nanowrimo_lj | Weekly Plot Help

Okay, so, I have this novel. It's set during an alternate history version of World War I in an Earth where magic, demons, etc. are very much real and fairly accepted in Europe at least. Right now, I'm stuck during the first winter of the war. The protagonists (Germans) are trying to launch an offensive against the antagonists (Iberians in the novel, equivalent to real world Spain and Portugal). Thing is, the Iberians know their every move, so they keep getting quagmired. It's basically trench warfare.

So, the plot has stalled because they can't figure out just how the Iberians know EVERYTHING about their movements, no battles are being won, and the German leaders are sick of wasting troops in pointless attempts at advancing.

Help?

If magic is thoroughly accepted can the Iberians have a wizard/warlock/witch who with a crystal ball or some other magical incantation can see into the German's war room. When the Germans bring in their own fortune teller who can cleanse the hole in the room or even a traitor in their midst?

Is magic accepted in Iberian?
Maybe they could have a mind reader or someone with foresight?
Or, though it is a bit cliche, there could be a traitor among the Germans. Or maybe a demon posing as a soldier that died? Something like that?

Ok...here goes.

Right at the beginning of my novel, I need my two male main characters to meet.
They're both Uni students who swim every morning at the local pool. I've tried (several times) and failed to find a way to get the two of them talking either before, during or after one of the swimming sessions.
They've already had a bit of a swimming race, but never spoken.

Being a fairly socially awkward person who isn’t good at striking up conversations or meeting new people, I feel I could do with a hand here!
I suppose the question is: how do I get them talking and how do they become good friends when really the only thing they have in common is swimming?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Edited 2008-11-18 22:04 (UTC)

Same Uni? If so they are on the same swim team just sit down next to each other and chat. If they are adversaries you need to have them meet in a neutral location. Perhaps a morning swim or body board in the ocean? One of them loses the board the other one grabs it and gives it back and they start talking? Do they have sisters? Can always have one meet a sister and then have her and her brother out and she sees her new dude and intros? Just some crazy ideas :)

Perhaps they both leave the pool at the same time and end up in the showers together where one of them realises he's forgotten his shampoo/shower gel and has to ask the other to borrow his?

Or one of them gets cramp and the other helps them out?

I've tried (several times) and failed to find a way to get the two of them talking either before, during or after one of the swimming sessions.

That's because men don't talk. (This is coming from my husband, btw.) Especially in locker rooms. Particularly when wearing Speedos. Such a thing could be construed as *gasp* GAY. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Can you have them meet somewhere other than the pool? Like in the cafeteria, or at a bar, or during class? It might be easier to get them talking about something if they're away from the pool, and recognize each other from all those attempted conversations.

Exactly - the changing room conversation didn't seem at all likely to me either!
I'm toying with the idea of them meeting in the leisure centre cafe or something like that. No Speedos in sight!

I'm writing a novel in diary form. Basically, the novel is about a girl who is forced to live with her dad on his boat. He sails around the coastal cities in Mexico, and he's a drug mule for a "bad guy" named Mr. X. Mr. X doesn't like that my MC is in the picture, and has threatened to kill her if the dad doesn't remove her from the picture. She's just been beaten up by some hit-men. The main climax in the story is when my MC finds out her dad is a drug mule and they come up with a plan for getting away from Mr. X (the dad has been trying to leave the "business" but is worried about his safety as well as his daughter's safety if he does, since Mr. X won't let him quit). The last 10k or so will be basically the resolution (trying to get away but being boarded by Mr. X's hit-men, and discovering that they "broke" his boat so they are trapped. The dad's partner turns out to be an undercover cop and busts Mr. X while letting MC's dad go free... blah blah blah they move to Ireland and start a new life under new identities).

Right now I'm at 34k and I need to fill a few thousand words with "in between" plot. Once I get to the meaty part of the story, it will only be 5k-10k before I finish it. With it being in diary form, I'm having a hard time with filler, and have already had her and her boyfriend have "issues" twice. I have no idea what to write as filler that won't take too much away from the story.

Any ideas?

I was about to suggest a romantic subplot with a Mexican boy she meets in one of the coastal cities, and you can parallel her coming of age there with her realization that her Dad is not Mr. Perfect, making it a coming of age story as well as a drug thriller, but then you mentioned the boyfriend. Maybe you can ditch the boyfriend and introduce a new romantic interest, something that spurs her to think in a way she's never thought before?

I'm writing a fanfiction novel about 'Of Mice and Men'. My plot problem is rather simple, I suppose, but I guess I really fail at searching through Google.

The main characters are without jobs currently but are rather dependent on getting some, given their situation. In the late 1920s-early 1930s, what jobs could two migrant workers get (without replicating the ranch job presented in the novella itself)? And how long would the job take to be completed? Specific information about food/accomodations, such as if they're provided by the employer, are appreciated as well, but probably less important than the other two questions. Thanks in advance.

If location is relevant-- The characters are at the moment leaving Auburn, California and heading to Sacramento.

You could use things like repairing fence...which can take as long or as short a time as you need it too)...but other than that I could really give you specifics of any sort

Sadly already used that, but it's a lovely suggestion. Thanks a lot!

Ah, I wondered how that was going.

Handyman jobs, mostly. Maybe working as dishwashers in restaurants. Loading & unloading trucks/furniture/etc. I mean, most pick-up jobs like that are going to be heavy lifting, or short-term, and most probably wouldn't provide housing. But if it's summer, George & Lenny wouldn't need accommodations so much, they could very well sleep under the stars for a few nights.

Going quite poorly. xD

Dandy suggestions! Thanks very much. True, housing wasn't necessary; just curious. The first one is actually very relevant. Thanks again. :)

A random question or two...a bit late in my writing to ask, but the editor can go back and fix it later.

If you're refering to a king, would you capitlize things like "My Lord", "My Liege", "Your Majesty"?
What about if you're referring to a religious leader as "Your Grace"?
And finally...if you're referring to a specific person, such as the chamberlain (as in "the chamberlain smiled") should that be capitallized or not?

If anyone has a clue, or knows of a site where I can find it, that would be great!

http://home.gwi.net/~rdorman/frilond/bac/names.htm
There's a list if you scroll down a bit.
So, I'd say yes for the lord/liege/majesty because it's a form of address.

I'd say no for 'the chamberlain' because its description and not address. Like you wouldn't capitalize 'aunt' in 'my aunt Tilly', but you would if you were addressing her with 'Aunt Tilly!' I don't actually know, though. -_-;;

*and, you know, my point for that 'no' for the 'My aunt, Tilly' thing really only works if the comma's actually there. Sorry.

That is perfect! Just what I need! Will give the editor something else to do in December, lol! Thank you!

What do you mean we have nothing else to do? Some of us want to finish the book. :P

Hear hear!

I'm not sure if anyone can help me BUT, I find myself getting stuck a lot. I'm at 28000 words, I have plenty of plot to go as in I know upcoming scenes that need to take place, I have about 3 main plot threads that need to come together and 3 or 4 characters with copious backstories that also weave into the plot. Essentially I know what direction I need to go, but I don't know how to get from point A to point B any more. It gets to the point where my characters dive into a scene, have fun with it and when it's over I feel like they're standing around looking at me going, "That was fun, now what?"

My nano is about a dystopian fantasy where elves are losing their powers and it's set in the steampunk genre. My MC is a former airship pirate now forced to live my the city's strict rules (Imagine if Jack Sparrow had to survive in Orwell's 1984, it's kind of like that, only my MC deals with it better). Her brother is an inventor that the government is secretly watching, meanwhile she's let it slip that she might have elven abilites and the government has started following her too. Currently my MC is in a tavern seeking help from the criminal underworld in ways how to cross the city unnoticed.

My MC will eventually get caught by the government. This will happen before the climax of the story, but it's not ready yet, she's ALMOST there but not quite. It's like she needs to explore the city a little more, learn a few more legends and her brother's invention needs to be further along. BUT the problem is, her attempting to cross the city unnoticed is a perfect way for her to get caught.

Any suggestions?

BTW: This is me right now:

But I've just noticed that four of the most influential people in my MC's life all have names that start with the same leter...(Artur, his cousin; Arlan, the king he first came to serve; Arith, a seeress and his first love; and now Adrion...whom I'm not quite sure of where that relationship will go)

Artur and Arlan have been around since book 1, and now Arlan is dead. Arith was a character originally with a different name, but I never felt that name fit and she suggested this one; she was only a passing character, however, as she is likely out of his life now...at least for a very long time.

And now the newest character, Adrion...whose name I had picked randomly ages ago.

I'm wondering if I should change his name at least. I hate having too many names starting with the same letter, but I hate to get stuck on names now.

so there's two A-named characters that are still hanging around? well, as a reader, and especially if it is a long book, I find that situation confusing. particularly if the characters are not frequently mentioned, and then not explained when they are mentioned again. it kind of depends on how you write it, though, so maybe wait until you're done and see how it feels? it's definitely something to consider, though.

(crossposting from my own LJ, and hoping this is in the right place, as opposed to making a separate post)

Doing some research (instead of writing...it's a stall tactic, I know, but it's a necessary stall tactic), and I'm trying to decide which kind of tent Joe and Amanda are carrying for their camping trip in Adirondack Park (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adirondack_Park). Basically, when they set out (in probably mid to late March), the forecast was for highs in the low forties, lows in the low twenties (Fahrenheit...Celsius would be about 5 or 6 for a high, -5 or -6 for a low). No precipitation (snow or rain) but there was still some snow on the ground, especially off the trails where the sun has a hard time getting through the tree cover. (I'm totally making this part up because it fits with what I have in mind for the first part of the book, but I'm having a hard time finding out what the weather was actually like for that time frame...what little bit I've found so far seems to indicate that this is not too unbelievable).

So, anyway, I've found a couple of tents that seem likely. About the right size, not too expensive (because Joe is poor...or at least lower-middle-class background). But, since I'm not an outdoorsy type, I'm hoping someone who reads this might be more educated about this than I am and give me a good opinion.

The first is a Coleman Sundome tent (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/177-4508028-6358846?ASIN=B0009PUQNW&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B0009PUQNW|Coleman_Sundome_Tent_7x7&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B0009PUQNW&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001), 7' x 7', which retails for about US$40.

The other is a Wenzel Ponderosa Sports Dome Tent (http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=347007&kwtid=245217), 10' x 8', which retails for about US$60.

The Wenzel weighs about 11 pounds, which doesn't seem too unreasonable. The original plan (for the Becks, anyway), was about a week of trail hiking and camping, so they would have had to carry the tent, the sleeping bags (http://www.joessports.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2908297), and everything else with them, so weight would probably be a factor.

Weekly Plot Help - November 17th

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So maybe this isn't really such a big deal...

Re: So maybe this isn't really such a big deal...

Since I'm not an outdoorsman...