Male character(s) needed for M/F - plots inside!

Started by Valerian, July 28, 2015, 11:44:18 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Valerian

Note that the gender of my writing partner(s) is irrelevant, it's male characters that I'm looking for.  If you think our writing styles will work well together, that's what counts.  Also see my ons and offs, which includes a list of current stories.

If you like one of the following ideas but have a variation to suggest, feel free!




The House [TAKEN]

Once, something terrible happened -- a small tragedy in the grand scheme of things, but something that has haunted the minds of the survivors for years, becoming part of the mythos of the small town where it occurred.  Perhaps an entire family died tragically, cut down one by one by a cold-hearted killer and someone was wrongfully convicted and executed for the crimes, or no suspect was ever found.  In any case, no one knows the whole truth of what happened that day... except perhaps the house itself, or the spirits that might still dwell within. 

In the present, a young woman (my character) stumbles across this long-abandoned house and buys it to fix up, since it's such a good deal.  And slowly -- through outright haunting or through odd coincidences and old letters, she starts to piece together the real story.  But even if the spirits might appreciate what she's trying to do, some among the living could be less happy about the past being dredged up...

Your character might be a local who gets drawn into the mystery, willingly or otherwise -- perhaps even someone who knows something about the tragedy and has his own ulterior motives for getting involved.  Does he want justice, or does he want the truth hidden again forever, no matter what?


Siege [TAKEN]

In medieval times, a civil war rages, and a nobleman has gone off to fight for his side.  With him and his troops away, his enemies decide that his castle is ripe for the taking and attack.  The lady of the castle is not one to give in meekly, however, and with the help of a trusted retainer (captain of the guard or similar), she organizes a fierce defense, both sides settling in for a siege.  But thrown together as they are, the lady and the captain find themselves becoming closer than they should, given their respective loyalties to their lord.  Will honor withstand the siege, or will love win the day?

I'm looking for relatively accurate history rather than fantasy here, so please, no magic users or half-elves.  ;)  I read a fair amount of medieval and early Renaissance history and like the time period, but I'm no expert and all I'm really aiming for is a good sense of the atmosphere of the era, and in this case, a good sense of what it would be like being under siege.




Note:

Alternate history and time travel are two favorites of mine, and the only reason I'm not listing specific plots for them is because there are so many options I want to try.  Mysterious time traveler stranded on present-day Earth?  A lone messenger sent back in time in a desperate attempt to stop imminent disaster, as in the Terminator franchise?  A world where Rome never fell?  It's all good!  (I once sketched out the history of an Earth where the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 succeeded for an Alternate Earths GURPS campaign that, sadly, never went anywhere.)  But if you have a particular idea involving either (or both!) of these themes that you'd like to try, please do send a PM and perhaps we can work something out together.  :)
"To live honorably, to harm no one, to give to each his due."
~ Ulpian, c. 530 CE