Story Ideas! (stupid and otherwise)

[smock]

Anyone in the same boat as me? It's only a week until November and you still don't have any ideas?

I figured we could use a massive brainstorming session to just throw out a bunch of random stuff and see if it helps us figure something out!

[smock]

Here's what I've got:

-Something involving some royal court somewhere. Pretty specific, eh? I've never written about rulers before, but I like reading about them.

-I kinda want to do something Oregon Trail related. Maybe just because I liked the game.

-Or maybe something with cowboys and prostitutes in the West.

[Deleted]

I started a story this summer in a fiction course I took but it's only eight pages long. I don't think it breaks the rules to continue it, right? I haven't mapped out the plot but it's YA dystopia but the hero is a boy and he lives in an agrarian society without electricity and is spending his last summer before he finds out what his job placement will be when all of a sudden....I'm just working on the all of a sudden part. It's sort of hard to articulate.

[Dramasailor]

smock, you could write a dramedy about two tribes of islanders. One reveres the native pigs and incorporates their flesh into their ceremonies. The other tribe disbelieves in the purity of the pig, and refuses to eat the unclean meat. Their leader is the hero of the story and leads a guerrilla campaign to end the reverence of the pig by hucking the first tribes supply of bacon into the volcano at the top of the island.

[smock]

Drama, that doesn't sound like fiction to me!

[pixy0stix]

Not the bacon!

- Alternate universe where King Henry the VIII wives band together and take over England.

- Historical figure in modern day setting. (i.e. What would King Arthur be like if found in modern society)

[Deleted]

I have an alternate history starting point involving the Tudors. I don't think I can do much with it because my grasp of Tudor history and the political world outside of it is practically none existent.

Basically, Catherine of Aragon was pregnant when Arthur kicks the bucket so Henry doesn't marry her but does play regent to her son, William. William then grows up, rules in his own right and ends up with a life that somewhat mirrors Henry VIII but with less self absorbed douchery.

Lots of wives though. Lots of wives.

[Deleted]

Oct 24, 2012 11:01:43 GMT -5 Dramasailor said:

smock, you could write a dramedy about two tribes of islanders. One reveres the native pigs and incorporates their flesh into their ceremonies. The other tribe disbelieves in the purity of the pig, and refuses to eat the unclean meat. Their leader is the hero of the story and leads a guerrilla campaign to end the reverence of the pig by hucking the first tribes supply of bacon into the volcano at the top of the island.

With a chicken army, naturally

[smock]

Habs, your story sounds awesome! Plus, if it's alternate history, how much do you have to know about actual history, right?

[Deleted]

well a good starting point would be who you think Henry would have married if he were not the heir. But I think Henry would have gone to the church, right?

So the question is more once Henry VII found himself with an infant heir whom he couldn't be sure would father another heir, what marriage would he have arranged for Henry?

[Deleted]

Oct 24, 2012 11:44:37 GMT -5 smock said:

Habs, your story sounds awesome! Plus, if it's alternate history, how much do you have to know about actual history, right?[/quote

But it has to be plausible! I'm totally married to this idea, plausibility I mean. LOL

It won't be a NaNo novel. Just the idea of creating an alternate rise of Protestantism in England would take more of my time than I have.

I'm going to go with something simpler. This is just an idea that's been bouncing around in here for a few years.

[lemondrop]

Habs, you need to prep that idea for next year then because it sounds intriguing.

[Deleted]

I keep mulling it over but I just don't feel clever enough for it. I also worry I'm putting too much modern sensibilities into it, kwim?

What I have so far is that William would have three previous wives. One likely Catholic, selected by his mother, very pious who died in childbirth. One less Catholic, less pious but still carefully selected queen material for the era who kills herself after multiple miscarriages. And one lustful little creature who diddles the help or something and ends up on the block, her two children made illegitimate outcasts, naturally.

William is hanging out all despondent about his lack of heir and feeling responsible for the deaths of his wives and such when he spies some pretty little unknown thing riding along the edge of his little morose little fucker house in the north. He plays himself off as a groom from a nearby house and they strike up a friendship.

Then she finds out he's the king and hates his face. (He's also a chronic womanizer btw as kings usual do.) So she refuses to see him any longer.

So naturally, he forced her to marry her. They deal well enough together though of course, can't reclaim the previous friendship and manage to get pregnant. The baby is stillborn which spurs internal crises for them both. He blames himself for forcing the marriage. She blames herself for being so cold to her husband and IDK what happens after that. Some kind of reconciling obviously where they fall back in love and everyone lives happily ever after.

Throw in some subplots about Catherine of Aragon constantly passive aggressively fighting with Henry's wife who will likely end up being an Anne Boleyn style character, William trying to muddle out Protestant thought, Henry possibly being in love with Catherine, IDK. Oh and then there's Christine (the fourth wife) trying to bring the daughters of the beheaded third wife into William's good graces as god only knows what will happen with the heirs and I'm not likely to give William and Christine all better babies anyway.

[Deleted]

I mean if Arthur died with an heir but Henry hadn't yet gone to the church, surely Henry VII would have arranged something for the younger son as there are no guarantees an infant will make it to the throne, much less to the be fruitful and multiply stage, right?

I don't think Henry could have gotten a dispensation for Catherine to marry Henry if the marriage to Arthur had been consummated, yes?

[smock]

Henry would be next in line after the new Arthur baby (William) right?

I'm guessing Henry would have tried to marry some rich Yorkist and plotted William's demise for decades.

(And on the dispensation: it's very possible he could have still gotten the dispensation even if the marriage had been consummated, but the marriage wouldn't make as much political sense after the birth of a new heir. Or maybe you could spin it that Henry would marry Catherine to solidify the Tudor line?)

[Deleted]

Given real Henry VIII's fear of political upheaval being one of the driving factors behind his heir obsession, I'm not sure I think that would be on his mind at all. I'm thinking he'd be obsessed with solidifying the line of succession regardless but not necessarily in his own favor.

The marriage probably wouldn't be as politically advantageous though, you are right. I don't think I need the two to be married anyway. Having poor Christine caught between Catherine of Aragon and Henry's wife, particular if Henry favors Catherine sounds much more interesting.

[smock]

I can see that, for sure, but Henry VIII's fear was an old man's fear of not having an heir (and blaming himself or at least his women troubles). As a younger guy, I think he would be itching for the power, particularly if he was named the next in line after Arthur's death but before Catherine's pregnancy became known. I'm seeing him as the type to sow doubts about William's paternity behind the scenes, even as he agrees to serve as his regent.

[Deleted]

Well, I wasn't gonna kill Arthur off until later anyway.

And I didn't think Henry's fear was an old man fear as much of a product of the instability of the war of the roses and the hot mess that was the Tudor rise to power.

[smock]

Ahhhh, yeah, if the heir is born before Arthur dies, then I can see why Henry would have to get in line.

And you're totally right that as only the second Tudor monarch Henry was fucking terrified of what would happen if he couldn't pop our a good heir. For sure. I'm just thinking that as a younger guy, when he thought he had all the time in the world to get a heir, he was a lot more obsessed with power. Because he sure used the creation of the Anglican church to seize the wealth and land of the church in England for himself.

[Deleted]

He did, yes but that was well after he was all WHY DON'T THIS BITCH GOT BABIES! lol

Well more like after he blew threw the shitton of money Henry VII left his ass trying to show up that rat bastard Francis. (It might not have been Francis but you know, the king of France. lol)

I think had he not been king and whiling away good money on stupid ass campaigns, he'd be less inclined to play robber baron with the Catholic church.

However, these are all excellent points because what the fuck is William going to do with France? What would Henry have done as regent? How much influence would Catherine have had on William because Catherine came from a bad ass family and was pretty bad ass in her own right the few times she was permitted to leave temp taking and ovulation predicting for a few.

So maybe I should let either Henry VII or Arthur kick around for a while before allowing Henry to play whose dick is bigger with France.

[Deleted]

So I can still send Henry to the church and then recall his ass if necessary?

I suppose if I do that, he doesn't get a protestant leaning wife to offend Catherine's delicate staunchy Catholic sensibilities. I wonder if Catherine would have wanted to marry Henry had she consummated the marriage to Arthur.

Things that make you go hmmm

[smock]

I don't think Catherine was very excited to marry Henry in the first place, right? He was a lot younger than her (like 11 when Arthur died I think) and I'm guessing she wasn't thrilled to be stuck in dreary England in the first place.

Now I feel really invested in you writing this story, Habs!

[Deleted]

Actually, no one really wanted Catherine to marry Henry. Certainly not Henry or Catherine. Henry VII was trying to figure out a way to keep Catherine's dowry so he kept her hanging on. Henry was still just the Prince of Wales and off doing Prince of Wales shit.

Catherine got to sit around and be the poor relation while under her governess or whatever she was's watchful insanely Catholic eye, dodge letters from her mother, and general be a poor relation wearing too small, out of style clothes and wandering the drafty halls. So after being lonely, isolated and in limbo, Henry comes around now and then and is really good looking and nice to her. I think he even got her a new dress or something. Catherine eventually fell and fell hard and was pretty devoted to him for all eternity, even after it was clear he was an asshat who was diddling everyone else and was getting rid of her.

Henry VII proposed the marriage occasionally but never really went forward with it, eventually putting the kibosh on the idea for good.

As soon as he kicked the bucket, fresh Henry VIII married Catherine.

[loveday]

You are brave for taking on historical fiction. I don't think I could do it! After being subjected to years and years of the UK's 1,000 year old history I've had enough lol.

[Deleted]

I have one.

A woman loses her husband in a tragic accident. She decides to move herself to New York City (or another big city). She lands a dream job working as a data analyst for the Federal government. She decided to bike/walk to work and a FBI agent notices her one day. He comes up to her and attempts to woo her.

[flamingeaux]

I'm working out a zombie attack on a shopping center on black friday.

[roselis]

Im working out an idea for a fantasy story set in modern day Cincinnati.
Girl has the ability to go between the mortal plan and the astral plane. Her job is to keep the demons from harming humans. She finds more like her along the way. I'm finding a way to work in Dec 21 2012 in there too

[aliceinfairyland]

I have no ideas. *sigh*

[verycontrary247]

I *think* I might try my hand at some kind of paranormal romance lol. Vampires? Shifters? Demons? I don't know which one, but I'll figure it out.