Interested in helping me?

[Majimaune]

All right people who read this thread. I will start of at the start.

Next year I have to do this thing called a Major Work to graduate at my school (Lorien Novalis, might want to see some of the external links as well). Its meant to take me all year to do.

Since I was in about Year 6 I have wanted to write a story for it. I'm wanting to start soon and I thought I would show a few people (you included) my very basic story line that I have (its basic because I haven't worked on it too much).

I want you guys to tell me what you think of it. I will even post parts of the story up here as I go along so as you guys can see it and tell me what you think. If its too much like anything you have read then please please please tell me. I don't want to be another Paolini.

Its set (I think) around modern day times, maybe a bit in the future. Starts out with a kid (not sure of the age yet, probably late teens though, trying to leave this flexible) who has had a reasonable up bringing. His family isn't rich and they aren't poor, just getting by would be the right way to put it.

He is a pretty average guy. People like him at school/work. He is a quiet type of guy, not overly out going.

There is a party one night and everything goes wrong. There is drugs and alcohol and stuff like that and he overdoses on something and is sent into this mystical world of fantasy that he has created in his head.

Thats as far as I have gotten with the story so far. People tell me what you think and what it needs, doesn't need.

[Quokka]

Personal opinion but just be careful Maj if you're planning on writing any sort of a 'he woke up and it was all a dream' type story, this has been done before and often very badly. If he goes on a journey have him go on it and know it's real or very quickly know when he wakes up that it was drug induced hallucinations.

I mean it can work really well, I wasn't the biggest fan of the Thomas Covenant series but I did like how Donaldson set up Covenant moving between the two worlds. So it can work and like I said it's personal opinion but any sort of 'he/she woke up and it was all a dream' storyline tends to bug me .

[Majimaune]

He woke up and it was all a dream bugs me too. I don't intend on making it one of those. This is just different to any other story line I have come up with in the past and so am unsure of whether I like it or not.

I haven't heard of Thomas Covenant. Should I have? Do you think I should read some?

Also if anyone can give me anything to read as research into these topics that would be much appreciated.

[JDP]

Yeah, the Thomas Covenant books by Stephen Donaldson have some similar elements to what you're talking about. I really didn't like the series myself, though. Maybe the Spellsinger books by Alan Dean Foster?

I'd definitely agree with avoiding the 'it was all a dream' angle. Maybe have him know the whole time that he's tripping, but feel compelled to explore the new world nonetheless. Perhaps the fact that he knows it's not real could allow him to act in a way that he normally wouldn't - be more courageous, outgoing etc.? Or perhaps it could give him 'magical' powers as he finds he can influence the fantasy world to his will? Perhaps he becomes a power for darkness, thinking it doesn't matter because it's not real?

[Majimaune]

I like that power of darkness idea your talking about.

A little bit of a continuation on...

He would keep coming in and out of this fantasy world of his, say when the drugs wear off and then he is thrust back into reality. He likes his fantasy world of his more than reality and so gets some more of whatever it was and gets addicted it and can't stop stealing money and such so he can get more.

[Quokka]

In the end it always comes down to how it's writen rather then what and by that I mean you can get away with a lot of cliches if it's done well. Edding's Belgariad is basically every Fantasy Cliche and stereotype ever invented all pressed into one (fairly short) series but because it was well done and hit the right balance it worked.

I'm sure there's even a great 'it was all a dream' story I've just never read it yet.

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever is a fantasy series by Stephen Donaldson. The main character starts out in the real world and is transported into a fantasy setting and throughout the series he moves back and forth between them (note: Thomas isn't your whiter then white hero in fact a lot of the time he's not even very likeable). I did like Greg Bear's Songs of Earth and Power which is kind of similar.

There's lots of good stories involving characters that move between the real world and a fictional one, there's probably even a name for the specific genre. As to whether you should read them now as research I'll leave that to yourself, I don't know will it help to see how it's been done before or will it just make it harder to create your own ideas?

By the way, I've never published anything *stops for astounded gasps* so take any suggestions with a grain of salt .

[JDP]

Yeah, you could link his descent into evil in the fantasy world with a similar decline in morality in his real life. I guess it's up to you if he finally wises up or not; perhaps taking a final overdose to give him the power to 'save' the fantasy world that he has corrupted? Too corny?

[Majimaune]

I don't know.

I don't really want to try to kill him off and I don't want to go into the story with that mindset because the last story I wrote, I did and I screwed up the ending horribly. If it feels right to kill him with that "saving" the fantasy world and killing him well thats what I'll do. I don't have to kill him though I guess to get him to snap out of it.

I'm thinking I will give him times where, once he is addicted, he will have withdrawls and do some crazy stuff to himself and others.

[Dave]

Have you seen the 'Life On Mars' and 'Ashes to Ashes' BBC TV series?

The protagonists in those enter into a fantasy world of the past during the last few seconds of their lives - that 'life passing before your eyes' moment in time. I think that was fairly well done too, and you were kept guessing as to whether they were in a coma, or had actually gone back in time.

[RcGrant]

I think the idea of his descent into being some sort of dark lord in the fantasy world mirroring his addiction in the real world is a really nice one. Or perhaps even in reverse. Should he feel guilty enough, underneath the addiction, perhaps the fantasy world is a drug-induced wish fulfillment?

[Culhwch]

Just a question out of interest, Majimaune: how long does it have to be? You might need to think about that if there is a limit on wordcount (which I assume there would be) because as it stands it looks like it might get quite lengthy...

[Majimaune]

Originally Posted by Culhwch

Just a question out of interest, Majimaune: how long does it have to be? You might need to think about that if there is a limit on wordcount (which I assume there would be) because as it stands it looks like it might get quite lengthy...

There is no limit on the length except the time I have to write it. I have the rest of this year and next year.

[Quokka]

Will the drug use be an issue for a school project? It shouldn't be and you may already know but keep in mind that if you don't it might be worth running past a teacher once you have an outline just in case.

[Majimaune]

I did run the drug use thing past a teacher today and he said it shouldn't be an issue. He was more concerned if I actually had what it takes to write the story and told me to go speak to my English teacher about it.

[BookStop]

Originally Posted by Majimaune

if I actually had what it takes

What is that supposed to mean?