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So, this is a brainstorming session and I am requesting feedback. I have a lot of ideas floating around, and I am wondering how I might implement them or improve upon them. And I need your help to do so.

The Pitch: The setting is a planet that, rather than orbiting a stationary sun, instead flies throughout the Stars via gigantic sails that catch the energy of passing celestial bodies to propel it across the galaxy. These sails are embedded in the Earth via huge anchors and cables. The anchors are maintained by people living in cities that are built up around the anchor in a large spire. The planet is called Medea, and it is guarded by the Overseer/God, Mal.

Random Ideas:

- Mal being somewhat of an idiot, and being responsible for Medea's traveling throughout the Stars. He accidentally destroyed the planet's sun, and the people called him out on his clumsiness and ungodlike behaviour. So to make it up to them, instead of just creating a new sun, he instead creates the sails and launches Medea on its voyage. Without telling the people how to work the sails.

- Multiple timeframes. Early period is a sort of schizo Renaissance era. Later time period is closer to early 20th Century.

- A character who keeps hearing Mal's voice in his head. Despite Mal's existence being common knowledge, and people talking (read: arguing) with him all the time, nobody believes this person that Mal is talking to him in his sleep. Cause of much grief for the character/ sets up a sort of buddy dynamic between an impatient and suffering mortal, and an insufferable god who doesn't know any better

- A pantheon of Overseers who look down on Mal's idiocy and unruliness

- At least one close encounter with another planet, with Medea sailing close enough for visits between the two bodies

Plots:
- A large scale story about the journey of the planet through the galaxy, with global effects, focusing primarily on how Mal reacts with his subjects and their problems. And fails.

- Small scale stories regarding aforementioned character and his torment by Mal

- Integration of both early and later time periods, perhaps time travel? Generational stories.

Any feedback is good feedback, and do not hesitate to criticize.

I love it, the idea of an idiot God is something I haven't really seen/considered before and could be very amusing to see. With the Sun destruction bit, though, how would he have destroyed it without destroying the planet, then have had enough time (before the world froze) to come up with the sail idea and get the world to another system? Also, how does the world not freeze/population die off during transit between systems?

One thing, though, whenever I saw the word "Medea" I couldn't help but think of every Tyler Perry movie... ever...

Medea will always remind me of a certain Caster.

Boc wrote:
I love it, the idea of an idiot God is something I haven't really seen/considered before and could be very amusing to see. With the Sun destruction bit, though, how would he have destroyed it without destroying the planet, then have had enough time (before the world froze) to come up with the sail idea and get the world to another system? Also, how does the world not freeze/population die off during transit between systems?

One thing, though, whenever I saw the word "Medea" I couldn't help but think of every Tyler Perry movie... ever...

The way I see it, I want this setting to kinda play fast and loose with physics. One of the ideas I had come up with (Read: stolen from Terry Pratchett) was that the sails could act as solar repositories, storing the excess light from passing stars to heat the planet and manage a day night cycle. Seasons could be determined by how much light has been collected. Winter months could be set during the deep space portion of their trips between stars.

I was also thinking that, depending on whatever type of star they've recently passed, they could be getting different colors of light, such as an Earth like yellow sun with blue sky, to a purple light or even green. If anyone with an understanding of astronomy could offer their perspective, I would really appreciate it.

As for surviving a supernova, well, he's a god, he can make things happen. Flimsy excuse I know, hoping someone can offer an alternative.

 Azariah Kyras wrote:
Medea will always remind me of a certain Caster.

I might just be drawing a blank here, but where did the name Caster Udea come from?

That's not the Caster I'm thinking of. Mine is Servant Caster, the Witch Medea from Fate/Stay Night.

Then why am I thinking of that name? I have no idea.

Also, I just realized that Medea is a name from Greek Mythology. Jason and the Argonauts. Seems kinda appropriate.

EDIT.

Just remembered. Caster Udea was a name a guy used in an RP I ran.

Is their going to be this story put up on dakka fiction because I'l read it, it sounds good.

I don't know if I would post a full story here. This is something I am serious about writing. I hold no delusions that it will make me a rich and famous author, but I do want to hold onto it. That means I can't divulge everything about plot or characters, since once its on the internet, someone could easily claim they made it.

That being said, I will put up little excerpts covering ideas and potential story ideas I could incorporate into my main work, changing names here and there and using placeholders. This would allow you guys to offer your critique of my writing while allowing me to hold onto my IP.

Any hint as to how it will feel like story wise and how it will blend with what you have already posted will be most welcome.

P.S no one could claim my story on here as their own as I write it all down before I post some up and I have at least over 30 pages with my crossing outs, redo, research and background. Plus they can tell how long ago the ink was written so they would be royally screwed if a fool tried.

I kinda want it to feel weird. Having analogs to earthlike customs is a given, but I want the tone to have a sense of alien to it.

I don't want to say Discworld, which is comedic but with elements of melancholy, but I don't want it to be full blown drama either.

Just lighthearted but not overtly comedy. I want to focus on good character development as well as world building.

Can you go into more details about the cities around the anchors and give a bit more of a spoiler about a main/one of the main characters please.

The Spires were built up over time to house the people that operate them. At first, they were just simple ladders and passageways leading from the surface up towards the ropes holding the sails, but they continually grew, building a honeycomb structure of buildings around the anchors themselves.

Shops, warehouses, living quarters, and all other means of forming a functional society soon were established around the Spires. They became great centers of industry, with countless people flocking towards them to maintain the anchors and seek their fortunes.

The Anchors are not part of any one nation, instead operating as independent city states, united in their common goal of guiding the planet's journey. The Anchors hold a vow that no city shall attack another. If one of the anchors was to fail or be destroyed, it could throw the entire planet off course, dooming everyone.

The Anchor's leaders, however, aren't above screwing each other over. While they need to cooperate for mutual benefit, they aren't above the usual subterfuge and infiltration, just to see what the other anchors are up to.

There are a total of Three Hundred Anchors spread across the planet. As the planet still needs to rotate on its axis, the sails are routinely raised and lowered each day. The lowering of the anchor's sail marks nightfall, as the next anchor raises its sail to continue the journey.

Nice, tell me when you publish it so I can buy a book, it would be an interesting read.

While moving between stars there is a severe absence of light that the sails kind of work for but an alternate option could be that the planet could has a luminous body that orbits the planet like our moon, but would need to emit light instead of being reflective. The light source would need to orbit on a different plane than the solar sail and it would take a god to work out the physics so it isn't lost when you approach other systems.

The literal time between systems would be hard to resolve as well, unless you are hand waving the travel duration in some way.

Now the same concept with a smaller planetoid in the same solar system (binary stars with planets are being found regularly) could have several livable planets/moons orbiting one sun and the deity could have knocked it loose from it's planet and it now roams the system. This can easily knock travel down to years and still leave opportunities for many different scenes.

I just thought this was a funny coincidence.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/uom-af111312.php