Young Writers Society

Well I've decided that since there's no way school is gonna take me anywhere, I should focus on writing. Naturally, I want to attempt to write a novel, but my attempts at this never end well. Anyway, the point is that I'll get over my lack of motivationby myself, I just want to run a plot detail by anyone that may be kind enough to read this. I don't think I'll be able to just explain the plot, so I have to drag you into the mentality of it.

Since I first read the Lord of the Rings series (4 years ago), I was greatly interested in the Elves of Lothlorien (it's ok if you are unfamiliar with these great folk). I loved the idea of them being in complete harmony with their environment and how they were able to use it to an extreme advantage in warfare. The whole stealth thing was also pretty cool to the mind of a 12-year-old. At that time I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I wanted to be a fantasy writer. These days I think I definately could write fantasy, but I don't really want to. I want to make write in the way of realism, but with much larger scale events going on. So I wondered how I could write about beings like the Elves of 'Lorien, but without the whole fantasy thing. Solution: An underground group of people in a city like New York. They would have the same stealth and knowledge of their surroundings (the streets) that the Elves had, but instead of the normal gangs that we see in the cities, they would be fighting on the right side of things. Think of it like a reverse mafia; having contacts everywhere in the city and knowing everything that goes on.
Now, I know I can't have a novel about the daily life of this group; they go to the shop, eat lunch, watch TV and so forth. So I though that after I set up the inner working of their organization, something has to come and force everything to go 'off the wire'. Solution: That's a surprise. Suffice to say that the stage is set for massive, underground, citywide warfare. If I can pull it off I know I'll be incredibly happy with it, but I need an outside opinion. Feel free to ask question if anything is unclear, but I'd really like to hear your thoughts.

Thanks in advance,
Luke.

That's a cool setting for a novel and all but...

Are you gonna quit school...? Cause if you are... don't. Not a good idea.

My dear, there's always the distinct possibility that the writing won't work out. I'm not saying you're a bad writer; I'm saying it's a cutthroat industry and it's not always about talent. School, cliché as this may be, will give you valuable skills. If you want it to, it can help you improve your writing; if you really want, you can even study writing in a post-secondary environment. And always always plan for the potential of writing not working out, or at least, creative writing.

You may feel school won't get you anywhere, but not having an education will get you even less of anywhere. (And I'm not saying you can't survive without a high school diploma or post-secondary education, but succeed and prosper? Slim chances.)

Your idea sounds very very neat, but it all depends on the execution. Good luck!

I agree with Icaruss and smaur. It *does* sound like a cool starting idea, and I really hope it works out for you, but you should always have a back-up plan. School will help you, whether you become a novelist or not. Not only does school help with writing - in English lessons etc. - it also keeps you up to date with current affairs, teaches you science, geography, and all kinds of things that you a) might want to write about or b) might need to know for a novel written about a different subject.

So, please, for your own sake, don't quit school. Although I have just realized you never said you were going to quit yourself, so... just make sure you take it seriously, 'kay?

Would the people in this organization be elves or humans?

And don't shut your mind completely in school. Continue on to college and stuff. High school sucks, yes, but college gets better. Besides, a little piece of paper (your college diploma) will affect your chances at being great -- or not. Our society doesn't read anymore, (think Fahrenheit 451) and, unless you know how to think critically, handle finances, and deal with people.

If you want to be a publishable writer, there are even more requirements. You have to: stay up with current events; know history; be able to advertise (yourself); know grammar inside and out (what's the point of being a writer if you can't do that?); learn to debate well; know your mythologies, legends, and religions to a point of discussing them intelligently; be aware of the literary greats; be able to write in a convincing manner.

So... lots of competition. Out of all the young writers I've dealt with, I would say two of the writers I met are publishable. It's really really tough. So chill out a bit and try to learn as much as you can.

I'm not quitting school. Whoever said something about a back up plan, this is my back-up plan. I'm sorry I mentioned it.

So please, any thoughts on the subject at hand?

P.S. Snoink: They are humans.