Help Me Decide my NanoWrimo Project
It's amazing how fast a year goes by. Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) is just six months away. For those who don't know about Nano, it's a crazy time when people from all over the world try to write 50,000 words of a novel. Well, this year I have three ideas. So, I'm seeking input. Not saying I'm putting it to a vote, but certainly if I get a big response to one of these I may be more inclined to begin prepping that one. So, here they are:
The Essence of Magic I started this one for Nano '08, but did very little on it so I'm starting over. The basic story follow Kaarl, a young student essence mage. Kaarl lives in a world where "magic" is a basic resource like water or food. On his world exist resevoirs of Essence a substance neither matter nor energy which can be used to empower the culture itself. Essence is manipulated using a combination of sound and mental energy. Most people can use a few simple spellsongs, but those talented to do the more complex essence tasks form the elite of society. And with a level 7 rating, Kaarl is destined to be in the Elite of the Elite.
Used in everything from cooking to healing to construction, Essence is the foundation of the culture. Essence producing countries and the Mages of those countries are "first among equals." A Pax Essencia has existed for thousands of years because of the co dependent relationship between producers of essence and their consumers. But now, the great secret is emerging - the world is running out of Essence. Kaarl, his girlfriend who is a linguist specializing in ancient tongues and a farm boy with a knack for building machines must find the library of the ancients and rediscover technology which will eventually save their world and destroy their way of life.
The Torch Newspaper journalist Carla Waters covered the Vietnam War, unlocked secrets in the halls of congress, exposed scandals, uncovered criminal conspiracies and brought down governors and senators. When she wakes up in a drunken stupor after partying with a has-been rock star and misses an important interview with an influential senator, she finds herself on the hotseat. Barred from the congressional press corps and in hot water with her boss, she is assigned to cover something Carla has successfully avoided throughout her entire career -- The Dreaded Human Interest Story. She must spend two weeks in a small town living with the family of a Special Olympics champion chosen to carry the Olympic Torch down main street of his town. Can a break from life in the fast lane soften this hard bitten journalist? And what kind of impact can she make on this small town. Maybe they can save each other.
The Forecast is Murder On the moon, the weather is never in doubt. Residents of the subterranean towns always know when it will be "sunny" or "rainy." The forecast is 100% correct because the weather service doesn't predict the weather. They make the weather. So, when history professor Carolyn Masters wakes up to rain when the forecast predicted cool and sunny with a slight breeze, she knew something was wrong. When the chief weather programmer is murdered she knows something is very wrong. As a former FBI profiler, Carolyn is not surprised when Michael Cheravik, former Dallas homicide detective and current criminology professor calls her to help find the killer. Their journey takes them into the worlds low gravity soccer, interplanetary gambling and Big Time Wrestling.
The Essence of Magic I started this one for Nano '08, but did very little on it so I'm starting over. The basic story follow Kaarl, a young student essence mage. Kaarl lives in a world where "magic" is a basic resource like water or food. On his world exist resevoirs of Essence a substance neither matter nor energy which can be used to empower the culture itself. Essence is manipulated using a combination of sound and mental energy. Most people can use a few simple spellsongs, but those talented to do the more complex essence tasks form the elite of society. And with a level 7 rating, Kaarl is destined to be in the Elite of the Elite.
Used in everything from cooking to healing to construction, Essence is the foundation of the culture. Essence producing countries and the Mages of those countries are "first among equals." A Pax Essencia has existed for thousands of years because of the co dependent relationship between producers of essence and their consumers. But now, the great secret is emerging - the world is running out of Essence. Kaarl, his girlfriend who is a linguist specializing in ancient tongues and a farm boy with a knack for building machines must find the library of the ancients and rediscover technology which will eventually save their world and destroy their way of life.
The Torch Newspaper journalist Carla Waters covered the Vietnam War, unlocked secrets in the halls of congress, exposed scandals, uncovered criminal conspiracies and brought down governors and senators. When she wakes up in a drunken stupor after partying with a has-been rock star and misses an important interview with an influential senator, she finds herself on the hotseat. Barred from the congressional press corps and in hot water with her boss, she is assigned to cover something Carla has successfully avoided throughout her entire career -- The Dreaded Human Interest Story. She must spend two weeks in a small town living with the family of a Special Olympics champion chosen to carry the Olympic Torch down main street of his town. Can a break from life in the fast lane soften this hard bitten journalist? And what kind of impact can she make on this small town. Maybe they can save each other.
The Forecast is Murder On the moon, the weather is never in doubt. Residents of the subterranean towns always know when it will be "sunny" or "rainy." The forecast is 100% correct because the weather service doesn't predict the weather. They make the weather. So, when history professor Carolyn Masters wakes up to rain when the forecast predicted cool and sunny with a slight breeze, she knew something was wrong. When the chief weather programmer is murdered she knows something is very wrong. As a former FBI profiler, Carolyn is not surprised when Michael Cheravik, former Dallas homicide detective and current criminology professor calls her to help find the killer. Their journey takes them into the worlds low gravity soccer, interplanetary gambling and Big Time Wrestling.
posted by Terri main at
11:51 AM
2 Comments:
The Torch.
It sounds like around a 50k novel.
Hey, I saw your question in the FCW email, hope you don't mind my responding here. :)
I think they all sound like great stories, but for myself if presented with all three completed books, I would read the Torch first, The Forecast is Murder second, and the Essence of Magic last. The Torch is a very unique story, and you'd have a lot more options with developing the characters, as they would be the focus of the story. The other outlines have a lot more complicated story lines, so you wouldn't be able to focus as much on character development. I LOVE Sci-Fi, don't get me wrong, but I love good characters more. So, that's what I think, good luck choosing. :)
(I should probably tell you however that one of the reasons The Torch spoke to me is because I have a sister with special needs who competes in regional Special Olympics Events. I really think the world, especially the American culture, needs more exposure and compassion for those with special needs. Maybe then they would have a better chance of being treated the way the should, of having the rights that they should.)
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