Lisa Fordham
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Posts posted by Lisa Fordham
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Act of story statement:
Find the way to her kingdom, marry Merlin's descendant, and escape the werewolves.
The antagonist plots the point:
Antagonist #1
I’m not exactly sure how to write this because I have more than one antagonist. The second description was kind of hard because the antagonist has a ton of things that happened to her to make her so evil and hateful. My MC will have to face her later in the story after she marries her son.
Centuries ago, the human kingdom of Blue Haven flourished until there was a dispute between the humans and drow king Tazenlan. Out of desperation, King Tobias turned to the wizards and witches for help. Upon agreement, they studied their book of spells day and night until finally, they came up with a spell that would create guardians for the realm while everyone slept. Little did they know, these guardians would crave blood and could eventually procreate.
Several months later, a vampire named Dante and Princess Jane were found together in the stables. When brought to King Tobias, the princess told him she was carrying his grandson. King Tobias was furious about the abomination growing in her womb, and he ordered their deaths. First, he made Dante watch the princess die by beheading, and he was executed shortly afterward.
Many years later, vampire attacks were becoming more frequent, and one day, King Tobias went to the witches and wizards for help. Once again, they created another creature, calling them Lycanthropes and werewolves, or Lycans for short. They created them in hopes the vampires would go extinct.
In 1519, the Lycans found Princess Scarlett of Stone Ridge and learned her blood could make them stronger and faster and break the curse of the moon, and they could change at will.
Antagonist #2
When Princess Desdemona was a three-year-old child, a witch named Cassandra took her from her kingdom in the middle of the night. Out of spite for the girl's parents, she imprisoned the girl in her home. As she grew older, Cassandra made the girl her personal slave and kept her in the house, never allowing her outside.
When Desdemona turned ten, she tried to escape but failed. Cassandra grew angry, and out of cruelty, she cursed Desdemona that she would turn into a vampire when she came of age. When the news about the king and queen's deaths spread around the land, Cassandra gloated in front of Desdemona. She went as far as telling Desdemona she was her slave forever and the villagers would never accept her back to the kingdom because she was a monster.
Cassandra went to the forest on Desdemona's fourteenth birthday to gather supplies. Before leaving, Cassandra warned Desdemona to be present when she returned. While Cassandra was away, Desdemona found her spell book and used it to make a potion. When Cassandra returned, Desdemona was ready and threw the potion at her, which killed her. Afterward, Desdemona returned to her kingdom and found that her Aunt Eliza was the ruler of the kingdom. She introduced herself, and Eliza, after looking at her, realized that Desdemona was her long-lost niece. Eliza arranged for Desdemona's coronation and threw a grand ball, inviting noblemen and royals to meet the missing princess. Soon enough, Desdemona married the vampire Prince Stephan of Bloodstone Keep.
When she turned sixteen, the curse took effect, and Desdemona became a vampire. The royal couple had two children. Prince Sabastion and Princess Sorsha. She and the king tried for years to have more heirs but without success, and eventually, King Stephen grew tired of her and her failed pregnancies.
A few years ago, the queen discovered that the king was having an affair with a noblewoman named Lady Elizabeth. After seven months, Lady Elizabeth gave birth to her illegitimate son, around the same time as Desdemona had given birth to Prince Sebastion. The queen wished to behead Lady Elizabeth from the court for sleeping with her husband, but King Stephen disagreed. Instead, he sent Lady Elizabeth to an abandoned farm near the village, granted their son a title and lands, and provided them with financial support.
Twelve years had passed since the king went away on a hunting trip. In his absence, Prince Sabastion succumbed to a curse. The Queen urgently needed another son to secure the throne, and she remembered hearing about Lady Elizabeth's illegitimate child, who bore a striking resemblance to Sabastion.
The Queen sent her guards to accompany her to the farm where Elizabeth and the child lived. They saw little James tending to the horses and cattle as they approached the cottage while his mother tended to the chickens and collected their eggs. The Queen watched the boy from afar and couldn't believe how much he looked like Sabastion. She proceeded to the cottage, where Lady Elizabeth welcomed her, with James standing by her side.
Desdemona complimented the mother on her farm and began conversing about her son. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers, and the guards quickly dismounted and seized the boy. Desdemona told Lady Elizabeth not to say a word, or she would order her death. They took him to the castle, where Desdemona forced him to forget his real identity and mother. She replaced his true memories with false ones that she had of Sabastion's. From that moment on, little James was heir to the throne.
Conjuring your breakout title.
Centuries Mine, The Curse of the Witch
Centuries Mine, The Hybrid Princess
Centuries Mine, The Princess of Light
Deciding your genre and approaching comparables
My first comparison is The Saviors Sister written by Jenna Moreci. I compare my book to this one because the main character is a female. She must marry someone and finally finds the man she loves; however, she isn’t supposed to marry him according to her father. She has magical powers to help her realm and uses them for good only. She is a strong young woman that goes through lots of struggles to finally find out her place in life.
My second comparable is The Serpent and the Wings of Night: Crowns of Nyaxia because the main character is constantly under attack from dark forces just like my main character. She falls in love with a forbidden person, but that person can protect her and give her a safe life. She struggles against the world and must rely on unexpected circumstances and creatures for survival.
Assignment 5
Core wound and the primary conflict.
A young woman that finds out she is not human and has to struggle with her own identity and fight the dark forces after her while maintaining peace in a war-torn kingdom.
Other matters of conflict: Two more levels
Scarlett’s conflict:
Princess Scarlett was raised as a human not knowing how special she truly was or even knowing she was really a princess. She will discover the power that resides inside of her and how awesome and dangerous she truly is.
This power she discovers will cause friction between her parents and her because they did not tell her the truth. She will not be able to be with the man that she loves because she must leave the land of the humans because it is no longer safe.
The incredible importance of setting
In the world of Anglorium, medieval style realms are encased in magic, supernatural creatures, mythical beings and gods. The setting is of medieval England. The country is engulfed in fighting from every angle. Creatures are fighting for power and to rule over one another. At this time in the kingdoms there are only two types of people. You either have power or you have nothing. Disease runs amok because medicine is not very sophisticated. Most turn to magic for major ailments. Women are not educated and are viewed as only good for bearing children and working the kitchens unless you were a noblewoman then you were given an education and taught how to be a “lady”. People would travel all over the country for religious purposes and to “find themselves”. While coins were a prominent source of trade for services or goods, trade in goods was also very prominent. Finding good food is becoming scarce because the population is steadily growing, and the land used to grow crops and raise animals is shrinking. New fortifications were sprawling up across the land for castles for the nobles that actually had money. The gods walk amongst the common folk. Mythical creatures are alive and well. Supernatural creatures cause havoc across the land.
Algonkian Pre-event Narrative Enhancement Guide - Opening Hook
in Algonkian Writer Conferences - Events, FAQ, Contracts
Posted
This is what I have for the prologue so far and part of chapter one.
Prologue
Shelly sat in front of the fireplace, staring off into the orange and yellow flames that danced between the logs. Occasionally wiping the tears from her face, She sat silently, concentrating on the dancing flames. There was something about the fire that calmed and soothed her whenever she was upset. Time seemed to fade away, irrelevant to the present. The room appeared to have vanished, and the crackling sounds from the fireplace softened as she continued to stare into the fire. The dancing flames had ended, and the mantle became a blur.
"What shall we call Scarlett? Surely we can't use her real name, can we?" Natalia said in a hushed tone.
"Certainly not. We'll call her Shelly, short for Michelle. No one would ever know her real name," King Richard whispered. After roaming the village for hours, the couple finally landed a job. Richard got a job as a blacksmith, making decent money, and Queen Natalia became a seamstress. Once they saved enough money, the family moved into a home large enough to house the three of them and two of the guards. With their hectic schedule, they worked out a deal that in exchange for home and gardening chores, the guards could also dwell there with them.
There they remained, happy and comfortable for fifteen wonderful years, hidden among the mortals.
Lady Edith placed her hand on Shelly’s, “Is everything alright, Milady?”
“I’m just a little nervous, but I’m alright,” Shelly replied.
Lady Edith smiled sweetly. “There’s nothing to be nervous about, Milady. The Prince simply adores you. You know that."
The carriage came to a stop, and Shelly looked out of the window to take in the astonishing scenery that awaited her outside. The cathedral was beautiful, and the marvel of architecture, craftsmanship, and construction of this old English Tudor Gothic style was magnificent. The main entry was arched and had within it, two large doors that were arched as well. Above this entrance, was an exquisite stained-glass rose window, imported from Bloodstone Keep, all covered by a gabled roof with some lintels and sills at the ends, and topped with a cross. Enclosing this remarkable entryway were twin columns on either side that rose above the roof and were surrounded by brick piers at each corner. The footman opened the door and extended his hand to Shelly and her lady soon after. Shelly smiled and accepted his hand in return. She exited the carriage where her father, Daniel awaited her.
Daniel hugged Shelly tightly and placed a kiss on her forehead, “Sweetheart, are you ready?”
Shelly smiled in return, “I am. I have been waiting for this day for a long time. I can’t believe that it’s finally here!”
Tears of joy welled up in Daniel’s eyes, but he remained calm and extended his arm to his daughter before they entered the cathedral. The inside was far more beautiful than Shelly had expected. The entry level was fabricated using taupe concrete cinder blocks with arched windows and concrete lintels that united them with the arched entry. Gorgeous blue curtains with silver designs hung from every window and navy-blue banners with silver lions draped delicately on the concrete walls.
The guests rose from their seats and the musicians began to play their soft music as Daniel and Shelly stepped through the double doors of the church. A cascade of flowers and happy faces greeted them as Daniel walked his daughter down the aisle to meet Prince Jeremy. Upon finally arriving at the back of the church Daniel placed Shelly’s hand into Prince Jeremy’s and gave him his blessing.
“Who gives this woman to this man?” the Priest called out.
“Her father does,” Daniel replied and took a seat next to Sybil who was in the front row.
As Shelly stood at the altar to face the guests, their faces became a blur. A bit concerned there could be something wrong, she gazed towards her future husband, Prince Jeremy. A few strands of his thick black raven hair escaped under his crown and brushed against his forehead as he turned towards Shelly and took her hands into his.
“Is everything alright my love?” Prince Jeremy whispered; a bit concerned.
A sudden sadness came over Shelly as she looked out towards the guests to find two empty seats in the front row where her parents should be sitting. The only face that stood out amongst the guests was a young man, no more than maybe nineteen years of age. His dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail tied just above his shoulders, and his slightly muscular chest barely fit into his suit. The young man gazed up at Shelly with his loving dark blue eyes and gave her an encouraging smile to keep going with her vows.
As she gazed into the Prince's eyes, she felt something sharp and pointy graze the top of her toes, followed by something wet and slimy. Shelly jumped up, and wondered what that was, but shoved that thought to the side because she was about to marry the man of her dreams.
She visually imagined Prince Jeremy standing at the altar and quickly fell back to sleep. His hands slid around her waist and Shelly couldn’t help herself and gazed into his eyes and the Priest began to speak again.
As the priest spoke, Shelly felt something, nibbling, nudging, and scratching her toes. She tried her best to pay attention but to no avail. Something was at her feet, distracting her thoughts. She looked down and there was nothing there but the train of her gown.
The Priest smiled and said, “You may kiss your bride.”
Prince Jeremy’s exquisite vibrant blue eyes locked on hers as he gently wrapped his arms around her. She coiled her arms around his neck and closed her eyes as he leaned in for the kiss. His lips felt tender and warm as they met hers and he firmly but lovingly tightened his arms around her.
The guests stood and applauded after the Priest announced the royal couple as husband and wife. Prince Jeremy took Shelly's hand and they quickly ran down the aisle. The royal couple made it back to the carriage with their guests on their heels who were tossing birdseed over their heads. The footman closed the door behind them once they were inside and took his place next to the driver. The coach took hold of the reigns and commanded the horses to head towards the castle.
The churchbell tolled in the distance, signaling morning was upon them. Shelly blinked once and closed her eyes again. She rolled over towards the window and heard something moo like a sick cow. She opened one eye and didn't see anything in front of her and closed her eye again. Before she knew it, she had drifted back off to sleep.
Shelly’s eyes peeked out of her heavy lids as she turned over groaning, and quickly pulled the covers over her head to block out the offending light the morning sun had brought.
Suddenly, she felt something sharp digging into her toes again. Frustrated, Shelly tossed the blanket around her waist and quickly sat up and looked to see what was by her feet. She looked down and noticed her dog, Starling sitting by the foot of her bed.
“Stupid dog,” Shelly grumbled.
This sucked. Shelly had never been in a relationship before. Sure, there had been a few love interests in the past, but her feelings weren't reciprocated. Dreams were the closest thing she could get to a love life at the present time, and just when she married the man of her dreams, the stupid dog decided to nibble on her toes.
‘I’m not sure what’s worse. The dog nibbling on my toes, or the church bell with all of the annoying noise it brings every morning,’ Shelly thought.
“Shelly! Time to get up!” she heard her mother yell from downstairs.
Shelly rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yelled in return, “I’ll be down in a minute!”