw a cloak on for the sake of preparedness and shrugged it off.

He had already refilled his quiver at the outpost on the outskirts, grabbed another bottle from Mido’s hut to use as a canteen since his original one was now a container for the Water of Life, and gotten in some more practice with the boomerang, but he still didn’t feel ready. So he did what he always did when he was overstressed. He released some of his tension in training—sword-training, this time, not archery practice. The Kokiri had set up a bunch of straw dummies in their training grounds and the opportunity was much too good to pass up.

But before long there were no more dummies to cut down, and much too much stress still left to vent, and no Eryn within arm’s reach to make that stress evaporate.

And then his anger at those creatures that had taken her, the scum of the forest, began to take hold.

Luckily, by that time Mido had also already discovered him, and informed him that the armies were prepared, and that they would march as soon as he gave the order. He sighed loudly, and Navi fluttered over to him, and reached out a hand to touch his cheek. As he exhaled, his anger melted into the breeze, leaving him only with his apprehension.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “Just keep me close, and I will keep you safe. Trust in yourself and your abilities, and trust in mine, and everything will be fine. The gods will aid us, as they did in the last Great War, and in the ages since. I have faith in you.”

“How? Not two hours ago you seemed beyond all hope,” Link said. “Now, though, you place all faith in me, someone whom you hardly know.”

Navi flew in front of his face, drew close to him, and lifted his chin with her forefinger. “I have since learned the difference between faith and foolishness. These past thousand years have been devoted to my own private follies. I looked too hard for what I wished to see, and not for what was promised me. It has been a hard lesson to learn, but… seeing you, and realizing that you are the Hero spoken of in legend, the one for whom I was waiting… my confidence has been restored.”

“And… would you say that I am the catalyst for this?”

She looked him straight in the eye and nodded. “Yes.”

He grinned slyly, and slid his sword into its sheath. “Well, then. If I can do the impossible, a little armed struggle should be nothing, shouldn’t it?” A flash of lightning lanced across the sky, thunder echoed throughout the Lost Woods, and the rain—seemingly out of nowhere—began to pour in buckets. He threw back his hood and stood, head held high, atop a small boulder, and stretched his arms out as if to embrace the coming downpour.

“Bring on the storm.”

It's been a while since someone posted, but I need help with the title of my first real novel. You see, I have been writing this novel for over 5 years. However, back then I was young and uncreative so I named the first volume of a four-part series "The Triforce." Naturally, that title is quite cliche, and I wish to think of a better title. I have already written a breif, non spoilerific overview of the story.

Description: After an ancient relic of unimaginable evil goes missing, a young man must go on an epic journey that transcends time and space in order to save his homeland of Hyrule. Will he succeed? Or will the darkness spread throughout the entire universe? Revelations will be made, faith shattered, hope restored. All in the name of the Triforce.

So, If anybody has any ideas on a better title, I would love to hear them.

Current Suggestions:

End of Faith
Altered Destinies

My suggestion is to think if each volume will death with a certain them of sorts. For example, if this one is about crushing what the Hylians believed in to save them, I'd call it End of Faith. If all four are on that, then think of one word to summarize the whole point. If it is about the goddesses, the it could be End of Faith: Goddesses.

Originally Posted by DarkZeroHyrule

My suggestion is to think if each volume will death with a certain them of sorts.

That sentance did not make much sence to me, especially the last eight words. Please elaborate.

Originally Posted by DarkZeroHyrule

My suggestion is to think if each volume will death with a certain them of sorts. For example, if this one is about crushing what the Hylians believed in to save them, I'd call it End of Faith. If all four are on that, then think of one word to summarize the whole point. If it is about the goddesses, the it could be End of Faith: Goddesses.

Interesting idea. However, just so you know, the goddesses do not play that big of a role in the series ... yet. Still, the "End of Faith" does seem promicing. I will add it to the maybe pile.

That sentence was supposed to say

My suggestion is to see if each volume will deal with a certain theme.

I was in a hurry, so I did not proofread.

Originally Posted by DarkZeroHyrule

That sentence was supposed to say

I was in a hurry, so I did not proofread.

Hmm, let me think about that for a second...

Themes

First Book:
Never underestimate what people can do, everything you beleive in could be based on an elaborate lie, and destiny is not a sure thing.

Second Book:
Friendship will always prevail, always have a back-up plan, and love can florish between time and space.

Third Book:
The past is irrelivant to the future, not all is as it seems, and parents can be a hassel.

Fourth Book:
Follow you instincts no matter what anyone says, never give up even when all seems lost, and eventually everyone gets what they deserve.

Those are the only themes I can think of now. (I am being rushed to dinner)

First Book: Destiny
Second Book: Love
Third Book: Time
Fourth Book: Consequence/ Resolution

What do you think?

Originally Posted by DarkZeroHyrule

First Book: Destiny
Second Book: Love
Third Book: Time
Fourth Book: Consequence/ Resolution

What do you think?

Those are good, especially the first one, but alas, I already have names for the other three.

(In chronological order)

Book 1
(Unnamed)

Book 2
The Dragon Hearders (Youll get the reason why soon enough)

Book 3
True Darkness

Book 4
The Hirato Days
(Hirato=Death)

To Ciroton: As for the series title-- "Test/Trial of Faith" or "Resolution" both sound like they'll fit. I'd have to read it, of course, to make any sort of judgment call, however.

Anyway, I've just started a piece called "Whitefire" that I think most of you will enjoy. Here's an excerpt, or, more accurately, the first "section" (I will not be using conventional "chapters", since it's not going to be very long--fifty pages at the most).

“Whitefire” is set hundreds of years before Ocarina of Time. The Temple of Time has not yet been built, the Master Sword has not yet been forged, Hyrule has not been established as a united nation. “Whitefire” follows the character Rauru, the Ancient Sage, as he attempts to make sense of the chaos all around him and grant purpose and hope to his fellow Hyruleans.

Much of “Whitefire” is social and political commentary—so be prepared for a lot of monologue on the narrator’s part, and on the characters’ parts. “Whitefire”, along with the two as-of-yet-unnamed second and third installments, will be released in tri-weekly segments (a new segment approx. every other day), each about a page or two long on Microsoft Word. They should come to be about thirty to fifty pages long each in the end.