Plot outline: My novel

[Bryan Moore]

I believe I posted about a year+ ago a few paragraphs from something I'd gradually thought up while teaching. After a long time of collecting basic outlines, ideas, etc, I've developed the basic plot points for something I'm working on. I tend to hate most fan-fiction, but I've read so much Trek that I wanna try my hand. Essentially we have this:

2382 - In an area of space once controlled by the Breen, now in territory jointly controlled by the Coalition (UFP/Klingons), a small micro-wormhole has been found, with multiple termini spread throughout the galaxy, each equal radii from the entrance which appears to be the hub of a spoke. While the wormhole is not big enough to allow a ship through, millimeter-wide micro-probes, a relatively new technology derived from Borg technology are being sent to explore the areas on the other side. Pprimarily a scientific mission (focusing on Gavin Malker, young first officer of U.S.S. Fermi and astrophysicist, a science vessel), politics and military issues quickly become involved: The Klingons and some militaristic elements of Starfleet wish to find a way to expand this micro-wormhole as a means to exert influence on the galaxy or destroy it all together for fears of further future.invasion from Gamma or Delta Quadrant forces. The plot would focus on the desire to explore but the changed mindset of the Federation since the Dominion war makes this not as easy as it might have been earlier.

Thoughts?

[Teaos]

The idea seems ok if a little vauge right now. I'm sure you have more on it.

All I can do is give you advice on how to write the story in General as I have read a lot of Fanfiction and seen a lot of bad and very few good ones.

*Avoid romance at all costs. Sure it is an easy way to pander to your audience and bring in readers you might not get other wise but it is a cheap plot trick and always ends up ruining a good story.

*Make the plot about the people first the setting second and mission third and the technobabble not at all. I know it sounds odd but in general the mission is not very important, its just an excuse for you to do character development and enviroment building.

*Try not to make to many new things that you have to explain. It just takes up room and detracts from the plot. It also puts of readers who like people to stay as true to the canon universe as possible.

[Sionnach Glic]

Sounds interesting.

[Mark]

If I can chime in also..........don't be afraid to flesh out your characters. The characters are who we will all relate to. Give them a back story, personality, appearance, traits, quirks, strengths and weaknesses. But don't go completely overboard. I read one 10 page fanfic set in TOS that trailed the character from childhood, through the acadamy, to his first couple of postings. All of that, while interesting, took up WAY to much space for only a ten page story.

Also, just like in our RP, characters should be mortal, and as believable as possible in the realm of a sci-fi universe. Another fan fic I read has a character first beat the Kobyashi Maru in the acadamy fairly (so he's better than Kirk and Picard), single handedly beat the Borg, and later while leading Spec Ops missions, HIS armor can withstand multiple hits, but his team gets wasted by seemingly grazing hits.

Just my two cents worth.

[Mikey]

In other words, no chakats.

[Mark]

Exactly

[KuvahMagh]

*Avoid romance at all costs. Sure it is an easy way to pander to your audience and bring in readers you might not get other wise but it is a cheap plot trick and always ends up ruining a good story.

I agree in general terms but if it is well thought out and well executed a relationship can be an important part of who a character is. What I don't like to see is the mindless ones where it is quite obvious the only thought they put into it was what to call the two people. Those distract from the story but if you work it out and have it become part of the story than it can work.

[Teaos]

Basically a good test is if you can ask yourself "Could I remove the romance from the fic and still keep the same over all plot?" If the answer is yes, ditch the romance, its just cheap filler.

[Mikey]

I agree with KM. Romantic relationships for their own sake aren't useful, but if done right they can be a new dimension in which to show character depth and development.

[Mark]

Here here.

[Sionnach Glic]

I agree that they can be used to add more depth to a character, but at the same time it shouldn't be too major a plot of the novel unless it's going to be quite significant at the end.