Hi Polarbear! I'm responding even though I have a huge aversion to cold and given the few weeks of subzero Midwest weather, I'm still going to dive into your premise. :-)
for destiny is not written in stone, and this one human child's destiny is about to unfold, and only his actions can save, or destroy, all that has ever existed.[/i]
I love this hook. Enough said.
Questions: How old is he? As a woman writer, why did you decide on a female character.
The child is your story and the rest is background. Who exists around this child? Parents? Friends? Why does magic manifest in this child? Why are his powers going to be strong enough to save his planet? What upbringing did the child have? Was it happy, sad, boring, exciting? Does he connect with people? Prefer science and numbers over people? What events in the child's life made him who he is?
Is he sad most of the time? Has he overcome adversity? Is there a romantic connection in store for the character? And on and on. Take a couple big sheets of paper and draw a circle on the left side. Draw circles for anyone around him and who they are? Write in the events that occurred in his life. Then move the circle to the right, add a few years, and and again draw the people around him & who are they? How did they get there? What events happened? Then keep going with more circles to the right. When you hit where the story begins draw several lines to the right--these can be possible storylines. The more you have the more fun you're going to have. Mix those up and figure out which storylines can work together. Have a blast and be as wild and crazy as you possibly can. At least one should have a 100 lb gorilla. I mean JB had one right? (Jungle) So you don't use it, but think wild! Let your creativity go. When you have a minimum of 20 storylines? Then the fun begins.
As to world building...
long ago, when the galaxy was just starting to form, there was war between all that existed. it raged for centruries, destroying many planets and existinces. they fought for control of the Origin planet, were power in magic was immencly powerful, and whoever controlled it, controlled all. yet when they all most destroyed the planet and all exitence, they decreed that no person can touch the Origin planet, for the death of it would be the death of everything that ever existed.
I get the end of days. These kind of stories are really hot right now. (My personal favorite is still Alas Babylon. I'm not sure you could even find a copy now.)
But WHY is Origin so important? Why would touching it end everything, which is already ended right? You need something MORE than your character lives there. Use a lot of thought here. Character building is just a blast, but world building is your structure that everything else must wind around. It's the structure that everything plays upon. This isn't organic, but science. Will this be like earth? does it look like earth? Is it radically different? (A classic read for world building is Ringworld by Niven/Pourelle of something completely new and different.) Maybe you want to use a Mars environment--something you can research and paint your character into. Don't assume that a real earth like ours makes it easier, but it might be--for you.
Back to WHY is Origin important. It's not enough to say it and come up with a reason. It has to be a reason that your readers are going to care about. Really care about. Whole books are out there about how to build worlds. It's tricky and hard work, but a wonderful puzzle to put together. Again, have a blast doing this! Writing and getting your ideas down is the greatest thing in the world, Polarbear.
lthe ones that stayed on the origin planet eventually lost touch of there magic, and the Powers sent creatures there to protect the living on the planet, and to keep watch for any invaders. the protectors soon got bored, and lazy do to the treatment they received from the humans of Origin, and eventually stopped watching all together.
Again, WHY? Why did they lose their magic? What are the implications other than perhaps making them weak and helpless? Who watched the protectors?
now, evil forces are one the move again, conspiring to take back Origin once again. little do the know that one humans power is slowly starting to wake up, and gain the magic, that was lost, more powefull magic than you can imagine. but what will this human do with it? will he use it to stop the control of his beloved planet, Origin..Earth, they know call it, or will he decide to control it, and use his magic to control all that existed?[/i]
These are really great questions and as I indicated above, this is where your story begins.
Polarbear, this is cool. Have fun visualizing and firming your world and your character into something so concrete that you could walk in it with your characters. Don't forget that girls will want to read your stories too, so add a magic sidekick and let her kick a**!
Keep us posted! I'm taking a class online (I'm 56, so you never stop taking classes! writing is an ongoing forever project!) and one of the students is a 5th grade teacher and her entire class participated in that NaMo thing in Oct. 50,000 words in one month. All of them completed their word count and finished their stories. Something that I don't think I could do! It is easier though if you've already built your world, your characters, and outlined your plot line before you start writing. that doesn't mean you can't write it in your head and then write it up. In fact you will for sure. It could take all of 2010 to do that and then write it up!
Finally, you'll learn to write YOUR WAY. The above may be nonsense and not work, something else will. Keep trying until you find a method that works for you! And never stop writing or creating in your mind.
Hugs Polarbear and no I will never do a polarbear plunge into subzero weather with you!!! I'd like the photos though as I sit somewhere in the warm sun!
