G S Bastian

The Dragonslayer’s Proxy, Prologue. Inciting incident that creates need for the protagonist to appear. “Come forth, foul beast, and meet your fate!” The words were not nearly as impressive as they had seemed when he practiced them this morning as he was getting dressed. In fact, the young man wondered if he had spoken them aloud, as there had appeared no foul beast in response. He tipped up the visor on his helmet and turned to two figures standing behind a large rock. “What should I do now?” The taller figure shrugged. “Try again. But louder. It sounded like you were mumbling last time.” The second figure nodded in agreement. “Do I really need the helmet? It’s hard to see anything through that little gap in the front, and besides...” The young man’s attention was drawn to a movement above. A white fluttering handkerchief was waving at him from the window near the castle turret, and he could almost make out the features of the girl waving it. “Hello there!” He waved back. “I’m here to save you!” A distant cheer erupted. On another knoll much further away, a small crowd with a horse drawn wagon had gathered to watch. Some enterprising person in the group had thought to bring refreshments, and mugs were raised in a toast to his health. He lifted his sword over his head in response and the cheering grew louder. “Let’s get back to the task at hand, shall we?” The tall figure pointed a finger at his head. “Visor down, say it once more, much louder this time.” She stepped back to hide behind the rock next to her companion. “Remember everything we taught you. Parry, thrust, then go for the gap under his wing.” “Right.” He reached up to adjust his visor, then cleared his throat. “Come forth, foul…” “Who dares approach my keep with such impunity?” The words were loud and deep as if the very earth had bellowed out at him. The dragon rose from behind the castle skyline, first a horrifying snake head and long, twisting neck covered in scales the color of soot, followed by wings of thick skin that stretched out half the length of the stone building. This was a magnificent specimen even by dragon standards, and as he came into full view his eyes settled on the lone figure in armor standing before him. The dragon opened his mouth and roared. The razor sharp teeth in his enormous mouth glowed red like irons in a furnace. The young man’s own mouth gaped open in response and he gripped the sword with numb fingers. “What business does this rat have with the Great Dragon Pyrrhus?” There was an uncomfortably long pause. “Well?” A small rock struck the man in the back, pinging off his armor. “Go on!” a voice hissed from behind him. His mouth was dry and his brain scrambled for words. Never in his life had he imagined any creature could achieve such monstrous proportions. And those eyes! They looked down at him with slit pupils like a snake, like… Another pebble dinged off his helmet. “It is I, York, come to save the Princess Valerie from your evil clutches!” The words he had been practicing all week rushed out of his mouth automatically, and some part of his brain was horrified at their bravado. The dragon paused. He lowered his head to look more closely at the man. “Lady Valerie,” he said slowly. “She’s not a princess. I don’t know you. What did you say your name is?”

FIRST ASSIGNMENT: write your story statement. A young man who has spent his entire life disappointing himself and others must overcome doubt to become the hero he wants to be. SECOND ASSIGNMENT: in 200 words or less, sketch the antagonist or antagonistic force in your story. King Eugene is the evil ruler of the Northern kingdom and the father of Rose, the half changeling princess. Not satisfied ruling the North, he plans to take over the Southern kingdom by coercing or destroying his daughter, the rightful heir to the throne. He offers a reward for her return, resulting in her kidnapping and setting off a flurry of rescue attempts across the kingdom. THIRD ASSIGNMENT: create a breakout title The Last Resort FOURTH ASSIGNMENT: - Develop two smart comparables for your novel. Terry Pratchett Discworld series- Traditional fantasy characters who experience modern issues, with humorous results. Howl's Moving Castle– fantasy story with humor and a modern conversation flow. The interactions between characters follow tangents that one would expect from conventional situations, rather than the traditional fantasy fairy tale situations. FIFTH ASSIGNMENT: write your own hook line A young man who dreams of being a hero is mistaken for an actual one, and discovers that saving an actual princess takes more than just a dream. SIXTH ASSIGNMENT: sketch out the conditions for the inner conflict your protagonist will have. Ansel does not believe he is brave enough, smart enough, or strong enough to be a hero. He sees himself as a disappointment to others because he doesn’t fit into their expectations of what he should be. He has a great desire to help others, but every thing he tries seems to end badly. When two strangers show up at his home with a request for his help, he is pretty sure how this will turn out, but he still can’t give up on that small hope that maybe this time he can do something right Next, likewise sketch a hypothetical scenario for the "secondary conflict." As Ansel learns the ins and outs of his new hero’s job, he becomes more drawn to Rose, the changeling that brought him here, and when she trusts him enough to share her true identity as the fugitive daughter of the evil king, he is determined to help protect her. When she is kidnapped by two thieves who plan to turn her over to her father for a reward, Ansel and her friends join forces to locate her, but she is saved by Rasmus, one of her own kidnappers who has had a change of heart, and has also fallen in love with her and vowed to keep her safe. Ansel must overcome his jealousy and learn to work together with his rival, even though something tells him that the handsome Rasmus is not just a threat to him, but to Rose and the others as well. FINAL ASSIGNMENT: sketch out your setting in detail. Every child has heard stories of the sleeping world, but most eventually they realize the tales are completely made up. There’s no way a parallel world can exist where the people just plod through life without magic or heroes to counter the evil intent of reprobate kings. And what about werewolves? And dragons? Surely there must be some magic to ward off their attacks. No, these stories are told by frustrated parents to instill fear. “Be careful on your way to school, there are children in the sleeping world who think they can just go skipping over the bridge without checking for trolls.” But as many stories are built on a foundation of truth, the sleeping world is no exception. Not only does this world exist, it can be accessed. The path between is a closely guarded secret, and only a few individuals have been trusted to visit. The reason for this secrecy is obvious if you’ve ever seen the forlorn existence of a race that does not believe in anything. Magic does not flourish in the presence of disbelief, and it is a rare person who can overcome their training to accept the truth that a stick in one hand might well be a dangerous wand in another. Doors are meant to be opened. They are otherwise useless, and not even a door wants to be useless. In a brief moment of inattention, the guardians of the portal slipped up, and in that moment, a sleeper was pushed through to our side. Not just any sleeper, but a lawyer who quickly took stock of his new situation and began to make changes, creating a ripple effect that must be stopped by any means necessary.