The Nameless Novel: Vote for a beginning!

So I've had this idea for a novel since, like, third grade, But every time I try to start it, I get Writer's Block. >.<

So this is where you lovely YWSers step in. I have a list below of possible ideas for starting it, and it's up to YOU to decide which one you like the best!

Just so you know something about the book:
It's Fantasy, and the setting is another world called The Kingdom Of Rain. Ayra, the main character, does not start there, but - I have to get her there somehow. She is not aware of the kingdom until she arrives, and when she does, she doesn't remember it.
I think I'll make her become aware of the kingdom when the masking charm (something her mother put on her when she was an infant) starts to wear off. Basically, her hair starts to turn black and her eyes turn amber-ish. Also, she might notice things she never did before.

P.s. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions or if you need me to clarify! I'll be making this my writing log type-thing once I start posting the story on YWS.

Idea #1: She would start to be sick as the masking charm wears off - feverish, seeing things that aren't there. Maybe she'd be walking home from school when she suddenly becomes dizzy and has to sit down or something, and then the charm would wear off completely. She would look like what she really is: an Elkari. (A race from the Kingdom.)

Idea #2: Someone from the Kingdom (maybe Aurora, a mage) would come to get her. That someone would arrive from the forest and take Ayra with her... back into the kingdom. (I think this one is pretty lame.)

Idea #3: She would be having a dream about the Kingdom (doesn't matter what dream) and then when she woke up, she would be there. (This one' lame too.)

And if you guys have any suggestions, please let me know!

Cheers,
Camille

I voted the last one because I think you should combine all three together. Something like this:

Girl has a dream of the Kingdom. It seems so real; and then she wakes up. During the day, she tries to ignore the people around her who have suddenly appeared from the Kingdom. She believes that she is just seeing things from her dream.

Then someone comes to get her, and so on.

Spiffy, huh?

BBB

#3 is unique but I don't think it works, and #2 is cliché-ish.

So, we're left with #1, which could actually work? I think you should have her changes happen over time though, or have it be explained that it happened over time, slowly, her hair turned black, and what not.

The only thing I can say is keep this in mind: a beginning must hook your reader, make them care about the character, and present the stories main conflict. Sometimes you can get away without having the conflict (or any conflict) right at the beginning, but I highly suggest it. It's common among current writing, and it's sort of the accepted (and expected) way of things. You have to be darn good to not do that, or have a really interesting narrator/character. But even then, you need some problem. Some reason for the reader to continue.

If it helps, ask yourself this when you think of your beginnings: "Will me reader want to know more after they read this? Yes? No? Why?"


Good luck! Novels are scary.

That is indeed spiffy!
Thanks for the suggestion, BBB! I really like that idea - I think I'll keep the poll for a while longer though, to get more opinions before I start writing.

Cheers,
Camille

P.s. In case anyone is interested, here is part of the prologue.

[EDIT]
Thank-you Suzanne! That does help. I think I'll write several beginnings tonight, re-read them, and ask myself those questions.

.:UPDATE:.

I wrote a beginning last night. It starts with her weird dream, and then the wakes up feeling feverish with cramps and everything, and that's as far as I've gotten. =p But I'm thinking maybe having someone at school notice how her hair is darker, and it gets darker after school. She goes to her room and lies, telling her parents that she dyed it without their permission, because she doesn't think hey would believe that her hair would just turn black. Then overnight something else would happen... once I'm done Chapter One, maybe I'll put it on YWS?

Cheers,
Camille

Ayra wrote:.:UPDATE:.

I wrote a beginning last night. It starts with her weird dream, and then the wakes up feeling feverish with cramps and everything, and that's as far as I've gotten. =p But I'm thinking maybe having someone at school notice how her hair is darker, and it gets darker after school. She goes to her room and lies, telling her parents that she dyed it without their permission, because she doesn't think hey would believe that her hair would just turn black. Then overnight something else would happen... once I'm done Chapter One, maybe I'll put it on YWS?

Cheers,
Camille

Ayra, don't you think starting off with a dream as being somewhat a cliche? If you start off with a bad dream, won't it be obvious to the reader that something bad is going to happen? You've also followed the dream with changes, which just further expands on the predictability of the plot and the cliche.

What I suggest is actually getting straight into the story while keeping things interesting and not so easy to predict in a well thought out way. With a plot like yours, I think starting your fantasy off in a quick yet thought provoking manner is the best approach.

The title sounds interesting. I look forward to see what "The Kingdom of Rain" is all about.

What I suggest is actually getting straight into the story while keeping things interesting and not so easy to predict in a well thought out way. With a plot like yours, I think starting your fantasy off in a quick yet thought provoking manner is the best approach.

I agree.

You're trying. Beginnings are really difficult parts. My rough draft started with a dream, and the only reason that worked well is because it isn't the usual way people write that their characters are having dreams. Stuff happened like it was a real event, and then he woke up, and the transition I loved--we heard his housemaid's voices from the guy in his dream. Now, it's a really great scene but I now know it is not a really great beginning scene. They don't know enough about certain characters yet for it to really matter--which may not be your problem. Dreams are cliché and difficult to start with.

I'm not sure how you could suddenly start--but you need to suddenly start. If you've read the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe [and I do not remember exactly how it starts, but the example serves its purpose] they started before going into the wardrobe, and spent a while explaining where they were going and who they were and blah blah. That worked. It doesn't really catch readers anymore. Think of the movies in theaters--we want action, we want conflict, we want a reason to continue. Which I've already said above. I'm just trying to pound it in your again. ^^;

Bla, you guys are both right. I've scrapped my beginning, but I might keep the dream she has for later... hehe, I kind of like it. She's standing knee-deep in water she can't feel, and there's spider-webs stretching over the surface, and the moon is pale and ghostly, and shards of glass are raining down around her like falling stars...

Anyways. :}

But how could I suddenly start? I have big issues with starting books (even short stories) and even more trouble with opening sentences... meh. This is so hard.

Actually, I do have an idea. Since the name of the 'other world' is 'The Kingdom Of Rain', I could have her outside, with rain falling... but the rain looks gold (Maybe just the streetlights, she wold think) because gold rain symbolizes the passageways between the worlds. And when it falls on her, it washes away her mask thingamabob.

Thank you both for your help,
Camille

I think I like the first one. It seems like it would have some drama and maybe once you develop the character enough we would be worried for her and get drawn in.

Actually now that I have though about it... That idea might just be a little bit cliched.
You know in the twilight books how Jacob goes through something like that when he is changing into a werewolf... It just doesn't seem very original... If you knows what I mean. Its the best out of the 3 though XD

I voted for #1, because I liked it better than the others, and I think it's a good base to work from.

Ayra wrote:Actually, I do have an idea. Since the name of the 'other world' is 'The Kingdom Of Rain', I could have her outside, with rain falling... but the rain looks gold (Maybe just the streetlights, she wold think) because gold rain symbolizes the passageways between the worlds. And when it falls on her, it washes away her mask thingamabob.

That sounds like an interesting idea.

Here's my idea:

It could be her 13th (or whenever you want the charm to wear off) birthday. She could be at school and keep seeing the Kingdom superimposed (so to speak) on the classroom. She would be drifting, watching how her teacher was dressed strangely and had oddly colored skin (or whatever), and that outside the rain was golden. The Kingdom would slowly become a stronger image than the real world, until she gets shaken "awake" by her teacher. Then when she's walking back from school in the rain, she closes her umbrella and gets soaked in the golden water. Maybe once she's drenched could be when she gets "transported" (so to speak) to the other world?

Meh. That sounded lame. Just some ideas.

Hope this helps...

Good-luck!
~Azila~

*is depressed*
my prologue starts with a dream...

Ayra: I liked your first idea. It's unique and clever. It would still work just as well if you ditched the dream idea and just started it with her going to school and feeling sick and feverish.

Hmmmm. Ok, having read Holly Black's book Tithe, your first idea seems used to me (in the book the girl is a changeling and the only reason she doesn't know is a powerful charm makes her seem human, until it ends up being removed). =P And the getting there through a dream is also very cliche. As for the second, it might seem lame but it all depends on presentation. That applies to all three of them.

Hmm. I guess the question is: what is the conflict? That efects how you can start it.

Idea: Maybe it's summer and she and her friends/family have gone to the lake. While she is out there, it suddenly starts raining. Then either I'd have her 'washed away' by the rains, or maybe have something come through the rain. Or something like that. Maybe have it that the bad guy (there is a bad guy, right?) is trying to get her too? Maybe she even ends up starting off with the bad guys, not knowing he/she is bad. <Officially, methinks this idea is kind of boring. Maybe you can make something of it though. =P

Or something.

But actually any of your first three ideas could work if you can find a way of making them original. However I wouldn't recommend the dream one, it's very cliche and would be hard to make original. =P

Thank-you all so much! I didn't think my topic would get this much attention, but I'm overjoyed that it did!

Gwenevire >> Why does everyone always compare everything to twilight? But I really appreciate your advice.

Azila >> Thank-you! I really like the idea you've suggested - maybe I'll write a draft following that plot line tonight?

lyrical_sunshine >> Aww, don't feel bad! Besides, I know what the dream is and it's very original; don't worry. You can definitely get away with it, seeing as it doesn't appear scary until the end. Anyways, thank you for your input!

Sleeping Valor >> (By the way, congrats on becoming a Greeter) Thank-you so much for the advice! I love the idea you've come up with, and actually... I really think it would work for my book. Hhm... yes! THANK-YOU!


Anyways, thank-you all so much!

- Camillle

Ayra wrote:
lyrical_sunshine >> Aww, don't feel bad! Besides, I know what the dream is and it's very original; don't worry. You can definitely get away with it, seeing as it doesn't appear scary until the end. Anyways, thank you for your input!

- Camillle

:D :D :D :D :D

Ayra remembered my story! YAY!!!
anyway, as for input, i still like idea #1 - it could be cliche, but anything can be cliche if you let it. just keep the focus on your characters and your conflict and it will be GRRRRREAT!!! (like Tony the tiger)

Hehe, thanks! =]

.:UPDATE:.

I've been kind of busy, so I haven't gotten more than a few paragraphs down for Sleeping Valor's idea. I'm thinking that her transformation (or whatever you want to call it) should have something to do with the lake... maybe she could find a gateway to the Kingdom underwater? By the lake? Something like that anyways. =_=

I had another idea too. It's probably clichéd, but I'll post it nonetheless:
She would find a letter addressed to her parents (she could be home alone and find it somewhere in the house, hidden) and it would be kind of strange... made of odd paper and such. She would read it, and think it was some kind of joke, until something would happen...

Well, my time's up! Thank-you all for your help.

Cheers,
Camille