Hi, I'm just planning out a new novel and I'd like some suggestions to help me with the details and ideas in the story. Any Takers?
Basic Overview:
Serafina Rose Mathonwy is a 17 year old girl who is in the midst of applying to college and persuing journalism and art while dealing with high school relationships. But out of nowhere, she begins developing supernatural powers, and learns that she is the Chosen One for an alternate world called Astricka.
Her powers make her a very rare creature, that is being hunted down. Her creature was designated to rule the unseen world of Lumasis by the Seven Gods of Astricka- but Serafina doesn’t want to. All the pressure comes down on her, but she can’t take it. There are creatures after her who want her mortal soul so they can take power over the realm beyond. But how does Serafina convince the seven Gods to set her free from her designated position, fight off the creatures who are after her who are in disguise, and save a world all at once? The only way is through Keychain Magic.
Serafina must collect keys that attatch to the Patremorphis, nicknamed the “golden keychain.” Only once every key is collected can the Patremorphis fit in the great mold, a specific engraving in a underground platform located underneath Euterpolis which opens the world of Lumasis. Each key represents a gift that the Gods blessed Serafina with, and if she doesn’t go on her quest, she may die. Meanwhile, Rodsha, creature of the darkness, and his minions, the Frydemians, are searching for this “golden keychain.” All the creatures want to steal it so that they can conquer Lumasis. In order to be free from her designated destiny, Serafina must give the Patremorphis to the Gods of Astricka in order to establish that she is returning her powers rather than opening the world of Lumasis and choosing to rule it, which is far from Serafina’s intent. But if she does this, the Gods may be very angry. The only one that supports Serafina is Irvan Boltore, a God who is fighting alongside her, with Tobias, a wizard, as his messenger, also selected by him to be Serafina’s guide. Only they can convince the other Gods to set her free. Other figures that are helping Serafina are Bellatrix, a tough warrior nymph who is helping her to fight, and Tovarah Zaiya, a healer who nourishes her after battle.
The World:
Astricka is a very futuristic, magical and exotic world. The main city, Eutrapolis, has tall, rounded towers that sparkle in a sapphire color from a distance, and float in a pale lavender sky with white clouds. Inside, the buildings are highly complex and powered by a kind of natural magic that comes the salt extracted from the great sea of Crescantris, where the magical waters lie. Crescantris surrounds Astricka, and Astricka is one huge continent with many twists and turns that lies in the center. The people in Astricka are incredibly modern- even futuristic. Intelligent, quiet, and able bodied, they are built for action. The only place is isn’t that way is the Simbearian Glades, which contain people who prefer to be natural mages and meditators, called the Simbaerian monks.
Plot And Details:
Being forced to toggle back and forth between her real life and a magical world called Astricka, Serafina has to fight off attacks from supernatural creatures who basically want her powers, her life, and to destroy her mortal soul. These two worlds begin to intertwine when she meets a teenage boy named Jace Owen Karson, and everything changes. Magic and deception become her worst nightmare, and she doesn't even know who to trust.
Jace is an average teenage boy- or so it seems. He goes to school, hangs out with friends, and appears totally normal. Except for one thing. He's after Serafina. And, he knows magic exceptionally well. Working for a dark being named Rodsha, his goal is to destroy Serafina so he can enchant the minions of Astricka and find the Golden Keychain, which will link all of Serafina's powers together and unlock Lumasis, which has yet to be conquered- a world filled with immense power and vitality that he and Rodsha plan to rule. At first Serafina doesn’t know anything about Jace, until she meets Junafir, the dragon.
Irvan Boltore, one of the gods of Astricka, is defending Serafina with all his might, arguing with them to free Serafina from the position of the Chosen One, and battling them in the Sparthian Arena, the battle arena of the Gods. Tobias, a very powerful wizard in Astricka, was selected by Irvan to help Serafina, and sends a dragon named Junafir to retrieve her from the real world whenever they need her. With support from a faerie warrior named Bellatrix, a healer and magic mentor named Tovarah Zaiya, Tobias's spells and enchantments, Junafir's loyalty, and Irvan's blessings, Serafina goes on a journey to fight off the dark side and solve the mysterious locations of Astricka's Keys, and finding a way to give her position as Chosen One to someone else.
In the real world, however, Serafina has other things to deal with. Graduating from high school and hoping to become a journalist and an artist, she’s in the midst of college visits, portfolio criticisms, and not to mention, her average teenage life with her crush on Aaron Spencer Duncan, a close friend, who betrays her and goes for Heather Gloria Farrell, the blonde goody two shoes in her art class that seems to absorb all the attention.
Meanwhile, a goth girl who is curious about magic, named Hera Janine Pryce, is beginning to get suspicious of Serafina’s mysterious dissappearances and is starting to find out that she’s entering other worlds. The odd thing is that Hera is starting to like Serafina- in some odd way, which she can’t comprehend. It’s almost tough love, but Hera sometimes insults Serafina, and yet offers to help her with her situation, ending up being the only one who knows about Astricka, and offering Serafina spells and tactics to help her overcome her situation, even grow more confident as a person and know when to say “screw everybody else.” Harsh but caring, Hera becomes a friend that Serafina would have never expected to have.
While Serafina’s ex best friend, Baeya Maxine Widdler, is changing rapidly into someone who betrays her with guys and reputations, Serafina also finds support from her old friend, Astraya Brookstone, a year older than her, and in college, who gives her advice and helps her along the way in real life, unknowing of the immense struggle she is facing.
After losing Baeya, who is flirting with Aaron all the time even knowing that he’s going out with Heather, Serafina is left feeling awful. She realizes how much of a jerk Aaron is when he cheats on Heather with Baeya and then dumps Heather to have a fling with her. Meanwhile, Baeya’s “new” best friend is Jasmin Caroline Bentley, a girl who doesn’t truly befriend anyone, but throws wild parties and pretty much smokes in the bathroom.
Heartbroken over Aaron and losing Baeya, something happens to Serafina that she wouldn’t expect. While touring at a liberal arts college near Wildavon, her hometown, in a city called Westerville, she meets a boy named Gunnar Sean Ammory, and learns what it means to truly fall in love, and be accepted for who she is when no one else will. Eventually, Gunnar finds out about her journey, and after they go through a rough patch and a break in their relationship because of how much Serafina had been hiding from him which caused her not to be able to love him the same, Gunnar comes back after careful thought, and decides that he loves her too much to leave her. He helps her fight, and together they find the Patremorphis and travel to Sparth, the land of the Gods, to give the Chosen One’s position to a girl who really wants it- Hera Janine Pryce. The Gods acknowledge Hera’s potential, leaving the problem solved, and Serafina is free.
Serafina’s struggles and early powers as the Chosen One:
- has messages sent to her from the Gods, and passes out whenever this happens
- gets attacked by the Frydemians a lot
- can hear animal’s thoughts
- can talk to animals
- knows random things about people that she has no control over, sometimes blurts out, but mostly keeps secret
- visions and dreams
- knowing when something is going to happen as an instinct, and saving people from it
- can heal others and purify them intensely, clear their conscience entirely, heal them from emotional pain
- can heal other people’s physical wounds instantly when she touches them
- if she kisses someone, some of her powers rub off on them, so she learns to be very careful about it
After she learns to harness her powers with Tovara Zaiya, her mentor and healer, and Bellatrix, her warrior guide:
- can travel with her spirit, which she only uses sometimes
- the ability to freeze others in mid action
- can make objects move or float
- super speed
- the ability to morph
- time travel and manipulation
- sword fighting, battling, etc.
- opening portals
*** end of novel description
Could someone please suggest a way for the story to begin?
Also, I'm struggling with Serafina's character and voice. Any suggestions?
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