I need some help, so I'm going to ask you some questions and I want you to answer with as much off-the-walledness as you can muster. Remember, I write paranormal. Also keep in mind, this is a YA.
Okay, a little set-up. Names and places have been changed to protect the innocent.
Daughter of the king Jane lives in Otherlandia, completely removed from neighboring Normalandia. She wants to take a trip to Normalandia to see how the beautiful and curious Normalandians live, but to take this trip, she must agree to marry Bob, the power-hungry son of another royal. If she doesn't agree to marry Bob, he'll prevent her from going on the trip by raising the issue that Jane's brother died on a trip to Normalandia.
Ultimately, Jane will meet and fall in love with a Normalandian boy, Fred. Also, the Otherlandians have magic. The Normalandians don't.
Questions:
1. What can Jane do to keep from marrying Bob?
2. What is the draw of Normalandia that Jane wants to go so badly, despite her brother's death there?
3. Let's say her brother is actually still alive in Normalandia - why would he have stayed? What nefarious forces could have kept him there?
4. How will Jane make things work with Fred when her destiny lies in the throne of Otherlandia?
Remember: Think big, no idea is too crazy, this is a paranormal YA. Go nuts!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Brainstorm With Me
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1. What can Jane do to keep from marrying Bob?
ReplyDeleteIf Jane has supernatural powers, she could cast a spell on Bob...turn him into a goat perhaps?
2. What is the draw of Normalandia that Jane wants to go so badly, despite her brother's death there?
Maybe Jane is so sick of all the terrible things that happen in Otherlandia she feels things would be better in Normalandia. Or maybe she had a dream that told her that her destiny would be found in Normalandia.
3. Let's say her brother is actually still alive in Normalandia - why would he have stayed? What nefarious forces could have kept him there?
Maybe their supernatural powers don't work in Normalandia. Maybe they need some sort of protection to go there and he didn't use it.
4. How will Jane make things work with Fred when her destiny lies in the throne of Otherlandia?
If her brother is still alive, still loves his family and wants to return, they could search for some sort of magic that would help him return so she can stay with the man she loves...who maybe just happened to help her rescue her brother from a fate worse than death--he was about to be forced to marry some hag so she could be youthful again.
Just my little thoughts...use them as you please....or not. LOL!
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. What can Jane do to keep from marrying Bob?
Well, she can somehow (maybe accidentally) figure out how to go to Normalandia without his help. Maybe just before the wedding?
2. What is the draw of Normalandia that Jane wants to go so badly, despite her brother's death there?
Why did her brother go there? Maybe she wants to find out what drew her brother?
3. Let's say her brother is actually still alive in Normalandia - why would he have stayed? What nefarious forces could have kept him there?
A girl. :)
4. How will Jane make things work with Fred when her destiny lies in the throne of Otherlandia?
Hmm... that's the choice she must make. Will she choose love like her brother or duty?
Don't know "how" but I suspect if she decides to choose duty but then Bob comes after him, she might realize her feelings are stronger than she thought.
Good luck!
. What can Jane do to keep from marrying Bob?
ReplyDelete--She can keep putting the wedding off...maybe she can "injure" herself and claim she doesn't want to wed until she's in perfect health. LOL
2. What is the draw of Normalandia that Jane wants to go so badly, despite her brother's death there?
--I like the suggestion that she wants to go there because her brother was drawn there, and it's a way to find out about him more. Or maybe there's a secret place in Normalandia where you can get wishes granted...some old, wizened gypsy who hides in Normalandia's city and is incredibly difficult to find will grant ANY wish, and maybe she wants to wish for her brother not to die (maybe to go back in time and be able to save him).
3. Let's say her brother is actually still alive in Normalandia - why would he have stayed? What nefarious forces could have kept him there?
--I bet he went to escape...or to be with someone. He probably fell in love with the wrong girl, especially since he's a nobleman, so he faked his death to get a fresh start there.
4. How will Jane make things work with Fred when her destiny lies in the throne of Otherlandia?
-She may have to use her gypsy wish to help somehow...or she'll just have to cut ties with her father. Or she'll have to merge the two kingdoms together somehow.
1. She can fake a suicide/death
ReplyDelete2. Because she is the daughter of the king, she has blue tattoos all over her body - it's the genetics of the royal line. She is fawned over constantly and no matter the sunglasses and baseball caps-EVERYONE finds out it's her. She wants to be a NOBODY. (Like Britany and the paparrazi-she has NO life and her kingdom's ENQUIRER camps out at her door)
3. No nefarious forces keeping him. The girl he likes makes a coconut custard pie he NEEDS to live. Her bananas foster is good too, but she toasts the coconut and he has to have a piece every day. And who the hell wants to go back there and be on the front pages of the gossip rags everyday anyway when he can eat coconut custard pie and be a nobody?
4. She decides to go back for the good of her people, but if FRED goes back, he'll develop a skin condition that makes him --not so handsome. He's willing if she is. And she is. She goes back, makes him her king and banishes the paparazzi.
make her brother's death the other half of the reason she wants to go. curiousity and a lifelong interest, now combined with a mystery. where is her brother? no body has ever been found. why does her father believe he's dead, when she doesn't feel it?
ReplyDeletegoing with bob has a caveat. she'll marry him IF he discovers the answer to her brother. he thinks he knows and agrees, but when she gets there, brother's not there.
brother could have either a) fallen in love and stayed and been disowned by the father who is covering up the dishonor or b) captured by bob and forced to use his magic for bob.
do normals universally know about others? if they don't the military could have him.
fred could be imbued with the royal knowledge/powers of her brother through finding his dying body/ soul stone or fred could be the secret son of a duke long lost, or she could be so disillusioned with her father she screws over her inheritance or you could leave that issue for a sequel.
Okay, this is all good. I'm getting some interesting ideas.
ReplyDeleteEva - coconut custard pie? It's like you know what my kryptonite is and you're using it against me!
1. What can Jane do to keep from marrying Bob?
ReplyDeleteBob and Fred could have some sort of contest in which the winner gets her hand. Or there could be a true love clause somewhere. O
2. What is the draw of Normalandia that Jane wants to go so badly, despite her brother's death there?
She believes he is alive.
3. Let's say her brother is actually still alive in Normalandia - why would he have stayed? What nefarious forces could have kept him there?
I agree...a girl.
4. How will Jane make things work with Fred when her destiny lies in the throne of Otherlandia?
I think that if her brother stays in normalandia, maybe Fred could decide to stay in Otherlandia
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood questions.
ReplyDelete1. She can keep from marrying Bob by running away to normalandia before the the wedding falling and when she falls in love with Fred she somehow gets him back and marryies him. Maybe she gets him back by some making a spell that merges the two lands and they rule both together.
2. Jane's brother's body was never found and she's on a quest to find out what happened to him. Before she leaves she comes up with a way to get both of them back.
3. The brother is still alive because he was somehow held captive by allies of Bob who set it all up along with his father. They want to take over all the lands and have been trying to find a way to control both, but Jane has found the way on her own first.
4. She'll make it work with Fred by finding a way to merge both lands.
That was fun! Good luck I can't wait to see how it turns out.
1. What can Jane do to keep from marrying Bob?
ReplyDeleteShe talks the King in to giving her this allowance (the trip) as a condition of her upcoming marriage. She has X-amount of time in Normaladia and once she's returned she must marry straight away!
2. What is the draw of Normalandia that Jane wants to go so badly, despite her brother's death there?
She doesn't believe that her brother is dead because they have a supernatural "bond" and it hasn't been broken by his death. So she still thinks he's alive. She plays it up as being curious.
3. Let's say her brother is actually still alive in Normalandia - why would he have stayed?
He stayed because he found his match and didn't want the King to disapprove. I just watched Wives & Daughters and it has that little twist in a very sad way.
What nefarious forces could have kept him there?
Secretly Bob knew about his life with the person in Normalandia and stripped him of his powers, preventing him the ability to return.. Bob thinks that if the brother returns he'll want the the kingdom so he binds him to the Normalandia. Your heroine can learn later that her brother is perfectly happy there giving you the hea on that part.
4. How will Jane make things work with Fred when her destiny lies in the throne of Otherlandia?
Upon returning she brings a type of vision to the King, proving how happy the brother is and thinks that Fred is apart of her destiny in Otherlandia. He was meant to rule with her. She can also prove how badly Bob behaved by stripping her brother of his powers to return and his greed. The King will see the error in it all and decide that maybe the Normalandians aren't so bad after all.
BTW for an added twist you can have Bob try to kill the King while the heroine is in the Normalandia, thus cutting her trip short and she brings Fred to help her save the King.
Coconut custard pie with a toasted sesame almond lime crust.
ReplyDelete1. If it YA maybe you should keep her from marrying Bob? How about she puts him off by saying she'll be engaged to him untill she gets her inheritance?
ReplyDelete2. How about her brother had a magic ring that is her birthright and she has to go to get it back?
3. Once she gets her inheritance she is so powerful Bob rejects her?
Here goes: (I didn't read the other answers so sorry if I duplicate)
ReplyDelete1. What can Jane do to keep from marrying Bob?
Maybe she can't do anything. maybe she marries Bob, drugs him on their wedding night and they don't consummate the union, thus giving Jane the hope she can annul the marriage after she gets back from Normalandia.
2. What is the draw of Normalandia that Jane wants to go so badly, despite her brother's death there?
Someone has told her that her brother is still alive so she has to go to check it out.
3. Let's say her brother is actually still alive in Normalandia - why would he have stayed? What nefarious forces could have kept him there?
Obviously he has amnesia. Either that, or he doesn't want to return to normalandia where he will be forced to become King (not his thing) once his father is dead.
4. How will Jane make things work with Fred when her destiny lies in the throne of Otherlandia?
she's got to make her brother come back and ascend the throne so she can be free to be a commoner in Normalandia with her precious Bob.
hope that helps some!