So I have the roughest of all rough sketches in my head. I know what one of the defining... things about the story is and I know, at least by name, who my main character will be. I've read a few YA books, both fantasy and contemporary and I know which side of the spectrum to avoid writing about (*cough*Twilight*cough*) but beyond that, she's not flesh-and-blood yet. Sure, she's got her basic set-up,and maybe a character trait her and there but I'm not seeing her yet, and she doesn't have her own voice. I think I might have to do a few freewrites -- just stream of consciousness it all until the vibe's there.
I also need to lower my sight from the heavens, so to speak, and not worry so much if the plot's grand and epic and everything I've ever wanted in a book. It needs to stay simple, following the Hero's Journey template (because, really, that's one of the best outlines you could have for a fantasy novel) and I think I'm there ... sort of. Argh, this is both fun and frustrating all at the same time.
I do have some setting fleshed out. I know there's gryphon's in it *shifty eyes* and dragons, perhaps. I know that the order of the gryphon (to.be.changed.later) is a dying relic of an older time, a ... display, so to speak, for nobles to send their non-heirs to for acclaim and prestige even when they all agree there's no longer any true need for the Riders. I know there's betrayal in the works for someone down the line --and no, I can't say for who or when, even if I wanted to!
I need to sit down and think through how... well, the one thing that really draws me to fantasy novels is their religion. I'm debating if I want to worry about a metaphor for the Catholic Church (like The Chantry in Dragon Age) and go from there, or have multitude of gods. I know humans aren't the only sentient beings in the world, so maybe I'll have a pantheon and go from there.
Someone remind me why I always start projects long after I should have? Oh right, it's because I enjoy the pressure.
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