#there’s another OC where it’s the opposite (similar background and very different coping mechanisms)

[heavencasteel420]

The Jonathan/Gail scene is giving me headaches. I basically have five options:

Tack the scene onto the end of Chapter 12 (probably the simplest option pacing-wise but I think it gives the chapter a very different feel that I don’t really want);

Switch to his POV just for that scene in the middle of Robin’s chapter (awkward, considering that the rest of the fic has them alternating POVs for each chapter);

Do a Rashomon and write about the whole quarry party from Jonathan’s perspective (I think this will come across as redundant for the rest of the party because they don’t feel super-differently about the events they’re both present for);

Do a flashback in Chapter 14 to the Gail scene (potentially awkward);

Don’t make it a full scene, just have him tell Robin about it later (I kind of like this although I will be sorry to lose the complete scene).

[blue-haired-grace]

Hey friend!!! For the OC asks there were sooo many good ones! For these you can do a specific member of spark squad, a mix, or all of them. Happy to learn additional info about any of them ❤️

14, 17, 23/24(these two are similar, whichever inspires you), 30, 35, 36, 40

Ok that was still a lot, whichever you have inspiration on feel free to answer! I was thrilled when you mentioned me in this one and am excited to see what you come up with!! ☺️

Okay, so I tag you in an ask game so you can ask me questions, and then I take forever to respond. I’m sorry, Jay; I really did mean to get to this sooner.

To make up for this, and because I like torturing myself, I’m gonna answer these questions for all of Spark Squad, except Duke (‘cause he do be dead :'( ).

I know most other people don’t really care about Spark Squad, so due to that and length, I’ll be putting this under the cut so it doesn’t clog up the dashboards of others.

14. Does your OC do anything, “just for aesthetic”? Or are they completely practical in everything?

Ghost: He’s actually the most practical, in this case, out of the four of them. He spent a lot of time being weighed down by his insecurities, so he spent a long time trying to catch-up to his squad and didn’t really consider himself to have time for anything else.

Morale: He’s in the middle of the spectrum, although he leans more towards being practical. He’s just not so much into doing something purely for aesthetic; he can go for it if the others convince him, though.

Pillow/Throwpillow: He’s also in the middle of the spectrum; he just tends to lean more towards doing something just for aesthetic. He can be freaking dramatic when he wants to be.

Sketch: This surprises a lot of people, but Sketch is the most likely to do something purely for aesthetic. He likes to sketch and, on good days, would even consider himself an artist. He knows how to balance it with practicality, though.

17. How prepared is your OC? Ready for the worst no matter what or completely lost in every situation? Would they have a medkit when it was needed? Would they have an umbrella if it rains?

Honestly, these guys have been trained since birth to be the best soldiers possible. They are all extremely prepared for the worst to happen in most situations. If I had to give a situation where each one of them would be the most likely to be completely lost:

Pillow/Throwpillow: Emotional problems

Sketch: Not being in control

Morale: When he can’t find a positive in a bad situation

Ghost: When his insecurities of not being good enough get the best of him.

23. What is the most annoying sound to your OC? What’s the most pleasant? Is there any reason?

Sketch: He loves the sound of pencil on paper, or whatever the equivalent is in the Star Wars universe. Art and drawing relaxes him and it has given him many great memories. The most annoying sound would be rain. Once when he was younger, one of his pictures ended up outside in the torrential rain of Kamino and it was completely destroyed. As he picked up his picture and stared the ruins, all he could hear was the rain pounding around him.

Pillow/Throwpillow: Pillow on the other hand loves the sound of the rain. He hates quietness and it fills him with a sense of dread; the sound of rain prevents utter silence much of the time. He hates the sound of crying, though. Most of the time, he doesn’t know how to help a brother when they’re crying so he just lets them use him as a pillow and hopes for the best.

Morale: Like Pillow, he hates the sound of crying, although for different reasons. It usually means that a brother has gotten lost in their negative emotions, so they’re no longer trying to see the best in a situation. Since Morale is a mostly optimistic person, it hurts him to hear this sound (he’s better at dealing with it than Pillow). On the reverse, the sound of laughter is his favourite. It fills him with joy to hear proof that his brothers are happy and he’d do many things to get them to laugh.

Ghost: Honestly, Ghost hates constant noise. It overwhelms him and makes him want to scream. This can extend to the rain on Kamino, the snoring of brothers at night, and much more. He’s learned how to use this noise to his advantage, though, and it has made it easier for him to slip into the background unnoticed. He didn’t really get a favourite sound until he was in the Coruscant Guard, which was the sound of a massiff barking in joy. He found that he really likes these guys.

24. What smells bring back specific memories to your OC? What are those memories like?

Sketch: As orderly and organized as he is, he loathes the smell of something being absolutely clean or sterile. It reminds him too much of Kamino and the room he was in as they took Duke away. On the other hand, he loves the smell of nature. It reminds of the one time he was on a planet other than Kamino or Coruscant; he always wanted to get more missions off world.

Pillow/Throwpillow: The smell of paint does it for him. He doesn’t really have another smell that brings back memories; it’s just not something he focuses on. The smell of paint reminds him of when he was first allowed to paint his armour in Coruscant Guard red. This is overall a happy memory, but it’s mixed with how much he originally hated being assigned to the Coruscant Guard.

Morale: The smell of blood triggers a lot of memories for Morale. It reminds him of injuries on Kamino, injuries while in the Guard, having a knife slit his throat during a mission. Another smell is just that of a brother. It reminds him of hugs, cuddle piles, etc. Very fond memories for him…Though they become a bit bittersweet later on. :)

Ghost: The smell of alcohol reminds Ghost of 79’s; it’s not very pleasant for him to think about, which will be elaborated upon in your other ask. ;) He loves the smell of shampoo. It’s related to taking care of his hair, which is very relaxing to him.

30. What topics does your OC know the most about? Are these obvious or would these be surprising to others?

Sketch: Unsurprisingly, Sketch knows a lot about art, especially when he gets to Coruscant and can learn even more. Sketch is probably the most predictable out of his brothers, due to putting himself in the role of the older brother for so long.

Ghost: The first topic he knows a lot about is hair care. This isn’t really a surprise since his hair is so long; everyone just assumes he would have to know a lot to take care of it. The topic that no one really expects of him is animals. When he got to Coruscant, Ghost discovered he liked a lot of animals more than most people, so he promised himself he would learn everything about them that he could.

Morale: Like Sketch, Morale is pretty predictable as he is the designated youngest brother out of them. This tends to lead to people underestimating him and his knowledge though, so he has that advantage over Sketch. Not really surprising anyone, once reaching Coruscant, he tried educating himself as much as he could on mental health and coping mechanisms. Before on Kamino, it was mostly just empty words, regardless of how much he wanted to help. Something that surprised others was, after his throat was slit, how interested in medical knowledge he became. If something like that ever happened to a brother without a medic nearby, he wanted to be able to help. It actually helped him control his bad reactions to the smell of blood, as well.

Pillow/Throwpillow: With how much he enjoys being active, it’s not really a surprise how much he knows about fighting, weapons, exercise, etc. Something that surprised everyone, himself included, is how much he enjoyed learning about the foods in different cultures. It all started when he was guarding a senator and saw the food of their home world.

35. How easily does your OC get attached to things? Does everything have a sentimental value to them, or do they see nothing as more valuable than its practical use? What about with people/animals?

Sketch: Beyond art supplies and the pictures he draws, Sketch doesn’t really place sentimental value on objects. He’s also pretty neutral towards animals. He does get pretty attached towards people though, especially younger brothers. Once he had gotten settles into the Guard and was no longer a shiny, younger brothers began to notice the aura of “big brother” around him.

Pillow/Throwpillow: Other than pictures given to him by Sketch, Pillow doesn’t really value objects beyond its practical use. He doesn’t care much for animals, but he gives them a chance for Ghost. The same can be said for his relationship with people, too. He gets along with others, but he doesn’t get overly attached to people outside of his squad; he has to people in his squad, he doesn’t need anyone else.

Ghost: Like Pillow, the pictures Sketch gives him are really the only objects he gives sentimental value to. Once he gets to Coruscant, though, there is another object he gets attached to: a stuffed massiff. He gets really attached to animals. He feels they understand him better than most people. With people, he doesn’t really get attached. Despite growing up with them, it still took him a while to warm up to his squad. He’ll be polite and kind, but it would be way too long for him to become attached to someone outside of his squad.

Morale: Out of them all, he becomes the most attached to objects. He’s good at letting them go though, because, you know, Kamino. He likes animals, but it takes him a while to become attached to one. Morale very easily attaches himself to other people. He finds it the easiest to become friends with other and he feels every loss very deeply

36. How stubborn is your OC? Are they easily convinced of the opposite opinion, do they not agree but let it happen anyways? Or do they cause conflicts with their inability to budge in their decisions?

Sketch: He is the most stubborn. We haven’t really gotten to see it yet, but being in the position of older brother for so long and always being the one they went to when they needed help, not having that control was extremely weird when he was in the Coruscant Guard. It would actually cause a bit of trouble early on, but he worked on it.

Pillow/Throwpillow: He has a difficult time considering the emotions and conditions of others, so he tends to stick to his decision regardless of the consequences. It has caused trouble with his inability to change his mind, but he’s getting better at reflecting.

Morale: Morale would probably be the third most stubborn. This comes with his need to not be seen as weak, considering he classified as the youngest. This was also amplified when Duke died.

Ghost: He’s the least stubborn. Due to his insecurities during training, he spent so long changing his mind and tactics to get better. There are a few situations where he sticks to his guns, though, particularly when a brother is needlessly putting themselves down.

40. Are there any habits your OC has picked up from people around them? Do they know where they’re from? Does your OC try to stop themselves from doing it?

Sketch: He picked up the habit of using the Commander Voice. He picked this up from Fox, who he did look up to a lot in terms of work and dedication. He tries to stop himself from using it in the presence of superior officers, but will use it when people trust him to lead.

Ghost: Talking to the massiffs in the Guard. He picked this up from Sergeant Hound. He loves the massiffs and it doesn’t hurt anyone, so he keeps doing it.

Pillow/Throwpillow: The only habit he’s picked up is snapping his fingers when he calls someone over to him. He got this from one of the asshole senators he spent a lot of time around. He tries to stop himself from doing this.

Morale: He started tapping his foot when he gets anxious, something he picked up from Pillow. He doesn’t try to stop himself from doing this because his brothers find it hilarious. He picked up the habit of the Medic Voice and Look because when he was learning about medical knowledge, he would go to the medics and spent a lot of time around them. He tries to stop himself from doing this because he feels like he’s intruding on their job. Unbeknownst to him, the medics are laughing their asses of whenever he uses them on a brother and it terrifies them into going to see a medic.

Holy hell, is this was long enough? xD Thanks to anyone who stuck around with me for the ride. Hope you enjoy these, Jay! <3

From this ask game!

[aspoonofsugar]

Hi, I was wondering if maybe you had a method, or an experience, anything actually, to advise on this, because you seem really, really knowledgeable on everything touching fiction and construction of it around characters' arc. But above all, do not force yourself to answer if you don't want to bc I don't want to bother you! It's been a while, since I'm a child, that I've characters in mind for a fiction. I often daydreaming of them, especially since I tried to create a plot and an universe.

But it isn’t deep enough (the MC miss a real stake so oc, the end doesn’t exist, just subsidiary things that can make arcs but not a guideline for articulate all the work), and even though it’s pleasant to ‘rave’ about potentials scenes, I wish to write this one day but can’t even give a proper direction like that. It’s possibly getting on a fantasia universe, but at the same time even if I wish to have a personal universe I don’t want it to be a repetition of every declination

of fantasy models universe as it’s often the case with this kind of projects. So maybe it’s just going to be a SF in real word idk… anyway, if you have an idea of smth to advise in this case for creating a universe even if the process is supposed to be the opposite process (universe - plot- chara) I would really appreciate it very much. Sorry to have bothered you, if you don’t have don’t worry, you’re not obliged to answer. At worst I would find this by myself one day! Wishing you a good day!            

Hello anon!

Thank you for your kind words, I feel really flattered :)!

When it comes to your ask, I will try to answer it, but you should consider that I will talk generically since I don’t know much about your idea. In other words my suggestions might sound too generic and you might not know how to immediately apply them to your story. However, I hope they can be of some help.

From what you say, it seems to me that right now you should not really worry about the worldbuilding, but rather you should try to develop what you already have aka the characters and (I guess) some themes linked to them. As a matter of fact it seems to me that it is in these elements that your main idea lies.

I will try to explain myself better. A story is made of many elements (characters, themes, the world, the conflict and so on). All these elements are interconnected and the more they are coherent with each other and intertwined the more the story itself becomes cohesive and thightly written. What is more, among the above-mentioned elements, conflict is probably the most important one since the main conflict of a story defines the kind of story you are gonna tell.

In summary, we can say two things.

1) All the elements of a story are (idealistically) intertwined.

2) The main conflict of the story should be decided early on.

Now, every story is born by a simple idea which is then developed in something more complex and sometimes this idea is transformed to the point that it becomes difficult to recognize the original inspiration. However, a first and primitive idea is always needed. This first idea is about (at least) a specific narrative element. For example, it can be about a world with special attributes or about a specific theme the story wants to explore. In order to develop this idea it can be useful to understand the different possible conflicts it can give birth to, to choose one which is interesting and to determine the other elements of the narration in a way which is coherent with the initial idea.

Your basic idea is about the characters and since you have some ideas about the arc you want your main character to have you probably also know what this character must convey thematically. In other words you may also have some ideas about the themes of your narration. You should now try to shape these elements in an interesting conflict which is the struggle your character will go through.

You mentioned you are not convinced about your current draft because the stakes are not high enough for your character. A way to try and have a best result might be to give your character a different objective from the one they have right now.

TRY TAMPERING WITH YOUR CHARACTERS’ FLAWS AND OBJECTIVES

Generally speaking, characters are defined by a flaw and by something they want aka an objective. Usually their flaw goes in the way of their objective.

Let’s also highlight that to be more precise characters usually have two objectives which are one internal and the other external. The relationship between the internal and the external objective can give birth to different arcs structurally speaking.

For example, I mentioned in this ask that Kogami from Psycho Pass has the external objective not overlapping with the internal one. In other words, it is a case of what you need and what you want.

Kogami’s internal objective is to become a detective and to stop living like a hunting dog. This is what he needs.

However, his external objective is to kill Makishima. This is what he wants.

It is obvious that if Kogami wants to realize his internal objective he must give up his external one and vice versa. On one hand if he gives in to his flaw (his desire for revenge and his most instinctual pulsions) he will be successful in his external objective, but fail his internal one. On the other hand if he overcomes his flaw he will fail his external objective, but be successful in his internal one and change, so becoming the protagonist of an arc of transformation.

I will now make an example of how a narrative can be structured starting from defining a specific character. My objective is to show that just by thinking deeply about things like a flaw, an external objective and the way a transformation can happen many different stories (well at least many ideas for many different stories) can be born.

I will talk about Elen from Requiem of the Phantom. It is not necessary for you to truly know the series because I will simply discuss some aspects very generically.

Elen’s character has an arc of transformation and is also the character who lives the most important conflict in the series. She starts as a person who has no will of her own and her internal objective is to develop one. These two aspects are her flaw (lack of will) and her internal objective (developing a will of her own). Now, it is obvious that said like this they can seem very abstract elements. However, it is from developing and specifying these two elements that a more defined character and story can be born.

First of all, once it has been established that her flaw is a lack of will, one must come up with some reasons for it. Why does a person lack a will? Different answers can be given and from each different answer a different character will be born. In Elen’s case the answer is that she has been caught by a criminal organization and transformed into an assassin. Because of this, she has developed a very frail sense of self. In short her lack of will is the result of a specific coping mechanism she developed to survive.

Secondly, there is the problem of how to convey the fact that by the end Elen has a will of her own. In other words her internal conflict needs to be given an external representation. This must happen because we are in a story and stories show conflicts and do not simply tell them. So how can you show an internal transformation like the one Elen must go through? The answer the series gives is to create the character of the Scythe Master aka the main antagonist. Elen’s internal conflict is conveyed through her conflict with Scythe who wants to control her. In order to make the story more cohesive Scythe is not only the character who wants to control Elen in the story itself, but also the one who is responsible for her abuse and so for her initial situation.

A situation where a character must fight another who wants to control them is a good conflict to talk about themes like freedom and self-affirmation (and this is also why you find it in many stories). What is more, it is a conflict with the potential of being very dynamic and it can be used to write many different stories by changing some elements like the character’s personality (e.g. Ash in Banana Fish lives a similar conflict, but his personality is the opposite of Elen and so he has a different flaw which lets the narrative develop in a different way).

Finally, let’s also highlight that other than choosing a flaw and an objective you must come up with a situation which kicks off the character’s change. How is it possible that this character changes? In Requiem for the Phantom the answer is that Elen changes because she meets Reiji aka a person who is put in a situation very similar to her, but that reacts differently and in this way shows her a different path. Once again, this is not the only possible answer.

For example, in BF Ash is challenged not because he meets a person in a similar situation as him, but because he meets Eiji aka a person who comes from a completely different background and who makes him experience a different reality.

Let’s also highlight that in BF there is a dynamic where a character is challenged by another who has had a similar upbringing to his, but is reacting to said situation in a different way. It is the case of YL and Ash. Yut Lung is shown by Ash that there are other ways to react to a specific situation, but YL, differently from Elen, develops jealousy and is almost self-destroyed by his flaw until he meets another person (Sing) who helps him out.

Let’s now try to give other possible answers to the question: “How can Elen change?”.

For example, she might find herself without Scythe Master. Being removed from him might force her to start acting on her own. So now the question becomes “how is she removed from him?”.

He might die and leave her a last mission to complete. Elen who is lost without orders could choose to follow this post-mortuous order, but might come to realize throughout this last mission that she is her own person and she might choose to act against her orders and to use what she knows to go against Scythe’s last will. As you can see the plot becomes completely different from the one of the series. In this version the external conflict is determined by what is Elen’s last mission and it is obvious that she will have to face situations during the completion of this mission which will challenge her.

Elen might be removed from Scythe also for some external tampering. For example, she might be kidnapped by a rival organization. And we could also add some supernatural element. This rival organization has developed a technology which lets two people swap bodies. They might be wiling to send a person to spy the criminal organization Elen is a part of and she might find herself in another body and far away from Scythe. In this new environment she might meet situations which will let her grow. For example, the organization which kidnapped her is actually made of a bunch of misfits who live emarginated from society, but try to use their skills to fight criminality and have targeted Inferno (Elen’s group). In a healthieir environment Elen might feel accepted and grow.

I have added this last example to start discussing about worldbuilding and fantastic elements. As a matter of fact the body-swapping technology is a fantastic element and if it were to be added would modify the genre of the narration and add some supernatural aspects. Such a choice needs to be developed. For example, how does this body-swapping device work? If we choose to introduce it, then it would be a waste not to develop it further which means that it would be great if it added more conflict and more thematic meaning to the whole story.

It could be done this way. The device might still be a prototype and so, it works only if at least one of the two people involved in the swapping has a very weak will. This might also be the reason why Elen is chosen as a target.

This could be interesting because Elen’s external objective might become the one of going back to her own body, so that she can keep obeying her master’s orders. However, her internal objective is to develop a will and to affirm who she is, so in the end she might very well choose to fight her master and not to go back to her body. In short, her external objective is to go back to be herself physically, but in the end she becomes herself in a psychological sense. What is more, since her arc is about developing her own will, she is going to do so gradually and this means that ironically the more she develops the less chances she has to go back to her own body because the device only works if one of the two people involved has an enough weak will. This could lead to a series of minor conflicts between Elen herself and the members of the group which swapped her. On one hand they might start to develop a relationship with her, but on the other hand they might be worried about the person in Elen’s body who will found themselves stuck if Elen develops.

Finally, body-swapping is a trope which can be easily used to develop themes linked to empathy since it lets a person be in another one’s shoes, quite literally. So, we could use it to develop this theme as well in relation to the character who swapped with Elen. This character may have a personal grudge against Inferno and may initially despise Elen. However, after seeing how she is usually treated by the Scythe Master they might develop sympathy for her and they may wish to help her escape.

Let’s also underline that this body switch device might very well become something Scythe Master himself grows interested in and he might want to take it for himself because, if coupled with people like Elen who lack a will (and he is good at creating them), assassinations will become easier.

Now these are just random ideas and it is not important that they are good or bad ones. My aim is simply to show that by modifying some elements different kinds of conflicts are born and in this way different possible plots.

Because of this, it might be useful for you to tamper with these elements as well. You might realize that the external conflict you are thinking of might be more interesting if coupled with a character with a different flaw (e.g. a scared character will struggle more if coupled with a conflict which challenges them to be brave, rather than with one which challenges them to be generous). You may also have to think of an external objective which creates a more interesting conflict. In this case, remember that this objective must show in a concrete way what your character is going through in their interiority. Moreover, if you think about an objective which is important for your character, then the stakes will automatically get higher. In order to do so you might have to rethink or to elaborate on some details of the character’s background. As a matter of fact, the more specific and personal the objective you come up with is the easier will be to better characterize your character and to build the story.

SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON WORLDBUILDING

You specifically asked about worldbuilding, so I will make some very general considerations.

First of all, worldbuilding is an element present in all narrations and not only in stories with a fantastic setting.

Secondly, in all stories it should do at least two things.

1) Add to the conflict.

2) Add to the themes.

Let’s consider once again Requime for the Phantom because it has a realistic setting, but its worldbuilding fulfills the two conditions above.

As mentioned above, in Requiem for the Phantom there is a criminal organization called Inferno who forces Elen and the other protagonist Reiji to work as assassins.

This organization is pretty realistic in how it works, but it still has a thematic meaning. As a matter of fact it is the physical hell the characters must escape from. What is more, it is made by traitors from other organizations and in this way it is linked to the theme of betrayal which is present in the series as a whole.

Moreover, the organization itself and how it is structured contributes to the conflict. As a matter of fact many of the conflicts which interest the protagonists are born because of other characters wanting to obtain more power within the organization itself.

When it comes to your story, you must come up with a setting which is coherent with your conflict and with your major themes. Consider that it is something which might come naturally later on once you have developed the story more. That said, you must see if a fantastic world is necessary for the story you want to tell or if it better works in a more realistic setting. Be it one way or the other you will still have to create a universe which is good for your story.

If you choose a realistic setting you might have to research some aspects of it (for example, if you set it in a hospital you might want to research how hospitals work; this could also help you with the plot because you might discover unexpected things which might come in handy to create interesting situations).

If you choose a fantastic setting you will have to establish how that world works. What is more, the fantastic elements should not appear in the story just because, but should have an important role.

Idealistically the world you set your story in is the only world where your story can be told. This means that if you change some aspects of it another story will be possible, but not yours.

In short, the choice of the setting should be useful to your story as a whole and not be simply something extra.

For example, if you want to write a story about a skater who becomes better and better in her own discipline it doesn’t make much sense to set it in a hospital. The world you are gonna explore is gonna be the one of professional skating with all its dynamics and rules.

It is not that you can’t have a story with a skater in a hospital, but it will have to be about something different than her becoming a champion. It could be about her having to solve a criminal case which involves her roommate for example. And in the end she will solve it because of something she has learnt in her skating days (because if her being a skater is not important for the story, then why should she be?).

The same goes for fantastic worlds. If you are gonna put your story in one, you should think why putting it in such a world is necessary and as you do you will create a specific fantastical world with attributes which are original and functional to your story.

For example, you might choose that your character’s objective is to find a magical object to solve a certain problem. You must then establish the problem which might be linked to your character’s flaw. let’s say your character is a coward, so he chooses to go find an object not to be a coward anymore. Of course through his journey he overcomes his flaw without the need of a magic object (this is the idea behind the Wizard of Oz after all). Another hypothesis is that your character has a problem, finds an object which seems able to fix it, but it turns out that an even bigger problem is created and so your protagonist has to fix it. Another possible structure is that your character has a curse (which might very well be linked to themes or their character flaw) and their objective becomes freeing themselves from said curse.

As I am sure you have noticed these are all common structures you can find in many different stories. They work and the stories which have them are all different because of how they are declined. Which kind of curse fits my character best? A character who puts a lot of importance on physical looks will be challenged by being changed in a horrible monster. Who cursed them? A jealous witch? Or maybe in a comic twist it might be the person who must marry them who found the way they looked previously disgusting. Such a premise could very well be used to explore themes like how beauty is relative to an extent or how it is wrong to try and change one’s own partner. Then how can the curse be lifted? Maybe the character will have to overcome some trials. Or maybe they must pass the curse to other five people and so the MC will have to select their targets. If they are a good person, they might not really be willing to do so and they might feel guilty about it, so they might choose to find people who “deserve” it and so on.

I hope I gave you a general idea.

To summarize:

- It is not really important the order you follow when you plan your story, but it is useful to start with one or two elements you have ideas about.

- These elements will help you shape your conflict (which can also be the element you start with).

- It can be useful to build the other elements in a way that they are coherent with your original idea. In other words, what you want to convey can help you in thinking about which kind of elements you have to introduce.

Finally, this way of planning might seem a little too rigid, so I want to make one thing clear. These are instruments and not strict rules. The one I talked about is simply a method to approach and plan a story and it is useless if one has not an idea they want to convey.

From what you say, I think that you clearly want to convey something and you are clearly very passionate about it since it is a story which has been with you since you were a child and you have even been dreaming your characters. Looking at it with these instruments (even if it might be strange at first) might help you better realize what you want to say and you might even discover you have more than what you thought and that you simply need to organize it differently. You might also be able to come up with a plot you like more by simply changing a small element. In short, this method is simply a way to look at your story from a different perspective and it might be helpful.

Another way to go at it is to talk about your story with someone you trust. This person might tell you what they like about it and which are the aspects they find more interesting. By starting from these aspects you might be able to develop these ideas more and you might make progress.

I hope I was of some help and good luck with your story!