Gryffin_Duck Posted October 26, 2020 Posted October 26, 2020 Hello all! I'm back for Year 13 of NaNo and I'm once again writing YA fantasy. This is an idea I've had in the back of my head for a few years, merged slightly with my backstory for my current D&D character. The title is tentative at the moment. [quote]Elrie Faegwynn was never supposed to be queen. As the second child of King Eldar, that responsibility always fell squarely on her older brother, Ailmar's, shoulders. But when her father and and Ailmar are both killed in battle on the eve of Elrie's 18th birthday, Elrie finds herself thrust into the spotlight as the potential new queen of the Saemira Kingdom. Against the backdrop of two kingdoms that have been at war for generations, Elrie's ascension to the thrown is soon contested by her cousin, Sylvar, due to disabilities she's dealt with since birth. Despite never wanting it, Elrie soon realizes that she should be queen, and is ready to prove to Sylver and the rest of the Saemira Kingdom that not only can she handle it, she may be the queen the kingdom needs.[/quote] Characters! Elrie Faegwynn Eldar Faegwynn - Elrie's father and king Solanna Faegwynn - Elrie's mother Ailmar Faegwynn - Elrie's older brother (25) Kieran Faegwynn - Elrie's younger brother (16) Sylvar Faegwynn - Elrie's cousin Sage Ashbrook - Elrie's friend They're all elves, save for Sage, who is a human. More characters to come, but this is who I have now.
Gryffin_Duck Posted October 27, 2020 Author Posted October 27, 2020 Aww, yay! Thank you for the questions. 1. I've had the idea of writing a story about someone who inherits the thrown of some kingdom who has some sort of mental or physical disability and because of that someone (be it people who live in the kingdom or some distant relative) challenge their right for a while. I'm not exactly sure when or why it popped into my head. But I only thought of making it into fantasy recently because I thought it might blend well with my current D&D character, whom Elrie is loosely based on. 2. Elrie is very fun-loving, energetic, and impulsive. Growing up, her parents were strict but often gave in to whatever Elrie wanted because they felt guilty about the struggles she has. She has cerebral palsy and walks with crutches, and also has a few learning disabilities. She loves adventure and loves to always be doing something. She does not like being cooped up inside with her tutor struggling to do anything academic related. She is also a very good fighter, as her dad has trained her since she was a kid. 3. I'm most excited to write about the emotions the characters go through and the relationships between them. My D&D character has gone through a lot of trauma during the campaign and I've really enjoyed exploring all of her emotions and what she's going through. 4. The elves will be very similar to D&D high elves, as that's what I'm most familiar with. So, they'll wind up being similar to Lord of the Rings elves.
shadowycorner Posted October 27, 2020 Posted October 27, 2020 Hello! I've already mentioned over at discord how much I love this idea and your main character, going against all odds to keep what is rightfully hers. I also think it's great you've chosen a character with a disability, making her the center of the story. It's definitely something more of us authors need to do. I am super into fantasy settings, so can you describe what Saemira Kingdom is like? Also what kind of magic do the elves weave if any? Is Sylver a downright villain or more of an antagonist opposing Elrie? Being the only human character, how did Sage find herself among elves? And what is the friendship between her and Elrie like? Once again, really excited for you to write this, good luck!
Gryffin_Duck Posted October 28, 2020 Author Posted October 28, 2020 Aww, thank you!! I haven't done a whole lot of planning for Saemira Kingdom yet. I tend to do most of my world building as I write. But so far I'm thinking it's mostly a warm, temperate climate, until you get into the mountains which surround one side of the kingdom. There is magic and it'll probably be similar to Harry Potter magic since that's what I know the most about. I think it could go either way with Sylvar. Right now I see him as more of an antagonist. He's very traditional and also wants power for himself. Sage actually isn't the only human character. She's just the only human character I listed. There are a decent amount of humans living amongst the elves in Saemira. I'm toying with the idea of the elves controlling everything and the humans having no power and that being an underlying issue.
Gryffin_Duck Posted October 28, 2020 Author Posted October 28, 2020 I got a burst of inspiration last night and I'm changing up the plot a bit! Elrie Faegwynn was never supposed to be queen. Born a full five minutes after her twin brother, Kieran, that responsibility always fell squarely on his shoulders. When their father is killed in battle on the eve of their 18th birthday, Kieran is thrust into the spotlight as Saemira Kingdom's new king. But Elrie soon learns she may have been born first, something kept secret since her and Kieran's birth, which means she should inherit the kingdom instead. Against the backdrop of two kingdoms that have been at war for generations, Elrie's possible ascension to the thrown is soon contested by her cousin, Sylvar, due to disabilities she's dealt with since birth. Despite never wanting it, Elrie is ready to prove to Sylver and the rest of the Saemira Kingdom that not only can she handle it, she may be the queen the kingdom needs.
ineffable_season Posted October 29, 2020 Posted October 29, 2020 This sounds intriguing! Fantasy is always so fun to me. What is your favorite thing about writing in this genre? Do you find visual inspiration from places like Pinterest to build your worlds from or do you have another approach you use? Can you tell us why the two kingdoms have been feuding for as long as they have been? Also I love the inclusivity route you have chosen to go with Elrie having a disability. Have you given any thought to what she is living with? Is it something particular to this universe? And finally, 13 years of NaNo...wow! How many times have you completed it? What was your favorite completed project to date? Hope it was ok I just ran wild with the questions that I did. Good luck to you! Courtney
Gryffin_Duck Posted October 29, 2020 Author Posted October 29, 2020 I think I mostly like how creative it is. I can pretty much write whatever I want, so long as it's all consistent. And I love reading fantasy. I don't usually go to pinterest, but I will on occasion. The worlds just sort of pop into my head. I'm a really visual person so I see it all happening in my head like it's a movie. And then I just write it. I have! She has cerebral palsy, dyslexia, and ADHD. She's based off my current D&D character, who has those same disabilities. I've finished NaNo all 12 years, but haven't finished the actual novels each year. I hit 50K and then sort of fizzle out. I think my favorite was North of Eden, which I wrote in 2014.
magemadi Posted October 29, 2020 Posted October 29, 2020 Duckie!! Yay for NaNo-ing again as I can’t believe how many times you’ve done it! Your summary has me extremely excited for this novel of yours, especially as it pulls for some character backstory from your DnD character as that’s a super cool idea to use it like that. I have some questions for you! What’s the kingdom of Saemira like? Is it a small or large kingdom? What is its standing in the greater world? What is the significance of the main characters you’ve listed in the topic post all being elves except for Elrie’s friend Sage being a human? Do you have any other “standard” fantasy races that will be playing a role in the novel, or will you be focusing mostly on the elves? You’re going to rock it, and I can’t wait to NaNo with you!
Gryffin_Duck Posted October 29, 2020 Author Posted October 29, 2020 Madi!! I'm so glad you're excited about this. I'm super excited to write it. 1. I see it as a medium sized kingdom. There's one central city and then a bunch of smaller towns and villages scattered throughout, plus lots of unsettled land. The central city is Alenmont, which is where Elrie grew up. 2. Elrie, since she was never supposed to be the one to inherit the thrown, wasn't watched nearly as much as a child. She was able to sneak away from the castle while Kieran went through a lot more training and schooling than she did, and that's how she met Sage. I see the elves as seeing themselves as 'superior' to the humans and thus it's a little taboo that Elrie spends so much time with Sage and Sage's family. 3. Not as of right now. It'll be elves and humans, unless I get some sort of inspiration to add more as I write. I plan very little and just go with it, lol.
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