Jerry
Minstrel
My WIP is a dark, animal character driven story, and while I have it mapped out for the most part, scenes scattered and loose chapters hanging... I am seeking any form of advice on working through it. I am a fan of animal fantasy works such as Animal Farm and Watership Down and my story falls close to the character levels there. The Warrior series and more like that are good, but they are more for young one's, but it does help a bit. I'm seeking any words of advice in proceeding any further as I feel some things work and most not. The animals speak, some just in their head, and though it works in so many other such novels, it feels foreign to me for them to be using 'human language' as in what they would call themselves as opposed to the human given animal names, or act, or settings, etc., things like that. I tried it just as a narrated piece but I felt it needed more. The story is told from an animal's perspective, and is an allegory on the human condition set in the deep wilderness. Humans are around but very rare to the story. Strictly from the animal's pov. It's basically a mystery-thriller with animals acting as animals do in their natural habitat while trying to solve a mystery and avoid being killed. I like what I'm doing and want to continue but can use any bit of advice and wisdom on proceeding as I feel stuck in the muck of it all. Suggestions? Advice? Novels? I guess, just anything and everything you could offer or throw at me would be most appreciative. Odd request, I know... but I really need a spark of creativity badly. Many thanks writer friends.