Input please!

[CocoReed]

Hello!

I wrote a fantasy novel last year and have spent quite a bit of effort into polishing it up and began peddling it a few months ago.

It's called "World Weaver" and is a very loose adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. There are no enchanted apples or wicked stepmothers in my story. The main character, Aricelli, does have a stepmother, but she is not a major character. This is an urban fantasy, set in this universe and modern time. Aricelli meets seven warlocks who can travel between universal dimensions and they need her help fighting against a woman who had been their student at one time. As the saying goes, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely," the student, Bronwen, tried to perform a ritual to grant her more powers but something went wrong and her soul was split in half. In this case, the heroine's greatest enemy is basically herself. Aricelli is Bronwen's other half.

Last month I got an email back from this agent I met at a writer's con. She was very impressed by my fantasy elements and my writing all together. I know I have lots more work concerning this story, but some of the things she pointed out are hard for me to think about without having another person's advice. Hopefully that's where you guys come in. smile She said basically the heroine fighting her light and dark sides is well-worn territory. I thought that them being the same soul was interesting, but... I wrote it so of course I think it's good. smile

What could I do that would make this a fresher idea?

I'm having a hard time thinking about this because I still want to keep the basic idea. How can I not have good vs. evil? If you think about it, everything is an offshoot of good vs. evil. I would greatly appreciate any kind of advice. Thank you for reading. Have a lovely day!

Happy writing!
C. Reed  

[WildWildWindWhisperer]

Hi!
I agree about about good vs evil. It is one of the best selling and most read concepts. It simply works, and works well to capture attention.
With that said I shall state, it`s possibly the details of this concept that are what makes the difference
IE: The dual soul..
The separation of one soul and making it battle itself.
The physcial images and persons battling for supreme power.
Marvelous concept.
You have me wishing to read it.
A war within but it is without in aphyscial form.
This concept you have is delicious!

What are the items that are up for repairing?
What are the writing agent`s views, on what you need to change to make it sell-able?
You made my day..
Thank you for sharing.


...................WildWildWindWhisperer wink
(Vice-captian of the Writing On The Wall)  

[CocoReed]

Hi! Thank you for the kind words. biggrin Basically she said that the transition between worlds is still a bit vague and rough (I'm working on that though.) What I'm having problems with is deciding what to do that would make this fresher. She said light vs. dark is novel and I should try and make it not so cliche I guess.  

[amusedwriter]

nearly all good stories involve conflict and someone always has to be in the good and in the wrong... so I don't see any way to really change the good vs. evil plot. To have a conflict there must be varying sides. I bet when you finish with the world transitions she may like the story more. I don't mean to offend (and if it sounds like it, punish me), but you could always make the characters more detailed and original so it doesn't sound so much like other stories and have the actions and styles totally unlike anything seen in average stories.