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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Meandering Story and Character Outline: The Locket.

Actual Writing:

I've been toying with the idea of writing my novel using multiple character perspectives in order to avoid boredom with my story concept.  Then I had a great couple of dreams which have helped me expand my genre concepts.

New Idea:

A locket is passed as an heirloom through a family and various generations.  With each generation comes a new story as to how the locket found its new owner.  There is a strong romantic type element with this, as well as gender role exploration.

Toying with the idea of a jeweler making it for his wife, but, she dies of illness before he finishes it.  He then inscribes his late wife's initial into the locket, keeps a picture of her in it as well as one of his young daughter.  He carries it on his person until he passes, where it is left to his daughter.  Having remarried the daughter is shocked to find that he kept this object for so long, and she never knew the story of it or that it existed. (pre and post WWI) 

The daughter is married and has two sons.  She spends years deciding which son to leave it to, or, if she should pass it on to one of their wives.  War breaks out.  She eventually passes it on to the younger son, who is "challenged" in the romantic sense, as an encouragement to find a wife. (pre and post WWII)

The son is "challenged" because, he is gay.  He eventually marries, has a family, but, keeps a picture of his unrequited love in the locket.  As an old man he eventually passes the locket onto his granddaughter (1960's) with his secret and encouragement to move beyond expectations of society.
 
 She attends college and becomes a strong academic, and has difficulty finding a person to place within the locket.  She is resisting romantic interests in favor for her career and resentful of expectations of marriage/family.  Finds love in a fellow academic.  They start their family late, and have 3 children.  

The middle child is named after the great-great-grandmother and is told the story of the locket.  She then embarks on a quest to bring the story of the locket forward and to show appreciation for its journey after she receives it at her wedding by her mother as the "something old" gift and is told bits of the story.  After learning the heartbreaking history of the locket she calls into question her marriage, its strength, and how love can be carried on.

Thoughts?

~Carrie

6 comments:

  1. Looks like you have it well thought out. I like it. :-)

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  2. With those five "stories" it could become more than just one book ;-))

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  3. Have you thought about telling the story through flashbacks from the present as the current owner of the locket uncovers the stories from the past?

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  4. Too much arc, not enough story (that's not to say it's not possible to pull it off, though). Also, if your aim is to "make art with the written word," don't confuse "its" with "it's" or mix up the sequence of words (it in/in it). It does not bode well.

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