The thread title are the names of two books that I really want to get around to writing. I don't have much other then the titles, so this is an official brainstorm thread.

I originally came up with the idea for Sidekick School first, but I think it makes more sense to write How to be a Hero first and then make Sidekick School the sequel, yes?

Premise! Everyone knows that the world needs a hero. Sometimes it needs more then one. Boys grow up with "Hero" as one of the things they can be some day. Heroes are expected to be strong, kind, brave, and capable. They're available for hire for simple jobs like guides and body guards but are also expected to do things when they need to be done, regardless of repayment. There are special rewards and grants available for exceptional and unpaid heroes.

How to be a Hero will be written in third person. The protagonist is your typical hero type, strong, silent, dark haired, studious, and not quite as confident as he seems. He's very young when he gets tangled up in a horrible adventure that threatens all his friends, his home, and his dreams. He's not old enough to have started real Hero Training and struggles with his doubts and inadequacies.

Sidekick School will be written first person from the point of view of the Hero of the previous story's best friend. After their adventure the Hero goes on to get his Hero training and is famous and all, and the MC of this story is kind of left feeling useless. He did just as much as his friend, but didn't get any of the credit. He's just not hero material. His friend (who's just a little bit too stuck up to be lovable) tells him that no hero can be truly successful without a decent companion and suggests he attend the run-down, and somewhat second rate Sidekick school. There's only one such school in the country, and he doesn't have a lot of trouble getting in and... (other then all the really hilarious stereotype lesson classroom scenes I have in mind) I have no clue what happens from there.

I'd like to go with an almost current day style world. Modern clothes, roads, governments, town, etc. But middle age technology. Swords, horses, gold, and the like. I'm also pretty certain that my characters are all young teens.

I suppose I could actually write a third, about a female character... "Damsels in Distress".

But! What do you think? The idea is to be very funny, and to poke fun at stereotypes, but other then that I have no clue where to begin. I can't quite figure out what exactly I'm trying to write in length or target audience or anything.

I like the premise. It has a lot of potential, offering plenty of opportunities for comedy, action, character development, and life lessons. The mix of current and middle age technology sounds neat.

It would probably work best aimed at teen readers, in which case the ideal length would be around 50,000 words or more, but it could also work for younger readers or adults.

Just curious here. Have you heard of the movie "Sky High"?

That's what I was thinking too, Willow.

I loved the hero and sidekick premise when I watched the movie Sky High. So long as you can break away from what that movie has already shown and established, I think this plan has a lot of potential.

Never heard of it before. *is now curious*

I'd watch it before you start writing.

Actually, write what you have in your head FIRST. And then compare it to the movie and if it's too similar tweak it. But you wouldn't want the movie to sneak into your mind. I know Lord of the Rings wrecked my fantasy writing for the first while after I watched it.

*chuckles * Well that could work too.

By the way, Katie, I love your built in sequel.

What, Damsels in Distress?

I guess I'll go watch Sky High then. The Trailer was... interesting.

My sister wrote a instruction guide called "how to be a heroine in 20 easy steps"
I should get her to let me post it.

I really like this idea. I would gear it around teen/young adult readers, since that seems to be the right target audience age.

I would have length be 30,000 words-70,000 words. Thirty thousand words is somewhere around 70-75 pages long.

This is an amazing idea. There are so many things you could do with it, especially when it comes to the characters. When you get around to writing it, I would love to read it!

It does have a somewhat similar premise to Sky High, but not close enough for it to be a problem, especially since you could take it in a totally different direction than the movie. (As a side note, I loved that movie when it first came out. I think I was close to 12.)

I'll just agree with everyone else on the target age; it strikes me as a young teen book. I probably wouldn't make it any shorter than 50,000 words, though.

I watched Sky High, so I'm all educated there. The biggest difference is that those are superheroes; mine are fantasy heroes. My setting will be different too, I just haven't figured out how yet.

Young teens seems to be what I want to go for. It's just a novel concept for me... That's the word count that sticks to me like glue though so we should be happy there.

Oh good. Edjamacation is good.

So you are looking at heros (fantasy knights and wizards type hero stuff) as opposed to Superheros. Got it. I somehow missed that the first time.

What types of thoughts are you having about setting?

I'm not sure. Some kind of oddly civilized fantasy world. I want an almost old west style of highway robberies, coaches and so forth. But I want swords and capes and horses and castles and princesses. And at the same time I want schools and blackboards and teachers in a near-modern sense. Actually, I think I want a world rather similar to my Cinderella story... (which I should finish...)

For instance, in a realistic fantasy world the majority of the population is the peasant class, scrabbling for a living with little time to relax. Children work all the time. But in this world the majority of the population is like middle class America; plenty of food and clothes and time for the children to play.

Same here! Tolkien stole all the great ideas I had! I tell you... I have thought up at least five ideas for books then dicovered later that they had been written! I got the first chapter done a couple of times!!!!!!!!

*nods * Yeah, that would be really different than Sky High. Sounds cool.