Of music

One of the story ideas I've had for years is the concept of a group of students who can control the elements through music, each playing a unique instrument and controlling a unique element. I forget which one of us first spawned the idea, but it comes from a role play that I did with an old friend of mine many moons ago, and many of the scenes that I enjoy the most about this story come directly from that role play, as well as aspects of characters, the main part of which being which instruments control which elements.

The three most consistent characters are the flaming guitarist, the earthy drummer, and the wet violinist. If these sound familiar, it's probably because I've written their scenes a number of times, both on this blog and elsewhere. Only one of them really has a consistent name, though, that being Jake the guitarist, who is a cold and harsh person on the outside, but is gentle and caring on the inside, always looking out for his friends but only acting out on it when he's needed. The drummer is energetic and flirty, but romantic when he gets down into a relationship, and the violinist is shy and afraid to open up.

I love specific scenes with these characters, and truth be told, I'm not sure I'll ever get sick of writing them. Jake being discovered playing his acoustic guitar for the first time. The drummer finding the violinist playing at night and realizing she is more than just another pretty face.

The story has so much potential, and I want to see all of the characters develop desperately. The problem with the story is that I don't know what the conflict is. They all have inner conflicts, of course, but I want something that can push them all together and forward. Something that gives them drive to develop and interact, that gives them something to unite against. But I don't know what that would be.

I considered having a rival band that they face off against in a sort of rock-off, but I'm not sure I like how that plays out. In my head, it's sort of like the musical fights in Scott Pilgrim, but the story isn't quite as jokey as Scott Pilgrim is. It's more like a coming of age story among a group of friends, each growing in their own ways. Though to be honest, I'm not a fan of coming of age stories.

And maybe that's why I have so much trouble writing it as a full story. I don't know how to tell a story in that manner. To connect small stories without having a larger, overarching plot to tie them together, or to end a story without necessarily reaching a climax. I'm just not a fan, and so while I have tons of scenes with these characters I want to write, I just don't know quite how to go about it.

And it would be a shame not to explore those characters in depth.