I asked friends on Facebook a few weeks ago to give me their opinion on what kind of story I should write next. They had two options to choose from, the first being a sequel to Kingdom of Rage, and would pick up where the story left off. The second, tentatively named The Oceanus Project, has a mysterious theme, one where professional divers find an object hidden within the remains of an ancient Roman shipwreck. I was naturally drawn to the idea of the unknown, the only problem is my brain seems to have stroked out because I can’t figure out what the object should do or if it has any mystical powers.
This brings me to the book Deception Point, by Dan Brown. In it, scientists discover a large sphere hidden deep in the Arctic ice. Once free, they find traces of extraterrestrial life, proof that we are not alone in the universe. The story was fascinating and gave me the inspiration to try to give life to my mysterious object. But wait, there’s more: the object actually exists. The object was found in the early 20th century and archaeologists were able to ascertain what the object was designed for. It’s the world’s first analog computer, a device eons ahead of anything else. You are either saying 'gee whiz' or 'that's pretty cool'.
So, that’s where I’m at. What, if anything, does this thing do? Does it have supernatural powers? Is it like the movie Abyss where the thing comes alive? Sci-fi isn’t really my style. Does it have healing powers? Is it sinister? Good? Save the world or destroy it? There’s my problem: almost everything has been done. What would Michael Crichton, Dan Brown, or Tom Clancy do? Thinking...thinking...
Or I could go Indiana Jones on it and make Biblical references—but I don’t know anything about the Bible. Sigh.
After jotting down over five pages of notes, admittedly I’m stuck. Well, sort of. I want to stick with the media theme, although I don’t think Rich Fordham is going to make the cut. I love his character but making the transition from book to book is extremely difficult to make plausible.
I like the idea of having a protagonist that has a former military or law enforcement background who delves into the world of underwater photography, journalism, and documentary filmmaking. Something in his/her day job causes them to burn out and retire.
Let’s take a step back for a moment. When I was plotting a story for Kingdom, it took a good 6-12 months before my epiphany finally struck. The only problem I’ve discovered is that people aren’t inclined to read a story that take place in the Middle East by an unknown author. That’s why I’m trying to figure out a way to keep elements of Oceanus local. When people read they love it when they see a restaurant, city, street, or hotel that they recognize. “Oh! I’ve been there!” they say.
Oceanus needs to have adventure...romance...mystique...you get the picture. I want characters that are just as interesting and provocative as the object that draws you in immediately.
By now, you’ve come up with your images of what would make for an epic escapist novel. What do you think I should write about? What should the object do? Any characters that scream out at you?
