An idea

[HunterOTS]

I have an idea for a setting for a story, but no story to place into it as of yet. I've kind of been tossing around the idea in my head and developing it for years. Occasionally I imagine stories that go along with it but I always discard them. I can't even decide if the setting is good enough to seriously develop, it is just something I can't help but think of when I'm trying to fall asleep.

Essentially it would be in a world where most nations are renaissance-era except one nation is a super power which is far more advanced. That nation has as of yet had no imperialistic designs, but it is developmentally far ahead of the other nations. The reason for its superiority is that it is kind of a school. Much like our society, children begin going to school at a young age but are also encouraged to play at games and be athletic if they are so inclined. The adminstrators of the society follow which areas of study and or athleticism each individual excels at and nutures those areas. This path continues through the person's entire life. When they master a course of study, their job is to then to pursue advancing that field through research.

This would include all aspects of life, frome trades work to academia, and magic if I chose to involve it in the story. Students who showed great prowess at athleticism would probably be conscripted to the army for a short period, which only exists for defense.

I don't really know alot of other fantasy readers so I haven't been able to ask anyone if they find this idea to be something that could be further developed. Does anyone out there think it would be remotely interesting to read something set in a world like this? I don't even know if I would set a many story arc in this particular school-nation or if it would just be a place that is visited by the characters or is of some or other consequence to the story.

Anyway, is this a bore or should I consider developing this into something coherent?

[HunterOTS]

Other notes I should point out would be that if I ever did anything with this idea, I wouldn't come out and explain any of that stuff I did in the OP like that, it would all be revealed in a subtle fashion.

I'm starting to take it that since no one is responding that this is a foolish idea and I never should have posted this here.

[Orc]

The forums are slow on the weekend. Give it time.

[GonzoTheGreat]

It sounds as though you're trying to invent Atlantis. That has been done before, but then, people also keep inventing the wheel.

[HunterOTS]

Thanks for the reply. I never really had considered Atlantis. It kind of grew out imagining if a magic school where an entire society or nation but then it grew to become that the nation was a school for everything. Eventually I became uncertain whether I even wanted to include magic at all.

I even once considered there being a character there who was a god of some type but did not reveal himself to be so. He would quietly guide other characters towards new developments in magic and science and maybe more ethereal things.

I become ever more doubtful that I should even bother following this idea to something else. Especially now that you bring up Atlantis. I'm not even all that familiar with Atlantis except that it's under water I'll have to research it a bit. It seems like every time I have an idea for something to write it turns out to have been done before in one way or another. I mentioned in another thread that after reading The Haunting of Hill House i discovered that it was very similar to an idea for a horror story I had. It makes me wonder if I'm plucking things out of the collective unconcious or maybe unconciously remembering things I heard as a child or as background noise at some point and my concious mind is just telling me they're new ideas.