So I'm working on a fantasy series. Right now, it's looking like it'll be either 5 or 6 parts (Depending on what happens with the plot for five) I got the characters nailed down and all, and in general terms, have the plot finished (other than the very end).

Nutshell of book 1 - The good guys are trying to keep something away from the bad guy, they succeed for a while, only to blow it at the end. They despair.

Book 2, right now, is largely the good guys trying to regroup and figure out what the heck they're supposed to do, and while they get set back further and further, the bad guy gets bigger and bigger.

Now - is it a bad idea to have book II largely driven by the main character responding to circumstance, while the supporting characters are taking actions?

Not if you make it good. Isn't that what a lot of books do?

I tried writing a book once. It was a fantasy book, but a more realistic fantasy book. Everyone was down with the middle ages and magic was something that was there but not common and not every other character had a magic weapon or was a wizard. One character could do a little bit of magic and two had magic weapons. They fought a few (around 4) sorcerors. That was about it for magic. There was no elves. No trolls. Just the middle ages and a tad of mystery. I put myself and the opposite of myself who had the same name, thought the same and was a bad guy, into the book.

It was hardcore. I would have bought it in an instant. Then my computer died and I lost the whole thing. I should start writing it again when I get bored.
Good luck with yours and make backup if it's on a pc.

I've got a similar situation with magic not being very common. Most of the people who once knew how to wield it were hunted down and killed. No other races, just men.

My problem is the opening. If I could get ten pages down, I'd be able to finish the books, but I'm a freaking perfectionist, and edit as I go. Thusly, nothing I ever write is good enough.




Sad, really.

Well I couldn't think of a good way to introduce characters or a background so I did what Halflife did. Just throw everything together in an insane way and then go from there.

My begining was in an inn in South England. There was a Royal guard who kept selling homemade beer for half of what the inn keeper was selling it for. He hit up everyone who came in. He was a main character. There was the sage who could cast a few spells who blew a thief away, the guard came over and gave him a drink for it. Then I had a paladin character who was walking towards the inn. He was robbed. He kills the robbers and then gets hit with a crossbow bolt. He limps into the inn. The sage and the guard and a nordic guy rush to his aid.

Right there I have most of the characters together, no need to explain anything before the tale begins, and I can start off with the adventure right away. Then when the "good guys" start off on their adventure, they run into me and a fight insues and I lose and they question me, find out I'm not a "bad guy" and then I join with them. Presto, ready to rock and roll.

Back when I was first getting into writing, oh, about the sixth grade, I wrote a 78 page screenplay. I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Never did anything with it.

Dug it out last year, after several completed projects. Man, it was terrible. The characters were all the same. The plot was convoluted. It was like...."I would love to be Star Wars, but am not. Le sigh."

I've come a long, long way. I've told the whole story (of the books) to a few people now, and they think it's great. Just cementing some stuff before plodding foward with the writing.

So, any one else want to tell me what they think?