Given I may jump around a bit, I thought characters arranged by project with a suggested reading order might be handy.
The Mizfits
The Mizfits is an idea for a comics series. The theme is that the characters aren’t particularly impressive power-wise on their own, but function well together. Many of them are outcasts and they wouldn’t form this sort of group out of anything other than necessity. Like with their powers, on a personal level it will turn out that they are ultimately better together. It is unsurprising that their leader is a woman who sees how things go together.
One point about setting. Two of the characters (Random and Boost) will have a moment when their powers cause a big event called All Saints’ Anarchy. Basically the laws of reality will have been suspended for a brief period of time, causing chaos/destruction. Worse still, a number of people come out of this with extraordinary powers. This is both the origin of several of the Mizfits and many of their opponents.
Antagonists
Wells
Wells I see as a TV show. It’s about an Austin Detective, Morgan Fayd, who is investigating some pretty strange crimes. She’ll come to believe in the fantastic, especially after she meets Wells; the writer H.G. Wells from the past who is a wizard. Wells tried to save the magic in the world that was dying by retelling the stories of magical creatures as science fiction (attempting a spell to bind magic and science). Another failed spell brought Wells and those magical creatures to the present. Morgan and Wells will need to uncover mysteries and deal with these creatures – not all of whom are friendly. Over time, we might come to realize that Morgan herself has untapped potential, and may be the key to truly reestablishing magic in the world.
Psi High
Psi High is a YA fantastic novel (with some romance – stretching my comfort zone!). In Psi High psychic powers are real and those few with powers (the Electi) live under restrictive laws so regular humans won’t find them threatening. Additionally, while the Electi’s powers are useful they are still fairly limited. Selena Jones is young woman no one expected to be Electi and when she is revealed to be one she is sent to Coldwater Academy (“Psi High”) to be trained on her powers and the rules governing Electi. There will be adventure and drama at the school and it may be that Selena secretly has the power to change the world.
Alphas
Omegas
Faculty and Council
Dark is Noon (Book One of the Soluna Trilogy)
In an ancient kingdom there was a prophesy:
When the sun by moon adorned,
Then shall the Soluna shall be born.
Marked once by silver, once by gold,
Gifted by power great to behold.
To make night into day or day into night,
Dark is noon, midnight bright.
When waters speak and stone wails,
Then Soluna will tip the scales.
When a conflict emerges were one army is victorious in day, and another in night, the importance of the prophesy seems to become clear. There are those who had watched for the signs and sought to direct the Soluna, to tip the scales in their favor. When a Duchess and Duke realize their adopted son is gifted with extraordinary abilities they must ask the question: is he the Soluna? Their duty to their son, and the world, will be challenged as those hoping to guide the Soluna are not done.
The Journey
It has been many things in the past – a wardrobe, a tornado, a tiny door, a rabbit hole, pixie dust, a tesseract, and more. The Journey has taken children to magical lands, usually because the land needed the children but sometimes because the children needed the land. This time, unfortunately, an adult gets swept up in the Journey. He will need to reconnect with his children, and realize that the Journey is not about him, before they can all get home. (This would be a family film; so the characters here are the “safest” reads).
Western Road Trip
Tang “Trip” Seng, a brilliant and compassionate but naive young man is taking a road trip from New York to Stanford (where he’ll be attending). Having lived a very sheltered life, he is not ready for some of the challenges the real world is about to throw at him. Enter his uncle (fresh off a stint in prison), and his uncle’s friends, who are joining him as protectors on the drive. (Did I mention that this is inspired by a story over 500 years old?)
Tiger, Elk, and Antelope (Demon Beasts)
War of Joy
In the 1960ies, two men (Gabriel Cooper and Stephano Lake) collaborated to create a line of military toys that became extremely successful. Family conflict lead to a falling out and after a vicious conflict the Coopers kept the original company while the Lakes founded a competitor company. A bitter rivalry continued to this day and now both companies, which are the primary employers of the population of West Spring, IN, are in jeopardy. Follow the drama as the extended families of the Coopers and the Lakes love, betray, and go to war with each other over who will give children joy (that’s right – 100 day project is going nighttime soap!).
Four Part Harmony
A group of university women in the 70ies had an A Capella group together. One of them, Harmony, was a free-spirit and force of nature and chaos that shook the others from their personal status quo and changed their lives. Now, forty years later, the group is reunited because Harmony has passed away. In an odd final request, she has asked the other members of her group to each take part of her cremated remains and follow prerecorded instructions on what to do with them. This missions quickly show that Harmony is again shaking up their personal status quo from beyond the grave. This is a story of friendship, regret, and how it is never too late to find your true path.
Mask of Names
In the land of Nomine, one’s name is everything. Name Stones enable the authorities to mark a person with their name, and their deeds, and to hear the same at a later time. No criminal can deny their identity, nor royalty fail to be recognized. At least, provided the authorities speak true when they mark someone.
A young Graden Duforet does not believe they always do, as he has been named the son of a betrayer. The Justitia Academy provides the first chance for him to right this wrong. In the academy, identity is hidden, and upon graduation names are cleared and only include what the student earned during their time at the academy. At the academy, Graden will find friends and enemies, learn new skills, and perhaps uncover that the world is not as virtuous as he is.
Driving to School
This would be a webseries. The three teenage friends described below drive to school together every day and each episode of the series shows one of these trips. Rarely do they discuss people or events at their school; rather they discuss world events, politics, and any thing else that has caught their fancy.
Zones
In the not-so-distant future, population growth in urban areas has continued to grow exponentially. Differences in wealth have become more pronounced, with the wealthy living in gated zones (where automated systems protect citizens from harm), the middle class in regulated zones (there is a police presence, although a reduced one as the wealthy in gated zones don’t want to fund the police overly much) and unregulated zones (spaces where it has been decided there will be no police investment). Access to gated zones is limited (it helps the AI keep the peace if only those living in gated zones are allowed there) but really moving between zones in general is unusual (for many reasons). The exceptions are those who have “Crosser” status. These are typically people who live in gated zones but are willing to go to the other zones (typically they are fixers – those who are rewarded to solve problems for gated zoners who need a presence or solutions in one of the other zones without having to go themselves). Grace Shin is one of the best Crossers and fixers in the business.
Rent Control
Arlo Butler sees a performance of RENT and is inspired. His brother Finley runs a community theater with a cast primarily of retirees in Billings, Montana. Arlo offers to fund a production of RENT for $100,000 but he expects it to be good – really good. In the course of a year the brothers have conflicts, the cast works through prejudices, ringers are hired, friendships are made and broken, and the purpose of live local theater is explored. Throughout more than a few people wonder why Arlo is giving a large chunk of his personal fortune to RENT. Is he closeted? Does he have a terminal disease? Does he just want to control his brother? Does it matter?
One-offs
Character ideas that aren’t part of a bigger project (yet).
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