Amanita
Maester
Hello,
after a bit of consideration I've decided to try and ask for your help after all. I'm not really happy with my current story at all the moment and didn't do anything for weeks now. The reason isn't writer's block I believe even though stressful real life might have played a part too, but the fact that what I've already got actually has quite a few severe and objective flaws.
The beginning is really good and I still like it, but the rest doesn't want to work out properly.
My protagonist is too passive and spends too much time being unhappy about her fate.
Generally, people are worrying about their magic way too much while some keep telling them that there's no reason to and potential readers probably don't see the reason either.
A coherent thread of suspense is missing and the protagonist has too little to do with the people endangering the world, important decisions are being made by others. There isn't enough at stake.
Sounds awful, I know. I used to simply write on but after seeing stuff with similar problems in other people's works and disliking it, I realised that doing the same myself isn't a very good option either.
I'm happy with my cultures, characters, setting and magic, but what I'm missing is a proper plot. Ahem. I'm not asking you to suggest a plot for me of course, but if you have any tipps as to how I could go on about this, I'd like to hear them.
Or do you think it might be better to abandon this, at least for a while and do something completely different? I've been working on it for four years now and I've often considered this, but never brought myself to really do it. I definitely don't want to give up on the setting but maybe I have to in case of these characters and the situations they're finding themselves in. I really don't know. My protagonist is sort of stuck in her situation, because given her upbringing and the nature of her magic reacting in any other way wouldn't really make much sense, but it doesn't really make for a gripping story this way.
after a bit of consideration I've decided to try and ask for your help after all. I'm not really happy with my current story at all the moment and didn't do anything for weeks now. The reason isn't writer's block I believe even though stressful real life might have played a part too, but the fact that what I've already got actually has quite a few severe and objective flaws.
The beginning is really good and I still like it, but the rest doesn't want to work out properly.
My protagonist is too passive and spends too much time being unhappy about her fate.
Generally, people are worrying about their magic way too much while some keep telling them that there's no reason to and potential readers probably don't see the reason either.
A coherent thread of suspense is missing and the protagonist has too little to do with the people endangering the world, important decisions are being made by others. There isn't enough at stake.
Sounds awful, I know. I used to simply write on but after seeing stuff with similar problems in other people's works and disliking it, I realised that doing the same myself isn't a very good option either.
I'm happy with my cultures, characters, setting and magic, but what I'm missing is a proper plot. Ahem. I'm not asking you to suggest a plot for me of course, but if you have any tipps as to how I could go on about this, I'd like to hear them.
Or do you think it might be better to abandon this, at least for a while and do something completely different? I've been working on it for four years now and I've often considered this, but never brought myself to really do it. I definitely don't want to give up on the setting but maybe I have to in case of these characters and the situations they're finding themselves in. I really don't know. My protagonist is sort of stuck in her situation, because given her upbringing and the nature of her magic reacting in any other way wouldn't really make much sense, but it doesn't really make for a gripping story this way.