What do you want in my book?

[heroscapenoobs]

A couple of friends and I are thinking about writing a 4 book series. We are each going to write 1 book and then work together on the last one. I was wondering what types of things you guys might like to see in a 4 book series. I will be happy to hear anything accept how you think the series should end, because we have already thought up a basic idea for it.



Here are our ideas so far:

• Setting in medival times.
• Main hero a knight, some sort of non knight partner, and early to mid first book rescue somebody who helps them out throughout the rest of the books.
• evil sorceress enemy

Please, we really want these books to be good enough that people will read them, what other things should we put in them?

[Onacara]

If you are writing 4 books...why not make it about 3 main characters...each of you write 1 book about how that character got to the same certain point...and the final book will be about the adventure they have together.

[TurtleKing99]

have a scene where they all play heroscape

[Onacara]

Originally Posted by TurtleKing99

have a scene where they all play heroscape

Right because they had Heroscape in Medieval Times.

[SpartanNinja]

Originally Posted by Onacara

If you are writing 4 books...why not make it about 3 main characters...each of you write 1 book about how that character got to the same certain point...and the final book will be about the adventure they have together.

I was just going to say this (when I read the first post), but seeing as Onacara beat me to it, I'll just say that Onacara has had an amazing idea that you could definitely try out. That way everyone can develop their character in their own way and not have to worry about destroying anybody else's.

[TurtleKing99]

Originally Posted by Onacara

Right because they had Heroscape in Medieval Times.

yes, medieval Heroscape

[heroscapenoobs]

Thanks guys. I might use the seperate books idea. It sounds like it might work pretty well. I probably won't have a scene where they play heroscape though. Do you guys hav e any ideas as to what you might like to see in the books?

[SpartanNinja]

A surveillance doe.

[Onacara]

Pretty much the 3 prequel books should not overlap with the exception of the "Evil Sorcerer"...the 3 main charachters should have their own story...basically they know nothing of each other...at the end of each book they end up in the same tavern or something and realize they are all after the same foe.

[heroscapenoobs]

I dont think we are going to do a seperate book for each character, because of the fourth book, but what do you think about having the characters switch off telling chapters. For example the first chapter is written from the point of view of george, the second chapter by paul, and the third chapter by steve?

[AliasQTip]

As far as the HeroScape tie-in, you should do a character cameo - if WotC will let you, that is.

[Hahma]

Originally Posted by Onacara

Pretty much the 3 prequel books should not overlap with the exception of the "Evil Sorcerer"...the 3 main charachters should have their own story...basically they know nothing of each other...at the end of each book they end up in the same tavern or something and realize they are all after the same foe.

I did something like this in a book I wrote a while ago, except it wasn't over a three book series before they got to know each other. A couple characters knew each other from the onset, while others got connected in different ways. They all had some reason or tie in for them to eventually get together and fight against a common foe.

Regarding ideas for Heroscapenoobs' book, perhaps the evil sorceress could be the mother of one of the heroes. Perhaps the main characters could be enemies in their separate books and something draws them together, where there's a tension between them that over time can ease up as they learn to trust each other or learn that they aren't as different as they had always thought they were. Maybe the sorceress' magical/mystical abilities could be subtle and not over the top, but enough to give her power over her followers who are superstitious. Her true power can be in her seductiveness and/or conniving ways of getting what she wants.

I'd also suggest building depth of character so that readers care about them. Let the heroes have faults that make them out to be not so perfect and let the evil sorceress and/or some of her main followers have some redeeming traits that perhaps lets the readers see their side of things or that they're not as bad as viewed from afar or as suggested by the heroes.

Good luck.