FML TO THE MAX

So recently I realized (with help from John, Jenny and my new novel "bible") my setting is completely wrong for my novel. The characters are too modern and American, THERE IS NO PLOT (WHAT IN THE NAME OF...CELERY), ASD;O FIUASPODFI UWER;OI UW;LFI USDF I HATE MY STORY! IT NEEDS TO DIEEEEEE A DEAD DEATH A D;LFIUIO SDF

Yeah. I'm frustrated.

Ugh I dunno. I was going to write a couple of chapters in a *modern day* college setting in America. Chengdao and Zhengbu (or whatever they will be known as now...wow, weird thought) will be college students FROM THE GET-GO. Which...I dunno, could be interesting? It's just like...Bing...your initial idea WAS A HISTORICAL FICTION BASED ON YOUR PARENTS! WAY TO [mess] THINGS UP, YOU [idiot]!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.............................................

I wish I knew my setting more/the issues of the time. Talking to the mum is vauguely helpful but like...I write better what I know, ya know? As long as I have the info and is able to like, internalize it, I can imagine myself in that situation and create the emotions from the heart. But...bah.

Right now, my "plot" is conformity vs. identity (NOTE TO SELF: THAT IS A [bad] PLOT. ADD SOME DETAILS OR GIVE UP OR SOMETHING. YEAH.)
As in, Zhengbu is forced to conform and...Chengdao is forced to be an individual? Or rather, both struggle with conformity. So in the end it's conformity vs. happiness/love/sugarspiceeverythingnice. Yeah. ...

I need a common plot for both. I mean, for the two, the setting's different, the...characters are obviously different...I need a common plot/drive to tie them together so it's not like *TWO NOVELS IN ONE! GET YER RECESSION-PROOF DOUBLE FEATURE HERE!* if you know what I mean.

Ugh.