Yes, the big reveal. I've been mentioning this project off and on for a while now. I hadn't intended to post anything for a while, but I need some accountability and motivation to stick with it until it's done. (For those who like, there's an entire cache of atomic super-pokers on HWSF.)
This is my main project I'm trying to focus on. Unfortunately, Xedagh Milkanin is glaring at me from behind his helmet, and I have a vague idea for a sweeping dieselpunk epic. (Use those atomic super-pokers, people! I didn't share the cache for fun.) It's a complicated one too, because dreams don't follow logic or physics, and that's basically what the story is. A big dream that actually happened. I also want to have a variety of mythic and legendary heroes as supporting characters. Two words I'd use to describe the feel I want are ethereal and gritty.

Logline: A cowardly teen awakes in the dying dreamworld and learns the girl he loves is trapped in the castle of the shadowy Overseer, but he must defeat his cowardice to duel the Overseer's champion for her fate.

1 Paragraph Summary:
James fears pain of any sort, and he is in love with Anastasia, who suffers from depression and self-destructive behavior. She's in a car accident and ends up in a coma. Since James wasn't able to help her in her struggle because he feared rejection and the pain it brings. Due to an accident from clumsiness, he ends up in a coma as well. (Actually, it's more of a divine initiative.) He wakes up in the dreamworld shared by all humans and learns Anastasia is trapped in the Overseer's castle. With the help of a group of rebel warriors, James sets out on a quest to grow into the man he needs to be to rescue her.

So, yeah. I've got a bunch more development pages, but a lot of it is just rambling and I don't want to type it all up, plus a good start on James' fractal. I'll probably start snowflaking at some point, so I'll post those here as well.

Thoughts? Comments?

What is the dreamworld?

Why in the WORLD does he have an interest in Anastasia if she's got so much baggage, and he has such an aversion to pain?

Who is the Overseer and why is he interested in capturing Ana?

The dreamworld is like the collective unconscious theory taken to an extreme. When people dream, or go unconscious, they wake up there, and a dream is like watching themselves in the dreamworld.

He loved her before she got depression, which I'm thinking was triggered by the death of her grandmother whom she was very close to. She also treated him like a normal person worth getting to know when they first met.
James also has a boatload of baggage himself.

The Overseer is actually a Teleporter whom Lyrianur placed in charge of the Dreamworld. He actually didn't capture her, his captain (Who's basically taken over running because he's part of the dreamworld and the dreamworld is, well, out of control) did. It's supposed to be a plot-twist.

I didn't have time to post this the first time, but here's the current first draft in its entirety.

"No, James, let me explain. They are all mighty heroes. Mighty warriors. Strong of arm and bold of heart. But that's not what makes them strong. It is... what they represent. They ideals they embody. Their strength wanes with the strength of the ideals. That is why you are so important. Your belief, or your idealism, makes them strong, as does the belief of all who share them. Ideals, not attributes. Nobility. Honor. Courage. Gentleness. Never let your belief in all things noble and good die. For then, defeat will be inevitable, for we will lose what strength we have left."

I'm going to be trying to condense all the development and figure out what's important and post it this week.

It sounds like it has a lot of potential, particularly this:

Thanks.

*loves this project* How's this coming?

Moderately all right. I'm co-writing a novella for a summer contest so that's been taking precedence.

*nods* Makes sense.

Yeah.

Here's the Gdoc for James' character fractal.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XNX ... pyZ_E/edit

Here's the world overview.

viewtopic.php?f=53&t=6892

Sounds really amazing, Varon!

Thanks, Renna. (Or does JJ work?) I've been working on it for a while.

You can call me Renna or JJ. It doesn't matter.

Well, it sounds really good. ^.^

Cool.

Thanks.

James' fractal has been updated.

Awesome! *goes to read*

Cool.

And James also has a fractal thread the info in a thread. It can be found here:
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=7441

I'm getting close to the fractal, and then I'm not sure if I should go to Anastasia's fractal or the plot building. Any thoughts on that subject?

The good news is I believe I have figured the ending out. The bad is that it will be painful.
Actually, that's two bits of good news.

Now I just have to decide whether or not to tell Anastasia's story afterwards or not.

You mean she doesn't die?

Yes, and no.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ffp ... U6uMs/edit

Here's a test scene I wrote to try and get a feel for what writing the actual book would feel like, and to figure out where the hard parts would be.

Which, I did. The way James talks in the scene is wrong, so I have to back and rewrite that from a more idealistic perspective. So, I need to fix that. I also have a few spelling errors.

But really, this was just a way to actually write some fiction instead of development stuff.

I've completed James' fractal. I just need to get the last bits typed up, and I've started working on Anastasia's fractal.

The Newness: A Long Awaited Update

I've started the draft. I realized if I kept in pre-drafting, I'd never leave so I've taken the plunge and started the draft.

It's been a rough start.