NaNoWriMo is in full swing. A month full of writers summoning forth characters from the endless worlds that occupy their imaginations. Lives are created. They begin and end with the stroke of a pen or press of a letter on a keyboard. Worlds are created and environments come into being. There are adventures to be had and enemies to be defeated. Broad fields of story and plot lay before the creative mind.
There are any number of obstacles that must be hurdled when writing a story, whether it be a short read or a multi-chapter novel. How do you define characters and give each of them a unique voice? How do you choose a time period for your story and how does it affect the plot and lives of the characters? Do you reveal histories at the beginning of the story, in little pieces as the story moves along, or leave some mystery for later stories? How do you get the proper impact of various events across to the reader so it effects them the same way it effects you as you write?
One of the biggest challenges for me is writing just one story at a time. Over my lifetime I have been struck by the thought of many ideas that would make good stories to tell. Some of them are similar enough that they can be molded into one story. Others are so vastly different they must each have their own tale.
For my current NaNoWriMo attempt I am writing a sequel to my first published book. There are story elements I have been wanting to use in these and other sci-fi stories. Relationships to develop, locations to discover, and things to happen in general. Also taking up space in my mind is a story that comes from a world of magic and spells more than one of spaceships and lasers. In order to clear out some of the extra clutter, I'm going to put some of the opening of the fantasy story here. Maybe it will be my 2015 NaNoWriMo novel.
A robed figure slowly moves through a dark cavern. The only source of light is a gentle glow from a large crystal in the center of the room. The figure's features are hidden under the shadows of a deep hood. He walks with a tall staff clutched in one aged hand. Ancient runes seem to glow up and down the staff, reflecting the clear light from the crystal. As he walks by the crystal, he reaches out his other gnarled hand to caress it as one would a longtime lover. His voice, despite being as rough as a poorly maintained gravel road, clearly carried a degree of affection. He speaks with certainty and conviction to the otherwise empty space.
"It is nearly time for us to rise again. For centuries you have been building your reserves, growing in power, collecting the raw energy of life itself. The eight recipients have been selected. When the time is right they will be given access to you in order to bring about a new age. They will be the beginning of real power returning to this world. Power that is based on strength of mind and will instead of simple brute force and conniving manipulation. Power the use of which can drain the user for a short time or eternally, depending on how it used.
"The chosen eight will gather others together and teach them to use this power. Its use will quickly spread around the world. Some will have a great talent and use their power for great things, others will only be capable of impressing small audiences with their simple flashes of skill. Like other powers humanity has come across, some will use it for the betterment of those around them and others will use it only for themselves. Some will us it for good, others for purely evil purposes.
"The power you have inside you was used many centuries ago. Now it will be used again. Magic will rise again on the Earth. The modern age of electronics and technology will see the return of sorcery and magic. Spellbooks will take their place alongside e-readers. Teleportation will join driving and flying as a method of personal transportation. The Digital Age will give way to The Age of Power"
The crystal's glow shifted as the man spoke. It gives off a bright flash of light that fills the cavern as the man slowly ends his caress and removes his hand from the crystal. He raises the staff and speaks an ancient word. The robed figure vanishes from the cavern with no sign he was ever there.
With that piece of story out of the way, I have more room in my mind for my current tale.
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