this is my own entry per vicarious's writing exercises challenge. comment w/ where this doesn't work for you, please--that's the whole point of this, after all.
given the popularity of j. r. r. tolkien's lord of the rings, i believe that this is the right time for another sweeping fantasy epic invoking themes of heroism and sacrifice. although it's been taken for granted in the past several decades of the fantasy genre that works should be in a series, i believe that my story particularly warrants such treatment.
the plot is a simple one on the surface: a group of four people, converted in the curious alchemy of fate into family, have a series of adventures in which they become the age's preeminent heroes. along the way, they expose an evil, devil-worshipping cult, uncover the threat of an invasion by a long-thought vanquished enemy whose influence reaches much farther than anyone dared to fear, and finally confront the malice and cruelty of a prehistoric, undying menace whose bid for power will threaten the power of the very gods.
but this isn't why the story warrants publication.
no: it warrants publication because it addresses themes near and dear to all of us--what does it mean to be a hero? what price is too high for vengeance? when suspicion and fear rule the day, how does one trust? i believe that in a post 9/11 world, these themes are of particular interest to the book-buying public. the use of narrative "leitmotifs" such as are employed in the case of the hero from the one country, while probably interesting to some, does not itself warrant your consideration, nor does the way in which i interweave homages to various pop culture and literary sources or sparkling, character-driven dialogue that also serves to advance the plot.
obviously, there are certain genre conventions and tropes in the fantasy genre: the innocent protagonist, the sage advisor, the steadfast friend, the implacable foe, temptation and the unexpected betrayal--these are present, too, of course.
yet at the same time, there are certain conventions and tropes that require skewering, and i offer these, too, such as the convention of despots seeing a threat and moving ineffectively against them, the unrealistic portrayal of all good guys as boon companions always ready to help one another, the sanitization that such protagonists invariably undergo into a mother goose-friendly, inoffensive-to-all mold. no: these are protagonists are deeply-flawed people who curse and periodically, even have sex. even the ages-old deathless enemy is deeply flawed but believable and ultimately, human.
fantasy as a distinct genre began in the 20th century with tolkien. his model was history. for a long time, that's been very, very good model to follow. but for a genre that's been mature for decades, we've been content accepting that certain things ought not to appear in this genre. these things serve to distance tales of human heroism in fantasy, and i think that it's time for us to embrace them without the cumbersome distance.
if you agree, i have six chapters i can send to show you how i think that should be done.
silverwhisper posted on Feb 27, 2007
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Comments
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polarheart said on Feb 27, 2007....
I say, show me those chapters!Ed, this proposal has all the qualities I think a publisher would like to see. I do however think that you get so passionate about what you are writing that you forget to breath!In my humble opinion I would suggest that you break your sentences more frequently and allow the reader to "take in" what you've said. You do this very well towards the end of the proposal, but in the beginning its a bit racey. Take a look at how long this sentence is:the use of narrative "leitmotifs" such as are employed in the case of the hero from the one country, while probably interesting to some, does not itself warrant your consideration, nor does the way in which i interweave homages to various pop culture and literary sources or sparkling, character-driven dialogue that also serves to advance the plot.
What you are saying here is important, but I think it loses its oomph due to the length.However, I am no expert as you know.Polar ;-) -
mom said on Feb 28, 2007....
Ed this whole concept you have here is interesting. I love the deep meaning and the parallels that a person could draw from this story. I know for me I love to be able to connect with characters or see how it is much like real life. I think this would make for some very good writing and reading. :) I do like this. -
silverwhisper said on Feb 28, 2007....
polarheart: does it show i wrote it all in one very short sitting? :D good points, and since the object is to convey things to the reader, if i hit the reader too fast w/ things, that isn't good. :>
mom: thank you! it's a story that i've had in mind in one form or another for decades so i've had ample time to insert these various meanings and stuff.
ed -
AliCat said on Mar 01, 2007....
this sounds like a great venture! -
silverwhisper said on Mar 01, 2007....
thank you, alicat. :>
ed -
VICARIOUS said on Mar 01, 2007....
Ed, very nice. This is what I meant when I proposed the assignemt. A querry letter I guess I should have said.I found it quite exciting and want to know more, however, the first comment was mirror to my thoughts. You need to change the length here and there and slow down. You will grab me more with less if you bait me correctly.But since this was a really tough assignemt I'd say this is awesome. You have me asking questions and wanting more.Very impressive.I'll try not to be so ambiguous from now. -
silverwhisper said on Mar 01, 2007....
vic: as you can see, i agree w/ polarheart's comment. it was all written very quickly, hence the breathless quality. as a rule, i try to hew more towards showing rather than telling--it's a good reminder that sometimes that's true of non-fiction as well.
ed -
frontanack said on Mar 06, 2007....
I would love to read the six chapters too. As I read the main plot, I was thinking and encounter with beings who have interstellar technology would work well into it as welll ..like, if the four were descendants of star travellors who got caught on the planet with a broken ship, or no energy source (ie ran out of petrol..gas?) and had to addapt to the physical forms present on the planet... from dinosaur age to now... and seeking rescue or help to get out of the trap. Love the proposed humanness in the charachters... brought on by roughened sexual edges. That age old feeling and need,. -
silverwhisper said on Mar 06, 2007....
frontanack: welcome to my blog and thank you for visiting!
ah, i see you're a fan of mixing genres. i'm not a fan of it although i've certainly encountered examples of it that i thought were good. yes, we yanks call petrol "gas". :> the idea of high-tech trapped in low-tech appears now & again in various parts of the fantasy genre, particularly in RPGs.
ed
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