In the process of reworking my story, Universes, i've began cutting everything unnecessary or unwanted. I've already cut an entire race because they played no real importance to the plot, and now i want to cut another - the Thoughtians - because they're just too complicated and hard to write for. However the Thoughts World still played an important part in the story - a part that i still think is necessary. So now i need a new race, and that's where i could use some suggestions.
The alliance of races are fighting against the evil Shadows. Each race has a unique 'power' that they harness to help in the fight. So what i have now are the...
Heatians who use fire powers
Waterians with water powers
Healthians who can heal and drain life
Speedians gifted with super-speed
Stonians capable of telekinesis
Airians able to fly
Sightians are the ones i cut before Thoughtians thanks to their lame invisibility powers
Thoughtians had mind control - ridiculously hard to write into battles
(I'm aware of how lame the names sound. I'm working on them too.)
So i'm looking for one or possibly more new races and could use any suggestions you could offer up. Please comment any ideas you get because i'm all out, and i need help. Just remember that they need to be useful to a battle scenario.
Please and thanks.
<3
I'd like to keep this untitled.
14 years ago
19 comments:
maybe like a earth race, that can like manipulate the ground and like throw rocks and stuff. idk.
What about a race of people with no powers at all? You could use that as a struggle between those who do allowing the reader get a sense of something somewhat familiar. Perhaps they have no power, but technology.
You can't ever go wrong with names derived from Greek or Latin.
I agree with Rhythym.
Also, Airians definitely has to change, unless they're white supremacists.
oooo i like the no power but technology thing. they could be like a race of batmans.
I'm curious as to why the Stonians have the power of telekinesis instead of super-strength and/or incredibly hard skin. o_O
You could have the new "Thoughtians" be an empathic race - such that they commune with each other and with nature through telepathy. This empathy could give them unique bonds to animals, and they could "control" various animals in battle and to do various things. These Thoughtians could also employ a kind of persuasion outside of battle (so they're useful for non-battle scenes too).
And now that it's brought up, a race of "Batmans" would be pretty kick ass. :-P
What about Antians? Tiny creatures who are weak as an individual, but eventually strong because they are superior in multitude to all other races?
Just a thought.
I admire your work.
Lunario
I was only reading bc you wrote "If you love me you'll read it", I will read it tom. again, sry :-) hopefully I'll have an idea then.
I'll admit the names might need a bit of work. How about a race that can control animals or something like that. And i know its a bit of a rip-off but i really like those big tree people from the lord of the rings, maybe something nature based like that
I agree that it would be interesting to have a race (or even more than one) that break the mold of a power over some "force" or "thing"-- I like the empathic angle. In general, something to add another "dimension" to the races--otherwise they might all mesh together and it might be less interesting to the reader.
I agree that the names could use work, lest they come off juvenile, but it is nice that they reinforce what is unique to that race. I know that I would probably be confused-- its already a lot of races, right? I mean how many did LOTR have all in all?
On an unrelated note--I've been meaning to share with you the books that I had to read in college to deal with writing style. Both are short, and both helped me tremendously. I'm a crappy writer, and I think a lot of the lessons that I had to learn you may have a natural knack for (thats called talent, but idk). None the less, I found them invaluable, and if you are passionate about writing as a career-- I know that these are both well respected texts. Regardless of discipline: musician, writer, software developer (like me!) if you look at the people that are respected leaders-- they all share the attribute that they loved and worked hard at what they do. This includes knowing all you can know to "stand on the shoulders of giants" to learn from the greats of the past. So you might find these an interesting read:
1) Style: Basics of Clarity & Grace - Joseph Williams
2) On Writing Well - William Zinsser
There may be others that are better-- this is just what we had to read, and they had such a great impact on me that I never forgot them.
Much Love,
Steve
"Quarkians"
can do something related to matter, atoms, energy, mass, shifting of matter, sizes, playing with the very elements that others are composed of... etc
(but not "atomic" like nuclear bomb would be too cliche?)
(edit: validation word is "vador" - as in Darth - as in Darthians, heavy breathers who use light sabers? LOL)
Seth, i already got rid of the Thoughtians because they were too complicated. Now you want me to add that? :P
What about a sort of spirit race with no physical body but can enter another's body and can make them do anything. Make 'em go crazy, commit suicide or french kiss Rosie O'Donell.
SEXIANS. They go around seducing the enemy before each battles, thus reducing their objectivity due to a strong feeling of romance and love for their battles. :P
or Shifters. They can adapt the form of other living things to confuse/trick etc the enemy.
Mboy
How Sanctuarians a race of people who dont fight in the war but they can be powerful, revered for their wisdom, theior counsel can be sought and they could be feared or exaulted but their lands are a sanctuary for any one who enters it.
just a thought :) take care and be safe
bob
Manipulatians
(obviously from the word manipulation)
A race of people that cares deeply for nature on their homeworld, and once each 'being' reaches a certain age, they start on a quest/ ritual thing, which they eventually have an animal spirit binded to them, and they can shapeshift into that animal whenever they wish? E.g Someone with an aggressive personality may become a brutal bear, someone quiet but intelligent may turn into a sly raven. I'd imagine these people usually keep to themselves, unless something threatens them. *shrug* daats all i can think of ^_^
Your psychic guys may be easier to write for than you think. Read some warhammer 40k books to get an idea of how to do it, more specifically the Eisenhorn trilogy. The main character posses psychic powers but also confronts some vastly superior psychers, and has to deal with his mind being torn appart by their powers. The way its written is brilliant.
The book is written in a number of ways. Moving between them one where Eisenhorn is at the front of the action and the reader is reading the thoughts he has as and the actions he takes as events unfold (really really cool)
My favorite one is the post real time broad perspective that the writer sometimes uses, this could be for describing planet wide events, almost like somebody was talking to you about something that had happened.
The book is meant to be a record of the main characters actions, so sometimes the writer slips out of the story and posts messages from Eisenhorn himself with the gift of hindsight, it works really well in some parts of the book.
Another book worth reading is a Ravenor, confined to a chair the only thing he still posses is his incredibly powerfull mind.
Apologies for the ramble but if you would like to see how this guy writes it then give the books a read.
Warhammer 40k is something you may like, total fantassy in a universe of never ending war. Combine the two and you get some bad ass stories of slaughter and adventure.
I do like Warhammer 40k, i play the games. :P Didn't know there was books tho. I might look into it. (:
"Sightians are the ones i cut before Thoughtians thanks to their lame invisibility powers"
Dang it. I always said that if I could have a superpower it would be invisibility!
Drat!
Jay
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