Okay--so I have a new idea for a novel.
And this one, I think, could be a real doozie. Fun. Just plain fun. The goal is to write a book about the travels of some historian, in a fantasy world. It would be similar to some of the ancient Muslim travelers, such as Ibn Batta, who traveled all over the world in search of knowledge. Only it would be in a world of my own making--ancient magics, ancient plagues, ancient dead, ancient Gods. And that would be on top of new ideas, new changes, new revolutions. It could be the best of everything--and the best part ever, is that it would be about TRAVEL! There would probably be a few main characters who would bounce from one part of this world to the other, solving mysteries or something like the boxcar children... good, pulp fantasy. But not crappy. Well researched, serious, a traveler's dream... in a world of my own making.
And no matter what country I decide to set my little bum in, it would be inspiration for a book! I'm so excited!!
I have the idea for a few characters. I think I will rest at three. They are all childhood friends, having been educated at a religious institution in the mountains. The first was a monk, pledged to the monastery/university since his poor parents traded him for something to eat. He scrubbed the floors and maintained the place for some time, but the monks and nuns soon realized that he had an aptitude for all the lessons. After he took his vows, he was able to get an education. He ran through the education that the monastery had to offer him, and began traveling to different monasteries in the country for further education. He learned about history, politics, theology, philosophy, botany, and where he could, magic. However, he never settled, and always roamed from monastery to monastery, always returning to the place where he took his vows to continue teaching at the school there, and to see his beloved childhood friends, a duke's daughter and heiress, and his knowledgeable partner in crime, whose education continuously threatens his faith.
The duke's daughter goes to school with the two boys from the ages of 6 to 18. At seventeen she is married out of convenience to another lord for her family's benefit. She eldest in a family of five, but all of her younger siblings are male. She is, thus, a terrible tomboy. She enjoys feeling like a woman--wearing beautiful dresses in her beautiful house with her successful husband--but she isn't really sure how to complete the circle. After twelve years of education in a monastery, learning from her close friends (and at home, learning from her brothers) all about geography, politics, and history, she simply does not fit the mold of beautiful wife. The other girls that schooled with her managed to come out alright--but she always had a part of her that hated them for their inadequacy. She loved scholarship, and almost took vows herself, but her father delivered the marriage contract just a little early. Intrigued by the idea of marriage and all of its perks, she set off to become a duchess. Soon later she realized just how terrible a decision it was. Bored, stuffed into corsets, and anxious, she turned into a little button of tension. After a doctor told her that she would be unable to have children, she began to find unfaithful ways of easing this tension--and her husband grew more and more anxious to get rid of her. She is caught in the act--just as her childhood friends are planning to leave the country for a daring adventure of scholarship and learning.
The third character is a monk in the monastery, but has not traveled as extensively for knowledge as his friend has done. Instead he wrestles with theology, knowledge, and law at home. His faith is continuously challenged. Whereas his friend simply believes in the many forms of God, and assumes that man's transgressions in God's name are the same as man's transgressions without God's name--his dear friend is convinced that too many terrible things have been done in the name of his God. The more he researches, the more he finds that shake his foundation. He breaks his vows and falls in love with a woman, but she does not understand how serious a commitment he has made to her. She breaks his heart, and suddenly he realizes that he has nothing. All of this has been kept quiet, but he himself is broken, and the monks and nuns suspect it as well. He decides to be the second scholar on his dear friend's journey into the world, collecting knowledge and scholarship from the lands of far away.
Together they manage to convince the disgraced duke to set his wife free from whatever punishment she might incur, and keep the whole thing quiet. (She was likely to be hanged.) The three leave, with possibly a few strong men to keep them safe, and possibly a linguist, but I'm not sure yet. (Maybe she is a linguist, and they can convince the king to look the other way if it will help their expedition.)
They leave for a magical place--the oldest place in the world. They are received by an older monk who is well established there, one who has taught them before. Then they begin to unfurl plenty of secrets. Cool secrets. And get caught up in some kind of mystery. I think perhaps there will be a holy woman involved--perhaps she will be killed. Then they will have to find out why she was killed--and more importantly, what she knew.
And no matter what country I decide to set my little bum in, it would be inspiration for a book! I'm so excited!!
I have the idea for a few characters. I think I will rest at three. They are all childhood friends, having been educated at a religious institution in the mountains. The first was a monk, pledged to the monastery/university since his poor parents traded him for something to eat. He scrubbed the floors and maintained the place for some time, but the monks and nuns soon realized that he had an aptitude for all the lessons. After he took his vows, he was able to get an education. He ran through the education that the monastery had to offer him, and began traveling to different monasteries in the country for further education. He learned about history, politics, theology, philosophy, botany, and where he could, magic. However, he never settled, and always roamed from monastery to monastery, always returning to the place where he took his vows to continue teaching at the school there, and to see his beloved childhood friends, a duke's daughter and heiress, and his knowledgeable partner in crime, whose education continuously threatens his faith.
The duke's daughter goes to school with the two boys from the ages of 6 to 18. At seventeen she is married out of convenience to another lord for her family's benefit. She eldest in a family of five, but all of her younger siblings are male. She is, thus, a terrible tomboy. She enjoys feeling like a woman--wearing beautiful dresses in her beautiful house with her successful husband--but she isn't really sure how to complete the circle. After twelve years of education in a monastery, learning from her close friends (and at home, learning from her brothers) all about geography, politics, and history, she simply does not fit the mold of beautiful wife. The other girls that schooled with her managed to come out alright--but she always had a part of her that hated them for their inadequacy. She loved scholarship, and almost took vows herself, but her father delivered the marriage contract just a little early. Intrigued by the idea of marriage and all of its perks, she set off to become a duchess. Soon later she realized just how terrible a decision it was. Bored, stuffed into corsets, and anxious, she turned into a little button of tension. After a doctor told her that she would be unable to have children, she began to find unfaithful ways of easing this tension--and her husband grew more and more anxious to get rid of her. She is caught in the act--just as her childhood friends are planning to leave the country for a daring adventure of scholarship and learning.
The third character is a monk in the monastery, but has not traveled as extensively for knowledge as his friend has done. Instead he wrestles with theology, knowledge, and law at home. His faith is continuously challenged. Whereas his friend simply believes in the many forms of God, and assumes that man's transgressions in God's name are the same as man's transgressions without God's name--his dear friend is convinced that too many terrible things have been done in the name of his God. The more he researches, the more he finds that shake his foundation. He breaks his vows and falls in love with a woman, but she does not understand how serious a commitment he has made to her. She breaks his heart, and suddenly he realizes that he has nothing. All of this has been kept quiet, but he himself is broken, and the monks and nuns suspect it as well. He decides to be the second scholar on his dear friend's journey into the world, collecting knowledge and scholarship from the lands of far away.
Together they manage to convince the disgraced duke to set his wife free from whatever punishment she might incur, and keep the whole thing quiet. (She was likely to be hanged.) The three leave, with possibly a few strong men to keep them safe, and possibly a linguist, but I'm not sure yet. (Maybe she is a linguist, and they can convince the king to look the other way if it will help their expedition.)
They leave for a magical place--the oldest place in the world. They are received by an older monk who is well established there, one who has taught them before. Then they begin to unfurl plenty of secrets. Cool secrets. And get caught up in some kind of mystery. I think perhaps there will be a holy woman involved--perhaps she will be killed. Then they will have to find out why she was killed--and more importantly, what she knew.