Please comment on my new novel idea....

IReidandWrite · Aug 21, 2006

'Fighting Their Own Demons'

Two years after the events of my first novel, Project Hai-Zi, the Hai-Zi are required to go on an orienteering mission. During this time period, '787/Syd Lipsky discovers the reborn Dr. Collins (antagonist from the first novel), now in a demonlike form, living amongst others of her nephilimic kind.

Sassenach · Aug 21, 2006

I had to look up nephilimic.

Since I haven't read the first book, I'm really unable to comment. It sounds intriguing, but it's impossible to say more than that.

Sheryl Nantus · Aug 21, 2006

have you finished the first one yet?

IReidandWrite · Aug 21, 2006

Just about!

(You got rid of your KP avvy, Aers.

That makes me cry.)

Perks · Aug 21, 2006

Yeah, but it's her book cover. I'm gonna have to resist tattooing mine on my forehead. (Assuming the sale, of course.)

Sheryl Nantus · Aug 21, 2006

it's okay - I plan to thank KP in my dedication.

seriously.

IReidandWrite · Aug 21, 2006

Oh trust me.

There are a few things I haven't let slip.

smiley10000 · Aug 22, 2006

GJJWalter said:
I used to be an inventor. I sent ideas to people who professed to help me. What they did was help themselves to my idea.

The question I have preluded to is: Why would you post an unrealized idea in a forum full of people-of-like?

Look at it this way; if no one publishes it, maybe you shouldn't either.

No one gets my plot before the copyright office.

Ideas are a dime a dozen. It's what you do with them that makes the difference.

Just think about all the stories about distopian societies: A Brave New World, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, A Handmaid's Tale. etc.

same idea, different execution.

No need to be concerned about us stealing ideas, we have enough of our own AND you would write the story different than me anyways!

Back to the original, I think we need a little more information to understand the story...

10000

alleycat · Aug 22, 2006

smiley10000 said:
Ideas are a dime a dozen. It's what you do with them that makes the difference.

Due to inflation, the price is now $.25 per dozen, but I'd basically agree. If someone is looking for ideas, just ask; post a bit about what you want to do, and you'll probably get 20 replies.

ac

MadScientistMatt · Aug 22, 2006

I'd say my level of interest in this novel would have to depend on how much I liked your first novel.

smiley10000 · Aug 22, 2006

alleycat said:
Due to inflation, the price is now $.25 per dozen,

Really? Shows how long it's been since I shopped for other people's ideas...

:tongue

10000

Bubastes · Aug 22, 2006

smiley10000 said:
Really? Shows how long it's been since I shopped for other people's ideas...

10000

I'm surprised they're that expensive. It must depend on the local market. Where I shop, I've been able to find ideas at $0.02 for a pack of 100.

alleycat · Aug 22, 2006

MeowGirl said:
I'm surprised they're that expensive. It must depend on the local market. Where I shop, I've been able to find ideas at $0.02 for a pack of 100.

Well, sure, but those include all those Harry Potter, LOTR, and da Vinci Code knockoffs, as well as fantasy trilogy filler.

The Lady · Aug 22, 2006

Ha,Gjj walters, if you can take the bare bones of that first post and go screaming off to an agent with a publishable ms, I think you'll find nobody will resent it. It would be interesting to see how you'd interpret Hai Zi as opposed to how the original posters sees them.

James D. Macdonald · Aug 22, 2006

From Watt-Evans's Laws:

# Watt-Evans' Law of Literary Creation: There is no idea so stupid or hackneyed that a sufficiently-talented writer can't get a good story out of it.

# Feist's Corollary: There is no idea so brilliant or original that a sufficiently-untalented writer can't screw it up. (Raymond Feist came up with this one in response to my ''Law of Literary Creation.'')

# Morrison's Corollary: There is no idea that a sufficiently-talented writer has made into a good story that can't become annoying in the sequels. (Keith Morrison added this one in 1999.)

# Holliday's Corollary: There is no plot so stunningly original that a journalist can't make it sound hackneyed. (Added May 12, 2000, courtesy of Liz Holliday.)

katiemac · Aug 22, 2006

'Fighting Their Own Demons'

It seems like you're going for word play here, but one minor point: your line--working title?--is a cliche. What (inner) demons other than your own would you fight?

smiley10000 · Aug 23, 2006

GJJWalter said:
There is only one Jurasic Park and it is built on a single idea: DNA extraction from amber embedded mosquitos. Were another author to then release a book using the same idea I would think less of the author, like he didn't have ideas of his own. And what if he wrote faster and published first? Crichton would seem like the idea snatcher.

Really? What if I took the DNA thing and had my scientist create the 'missing link'? What if I took the Dinosaur thing but mine came out of the sewrs of New York? What if I had todays mosquitos revolt against this injustice against their ancestry and attack the scientists in massive uncontrollable swarms?

Would any of these be the same as Jurassic Park? Doubt it. I am not Crichton and do not write that same way as he does.

I am sure you could tell me your idea and I would definitely have such a different spin on it that even if I wanted to steal it (which I don't) our stories would be like night and day.

Your experiences with inventions are very different from what you'll see here.

Check out Tri's thread New Idea you will see what developed from writer's sharing ideas.

:Sun:

10000

Flapdoodle · Aug 23, 2006

GJJWalter said:
Heck, I was lost from the git-go, but it did bring the question to mind...having been burned. It was a blanket statement.

There is only one Jurasic Park and it is built on a single idea: DNA extraction from amber embedded mosquitos. Were another author to then release a book using the same idea I would think less of the author, like he didn't have ideas of his own. And what if he wrote faster and published first? Crichton would seem like the idea snatcher.

I have a story about a sasquatch. Go ahead and write your own. You'll never touch on mine.

However, my current project is based on a single idea that could easily be written by someone else resulting in nearly half my plot being used by another author. That would upset me.

It was just a caution. It is better to ponder beforehand then to suffer afterward. But then, I'm just cynical.

A British Author called "Harry Adam Knight" wrote a horror novel (Pre-Jurassic park, I believe) about recreated dinosaurs. HAK (LOL) was the pen name for John Brosnan, who wrote for SF magazine Starburst for years. He also wrote a book called Tendrils as "Simon Ian Childer" (SIC - LOL!)

Totally irrelevent, but it reminded me of HAK and SIC. LOL. They were absolutely dreadful books. Bad beyond belief.

Popeyesays · Aug 23, 2006

nachonaco_Grippers said:
'Fighting Their Own Demons'

Two years after the events of my first novel, Project Hai-Zi, the Hai-Zi are required to go on an orienteering mission. During this time period, '787/Syd Lipsky discovers the reborn Dr. Collins (antagonist from the first novel), now in a demonlike form, living amongst others of her nephilimic kind.

I would not spend months working on a sequel to a novel that has not yet found a market. You should work on a stand-alone book of about 90,000 words and market that instead. You might plot out a sequel, but sitting down and writing it is premature. One might wind up with a project taking 6-12 months and have a book that depends on another book that may or may not have been published.

Regards,
Scott

Please comment on my new novel idea....

IReidandWrite

Sassenach

5 W's & an H

Sheryl Nantus

Holding out for a Superhero...

IReidandWrite

Perks

delicate #!&@*#! flower

Sheryl Nantus

Holding out for a Superhero...

IReidandWrite

smiley10000

What do we do? We write...

alleycat

Still around

MadScientistMatt

Empirical Storm Trooper

smiley10000

What do we do? We write...

Bubastes

bananaed

alleycat

Still around

The Lady

Critical Member

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

katiemac

Five by Five

smiley10000

What do we do? We write...

Flapdoodle

Popeyesays

Now departed. Rest in peace, Scott, from all of us