Need a little help.

[Link]

Ok, I've got the basic layout for two separate realms who are bitter enemies. These two kingdoms are across the river from each other and the battleground is in between, naturally. I've got 2 heroes which I kind of know. All I really know is that they are brother and sister. I have nothing else, and I was wondering if anyone had any kind of ideas about how to expand from this.

 

[Helen]

How about we don't know they're brother and sister and each is leader of the tribe.

Eventually they find out that they're related and that provokes the union between the tribes.

That's the beginning and ending. That may get you going.

 

[Anders Ämting]

What kind of brother and sister? Are they twins? Or is one older then the other, and if so which one and by how much?

 

[topazfire]

What about the rest of their family? Do they have more brothers or sisters? Are their parents in the picture? What is the social construction of the society that would make their sibling relationship so important or alternatively unimportant.

Family dynamics can be affected by all sorts of internal and external conflicts. Finding the unique or special thing about these to siblings might be your whole link to the entire plot.

(My WIP features siblings as the MC's as well - a couple of sets of siblings actually) - Good Luck!

 

[Link]

I was thinking my characters, Link and sister Mink would be together through most of the story. Their father was hanged for defying the military when he wouldn't join them. Link runs to dodge the draft and Mink comes with and Link's like "Ugh! why must she come??" They gotta be doing something or else there's no story...that's what i'm stuck on.

 

[Caged Maiden]

It sounds like you need to nail down the quest. What are the kingdoms fighting over? control of the waterway? land? power?
Who are fighting, kings? local nobles who are attacking their neighbors for territory?

Regarding the siblings, where do they live? Must they for some reason go to the other territory? For what? their father's body? revenge? sabotage?

I think you have the beginnings, but need to be asking and trying to answer some questions about the things you're going to fill pages with.

I too begin with characters that I want to write about, and I completely love doing it, without question, but by asking some of those and other similar questions, it will begin to form into a story line.

Good luck.

 

[Link]

Ok, thanks a lot.

 

[JacobMGibney]

That's all a bit vague. Could you not elaborate on some of the facts?

 

[Saigonnus]

It sounds like you need to nail down the quest. What are the kingdoms fighting over? control of the waterway? land? power?
Who are fighting, kings? local nobles who are attacking their neighbors for territory?

Background and history are a bit important in cases like this, often times they can give insight about the characters or even suggest a quest. I would ask myself a bit about the nature of the cities, why are they fighting? how long have they been fighting? what type and how many soldiers do they have? do they sit at the river and lob stones at each other?

What is the history of the main characters? Do they know they are brother and sister? What was the circumstances surrounding their seperation? Are they true brother and sister or just half? (like dad or mom had an affair) What position in society do they have (peasant, noble, knight etc.) what are their motivations?

As Caged Maiden suggested, you need to think about a "quest" or a reason for them to do what they are doing. What sets them on their path? What will the end result be? With those in place, you can formulate plot points you want to hit from beginning to end,