I Am Writing A Novel...

[Nihil Obstat]

So then... on the tamer end of things, though not 'childish', correct?

[i<3franciscans]

Right on.

Edited September 13, 2012 by i<3franciscans

[Nihil Obstat]

Perhaps with the espionage context you could develop a situation in which the moral choice has negative outcomes associated with it, whereas the immoral choice would be successful. For instance, and this is just the first one that came into my head, there might be a situation where one or several of your main characters could manipulate an innocent party into doing some necessary part of the plan for them, though doing so would unwittingly put the innocent person in mortal danger. The innocent third party cannot consent to doing it, maybe because approaching them directly would give away the plan. On the other hand, not manipulating this person into doing whatever it is will almost certainly result in the death of a good character, for instance one of Maggie's siblings.

[i<3franciscans]

Ah, I like it. I was planning on having her older brother die somewhere in the story, but if that is too obvious having one of her sisters die would be just fine with me...

[i<3franciscans]

***Just as a side note*** Since this is for a class, I have to drag it out for the next year. The class is very Christian so I have to keep the whole thing pretty much PG. I don't actually begin writing the book until January, right now I am at the beginning of an insanely long outline process that will supposedly make the book "easier" to write.

Thanks for all the ideas and input! Keep them coming!
<3fran

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='i<3franciscans' timestamp='1347496774' post='2481834']
Ah, I like it. I was planning on having her older brother die somewhere in the story, but if that is too obvious having one of her sisters die would be just fine with me...
[/quote]

Having one of the younger sisters die, especially if it was a more violent death, may be more emotionally effective because of the younger girls' natural association with innocence and purity. I'm making rather big assumptions here, but they tend to hold true. It's more likely, other things being equal, that an older brother character is going to be grittier, perhaps playing a more active role in any violent or potentially violent conflicts. Therefore, while he may be innocent in a moral sense and objectively it would be bad for him to die, in a sense it is not unexpected if he does. On the other hand, if a young girl is killed, it may perhaps be seen as more tragic.

All this is even more true when your main character might, in a certain sense, be responsible for their death, by which I am referring to that idea that the moral choice leads to that sibling's death at the hands of an antagonist.

[Nihil Obstat]

Obviously your teacher's instructions come first with regards to the maturity level of your story. But we have ample evidence that even the very best of either implicitly or explicitly Catholic novels can have morally ambiguous, even morally bad characters, as well as mature situations.
Brideshead Revisited is a good example. Charles Ryder is an atheist and an active adulterer. Sebastian Flyte is a hopeless alcoholic. It's even implied that they engage in some kind of quasi-homoerotic relationship. Anthony Blanche is explicitly homosexual. Lord Marchmain is also an adulterer, and not only that, he outright abandoned his wife and children.

And in spite of all that, or maybe more accurately because of all that, Brideshead Revisited is a book wedded to Catholic principles and morality. In this case it's more of an implicit reality, but it is very much present and active. Evelyn Waugh himself said "The whole thing is steeped in theology, but I begin to agree that the theologians won't recognize it."

Anyway, I guess I'm rambling. If I were an author, which admittedly I am not, I would make it a point not to shy away from mature and morally challenging concepts.

[MarieClaire]

[quote name='beatitude' timestamp='1347480834' post='2481783']
Margaret is a German name, but I really doubt that Maggie would be its diminutive in German. I think in German (particularly the Austrian dialect) it refers to a type of vegetable. Be careful which nickname you pick! Do you know anybody who speaks German?
[/quote]

I speak German... it's my native language.
If you want to, I can help you with finding names, dates, places, and everything

And yes... "Maggie" sounds like a spice in German

[i<3franciscans]

[quote name='MarieClaire' timestamp='1347570833' post='2482103']
I speak German... it's my native language.
If you want to, I can help you with finding names, dates, places, and everything

And yes... "Maggie" sounds like a spice in German
[/quote]
A list of Authentic German names would be great! I will need them for the Nazis.

[PhuturePriest]

I am somewhat of an aspiring novelist. I have been writing since I was twelve or so and I am writing my own novel every now and again. My stories are posted on Fanfiction.net and from what I have seen from all of the reviews I have ever had is this: People love angst. Don't make it too angsty since that will ruin the story, but do not be afraid to throw in angst. Personal strife within the main character, loss of loved ones, being kidnapped and beaten, readers love it. It keeps them on their toes and it helps them get attached to the characters, which is one of the goals you are aiming for. Nobody wants a Katniss Everdeen in their book where most of the readers hate her because they find her personality annoying (Or was that just me?).

I am with Nihil on mature themes. Don't make it scandalous, but making it realistic is the goal. World War II is the war I have studied the most by far and sadly, death camps, torture, killing innocent civilians in the streets and even rape (Not even the Nuns were safe from this) were all rampant. This is not to say you must add details. Even a "They shot *Brother's name here* in the head. She stood there in shock and horror, unknowing of what to do and not fully grasping what had just happened." will suffice. You don't have to be the Saving Private Ryan of novels and write every bloody detail. In my opinion details should only be thrown in if they add to the story, and I have yet to read one book where this added to anything except for a shock-type effect, and I believe if what happened didn't suffice for a shock-type effect than you aren't doing what you're supposed to anyway.

[MarieClaire]

[quote name='i<3franciscans' timestamp='1347585697' post='2482189']
A list of Authentic German names would be great! I will need them for the Nazis.
[/quote]

Sounds,... realistic

Okey, do you want to have some female or male names? (For soldiers, or for some wives or something?)
Also, the names wich you will need depend to the fact, that in German different names are given in different social classes.
So, do you want some for "normal" soldiers or something like that?

[i<3franciscans]

A little bit of everything would be great if it is not too much trouble. I am only at the beginning of outlining everything so I am not 100% sure of what I need yet. Thanks!

[i<3franciscans]

Oh, I forgot to add, I would need first and last names, they don't need to be paired though... I just need examples.

[i<3franciscans]

This may be how the book opens... thoughts?


[font=Helvetica][size=2][indent=1][size=4] Quickly walking home from the library, Maggie Dorner thought happily to herself how wonderful it would be to see Marta again. It had been almost a two weeks since Marta had gone to visit her great-aunt in Salzburg and she was finally coming back to the Dorner’s house where she had lived since her parents died almost two years ago. Although Maggie and Marta were only best friends, they were sisters at heart and nearly inseparable. Glancing blithely at the bulletin board as she passed, something caught Maggie’s eye; a new poster had been put up since yesterday and there was a picture attached to it, that didn’t happen very often. As Maggie ventured closer to see what the picture was, her heart dropped; it was Marta’s picture, but she wasn’t her usual happy self; she was dead. Tears started streaming down Maggie’s face as she read the following notice: “Girl found carrying illegal papers was shot on spot. Death is and will be the punishment for such crimes in the future. ~General Wentz”[/size][/size][/font][/indent]
[font=Helvetica][size=2][indent=1][size=4]As Maggie’s tears turned from those of sorrow to boiling hate, she tore the poster and the picture off the bulletin board and ran for home. [/size][/size][/font][/indent]
[font=Helvetica][size=2][indent=1][size=4]Slamming the front door behind herself as she walked in, she startled her mother who was busy making dinner. [/size][/size][/font][/indent]
[font=Helvetica][size=2][indent=1][size=4]“Maggie,” Mother cried,”What has gotten into you?!”[/size][/size][/font][/indent]
[font=Helvetica][size=2][indent=1][size=4]“They killed Marta!” Maggie sobbed.[/size][/size][/font][/indent]
[font=Helvetica][size=2][indent=1][size=4]“What are you talking about? Marta is dead?!”[/size][/size][/font][/indent]
[font=Helvetica][size=2][indent=1][size=4]Overcome by grief and anger, Maggie managed to nod her head as she collapsed to the floor sobbing uncontrollably. The poster and photograph fell out of her hand and slid to a stop at her mother’s feet. When her mother picked up the poster, her eyes too brimmed with tears.[/size][/size][/font][/indent]
[font=Helvetica][size=2][indent=1][size=4]“Oh Margaret,” mother said in a trembling whisper that was barely audible, “I am sorry, so sorry.”[/size][/size][/font][/indent]
[font=Helvetica][size=2][indent=1][size=4]Mother began to cry as she knelt down to hug Maggie and Jens, the eldest Dorner child, came bursting through the front door. [/size][/size][/font][/indent]
[font=Helvetica][size=2][indent=1][size=4]“Mother, did you hear what the Germans did to Mar--” It was when he saw his mother and sister on the floor that he realized they already knew knew.[/size][/size][/font][/indent]
[font=Helvetica][size=2][indent=1][size=4]The news of Marta’s death spread quickly to the or family members as they came home. It was a quiet night at the Dorner house in fact it was stone silent, not a word was spoken at dinner or there after. One by one they went off to bed without so much as a “Good night”.[/size][/size][/font][/indent]
[font=Helvetica][size=2][indent=1][size=4]Lying awake in bed, Maggie went over what had happened this afternoon again and again. How could this have happened? she thought to herself. Why was Marta carrying [i]illegal papers[/i]? What was she thinking?! Whatever her reason was, it cost Marta her life, it must have been pretty important Maggie reasoned for Marta was never one to take risks, in fact she was the complete opposite. The thought of Marta being involved in any sort of illegal work altogether baffled Maggie. Completely confused and utterly exhausted, she silently cried herself to sleep.[/size][/size][/font][/indent]

[i<3franciscans]

bumping because it is still on the third page for some reason...