3 May 2023 Notes

POINT stands for Pluses, Opportunities, Issues, and New Thinking. Came from a Great Courses I got on creative thinking.

Some notes, real quick. 

Next Hanako scene is the ruin of Tsurui and the jorogumo encounter. Does NOT end in violence; jorogumo will either be a recurring villain or a token-evil teammate. Or both. Not sure yet.

Other story idea–Someone from our world winds up in a fantasy one somehow, and because our world has no magic, he/she is impervious to it. Probably been done to death, but I had fun imagining a handful of scenes and figuring out how to make it work. Don’t know that I’ll do anything with it, though.

Also–Theoptosi–Greek style Ragnarok? Or just throwing Zeus out of power? Somewhere in between? Do I start it before 2020 and have Covid be a part of it? …Seems a bit much. I know MC doesn’t want to replace Zeus… What forces him into action?

For Majesty:

What is Roland doing out of fear? Ideas I had yesterday:

A wall that collapses?

A death-machine that goes out of control?

Rather than denying getting a king, what if he brings one in? Shifts main antagonist for the book to that king, instead of him, but still…

Why would Moira oppose this? Is it the idea, or just Roland’s specific choice of king/queen? Is it the current ruler of Moira’s homeland?

P–Tie-in to existing characters; more backstory.

O–Backstory; deep trauma between Moira and current queen; multiple possible resolutions.

I–Not tied to Charles (minor); Why would we need Ferghus?; What kind of threat does our “Cleopatra” pose? How do fear and courage tie into this?

NT–Does the “allied” country actively attack/invade? What if Roland became a turncoat out of fear–either of Cleopatra and/or Dark Conqueror–doesn’t just have to be DC.

I–How effective is Ferghus at truly eliminating the threat if he dies right after? WOuldn’t that just invite them to come back?

What if Roland, trying to make his machine/prepare his defenses, set off a volcano?

P: Closer to original idea; easy, big thing for Ferghus to stop by sacrificing himself.

O: Delve into options for magic or tech; easier than Cleopatra route to give Roland a redemption arc.

I: HOW!? What would they be doing that could set it off?

NT: Mining (Balrog-style); something that shakes the earth for miles… Like what? Testing explosives? Wrong feel to it…

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.