Playing around with ideas

I've been toying around with the basics of my new plot; some changes will have to be made, naturally. One of the things that's been stumping me is the shapeshifter clan; their original location was a wild, unclaimed country inhabited by the usual big beasts, dragons, and generally inhospitable things.

While post-civil war America has lots of land, it doesn't have anything that quite goes by this description.

I've decided that my clan will need to become Native American; it makes more sense than an overseas transplant. I'd like it to be an eastern tribe, but it will have to be an original one... I don't want to butcher an existing clan or disrespect them. They'll thank me in the end, I think. Everyone does midwestern or western Natives, I think using one of the eastern tribe would be a nice change.

This will be an AU, so I am trying to think of ways America will be different with magic. My male main character, Gabriel, is the son of a powerful, very ancient vampire. Now, I can't imagine such a creature living happily in the wilds, so he'll probably be a European vampire. Perhaps Gabriel fled overseas to get away from his father's shadow?

I'm going to have to imagine a slightly wilder government; I'm thinking the Hunter's Guild will be some kind of quasi-governmental enforcement... sort of like marshals, but with special orders. Perhaps a special marshal offshoot?

So much to think about... so little time. Fade in is tomorrow night. I think I might spend today and tomorrow doing research, and see where it goes.

New twist on an old story

I have a story I've been telling for a very long time. In its first incarnation, it was actually a Vampire Hunter D fanfic, although I didn't know what fanfic was at the time. Complete with a pretty blatant mary sue self insert in the classic sense. :)

Over the years, it's evolved into its own tale, a high fantasy about a shapeshifter and a Hunter from the Hunter's Guild. Set in my own, original world, Bethra. I've got maps and such. Problem is, the story itself has stalled... I know what happens in the major confrontation... but after? No clue.

Last night, I was lying in bed, half asleep and delirious last night, when a bolt from the blue struck me.

I'm going to pull the characters, the plot, and all out of Bethra (the world) and plop it into Earth. Post-civil war earth, to be exact. Alternate universe Earth, one where there are things of a paranormal nature (shapeshifters, vampires, elves, etc) as a standard part of society; the Hunter's Guild will be set up to fight rogues of whatever kind, sort of a quasi-governmental bounty hunter's society.

I don't know how it will turn out. But I'm suddenly very, very excited about this story. I'd been planning on participating in Script Frenzy as a rebel anyway (scripts aren't my art form, but I have to be on the forums anyway in my mod capacity) and I think I just figured out what I'm going to do!