This one is for Moonwalker, Burndtree and I as we are writing The Prisoners. The purpose of this topic is to discuss the plot and what not. The purpose of this post is to act as a reference document and pointer to everything we need as we craft our story. Please follow this topic and the character and map topics linked below.

:} Elorithryn
last updated on 2011 12 13

The Characters
Each author has one character's point of view, to be written in first person present. Additionally each character has a thread for posting draft chapters prior to adding them to the story for review and critique by your fellow authors.
Jordan (Elorithryn) - a female, spoiled teenage brat - she's run away to have some adventures, probably to avoid an arranged marriage.
Peyton (Burndtree) - a male, adventurer for hire, adult - he's a bit vain, likes wenches and bear and was hired to bring Jordan home
Riley (Moonwalker) - a scrappy senior sorceress - she was pulled from retirement to find Peyton and Jordan

The Setting
Solaris is a city state (think Venice, but with les water) I've got the basic city map down, but we still need to fill in things like street names. Please, make suggestions.

The Plot
The basic idea is that Jordan stowed away on a ship and ended up in Solaris, where adventures occurred. Peyton was then hired by Jordan's family to find her and bring her home. However, as an when that took too long, Jordan's family then hired Riley, a sorceress, to fetch Payton and Jordan. The story starts with the three of them locked in a tower with a lost memory. They'll recover their memory as they try to escape and make their way to the wharf to board the ship to Barrio, their homeland.

The Main Story Line
This is the 'true path' that we determine to be the right one for each character to accomplish the goal of the story.
Chapter 01: (J) Room Service - (P) Pretty Maid - (R) The Key
Chapter 02: (J) Scream - (P) Glaring Guards - (R) Keys Behind the Back

Alternate Path Groups
These are the path groupings chosen by 'fans' via Moonwalker's Share Our Adventure thread or via comments on the story itself.

I'm kind of thinking that if Jordan is female, then she could be running from an arranged marriage (having disguised herself as a boy). Payton could be male and annoyed that he's been sent after a rogue girl and becomes even more annoyed when a sorceress has been sent after them both (it's his reputation that's at stake). And Riley can be down right disagreeable that she's been taken from her comfy abode to chase after an upstart daughter (whom perhaps she silently cheering on) and a 'know-it-all' hired 'thug'.

What do you think?

And Amanda, do you have a preference for writing Jordan or Payton?

:} Elorithryn

*giggles* I suspected as much. I also suspect you'll have a blast with it. Now Amanda just needs to fan me so I can invite her into the group and we can find out if she's got a preference.

Hm... I could also probably post the introductory chapter.

Any comments on how I might improve my blockquote up there in relation to Author's guidance? Obviously I'll add a note who the story is for (though submitting to this group should limit who can post to it) and a link to the discussion.

Well I don't want to give too much away in the Author's Guidance *grin*

But do you mean the bit from my blog? Where I indicate how the characters's stories will entwine?

:} Elorithryn

Oh, see that's all part of the story itself and from the Word document I sent. *grin*.

But I could do something along the lines of:

So what kind of adventurer are you?
- Will you spring into action taking extreme risks?
- Think and plan it out before doing what needs to be done?
- Or will you wait to see what fate will bring your way?

I think that explains how I came up with Jordan's choices of:
Pound on the Door Calling for Room Service
Wait for Breakfast to be Served
Pry Open the Barred Window and Climb Down

And how I envision us creating the choices at the end of any bit we write.

It ought to be closed as it's a part of this group. I just added the Author's guidance (took a bit to compose it properly).

Yes we ought to discuss what's going on... I want to create that Map of Solaris so we don't get our rights and lefts mixed up.

The purpose for the First chapter - establish the age of the character, their name, what they see out of their cell window, the memory of where they come from and where they are (but not why) and lead up to three "actions" for getting out of the cell (one extreme, one more careful, and one non-action).

What I'd like to see is that it's not always cut and dry which action needs to be chosen to progress the story properly, and we might want to focus on the 'right' path before filling in some of the 'wrong' ones.

Because they start with memory loss and they need to recover their memory I'm going to start a thread so that we can unravel their past before them. *grin*

Second Person *grin* It's a Choose Your Own Adventure. Everything is from Riley's point of view as if the reader is Riley.

To take my example from Jordan:

... young, perhaps between sixteen and nineteen years of age. You have definitely been gallivanting about having adventures, if only you could remember some of them. By now the cell has begun to lighten up and you see a barred window above you. Standing on the cot and raising yourself to your tippy toes, you peak outside and view your surroundings.

I know, the not so often used Second Person (Rachael's glad it's not her I'm doing this 'experiment' with *grin*).

No Worries Amanda! The fact that you are coping with a special needs child put you high on my list of people who deserve sainthood. *grin*

Besides, I've totally ignored the need to creat a map of the city our characters are going to be galavanting around.

I'll go edit my initial post, after you answer one more question - Will Payton be Male or Female?

I'll take Jordan, of course. *grin*

It's utterly up to you. The fun part will be trying to piece together what happened prior to their memory wipe.

So... I think perhaps Jordan should be female, disguised as a male, becuase she's trying to get away from an arranged marriage or something?

Or Jordan could be male, trying to escape from following in his father's footsteps as a high ranking official (i sort of want to stay away from the over done princeling's run away if I can...)

I'll take any comments from you all on the above idea

I just really need to sit down and draw that map. It's in my head, but I can't find any good reference on-line and I"m not sure I'll be able to translate it well to paper...