how to walk out the front door

[demented-tiger]

I have a great idea for a story, but I do not know how to get it started. I won’t give it all away, but basically, the hero, a seemingly normal boy, somehow revives a warrior girl frozen in time for over a thousand years. From here, the boy and the girl he woke embark on one of those globe-trotting quests to fulfill their destinies and stuff.

Now my problem is: how do I get the boy out his front door so he can revive the warrior girl in the first place?

The boy is a city boy, though not just any city boy, but the crown prince of one of the most powerful countries in the world — albeit his family’s dynasty has been stripped of most of its power in the aftermath of a democratic revolution, leaving the royal family just above poverty (I may decide to have the royal family keep their titles and office, but be more like figureheads with only nominal power and still in the lower tiers of income). This revolution occurred over a hundred years ago. The world my story takes place in has just ended its industrial period and is settling into the early modern era, similar to the 1910s, giving the young prince many modern conveniences. There really isn’t an obvious need for him to leave the comfort of his urban surroundings.

The girl’s “tomb” on the other hand, is in the countryside — specifically a sparsely populated mountainous region. I am not sure how to get the prince to this region. Because the revolution was so long ago, the royal family has had time to adjust to their reduced status, and therefore have no reason to go into physical exile. My original plot called for the boy to be pursued by the forces of evil in the guise of thugs and corrupt policemen, but I found this approach to have too many holes in it to be believable and it was more trouble than it was worth. I suppose I could have the prince be on a camping trip, but I do not know how popular camping was for urban working class families in 1910. I could really use some help and/or suggestions.

 

[Devor]

There really isn’t an obvious need for him to leave the comfort of his urban surroundings.

Sure there is. It's buried somewhere in his personality. Is he patient (hunting trip)? Adventurous (ran out on a dare)? Hot-headed (ran away from home)? Does he listen to his parents (camping with the folks) or does he listen to his peers (party in the woods, baby!)? Start typing and as you meet him on the page it should open up for you. You can always fix it later.

 

[Reaver]

The first step is always the biggest

Sounds like you have the makings of a great story. Your ideas about having him forced out into the wilderness are good...don't worry too much about believeability or plot holes...remember that you're writing fantasy fiction...not anything based in reality..that's the fun part...to get away for a while..to escape the day-to-day grind we call life. If you haven't already, check out "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell...it's a really great book that breaks down the whole process of the hero's journey.

 

[Shadoe]

You could start out with the comical. Hero is exploring the vast unused, darkened chambers in his tenement house, and falls through the floor - and, of course, through the floor below that - and the one below that, naturally. Then he slides out the window, on, say, a canvas that's hanging there for no apparent reason (still in the vast, unused, darkened chambers), and he lands in the back of this cart. Maybe it's a dung cart - you know, if you really want to get him off to a good start. But, due to the banging and thumping he got on the way out, he's blessedly unconscious. And, of course. the cart driver notices nothing (or maybe he was out scooping up dung when our hero landed). Anyway, said dung cart starts up again and it's off to the country with the lot of them. The prince wakes up in the back of this dung cart, and he's disoriented, slightly confused (you know, because of the bump on his head), and when he gets the driver to stop, the driver thinks he's crazy. So he drives off without him. The prince, all stinky and such, sees a river nearby and dives in. (Maybe someone steals his clothes at this point - depends on how much you want to torture him.) Then, clean and soggy, he figures he has to walk back to the city. Deciding this is the Whatchamacallit River, he decides to follow it back to town. Unfortunately, he has no sense of direction and he ends up completely lost, entirely alone, and... well, cold, since night is coming on and he's still pretty soggy (unless you went with the clothes-thief option, in which case he's cold because he's naked). Then, just when he's sure matters couldn't possibly get any worse, the ground gives out below him and he falls into this cave. And apparently finds a girl frozen in time for a thousand years.

 

[Terra Arkay]

Perhaps a natural disaster occurs and forces him out of his house? Maybe a solar flare thingy happens and all the electricity in the world is blanked out. I don't know, you've obviously got an intelligent mind... I'm sure you'll be able to cook up something.

 

[Sheilawisz]

The boy could simply have a fight with the rest of his family, and then he goes to the countryside seeking some days of solitude and peace unaware that he is just about to discover something wonderful =)

 

[Ghost]

I'm know this is more 1800s than 1910s, but in some older short stories I've read, moneyed young men take trips through Europe (referred to as "the Continent" because obviously Europe is the only one ). It was for different reasons: relaxation, experience, studying the cultures, socializing away from prying eyes and wagging tongues. Anyway, since your guy has lost prestige, maybe all he can afford is something cheap and local, but he wants to keep up appearances. I'm thinking a hunting trip, a visit to an out-of-the-way hot springs resort, or a general learning experience to gain independence.

I suppose it wouldn't work too well if he is truly working class rather being on the cusp of middle class or fully middle class. A working class person in a city makes me think of a factory worker, a shopboy, or something like that. Maybe he could be sent to help relatives with something? Maybe he's sick and his family sends him to the countryside for fresh air and restorative surroundings?

When I can't think think of a solution, sometimes it helps to set it aside for a few days (or weeks or months). It usually comes to me in the course of doing something else.

 

[ThinkerX]

Very simple possibility:

Because of some vaguery pertaining to his family - a threat or some such - his parents pack him off to the countryside to stay with distant cousins for a while. Said threat or whatnot later figures into the overall quest.

 

[Ravana]

Your question isn't "how," so much as "why": why should this character walk out his front door?

Maybe he hears the soul of the girl calling to him. Or he has the same dream night after night—which also gives you a possible hook to hang the history on, once he tells someone about it: "That sounds like the story of.…"

Maybe his family goes on a trip: say, to their summer/winter home, though this is less likely if they aren't particularly well off. (Though even modest nobles often ended up inheriting considerable amounts of property.) Or to visit relatives—a dying one is always good for getting otherwise sedentary people out and about, and again it can provide a convenient intro for backstory as you explain who the relative is and how they all came to be in their present situation. Maybe it isn't even "his" quest at all to begin with, and he ends up "inheriting" it at some point during the trip.

Maybe he's just bored.

If none of those work for you, have him step into a wardrobe, fall through a previously-unnoticed rabbit hole, get kidnapped by pirates and sold to gypsies. (Who, optionally, reveal to him his "true heritage" and/or saddle him with a magical Ring of Plot Devi—uh, that is, "Power.") He can stumble across the tomb trying to make his way back home.

 

[sashamerideth]

Personally, I would just start the story later. Enter the action after it has already started and leave it before it is resolved.

 

[Shadoe]

I think it's just interesting seeing all the different approaches to a single problem.

 

[Lord Darkstorm]

If they are royalty, but are poor, and they aren't in control, but there hasn't been a war in a hundred years....how are they still royalty? Doesn't the royalty collect taxes? If so, that would mean that the place they are ruling over has went downhill...if it is that bad, maybe the commoners are kicking them out of their home (which would make it easier for her to drag him along if he no longer has a home).

Just because it is fantasy doesn't stop people from being people. The basis for the situation still has to be believable. Rulers on the decline are often times thrown out by the people if they don't rule well, if they have no power, and little money, then they will eventually loose what they have. Large houses cost money to maintain, and servants don't work for free. They have to have some form of income to maintain that for any length of time.

 

[mickal1972]

Here is my 2 cents

What about having his family out at the tomb for a ceremony to honor heroes, being either her or her family buried with her. And boys being boys, he enters the tomb to check out the bodies, maybe on a dare or something. And thats when he revives her and off you are on your story.

 

[Ulutar]

I really like the sound of your story, especially the democratic revolutionesque backdrop I think Devor and Ravana said it right though, you've really got to decide what kind of a character this young man is. What would make him want to go out into the countryside, away from his city-based life and eventually stumble across this girl? Ultimately, he decides why he leaves, but you have to fill his head with the ideas that will start it all It doesn't even have to be a reason that is really out there or important and steeped in prophecy and grandeur, he could have just gone for a walk, or he could be yearning for some alone time so he can escape his insufferable parents who have done nothing but complain and argue since the collapse of their once rich and powerful status within the country.

Good luck anyhow!

 

[ChristyPeake]

Demented-Tiger --- we are in the same boat. I have a list of events that need to happen, and I'm trying to get my characters "out the door" to these points without planting info and sounding too contrived...

 

[sashamerideth]

My thing is now, start writing after the action has started. Can't remember where the really good examples were, probably on this forum.

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[Xanados]

I'm sorry but as harsh as it sounds, I feel that you need to figure this out on your own. I strongly believe in the power of the imagination in one's own mind. I don't think that anyone should ask for ideas if they want their work to be their own. If you are a writer, you should be able to conjure things like this in your head easily.

Bring on the flames, I say!

 

[sashamerideth]

I'm sorry but as harsh as it sounds, I feel that you need to figure this out on your own. I strongly believe in the power of the imagination in one's own mind. I don't think that anyone should ask for ideas if they want their work to be their own. If you are a writer, you should be able to conjure things like this in your head easily.

Bring on the flames, I say!

My flame is green with an ultraviolet corona.

Having experienced this myself, and throwing away the work, I would say the problem is... We get too attached to the backstory of our character and want to put that glorious creation out there right away for our readers to see. We may even put it in a prologue (yeah, I am a prologue hater), but we still want to have it up front.

Problem is, that probably won't hook a reader. The first sentence has to be some of our best writing, the first three paragraphs have to be among the best in the book, otherwise I don't think we will hook the agent or publisher. We won't hook readers in either. Establish the why of the story early. Maybe not the big conflict, but one big enough to interest people that are not "you".

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[Xanados]

My flame is green with an ultraviolet corona.

Having experienced this myself, and throwing away the work, I would say the problem is... We get too attached to the backstory of our character and want to put that glorious creation out there right away for our readers to see. We may even put it in a prologue (yeah, I am a prologue hater), but we still want to have it up front.

Problem is, that probably won't hook a reader. The first sentence has to be some of our best writing, the first three paragraphs have to be among the best in the book, otherwise I don't think we will hook the agent or publisher. We won't hook readers in either. Establish the why of the story early. Maybe not the big conflict, but one big enough to interest people that are not "you".

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I agree with what you are saying, but is that really aimed at me? I'm telling the guy to, basically, have more imagination :S

 

[sashamerideth]

Sort of, but whenever I had trouble getting started, and the boring first chapters I have read all have the above problem, starting the story too early. I'd suggest that is what is happening here as well, just get to the good stuff.

I agree though, get those imaginative juices flowing.

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