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So, what is a ‘White Whale Project’? Named after Moby Dick, this is the story idea that you can’t get to work, but refuse to send into the abyss. You have spent countless hours trying to figure it out. Maybe you have notes and test scenes in a folder. They work, but don’t work. There’s just something that you can’t get right. Yet, it the idea refuses to leave you alone and die. One could also call this your albatross.
My ‘White Whale Project’ . . . It has to be the Super Earth/Mylrixians ideas. This is actually multiple stories and series, but they’re under a single umbrella. Originally, they took place on Earth where superheroes are common or at least exist. I had trouble juggling that world and Windemere because both needed systems in place. My attention was mostly on Windemere because of ‘Legends of Windemere‘, which added to the overall problem. Then, I started bringing things over to Windemere like the Dawn Fangs and a few other heroes. This led to me changing Super Earth into the Mylrixians, who are superheroes in a fantasy world.
And that’s where I kind of got stuck. I didn’t like them in Earth any more because I had cannibalized so much for other series. Also, Earth-based superheroes had been and continues to be done to death. Windemere still felt right and so did many of the characters. Yet, I could never get the opening series to come out right. Part of it is that I can’t tell if I want it to be a solid novel with one story or a collection of short stories that connect to a single plot. Kind of like a compendium. This is the same issue I was having with ‘Phi Beta Files’ and I went with the latter.
For a while, I haven’t gone near the Mylrixians. I don’t know what to do and I’m kind of scared of it at this point.
So, anybody else have a ‘White Whale Project’?
Legends of Windemere 
Do you see your project as more like a Green Lantern—more galactic in scope (rather than Hal Jordan or Jon Stewart returning to earth, but instead going to different planets and galaxies like the animated Green Lantern series showed) or like a Star Wars?
I have several white whale projects that I dumped in a folder entitled STORIES STARTED. A friend is trying to convince me to complete one. It is a fairy tale retelling that so far I haven’t been able to make work.
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Probably closest thing is Justice League Unlimited cartoon. Which fairy tale are retelling?
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Those are good! Does the success of Guardians of the Galaxy and the interest shown to stories outside of our galaxy help inspire you?
I thought about retelling “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” (one of my favorites) but kept scrapping the idea since Julie Marillier wrote a YA retelling of it that was really good.
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It really doesn’t. Not with these stories. They aren’t in space or aliens. They’re from Windemere.
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I had one but I finally gave it the “Free Willy” treatment and let it go out to sea.
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Poor white whale.
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It tortured me so I’m better off with it out there.
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I guess I’m basically impatient because I would lovingly gather all my notes and put them away. If a project isn’t working, I’ll look for the next one.
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Do you keep the old project stored for a future attempt?
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If I did, I would completely start over. I guess my question is how many of your story ideas are all based in your role playing games from your college days, Maybe what you’re finding is that you need fresher material than those decades-ago games?
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Not as many as one would think. Legends, Nytefall, Ether Thief, and Darwin are the big ones. All the others that touched on my gaming days were only by characters. The Mylrixians aren’t connected to gaming at all. I’m just not finding that missing piece to get it all to fit. The characters work. The stories work. The connections work. I just can’t figure out the best format for everything.
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I have a short novel I abandoned a few years ago. It’s a great concept, but wasn’t working out in the drafting. I might go back to it one day, but I have other projects to deal with.
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Cool. Do you ever find your mind wandering to it?
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Sometimes, but it requires more plotting and a complete rewrite.
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I had a white whale project – spent three years trying to figure out the voice. Got it. Published it.
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That’s awesome.
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Thanks. I didn’t think so at the time.
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