Synopsis

These are the stories of Lee Wei, aka "the Outfitter," and his gorgeous sidekick Chloe Montaigne, who live on Nexus, a very strange place. You see, Nexus is actually a spatial distortion, a crack in the fabric of the universe.

Nexus is littered with portals, or gateways, which rapidly transfer those who pass through them to far distant places (and occasionally, times).

The portals are artificial, created by a race calling themselves the Trusci, who seemed to have vanished several centuries ago, leaving very little trace. Archaeologists have, however, discover that certain historical "missing links" are, in fact, relics of terrestrial habitation my the Trusci. The role the Trusci had in human history is still subject to debate.

Fast forward.

At Nexus, Lee and Chloe hook up with Tia, an escaped pleasure slave who was granted asylum, and subsequently educated on Nexus. Tia is now employed by the Nexus administration, recruited originally as an apprentice to Sydney, who has friends in high places.

Sydney is majordomo and head of security for Hadrian, the head of the Nexus government, or at least whatever informal administration passes for one. Hadrian serves for life, or until he gets tired of it, whichever occurs first. His primary, actually only, Constitutional responsibility is to decide those disputes he selects, brought before him by the residents of the Nexus member worlds. That is, until Hadrian decides on early retirement.

Right after Hadrian retires, things get ugly. The portals sporadically quit working. Travelers are stranded. Commerce is disrupted. Nexus food supplies start to run out. Diplomacy breaks down. People are afraid.

The portal creators, the mysterious and musically inclined Trusci, are back, singing and tinkering. They apparently have no idea of the consequences, and apparently don't care. To make matters worse, the Nexus administration doesn't know where they are or how to communicate with them.

Through a twist of fate, the problem lands in Tia's lap, who enlists Lee, Chloe and Sydney, because of their unusual individual talents, to get out of this one.

The foursome battle the immediate litany of problems while searching for a way to communicate with the Trusci, and a permanent solution to portal stability.

Contact! The Trusci are fascinated that humanity has survived, indeed flourished. They actually thought humanity on earth died out. It's been a very long time since they checked.

The Trusci stabilize the portals for humanity, and allow their continued use. Life gets back to normal on Nexus.

As quickly as they came, the Trusci vanish, leaving behind a mysterious song with, what some consider ominous, lyrics ...

- Next Story -

Synopsis v2

sources of dynamic conflict

1. Quest.

2. invaders.

3. Power grab.

4. mystery.

http://www.floridawriters.net

http://ask.yahoo.com/20070305.html Dear Yahoo!:

I've heard there are only seven basic story plots. What are they?

Alena Geneva, Switzerland

Dear Alena:

For all you writers struggling to come up with something original -- it's not your fault. There are only so many ways to construct a story. Writers who believe there's only one plot argue all stories "stem from conflict." True enough, but we're more inclined to back the theory you mention about seven plot lines. According to the Internet Public Library, they are: [wo]man vs. nature [wo]man vs. man [wo]man vs. the environment [wo]man vs. machines/technology [wo]man vs. the supernatural [wo]man vs. self [wo]man vs. god/religion Ronald Tobias, author of "Twenty Basic Plots" believes the following make for good stories: quest, adventure, pursuit, rescue, escape, revenge, riddle, rivalry, underdog, temptation, metamorphosis, transformation, maturation, love, forbidden love, sacrifice, discovery, wretched excess, ascension, and decision. Overlap must be common under this theory. For example, "Rocky" is a story of the "underdog," who goes through a "transformation" and falls in "love" while on a "quest." We're not sure, but we think "Dude, Where's My Car?" touches on at least 16. So are there really a limited number of stories? Maybe, maybe not. One thing is for sure, though -- writers will always find new ways to make 'em interesting.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art37977.asp

Plot Lines

Plot Lines

You’ve probably heard someone say, “That movie had a good plot,” or “I loved the plot of that book.” Short stories, novels, musicals, and oral stories all have plot lines.

What is a plot line? Plot line is a literary term referring to the sequence of events in a story. It is the structure of the story. Most stories have five elements:

1. The exposition. The exposition gives the reader background information about the story, such as the setting and the main characters. It sets the tone, and lets the reader know what type of story to expect. While reading the exposition, the reader can generally tell whether this is going to be a funny story, a historical story, a Western, a fantasy story, or another type.

2. The rising action. This part of the story often shows the main character involved in a struggle of some sort. He or she experiences problems and complications.

3. The climax. The climax (or crisis) is often short, but it is the most exciting part. The main character’s struggles come to a head.

4. The falling action. The falling action occurs as a result of the climax or crisis.

5. The resolution. The resolution (or denouement) is the conclusion of the story.

It is most simple to learn about plot lines right after reading an exciting short story. A story that can be read in one sitting is ideal because the five elements can be identified right after reading the story. Practice makes identifying the elements easier.

If you as a teacher or parent need some guidance in teaching about plot lines, may I suggest the Lightning Literature series. This is a wonderful set of lesson plans published by Hewitt Homeschooling Resources, and they walk you through every step of teaching the elements of literature. Their 7th grade guide, in particular, has interesting lessons on identifying the plot line. Using the short story “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling, students are guided in finding the five elements. “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is a good choice for this exercise because it has a strong structure with each of the five elements fully developed. The plot line is fast moving and interesting, keeping even reluctant students intrigued.

http://www.meetup.com/Finish-Writing-Your-Book/

Writer's Meeting

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 6:00 PM

San Marco Library - 1513 Lasalle St, Jacksonville, FL

1 Members are called, "Writers." going

KC is hosting this Meetup

This is a meeting to get acquainted, discuss our writing goals, talk about our writing challenges, and determine our writing needs. Bring 1, but no more than 3, 12pt, double spaced page(s). Please have enough copies for 3 - 5 people.

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