I was reading some of the Dinotopia stories, and I started wondering, "How would I get to Dinotopia, if I was a story character?" (Or if I just could) So I started imagining the design for my story. Unfortunately, although I often plan a story, I usually get writers block and give up. So this is more of a synopsis. But still, read and review! This is what my story would be, if I were to go to Dinotopia. (I’ll use the false name Walter, to make storytelling easier. I've used that name before and I can use it again!)
Prologue: A captain goes over the course of his ship, the M/S Olympic. They have sailed too far south, and are off course. He re-routes their course so it travels the fastest route to their port. This will take them through an area that the maps show as being clear water. There is a storm on the horizon, but the ship should be able to take it…
Chapter One: Introduce my character . Walter is travelling around the world on the M/S Olympic, one of the most advanced ships in the world. It is late, the ship is navigating the storm, and Walter is currently reading through several ancient books in the ship’s library. After dislodging a particularly old book, he notices a strange footprint text on the cover. Upon closer examination, he sees that the book is a Denison journal. He is in awe, realising that Dinotopia must have really existed. Before he can do anything else, there is a loud groaning noise, the ship tilts to the side, and all the lights go out.
Chapter Two: The Olympic has hit a reef and is rapidly sinking. In the library, several shelves rip themselves free and go crashing through a large window meant for observation. Walter leaps to the side and narrowly avoids being knocked out the window. The returns trolley crashes near him. Rummaging in the dim light, he attempts to find the Denison journal. Unable to tell which book is which, he grabs a whole pile and heads for the lifeboats. Leaping through the damaged window, he emerges on the boat deck. Finding it empty, he attempts to lower a boat himself, as the ship surely won’t stay afloat much longer. After successfully getting the various securings loose, a wave washes him and the boat overboard. Walter hits his head on the seat, and is knocked unconscious. As the Olympic sinks, the lifeboat is swept towards a mysterious island…
Chapter Three: Walter awakes on a beach on the southeast coast of Dinotopia. Unsure of where he is, and with a pain in his head from hitting it, he groggily gets up and checks what he has with him. Several books made it with him to the shore, including the Denison journal, (several undecided books, possibly dinosaur books), and some waterlogged papers that tore loose of their books, including some pages from Dinotopia: First Flight. Looking around him, Walter sees that some crates from the ship’s hold have washed ashore. Running over to them, he finds that (something in a crate) has washed ashore. Hearing sounds of a village, Walter heads into the bush, ultimately discovering a village (something like Jorotongo). He is shocked to see Dinosaurs, and then he realises that he is truly there. Meeting some denizens of the village, he is greeted warmly, and begins to ask some questions of them. However, it turns out that he has obtained injuries from his escape from the ship, and he faints from concussion.
Chapter Four: Walter awakes briefly on a cart, but is soothed back to sleep by one of the occupants. Walter later awakes in a bed in an unfamiliar house with a bandage on his head. A Gallimimus comes to check on him, briefly alarming him, before taking him downstairs to the main area. Here, Walter learns that he is in Chandara, and was taken there for medical treatment. The rest of the chapter is the “Exposition Chapter”, where all the info about Dinotopia, and the introducing of characters relevant to the plot is set up.
Chapter Five: Takes place entirely in Chandara and the surrounding areas. This chapter is basically a sight-seeing chapter. The chapter ends with Walter heading to the beach to rescue the crate, and seeing a rescue ship on the horizon.
Chapter Six: Walter returns to the village, pointing the boat out to the locals, who are curious. Walter wonders about getting home, but also thinks that the landing of this ship would most likely be bad for Dinotopia. He gets assistance from the locals, and decides to join a trading group travelling to Waterfall City, taking the crates and the boat with him, in case the officials want them.
Chapter Seven: A travelling chapter. Basically a “conversing with characters” sort of chapter (If my character has made a friend, or a potential love interest in an earlier chapter, this will involve them. Otherwise it'll just be philosophical Dinotopian talk).
Chapter Eight: Arriving at Waterfall City, Walter proceeds to register his name with the others. His crates and books are taken to the library for analysing. Walter is shown around by a member of the library. He accidentally walks into a room where several of the librarians are debating the arrival of these rescue ships. Walter joins the conversation, and learns of the bad things that could result if the ships land. Before he can answer, a team bringing his lifeboat in for analysis trip, and send the boat crashing to the floor, breaking open one of the lockers in the process. Walter rushes to check the boat for damage, but what has grabbed everyone’s attention is the flashing light that fell out of the boat.
Chapter Nine: Upon closer analysis, the light is revealed to be a signal beacon. The dinotopians deduce that the rescue ships are searching for the possible survivors of the Olympic, and as such are following the signal into what they believe is empty water. They decide not to deactivate the signal, as the boats would still head there to investigate why it stopped. The decision is made to somehow remove the beacon from Dinotopia, but people begin to panic, unsure of how to do such a thing.
Chapter Ten: A large meeting is called to discuss possible options. A descendant of Will and Sylvia who works in the library reveals knowledge of the Hand Of Dinotopia, and suggests that they attach something buoyant to the beacon, and fly on Skybax to the Hand Of Dinotopia, to let it drift away in the current, and thus send the rescue ships on a different course. The plan is made, and the meeting is adjourned.
Chapter Eleven: A preparation chapter. Again, a character talking chapter. It is decided not to take the boat, as it could not be lugged there in time. Walter wonders whether he should leave with the beacon.
Chapter Twelve: Hanging from a northropi, Walter joins a Skybax group who are flying him and the beacon to the Hand Of Dinotopia. When they get there, a hurry is made to assemble something floatable using shrapnel on the island. Again, Walter wonders whether to leave with the beacon or not. While dislodging a dead tree, one of the riders inadvertently reactivates a previously jammed part of the H.O.D. mechanism, abruptly tilting the island. Walter and the beacon (floating on a plank) fall into the water, where the current washes them away.
Chapter 13: Clinging to the beacon, and noticing the Skybaxes following him, Walter finally decides to stay in Dinotopia. He pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket (Which happens to be one of the pages he rescued from the Olympic’s library), writes a quick note on it, and then attaches it to the beacon and pushes it away. The Skybaxes fly low, allowing him to get his grip on the northropi. The riders console him about his choice, but also remind him that this isn’t a bad choice. One of them mentions that more crates have washed ashore. Walter flies away with them to Waterfall City, planning to get a job displaying and working with the objects recovered from the M/S Olympic, and possibly converting the lifeboat into a travelling boat.
Epilogue: A few months later. A relative of Walter receives a package from the rescue teams. Unwrapping it, they find a waterlogged paper torn from a copy of “Dinotopia: First Flight”. It is the page depicting Gideon arriving in Dinotopia, with Walter’s signature added beside the line “Gideon finally came ashore to a world entirely new to him”.
So what do you think? I actually thought about some changes, such as maybe me working as a librarian on board, or wrapping the picture around a sunstone, but I'm not so sure about those.
