Thursday, November 23, 2017

NaNoPITCHMo 23: THE SIGN OF THE WREN

Happy Thanksgiving! Wishing you all a lovely holiday and lots to be thankful for.

One of the things I'm thankful for is the college I went to--William and Mary. I met my husband there, as well as a whole lot of my friends, so it was a pretty special place for me. I love the campus and the history and the sort of people who are drawn to that school.

Several years ago I read a fantasy book set on the Princeton campus and realized I really wanted to write one for William and Mary. It hasn't happened yet, but I do have something of a plot in mind. At present it's awfully indulgent, but I think I could build off of it. (And besides, the movie it could be compared to--National Treasure--is rather indulgent as well, so I'll let it slide for now.)

Here's the idea as it stands right now:

Ariel is the youngest member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. She dreams of going off to Yale and one day becoming president. But when her early admission application is rejected, she grudgingly accepts an invitation to spend a weekend in Williamsburg with her cousin, a senior at William and Mary.

Her first night on campus, Ariel wanders the grounds alone, exploring the old brick structures and wishing she were on the grounds of Yale instead. But the moment she steps into the courtyard of the Wren Building, one of the oldest academic buildings in the country, she’s met by a spirit in the shape of a griffin. The griffin gives her a skeleton key and begs for her help. The Wren Building is one of many buildings designed by Christopher Wren, an English architect and part of a secret sect tasked with protecting the Earth from a resurgence of anti-intellectualism. His buildings are each home to a guardian of enlightenment.

But the guardians are failing—growing sick and dim from some unknown cause. Now it’s up to Ariel to solve the mystery of their decline, using the key to travel from one building to another, and restore the light of reason on Earth. But unless she can conquer her own pride, she will never save the guardians.

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