Too copycat? Also, would this be too much for YA?

The_Ink_Goddess · Nov 20, 2009

In my defence, I am one of the few people who does not watch "Dexter." I'm not familiar with the plots (apart from the basic one, of course). Except that I am trying to write a novel which I fear may be a little too close to "Dexter" in nature. While it will be different in that it's more of a "character"-orientated novel than a mystery or crime thriller, I'm worried about the fundamentals.

My novel is about two lifelong best friends, one whose father is in jail for murder. The idea is based on that of the "killing" gene, where a bloodlust (of the non-vampire kind) is passed from father to son. The story is split into two halves; one that deals with the boy/potential killer's perspective as he tries to fight against it and satisfy it in small ways, while the second is from his best friend's perspective as she finds out about the "curse" and does her level best to keep anyone from finding out. However, is the plotline of someone who is almost genetically programmed to kill too unoriginal? And, since the story is in two parts, I am having problems with who to market it for. The first part is set when they are about 16/17, and the second half is set when they are 20/21. Which "category" do you see this fitting into? Any help would be appreciated

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Sn00py · Nov 20, 2009

It depends on how you execute the narrative, but in my opinion the subject matter would be best served by more explicit descriptions that don't fit the YA genre.

LostInReality · Nov 20, 2009

I agree that it really depends on your narrative as to which market it would be suited for, HOWEVER, this is about a serial killer who feels a sort of genetic complusion to kill. Yes, it has been done before...but so have a lot of things. As long as you breathe new life into the idea and make it your own, it can be salable. That said, if you do make it to that elusive stage of publication, you will always have the critics that will compare your work to Dexter (both the show and the books). That really goes for anyone. I'm sure people compared Stephenie Meyer to Anne Rice at first (although I a find that thought to be insulting to Anne Rice! LOL)

job · Nov 20, 2009

It's been done, of course, many times. The Bad Seed. And Agatha Christie did one of these. I don't think you'll get a lot of 'pings' from Dexter.

No way to say where this would fit, genre-wise. Could go anywhere from YA to Horror to Romantic Comedy, depending on what you DO with the idea.
It's all in how you handle it.

Kitty Pryde · Nov 20, 2009

I thought Dexter (and the others who are like him in the series) had a compulsion to kill because of traumatic events they had witnessed as children. (Just looked on wikipedia, yep) They don't have a killer gene, they're just psychologically damaged

But yeah, the serial killer killer has been done before. So has the plain old boring regular serial killer. It's all good.

BigWords · Nov 20, 2009

There was a (possibly spurious) claim to genetic predisposition to violence / murder in the film Twisted Nerve. I haven't watched it in some time, so I'm not exactly sure on the details, but it has something to do with "bad DNA".

IceCreamEmpress · Nov 20, 2009

The_Ink_Goddess said:
In my defence, I am one of the few people who does not watch "Dexter."

"Dexter" generally has between 5 and 7 million viewers in the US, so you're not "one of the few people" who doesn't watch it; because of the variety of media options, it's not like the old days where the majority of people were watching, say, Ed Sullivan or something.

However, is the plotline of someone who is almost genetically programmed to kill too unoriginal?

As others have said, that's not the plot of "Dexter"--Dexter is driven to kill because his psyche was shaped by childhood trauma.

But I don't think it's a good idea in any case, because genes don't actually work like that. There's no such thing as a "gene for bloodlust" so unless your novel has a fantasy or speculative-fiction flavor, it will just seem poorly researched.

If you'd like to find out about scientific theories of what drives people to commit violent crimes, I recommend Why They Kill: The Discoveries of a Maverick Criminologist, Richard Rhodes's beautifully written book about the work of criminologist Lonnie Athens.

If you want to have a story in which someone inherits an overwhelming drive to kill, I would suggest going right for a supernatural explanation (curse, etc.), rather than a far-fetched or poorly supported "it was in his genes" explanation.

The_Ink_Goddess · Nov 21, 2009

Thank you, all! A particular special thanks to IceCreamExpress. When I said about "bad DNA", I was thinking more of a "curse" in a slightly less supernatural sense of the world. Instead of a science-fictionish curse, it's more "Love Curse of the Rumbaughs." But you've just given me a sudden idea, so thank you!

Sn00py · Nov 21, 2009

HAH hopefully you will include a scene of the guy put on trial defending his actions with, "I can't help it. I'm cursed!"

The_Ink_Goddess · Nov 21, 2009

*has...interesting visions*

Too copycat? Also, would this be too much for YA?

The_Ink_Goddess

we're gonna make it out of the fire

Sn00py

Literary Laureate

LostInReality

job

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue

BigWords

Geekzilla

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

The_Ink_Goddess

we're gonna make it out of the fire

Sn00py

Literary Laureate

The_Ink_Goddess

we're gonna make it out of the fire