28 April 2023 Notes
Been a rough week; I may split up notes and main entries into two separate days for a while. Also, it’s interesting how much has already shifted from the thoughts I present here below. A lot can happen in a week, I suppose…
I’d like to consolidate things for this story, so I’d like to figure out a beginning. Random thought before I do; could Roland’s foolish action be trying to force Ferghus somehow? Or do something to him? How would that interact with Charles’ goals and accomplishments? More on that later, perhaps….
What I have so far:
Attack on Elliot’s homeland; death of his parents alluded to. Charles’ mother, as a guard, may leave some final words with him, too.
How do they know their parents are dead? I want to make it clear to the readers, at least. And I lack Hoid’s tongue-in-cheek meta mention, like he uses in Tress of the Emerald Sea. Do they hide for a day or two and say their bodies on display on the way out? Kinda dark, especially compared to the rest of Book 1…
Anyway, got on a ship fleeing. Are they disguised as civilians? Journey with 1-2 other ships; cornered by Jasper. Other ship, trying to get away, cripples the ship Elliott and Charles are on; in retaliation, Jasper focuses fire on the, destroys the ship.
What if, instead of moving to Moira’s ship, Jasper gives her the refugee ship? It’d have a bunch of displaced people w/ nowhere to go, and could be the beginnings of a pirate crew. If so, why are they spending so long in Bethany’s homeland? There’s a disconnect, there.
What if Moira came specifically to speak w/ Ferghus, and it’s the bureaucratic red tape–represented by Roland–that gets in the way? There’s a thought. Why, though? And what happens as a result?
Also, what if crew gets mad at the way Moira treats Elliott, and one attacks her, and she reveals herself as a dragon by blocking w/ her wings? Also, what if dragons can’t wear armor for some reason? …No, don’t like that. But items above a certain density might not “morph”... Kinda like Animorphs, once they started being able to morph with clothes.
I’ll want to plan out the intro better, so for now, the naval battle (rough outline) and Jasper handing the ship off to Moira. Or the crew. Or something.