Part of me feels that this should be a warning sign I should abandon the whole idea--but I've already grown enormously attached to both the characters in the premise, and I want very much to work an appropriately epic plot using them. The only problem is, I have no idea what that should be.
I'm also finding it nigh-near-impossible to think of names, but this isn't surprising as this is an affliction I'm all too used to. How do other speculative fiction writers do it? I just can't for the life of me come up with proper names.
But without further ado...here's what I have so far: Premise, and characters.
Premise
The story takes place in the future where humanity has spread to the stars and formed an alliance of planets tenatively known as "The Coalition of Worlds", a name I felt has been used before...anyway, the "Coalition" is run mostly by "patricians", who unfortunately bear too much resemblance to Asimov's Spacers at the moment. Patricians are humans genetically engineered to be "perfect" and they dominate the elite. They don't breed by natural increase, but instead genetically engineer each and every one to be utterly perfect in every way. Of course, there are mistakes in the creation process, which will factor in the plot...
The "Coalition" as it's spread has begun to encounter the crumbling, fading remnants of a former great Galactic empire. The "natives" are too powerless now to resist continuing human encroachment, and so the humans simply consider them obstacles to sweep aside as they spread through the stars. Yes, it's meant to have shades of Manifest Destiny.
One planet in particular has proven a contentious area--a planet newly admitted into the Coalition, and already falling apart at its seams. And has yet to be named. The planet has a beautiful, dense jungle reminiscent of Southeast Asia, and is caught in the grip of anarchy and civil war, a three-way conflict between the planet's formal government, armed guerillas, and the planet's natives, more powerful than they are on any other planet. This planet's conflict is central to the "plot", whatever it is.
Characters
There are four main, narrating characters, who alternate first person narrations with widely differing styles. My hope is that if you flip to any page in the book and scan just a little bit, you should automatically be able to tell who's speaking; that's how distinct I intend to make their voices. They all contribute to the main story.
Alistair "Al" Paress is a 17, almost 18, year old patrician. He's constantly in ill health, because the geneticist working on him screwed up early in his creation--as such, Al has the ability to see glimpes of the future (I'm not sure about this; his power is subject to change), but it shortens his life every time he uses it. A bad thing, since he can't control it. Starts off idealistic, believing his benevolent patrician-hood can uplift the galaxy's poor and destitute...leading him to take his "youth tour" (a tradition where patrician youths visit planets and learn leadership skills) in the main planet that needs a name. His narration is bureaucratic and almost pompous at the beginning, but later becomes starker and more emotional.
Leera is 16, a wild girl living in the main planet's jungles. Leera makes a living hunting and foraging in the forest, and is largely content with her lot...though she does vaguely remember her family, and definitely remembers the atrocities rebel soldiers committed on them. Because of this, Leera harbors a deep, visceral hatred of the soldiers, and turns into a spitting, wild animal when confronting them--her "blood-rage", incited by strong emotions. Her narration is sharp and sparse and pointed, but also poetic in a naturalistic way. It becomes more sophisticated and descriptive as the story continues.
Kelly Byney is 8, the a poor, working-class family seeking to immigrate to another planet for work. She moves with her parents and siblings on a huge spaceship (that needs a name), together with tons of other immigrants, but the ship is waylaid by an alien attack. Kelly is fairly naive and innocent, but already she's seen more suffering than most girls her age, and is aware of the cruelty of the world. Her narration is simple and innocent and charming, but holds surprisingly sophisticated thoughts.
Jona Kegg(s) is 12. For all appearances, a normal boy living in a normal suburban district on a normal world. However, Jona is a half-breed, half-human half native, and his father has left him. As such, insensitive classmates have often teased him, something that made him closed and reticent. He does open up to a few, but not many. Intelligent and observant, with a strong sense of morals. He often interjects dry/witty observations in his narration. At first, it's more detached, but later grows much more intimate and personal. I'm unsure about whether his last name should have an "s" or not.
Those are the viewpoint characters. They all meet up eventually. I haven't thought of many other main characters. I know Dr. Nicholas Legardo, the geneticist who worked on Al and may have a connection to Jona and Leera, plays a central part in the story but since it has no plot yet I'm not sure exactly what he does. I feel he plays off and double-crosses all three sides in the conflict--the Coalition-backed government, the rebels, and the natives, for his own purposes of ending the Coalition. Other than that, I'm very nebulous.
Sorry for the long post...but I've fallen very deeply in love with the premise and the characters, and feel it's a shame (and a testament to my own limited imagination, I'm sure) that it doesn't have a plot yet. So I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on wrangling a plot from this--I'm sure to use your comments as a springboard, at the very least, for an actual plot. So fire away!
And thanking you all in advance.
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