Typical Setting, Atypical Characters

Here's the assignment:Take a typical setting for a horror or fantasy novel and jot down ideas for atypical characters and situations that might take place in that typical setting. This shouldn't be too difficult having read mostly Stephen King and Dean Koontz (my only horror reading), Robert Jordan, Tad Williams, and every other Fantasy author in creation for the last, oh, I don't know 30 years or so! Here are my thoughts:
An abandoned military base
Used for scientific experimentation, and loaded with high-level, but non-functiong equipment
Buried and forgotten after the Great War, which reverted our world to a Medieval level.
This is the war in which all of the world's leaders were killed when the people of every nation grew tired of their constant usuary and rose up and took over.
The world still remembers their history very well; none of it has been lost. And most of the people alive at this time are wary of going back where they came from.
Power for the sake of power is no longer tolerated. Life is about taking care of your family and your neighbor. All centers of power have been destroyed, and while a certain  level of technology is tolerated, medical devices, for instance, all weapons of mass destruction have been destroyed. (I don't know how, I haven't made that up yet.)
The abandoned base is found by a group of Tinkers, nomadic peoples related to Gypsies, with an ability to "Tinker" an item (rebuild it instinctually, and almost subconsciously) into uses for which it was not originally intended, or to produce massively more than it logically should, or improve it beyond the sum of its parts.
Tinkers wouldn't purposely do anything wrong; they are a peace-loving, musical, colorful, gracious people. But because of their innate abilities, they are normally closely watched. There are still those in the world (few, but some. A Rebel Force, you might call them.)who would take advantage and force them to create items to be used to gain power.
This particular group of Tinkers has been very careful to stay unseen and unknown, however, because they have a secret. A  very long time ago there was a prophecy. And they believe that they hold the key to the prophecy's fulfillment.
13 Tinkers, each with a different ability focus
Twins: Adrielle and Gabriel - 16 years old; Fabrics: Adrielle technology and Gabriel growing materials to be made into fabrics
Brother: Samuel - 12; plants and trees for food
Twins: Murielle and Daniel - 8; not yet known
Mom and Dad: Annabelle and Ferdinand - 33 and 34; Animal husbandry, aquatic and mammal
Grandma and Grandpa: Belva and Austin - 52 and 56; Cooking and baking
Uncle Theodore and Aunt Sophia - 28 and 26; healing arts: Theo, technology and Sophia, plants
Twin cousins: Colie and Cope - 14; Banned technologies. Gee, who might be the main focus of my little story?
Okay, so my creative ability is not as buried as I thought. I'll develop these ideas a little more and see if they want to play!
I'd appreciate feedback to see if you think this would work as a plot. :)

I can see that this exercise is not going to be my usual writing style, but the whole point is to expand my thinking and exercise my brain. I hope you'll  stick with me as I work it through! I'll try to intersperse the exercises with some real life stuff, too.
This exercise so far has been, to quote an old friend, "Fascinating."
(5 points to the first person who names the old friend!)

That brings up an idea: I will try to come up with point awards for each of my blog entries and will track the first to answer correctly each time, either on the blog itself or on Facebook. At the end of my year of playing through this book (January 19, 2013), or soon thereafter, I will award a lasagna dinner for 6, complete with dessert, to the winner. Points will vary (based merely on whimsy) for each question, and I'll track them in one of my very favorite things: an Excel spreadsheet! If I don't have your contact information and you want to play, friend me on FB and we can message our contact info.

Just to set things straight, I'll do one for yesterday's blog: 3 points to the person who tells me the theme behind the book "Redeeming Love". Has to be the answer I'm looking for, mind you, not just any correct answer!

I'll talk to you again soon! I'm praying for all of you, and wish you a blessed life.

Disclaimer: This is not an official contest, with rules and regulations and all. It's merely meant for fun. Yes, I will award the dinner. And yes, I get to say who gives the first correct answer. Period.

The Real Reason

Well, here it is, several months later and I'm just getting back to my blog. So much for good intentions! Life gets busy and I have too much self-respect to feel guilty over it, anyway. Moving right along...
I got desperate for something to read a few weeks ago, having read everything in my house but the cookbooks, and I went to the local (Bellevue - local to work) thrift store to see what I could find. Beth and several others had told me I needed to read "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers. I, thinking it was a Christian Harlequin Romance, said "not a chance!" So of course when I went to the bookstore, not only did I find that very book, but it was sitting face-out on the shelf at eye level...alright already, I can take a hint! Very good book! I admit, I was wrong! It was heart-breaking and touching and showed me new things about myself that I won't talk about just yet.
Along with that very worthy purchase, I found a book called " The Daily Writer".
Having had so much fun with the 30-day challenge I did last year, I decided to also take this book home with me.
Therefore you, dear reader, are about to be subject to my attempt to keep up with daily writings about whatever it is that the book is going to prompt me to write, for a whole year! Doesn't that sound like fun?
I didn't realize the things were dated, so I'm a little behind on the year already, but I'll just have to carry it into next year. Anyway, today's writing is:
The REAL Reason I Want To Be A Writer
Wow. If that's January 20th's assignment, what were the ones before? (No, I haven't looked!)
The thing is, I don't want to be a writer. I AM a writer. It's just who I am; a part of me that I could no sooner do without than I could do without breathing, eating, or sleeping. And if you ask why I haven't written in so long, well...I have! I just haven't done it here.
So, back to the question at hand, but changed just a bit: I want to write things that people want to read because:
What I write touches people. It helps them through some tough times, knowing I've been there, knowing I understand what they're going through. Knowing I care and am praying for them. It's encouraging to them and uplifting and it makes a difference.
What I write helps me process life. As I'm writing, I'm thinking through what is happening in my life and I'm deciding whether it is a good thing or not and whether I've reacted as Jesus would or not, and if not, how can I learn from this incident and do it differently next time. And sometimes, just sometimes, I save someone else from making the same mistake I've already made. And other times I get to say yes, I've acted in a way that I can say is consistent with my faith. And then I move on to the next lesson.
What I write helps me remember where I've come from and all the amazing steps along the way. I see God's hand and His plan weaving through my life and I stand in awe. I need these reminders for the times I feel alone, to help me remember the last time I felt alone. And that looking back now I can see God's presence there beside me.
I write because life is too wonderful not to try to put it in words. It's been a long while since I wrote poetry or song, but for this time and place I try to capture the beauty of my life and God's creation in the simple sentences of my blog.
The real reason I write is because that's one of the things God created me to do. And if I didn't write, maybe the very rocks wouldn't cry out, but who wants to take that chance?
And I think that it's the same for every God-given talent. If you do not express the thing(s) that God has created you to do, and become the person that God has created you to be, all of creation will suffer for it.