posted
For the past 3 months or so I’ve been working on an idea for a novel. Mostly just background stuff, although I do have a few scenes written that the inspiration hit for. I don’t know if it’ll ever go any further than the planning stages, but I’m having a lot of fun with it right now so I still think it’s worth it.
However, I’m having trouble with a few things that I’m really stuck on and would like some outside feedback on.
They are:
1. When to start it. The idea for the novel came with the idea of a first line, “Lemos, the name sung through the streets of the city. Lemos, Bringer of Peace. Lemos, Bringer of Hope. Lemos, Bringer of Life. Those were his acknowledged titles. But in little more than a whisper in the slums and marketplaces was another name, Lemos, Son of God.” You’re free to critique that, I have no idea if it’s really good or really bad. I waver between thinking my writing is overly melodramatic and actually pretty decent.
Back to the problem: I have this first line, but there is also another place I can start it. Lemos is my main character, later in the book he becomes a follower of the ‘real’ child of God, who I don’t have a name for yet, I’ve been calling her The Daughter of God, or just The Daughter. (I do have actual reasons for making her female, other than just to be provoking, it always annoys me when people do things like that just to be different.) Lemos falls in love with her, which isn’t surprising, it comes naturally from Lemos’ character, he’s the kind of person who would naturally be attracted to the holiest person in the world. It’s an integral part of her character and the society she lives in that she not have sex or get married, she was not made to do either. My problem is that I can either start or end the book at her death. I know what he does after her death, it would make an amazing story. I don’t think it could work as two stories, though.
2. My second problem is a little more… problematic. I don’t know whether or not The Daughter sleeps with Lemos. I know how it would end either way, and I have an ending written if she does. I don’t like the idea of her sleeping with him, though. I don’t know if I want to use it because it would be a cool “trendy” idea, or because it’s a good idea. If she slept with him she would die that night, so it wouldn’t be entirely without consequences; and Lemos’ life afterwards would follow the same general path as if she hadn’t. I also think her character could do either, so I’m not really getting any vibes from her on the subject.
Thank you so much to anyone who can give me any tips or ideas. If you have any questions I know a lot more of the story that I didn’t post because it doesn’t relate to the problems, so I’ll try to clarify. Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
blacwolve, I like your first line. It would hook me, at least, in for a few pages to see where you went with it.
My only comment on the rest is that if you're concerned you might be doing something because it would be the trendy thing to do and you have a different possible way to do it, go with the different way.
I'm curious about your reasons for making the child of god female, purely because you state that you have reasons and you don't like it when people do things like that just to be provocative. Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
You also don't need to decide either one right away, do you?
I need to plot my novels, but even at that, I always find that I change my mind about some things along the way as characters become more complex and lead me around.
For the record, though, the opening paragraph you wrote is intriguing to me. It would be enough for me to want to know more.
As far as The Daughter sleeping with Lemos - if you don't want them to, then don't. The only reason it would need to happen is if it moves the story along somehow. Otherwise, it's fluff. What other valid criteria is there?
It sounds interesting, I have to add that, too. From what you've written here so far, I'm interested.
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
That's funny. I'm reading a book called Only Begotten Daughter, about god's daughter, right now.
Posts: 2149 | Registered: Aug 2000
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