My Writing, Your Writing discussion

Need help figuring out the plot? Ask for ideas here! :D

I need some ideas for the second phase of my book. Basically, I've got a rough outline of the plot and where I want things to end, it's the getting there part I'm having trouble with.

If anyone's got time for a rather lengthy synopsis, I'll post it here and let you guys go nuts helping my protag sort her sh*t out. ^_^

:D Well, exactly what part are you stuck on?

Story Outline:

Part One,

Bethany and Sarah move into Crownbell. A couple of standard and spooky ghost things happen.

Bethany starts job at REAL/incentives, slowly her coworkers warm up to her and start gossiping about ghost rumors and about her dead Aunt Sheila.

Sarah finds a job at HEX, a local magick shop. Madame Laurie reads her tarot spread and predicts something awful.

Bethany goes through the stuff left in the attic and finds a ton of old pictures of the Crownbell family, plus some old clothes. That’s when she starts dreaming of Aunt Sheila, who gives her lots of cryptic messages about her own death and the secrets of the house.

A major storm sweeps through the area, unusual for the season, and knocks the power out. Beth goes into the cellar to fiddle with the fuse box and something “attacks” her down there. From there on, the paranormal events in the house pick up.

Sarah and Beth tell Madame Laurie about the stuff going on at the house and she insists they call in an investigating team. So Beth emails OPI from work and gets a response back, saying they’ll come check things out.

A week later, OPI shows up, and from the beginning Luce and Sarah get along well. They get a couple of EVPs as evidence from Mrs. Crownbell and a child laugh. Then they leave.

Because Luce is kind of shy and has a massive crush on Beth, he asks Sarah to ask Beth about him. Very grade-school style.

Beth and Luce DO go out on a date, where he admits that he doesn’t believe in ghosts. Frustrated that no one is taking her situation seriously, she storms off and winds up in HEX, having a discussion with Madame Laurie.

From there, Beth learns that she’s a sensitive - one who can easily see and communicate with spirits. Laurie suggests some shielding techniques to keep the more naughty spooks at bay but this only serves to stir up more activity in the house.

I've got the above plot points already written out, but now I'm sort of at a loss as to how she's actually going to resolve her haunting situation.

I guess I'll pose this question to everyone then: If your house was REALLY haunted, what steps would you take to get rid of the ghost?

Well, maybe Luce can come to the house and something happens that makes him start to wonder if ghost are real. Or something happens to one of his coworkers.

Coincidentally, I wrote a scene that includes that exact predicament. Ouija boards and scratches galore! He's a true believer now!

Of course now I'm wondering if Luce should become more involved in her quest to exorcise the bad spirits or if he should kind of just cower away from the whole situation.

As far as the plot itself, romances aside, my mind tends to go in a darker direction. Maybe the ghosts become more violent. Maybe they want something form Beth and Sarah and the girls are trying to figure out what. A climax could be where they discover what the spirits want and something happens to cement Sarah and Beth's friendship.
The romance factor could be left up in the air at the end but on a positive note, like in the last scene Beth and Luce just kind of look at each other and leave the house holding hands.

Just some suggestions, you don't have to heed any of it!

Michaela wrote: "Coincidentally, I wrote a scene that includes that exact predicament. Ouija boards and scratches galore! He's a true believer now!

Of course now I'm wondering if Luce should become more involved i..."

Well, I think you should make him get more involved, but you can also do it where he doesn't....

Marie wrote: "As far as the plot itself, romances aside, my mind tends to go in a darker direction. Maybe the ghosts become more violent. Maybe they want something form Beth and Sarah and the girls are trying to..."

Yah, that's a good idea.

Marie - I definitely like the idea of having the possible romance be left open at the end, something to really consider. Thanks!

But yeah, he definitely needs more "screen time" as it were. I'll try to include more of him in the book for sure.

Thanks everyone!

Hello! I'm Ivydance! Or Iv, Ivy, or Lex lol

Anyways... I have this book I've been wanting to write cause I have this idea I would really like to make real. If you know what I mean... I have a few outlines that I've thought up, I'm just not sure how to go about starting it and telling which point of view it should be from...



Main character: Atreyu
- he's a type of soul that guides good souls and vanquishes the bad ones from his dimension; if someone would turn into a bad soul he can go into our world and attempt to stop it
- lives in a different dimension, one that lives on top (not literally, it's more amid than on) of ours; he can see ours and his, we can't see his
- when he takes off his mask he takes on a human form and is brought to our dimension
- as a human he can still see his dimension (I think, this is subject to change)
- he can't be in our dimension too long or else he'll start to either fade or grow dark (haven't decided which) due to the negativity in the world (he gets darker with every visit to our dimension and can "recharge" back in his, but the recharge takes a while)
- problem: he is slowly dying and he doesn't know why
- solution: there's a girl he meets in our world who tries to tell him he's imaginary/doesn't exist; she's the creator of his dimension, it's basically representing her imagination and she's being forced to grow up by the world
- why: because her imagination is dying, he is dying so he needs to find a way to bring back that imaginative spark before he's gone forever




I had a few thoughts. What if other dimensions were other people's imagination, the world they live in in their minds? The recharging thing is a maybe... And then I have a slight problem with how to write it and how to start it, because Atreyu doesn't talk. I mean, he does, but hardly ever. Only when he really really needs to.

Any input and help at all is appreciated!!

Whoo hat idea is so cool, I really love the concept of it being her imagination and everything. Maybe start with hi8jm going darker and needing to get back?

Clary wrote: "Whoo hat idea is so cool, I really love the concept of it being her imagination and everything. Maybe start with him going darker and needing to get back?"

Yeah! The story can start off with a cool fight scene with him banishing a bad soul, and then he can get back in the nick of time. It can be one of those "that was too close" moments.

Here's a pic of Atreyu :) There should be a little less black on his tail, but marker is a bit hard to fix...
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/...
I'd post the pic so you can actually see it rather than use a link, but I forgot how haha.

I like the idea, guys! Really! Then after that he can question why it got too close so fast and go visit this other character who's kinda like the "king" for answers. He'd tell him that he's dying all in a nutshell and he tries to figure out why.
But now how should I write it? First person? Third person? Tell it from my point of view? I WAS having this based on me and all the other people that were told to stop living with their head in the clouds... It's where I got the idea.

Lizzy wrote: "Ivydance wrote: "Hello! I'm Ivydnce! Or Iv, Ivy, or Lex lol

Anyways... I have this book I've been wanting to write cause I have this idea I would really like to make real. If you know what I mean...."

That'd be awesome!! And I like the flashback idea as well... I think I'd like to throw that in somewhere eventually...

You guys think it would be successful if I bounced between POVs?

I did, it's just all funky to read cause I'm on my iPod.

Yeah, I'm thinking first would be best considering his lack of speech haha.

Dell is a great brand. My mom has one that she's had for years and it still runs great. Well, it's mine now, but still. I've had a crazy week myself with work and all... My birthday is the 16th. :)

Mm, now I wanna write. I just wish I had the laptop... I love to type.

Yeah, just got the latest iPod touch. This is my first Apple product like this, and honestly, I baby it. I've seen so many Apple products with shattered screens, so I was nervous about this one. Reason I got it though was because I wanted the GB for music, and then the Internet access - one my mom can't take from me. And if I have to, I can use my neighbor's Wifi since they let me have the password. Sorry bout the phone though. :/ Be thankful yours at least works. Mine's been acting up lately and everything is slowly starting to shut down or something.

I don't have data on my phone TO get a virus. I read up on the phone and they always seem to have some sort of problem. I think I just sped up the process by dropping it. I've only dropped this one two or three times and the last time I did was months ago. Only now does it seem to be reacting to it.
Haha, I'm not judging. I'm a biology nut.

Ivydance wrote: "You guys think it would be successful if I bounced between POVs?"

I like your idea and the suggestions by others have been good. I think going back and forth between the two main character's POVs would make it a very interesting read.

Even if he doesn't actually speak, you could have short chapters that just involve his thoughts. It would give the reader more insight about his feelings, fears, etc. so we'd want to root for him.

Thanks, Marie!

I think I WILL stick with the different POVs, yeah. It seems right. It'd be a boring tale if it were just the other main character, and it'd be...stretched? if just from Atreyu's side of things. Switching would definitely add more.

That's what I had planned, actually. :)

Lizzy wrote: "Ivydance wrote: "I don't have data on my phone TO get a virus. I read up on the phone and they always seem to have some sort of problem. I think I just sped up the process by dropping it. I've only..."

Mine's an android... But yeah, no idea what its problem is. First the camera stopped working and then it stopped letting me log into the phone in general.

Okay so I want to do something based on like old times like sword fights or something but I also want like Greek myths or something like that mixed in with it as well. Any idea's?

Lizzy wrote: "Ivydance wrote: "Lizzy wrote: "Ivydance wrote: "I don't have data on my phone TO get a virus. I read up on the phone and they always seem to have some sort of problem. I think I just sped up the pr..."

lol

Trying to think of a story line for a demon and a witch something that would make the two fall in love but not instantaniously.

@Michelle

How about they somehow meet and then the demon's father\ mother comes after the witch for some reason and the two of them have to stand against the father\ mother? Along with a whole bunch of other things?