Ideas for my story direction? - Writers Forum

Wadatrip · 03-24-2008, 12:33 PM

Here's what I've got so far:
A young boy, 13, has a strong interest in WWI due to his g-g grandfather's contributions as a soldier. The boy is also intrigued by a cave near his home. He enters the cave and is met by veterans from the war...ghosts. The war continues for thousands soldiers who were killed without having had their bodies returned. They don't know why they are fighting, but they fight, nonetheless, in the trenches of the cave.

The boy is asked by several ghosts to consider doing something very important...stop the war. He can only do this if he brings his g-g grandfather with him and presents him to the fighting ghosts.

The boy is, of course, bewildered at the idea, since he knows that his g-g grandfather is dead, but he soon finds that he is actually alive...in the cave.

Here is where I would appreciate some ideas. I'd love it if some would be really creative. One or two sentence ideas would be great.

IrishLad · 03-24-2008, 12:49 PM

It's a fairly original idea. My only question would be why are they fighting in a cave, of all places? It sounds like a convienience for the story. I think it would be better if the boy wakes up every night and sees them fighting in the woods behind his house.

As far as suggestions, perhaps have the boy's grandfather still alive, and make the grandfather the only person able to talk to the great grandfather. The conflict could be that the grandfather doesn't believe the boy, or that he's got some ailment, or that he lives in another geographical region.

Anyway, good luck with it, and post some here when you get started. I'd like to see how it goes.

Hope this helps,
Cheers

BuildUpThatWall · 03-24-2008, 01:46 PM

I would like to agree with IrishLad about the cave....unless it is set in Japan maybe were a lot of fighting actually took place in caves....

Was the G-G-Grandfather a person of importance in the war? Is that why he is able to help bring an end to it?

Once the boy finds his G-G Grandfather is the only way to free him and the other ghosts is to find and return their bodies from the cave? Is there a force/creature/ghost that does not what the soldiers to be free?

Wadatrip · 03-25-2008, 11:57 AM

Thanks to both. Irishlad, I like the grandfather idea. I've decided to include him in my story. Buildup..., your thought regarding the force not wanting the soldiers free stimulated some thinking, as well.

littlegreenbob · 03-26-2008, 04:46 AM

It turns out that the boy is actually the reincarnation of his g-g grandfather and he must declare the war over himself.

You can peice this together slowly by similar likes, interests, or even give the boy instinctual leadership qualities.

Perhaps he finds out by visiting a psychic.

Wadatrip · 03-27-2008, 02:08 PM

IrishLad, I've included the Great grandfather. He has a strong connection/relationship with his great grandson. The spend time in the basement, looking through an old photo-journal of the war. The two of them believe that it is possible that the Great-great grandfather could still be alive.

Ian (the boy) has been visited by ghosts from the war, and I won't go into the details...suffice it to say that they need him for something. I'm thinking that he could be asked to retrieve the only living survivor of The Great War, and the boy brings him home to his Great-grandfather (the soldier's son).

In the process, as he's bringing the soldier out, he could somehow get a message, in some way, to the continually-battling ghosts.

The other dilemma is this; Why do they continue to battle. I'm trying to emphasize the losses of this war and I'd like to get the reader to think about what might have been the reason for the war ans so many losses.

Any thought?

Just Jim · 03-27-2008, 03:15 PM

I have one thing that might add a piece to your story. After WWII there were soldiers on a few small islands who were not officially notified that their government had surrendered. Of, course there was no one to fight, but they would not lay down their arms and go home. So it could be that the G-G-G has to bring them the treaty documents. The G-G could find that he has a copy in the basement.

Wadatrip · 03-27-2008, 03:32 PM

Okay, you have me thinking. This is nice.

The one difference is that this is WWI. I suppose that I could adapt the same idea into this story.

booker41 · 03-27-2008, 10:05 PM

I think woods is a better idea than caves. Maybe the all the trees in the wood are dead? The soldiers spirits, souls, actually take the form of the dead trees, and once their continuous conflict is resolved, then the trees would come to life again? A bit fantastical, but maybe an idea you could work with.

Good luck!

Wadatrip · 03-28-2008, 12:06 AM

Thanks to all for the thoughts. I've added a little from most suggestions, and as for the rest, well, simmering in my imagination. I'd like to finish this by the end of the month. At this point, I'm at about 30,000 words. It's a young-reader story.

I'm thinking of sticking with the idea that the boy meets his still-alive G-G grandfather, and the two of them somehow affect the soldier-ghosts in an inspiring way. I just want to conclude in an inspiring and surprising way.

Thanks again!