Need Help or Ideas? Come to the Think Tank and Idea Box!

[Typhon Hydroblaze]

Ok, here is my partial plot idea, I need help shaping it into something workable:

Humanity sends a massive space ship that is a titan class transporter, with over a million passengers, into space to find other life. The ship disappears and isn't seen again for over 200 years. When the ship reappears, the humans are kind of like Reavers from the tv show firefly, and the massive ship is now equipped with planetary destruction weapons. The weapons can destroy dwarf planets, and perform what is called "scorched earth" on the other sizes of planets. And I don't exactly know where to go from here. Any help is much appreciated ^_^

[Lady Lagomorph]

It sounds like you have the start of a conflict for a story, and you need to figure out where you want to go with it. What do you want to do with these characters, and how do you want them viewed? You have a lot of options: a planet trying to avoid being blasted, a military character part of the plan to stop them, the last semi-sane resident of the titan class ship, faking insanity so he/she isn't killed...

Typhon Hydroblaze

Ok, here is my partial plot idea, I need help shaping it into something workable:

Humanity sends a massive space ship that is a titan class transporter, with over a million passengers, into space to find other life. The ship disappears and isn't seen again for over 200 years. When the ship reappears, the humans are kind of like Reavers from the tv show firefly, and the massive ship is now equipped with planetary destruction weapons. The weapons can destroy dwarf planets, and perform what is called "scorched earth" on the other sizes of planets. And I don't exactly know where to go from here. Any help is much appreciated ^_^

[Typhon Hydroblaze]

Awesome, thank you, that helps a lot 😊

[thejasonresno]

I've started a story which centers on the bad guy. To avoid getting into too many specifics, do you think audiences are ready to read a novel where the main character is simply bad. Not an anti hero, simply a villain.

[Lady Lagomorph]

thejasonresno

I've started a story which centers on the bad guy. To avoid getting into too many specifics, do you think audiences are ready to read a novel where the main character is simply bad. Not an anti hero, simply a villain.

This has been done before. In fact, Deathnote is an extremely popular example in the manga/anime range. It depends on how it's presented. Even a villain will have reasons for doing what he/she is doing, and usually they think they're on the right side of it. A character that's simply "evil" often comes out as pretty flat. Your character needs goals, motivations, etc. They have to be interesting, or no one will care what happens to them. This goes for heroes and villains.

[Mulmangcho]

What would be a good way to describe a black person in a fantasy story?
Normally, I'd probably just go for 'black', but that's not really a phrase that exists in this world. And I get the feeling that describing the exact shade of brown might be going a bit too far into purple prose.

[forsakenlover]

QUICK SYNOPSIS:
Jor-El took his family and left Krypton before it was destroyed. After finding his way to earth and building the Fortress he decided to travel his new found home world. One night while flying over Gotham he saw a family in trouble. Speeding to the rescue he caught the bullets that would have killed Martha and Thomas Wayne. The Waynes and Els became fast friends and soon introduced the House of El to the world.

PROBLEM:
Why would Bruce Wayne become Batman if his parents death didn't start him down his path. I have a quick fix but it seems sloppy and I only want to use it if no one else can help me.

[Captain Rodgers]

forsakenlover

QUICK SYNOPSIS:
Jor-El took his family and left Krypton before it was destroyed. After finding his way to earth and building the Fortress he decided to travel his new found home world. One night while flying over Gotham he saw a family in trouble. Speeding to the rescue he caught the bullets that would have killed Martha and Thomas Wayne. The Waynes and Els became fast friends and soon introduced the House of El to the world.

PROBLEM:
Why would Bruce Wayne become Batman if his parents death didn't start him down his path. I have a quick fix but it seems sloppy and I only want to use it if no one else can help me.

There is actually a Batman where his parents didn't die. As well as one where Klark kent was adopted by the waynes, and not by the farmers.
Batman could be created because Bruce's idea for justice is different than Supermans.

[Lady Lagomorph]

Mulmangcho

What would be a good way to describe a black person in a fantasy story?
Normally, I'd probably just go for 'black', but that's not really a phrase that exists in this world. And I get the feeling that describing the exact shade of brown might be going a bit too far into purple prose.

Sorry that this one sat so long. I haven't really thought of a good way to answer it. It depends on your personal style, as well as that of the book. I have seen specific shades of brown used to describe skin, though. So long as it's a color that fits in context, and you're not detailing it too much, it shouldn't seem too flowery. Dusky is a somewhat old-fashioned literary term I've seen used to describe a character with darker skin, but it was used from the point of view of a character not accustomed to seeing darker skintones. Not sure if there's any offensiveness or anything to it.

[lolitaninja]

Here's my conundrum: I have this idea for a character but I just can't think of a story for him! I want it to be a sci-fi/ comedy/ mystery series and I'd like some help brainstorming ideas for themes/concepts as a jumping off point. After all, sci-fi is such a broad genre and can encompass so many things and I don't want to feel like I'm writing anything generic.

Anyway, my protagonist is a teenage science prodigy. He's eccentric, weird, and a bit of a megalomaniac. He's also quick-witted and kinda a smart-alec. He has a cute little robot companion which he built as a kid. The challenge will be making such a wacky character somehow sympathetic and relatable. But for now, I just need some ideas for concepts related to science so that I can figure out how my character develops and is shaped by events around him.

[X_Pause]

Doesn't look like anyone is online, but i'm going to post anyway and check back in.

This is my second book in a series and I seem to have written myself into a corner. Book one is out, so making changes to book one isn't exactly an option (it is, but id rather not resubmit a new manuscript just for small changes).

My problem is I have a main character who in book one, has her half brother steal the throne via outside power. A year passes between book one and two, so I need to find a reason for her to; A. Not have run away, and B. Not just kill him.

I have ideas, shes a stubborn character, so she could just be sticking around because of family pride, its her family's kingdom and she refuses to give up on it, sorta thing but not sure on why she can't just kill him. I need him to be alive till way later, so I need to stop her from having any reason. Any ideas would be helpful, I know its not a lot to go on so if you need more info or wanna ask something, go ahead. I just need to figure out why she hasn't made a move in a year.

Sorry if i'm not being detailed enough!

[Disgruntled Peony]

Shattered_Glas

Doesn't look like anyone is online, but i'm going to post anyway and check back in.

This is my second book in a series and I seem to have written myself into a corner. Book one is out, so making changes to book one isn't exactly an option (it is, but id rather not resubmit a new manuscript just for small changes).

My problem is I have a main character who in book one, has her half brother steal the throne via outside power. A year passes between book one and two, so I need to find a reason for her to; A. Not have run away, and B. Not just kill him.

I have ideas, shes a stubborn character, so she could just be sticking around because of family pride, its her family's kingdom and she refuses to give up on it, sorta thing but not sure on why she can't just kill him. I need him to be alive till way later, so I need to stop her from having any reason. Any ideas would be helpful, I know its not a lot to go on so if you need more info or wanna ask something, go ahead. I just need to figure out why she hasn't made a move in a year.

Sorry if i'm not being detailed enough!

You ask, "Why wouldn't she just kill him?"

Me, I ask, "Why would she kill him?"

Yes, her half-brother stole the throne. However, unless she has very good reasons to kill him, she probably wouldn't. Murder generally isn't taken lightly in any age, and even when someone doesn't get along with a person, one rarely wishes them dead with any earnestness. Does she really think so ill of her half-brother that she would kill him when he didn't kill her in order to assume power? (To be fair, he might have tried. I don't know.)

[Emily Maeve]

Shattered_Glas

┌

Maybe she's been hatching a plan in secret, using her place in (what I assume is) the palace to meet with high-ranking and powerful contacts, gaining power to usurp him properly? As a ruler I also assume he'd be strong himself and/or very well protected, so probably not exactly an easy assassination. If he's stronger than her (physically, politically, etc) she could have just been biding her time, perhaps waiting for him to let his guard down? Is there anything that she cares about that could be put into jeopardy if she attacks him and doesn't succeed?


Edit: Golly this thread is dead. Yikes! Good thing it's pinned so I didn't necro anything~

┘

[chuckylover9111]

Can anyone help me with my writing dilemma?

I've already written and posted the first chapter of my fic, but I'm having trouble writing chapter 2. I have a general outline, and I've even written some of the chapter, but the majority of it feels OOC and so I'm probably going to end up deleting it. I feel like the second chapter will fall flat compared to the first chapter and I don't want to disappoint my readers. crying

A basic summary of my plot is this: Mitch and Jonas are locked in the school gym together overnight.(It is implied that Mitch's friends are the ones responsible for trapping them. They are attempting to play match maker) Pretty simple right?

Well I don't know how to go about writing an decent ending. >_< How should it end? Who will discover/free the trapped boys the following school day? Should I have a teacher stumble upon them and leave subtle hints about Mitch's friends being responsible? Or should Mitch's goons rescue them and reveal their involvement? Please help.

This is the fic in question READ HERE
This is the webcomic/fandom READ HERE

[1mrah]

So I am writing about mentally ill punk kids, and need ideas for what they should do? I don't have a chapter one planned even.