As I get back into the swing of rewriting SKYSCARR, I feel that I should address a proper description for the storyline: This is usually one of the hardest bits to write because it needs to be engaging, concise and leave readers clamouring for more, which can be really difficult if the plot has many story lines or a complicated plot with many elements; it's like flash-fiction I guess. This is why I wanted to share something that -if you have written, or even researched about writing a novel- will be familiar to you. Writing a novel in ten steps shows how you can plan a whole novel, but the first step about summarising the whole story into a single sentence, is where we can truly begin our arduous journey.
This sentence is the foundation, the stonework, the ground upon which the edifice of our novel stands gloriously upon completion, for us to admire; yet it's also our first glimpse into how we condense something potentially as large as a million words, into so few. So let's try it with my novel!
"SKYSCARR" is about . . .
'A group of people fighting to overthrow a corrupt and genocidal government.'
That's simple enough, it doesn't mention any major plot elements such as the magic and technology that blend Sci Fi with Fantasy or anything else. As far as the reader of that sentence would be concerned, it could fit into innumerable genres or sub-genres. But now we need to flesh it out a little more, make it more engaging than the generic theme; what makes it unique?
'As people walk the streets with a lifeless demeanour, a conspiracy bubbles in the 23rd Century. A tranquil Earth filled with technological wonders, with a second planet embodied by magic hanging in the crest of a wormhole above, are the apotheosis of stability. But everything hangs in a fragile balance, the interplanetary government of the past 200 years instigating long-anticipated actions. The peace shatters as citizens are killed by the hundreds, and an unlikely band of citizens are blamed for the havoc. And without a government to protect them, the military all-too-happy to obey their orders and a citizenry up-in-arms against them, they run for salvation and truth, against time so limited and with a relentless pursuit force hot on their trail.
And so their odyssey begins, taking them to the very heart of history, to learn what happened all those years ago.'
Now that sheds much more light on the story, though the characters are not described in any detail. Personally I feel that the story is more narrative-driven than character-driven, and seeing as there's five main protagonists, all working as a single unit almost, it would be hard to fit all of them into a single paragraph. As with the previous description, this one does not delve into the key details of the story such as the setting, the pace and the characters, but rather if focuses on the dilemma that they face to create a sense of mystery. The characters do develop over the course of the story in their own way and they are -I think!- likeable enough to maintain a connection with the reader, but like I said, the main USP, if you will, behind this is the constant urgency and mystery, shown through almost constant real-time events and non-linear POVs between the protagonists and antagonists.
I hope that you enjoyed reading it all the same and please let me know if there are any suggestions/critiques etc. of the description, storyline etc. Thanks for reading as always and see you soon.
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