Is this a good idea?

Ohgodaspider · Jun 10, 2012

Okay, so I've been working on this idea on and off for a while now. In short; kid discovers he is a Noetic (the science of affecting the physical world with your mind), goes off to Noetic school, makes friends, has to solve a mystery, etc. (this continues for 3-4 more books)

I'm honestly very conflicted about this. I've got some great aspects fleshed out, but also some of it is very flat and I really don't want to come off as unoriginal. (HP anyone?)

I want to hear what you guys think, and more importantly why you guys think that. Be critical if you must. I need to hear critical to grow.

alleycat · Jun 10, 2012

It's very hard to tell whether an idea would make a good book or not, or whether it would sell. If Stephenie Meyer had asked me a few years ago if a book about vampires was a good idea I would probably have told her no, the world has had enough vampire books already. Good thing she didn't ask me.

As you noted, the description itself does bring up a vague resemblance to HP. In the future (and in a possible future query), you might want to reword it so that it doesn't sound so much like HP. Just a purely personal opinion (other may feel differently), the part about going off to a Noetic school is a real turn-off for me. Is this a major point for you, or are you open to other different but similar ideas?

Ohgodaspider · Jun 10, 2012

I am very open to other suggestions.

Johnny Von Rotten · Jun 10, 2012

I would have him maybe find others like him in a different context than a school. Make it underground. Maybe set it against the backdrop of a larger conflict.

Think about perhaps setting it in another period - WWII Europe, they could be rebels...

alleycat · Jun 10, 2012

There are dozen of possibilities. Here's just one as an rough example.

Instead of going off to Noetic school, what if he discovers he's a Noetic (and I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that term), but also discovers that he doesn't know how to control his power. He goes off in search of someone who can help him (a mentor, a character which is common in heroic journey stories). He finds someone, but the person refuses at first to help him. I might want to make this someone other than the traditional "old wizard" (perhaps it's a young woman who studies wolves in the wild). He has to prove he's worth the effort. At some point an event occurs that foreshadows that he will soon need his powers to solve a mystery and save someone or something. Now it's even more important that he learn to use his powers; it's a matter of life or death. Well, something like that anyway.

Ohgodaspider · Jun 10, 2012

Don't worry I've set in stone the mentor is not some old wizard, he's a cynical Iraq War vet with a general disdain about most people. I've also established that his abilities are incredibly useless and weak to start off.

Ohgodaspider · Jun 10, 2012

Johnny Von Rotten said:
I would have him maybe find others like him in a different context than a school. Make it underground. Maybe set it against the backdrop of a larger conflict.

Think about perhaps setting it in another period - WWII Europe, they could be rebels...

I also like this idea as well.

Wayward Daughter · Jun 10, 2012

What you have posted here I will say does appear a little flat, but that is also due to the fact you haven't really posted a plot - it's more an idea with a list of events. I think that there is every possibility the idea could be great, but work on a sharp, unique conflict so that it is dense and original.

Good luck

Amadan · Jun 10, 2012

All you've got right now is a concept. It's like asking "Do you think an alien invasion story is a good idea?"

"Person with special powers goes to special school to learn how to use them" could resemble Harry Potter, or it could be nothing at all like Harry Potter except to those who insist on comparing everything with the least resemblance to HP since they haven't read much else.

Basically, you haven't given us enough to get a meaningful answer. But if it's not an idea that hooks you and really makes you want to write it, and a few people saying "Nah, sounds dumb" would be enough to discourage you, then I'd suggest finding something else you are more enthusiastic about.

Ohgodaspider · Jun 10, 2012

Want me to post the entire plot synopsis? I'd be glad to if it helps get better responses.

virtue_summer · Jun 10, 2012

Amadan said:
All you've got right now is a concept. It's like asking "Do you think an alien invasion story is a good idea?"

I agree.

Oh, and look at this:

Ohgodaspider said:
Don't worry I've set in stone the mentor is not some old wizard, he's a cynical Iraq War vet with a general disdain about most people. I've also established that his abilities are incredibly useless and weak to start off.

versus

Ohgodaspider said:
Okay, so I've been working on this idea on and off for a while now. In short; kid discovers he is a Noetic

Right now I'm more interested in reading about your "mentor" than your main character. That's the part I think you'd need to change.

fihr · Jun 10, 2012

Any idea can be flat or rich, depending on how you write it, I think. New ideas are rare. It's the unique way you handle them that makes them different from the rest, or more compelling. (Or the opposite.)

If you feel it's flat, it could be because the characters need fleshing out. A simple approach might be:
- give your MC some flaws/weaknesses
- give your MC a desire (not necessarily anything to do with his flaw etc)
- make it hard for your MC to reach his desire
- give your MC an antagonist who puts pressure on his flaws/weaknesses, and bring your MC to breaking point
- As you build your story, build the pressure and see what your MC does.
- give your antagonist flaws, desires and so on too.
- you could also give your MC something that haunts him from his/her past.

It's difficult to get too flat if your characters have a few dimensions. It doesn't matter what the world is, but the world could also be one that puts pressure on your MC. Anything that puts pressure on your MC is good.

The other thing that usually needs fleshing out is the world it's set in, but for me, that often comes as I write the story, and think more deeply about aspects of that world and their impact on my characters and their society.

Hope that helps.

Ohgodaspider · Jun 10, 2012

fihr said:
Any idea can be flat or rich, depending on how you write it, I think. New ideas are rare. It's the unique way you handle them that makes them different from the rest, or more compelling. (Or the opposite.)

If you feel it's flat, it could be because the characters need fleshing out. A simple approach might be:
- give your MC some flaws/weaknesses
- give your MC a desire (not necessarily anything to do with his flaw etc)
- make it hard for your MC to reach his desire
- give your MC an antagonist who puts pressure on his flaws/weaknesses, and bring your MC to breaking point
- As you build your story, build the pressure and see what your MC does.
- give your antagonist flaws, desires and so on too.
- you could also give your MC something that haunts him from his/her past.

It's difficult to get too flat if your characters have a few dimensions. It doesn't matter what the world is, but the world could also be one that puts pressure on your MC. Anything that puts pressure on your MC is good.

The other thing that usually needs fleshing out is the world it's set in, but for me, that often comes as I write the story, and think more deeply about aspects of that world and their impact on my characters and their society.

Hope that helps.

I'll address these 1 by 1.

1. MC does not believe in himself at all.
2. He desires to be a "somebody."
3. Hasn't been done yet.
4. Antagonist can do that to a point, will flesh out more.
5. Haven't built story enough.
6. Antagonist has a few flaws, and a damn good reason to be pissed off.
7. MC's mom is subject of an unresolved missing persons case.

Amadan · Jun 10, 2012

Dude, write the story, or at least a few chapters of it. We cannot evaluate an idea based on a vague premise and a few half-formed details. We cannot tell you your story is dumb or awesome with as little as you've worked out. You need to actually start writing rather than polling people to find out if you have a good idea. It's a good idea if it makes a good story.

kaitie · Jun 10, 2012

virtue_summer said:
I agree.

Oh, and look at this:

versus

Right now I'm more interested in reading about your "mentor" than your main character. That's the part I think you'd need to change.

Or make the mentor the main character instead. Could be super awesome and would definitely be a twist on the kid discovers their magic and go to some special magic school plot that's been so common as of late.

rwm4768 · Jun 10, 2012

Ohgodaspider said:
Okay, so I've been working on this idea on and off for a while now. In short; kid discovers he is a Noetic (the science of affecting the physical world with your mind), goes off to Noetic school, makes friends, has to solve a mystery, etc. (this continues for 3-4 more books)

I'm honestly very conflicted about this. I've got some great aspects fleshed out, but also some of it is very flat and I really don't want to come off as unoriginal. (HP anyone?)

I want to hear what you guys think, and more importantly why you guys think that. Be critical if you must. I need to hear critical to grow.

From personal experience, I would say you might want to mix it up a bit. I wrote a book about a kid who discovers he has the Ability and goes off to a special school where he solves mysteries. This is very similar to the plot you've described. I actually wrote a decent query letter for it, but no matter what I do, I can't avoid the HP comparisons (and, yes, I will admit I was influenced by HP). My query letter had a success rate of zero percent because the plot was far too similar. If you do write this, make sure you think of something to set it apart well before you reach the querying stage.

Ohgodaspider · Jun 10, 2012

kaitie said:
Or make the mentor the main character instead. Could be super awesome and would definitely be a twist on the kid discovers their magic and go to some special magic school plot that's been so common as of late.

Hmmm, I've never even considered this. I might just do it.

AceTachyon · Jun 10, 2012

Just go ahead and write it.

Tex_Maam · Jun 10, 2012

Speaking as a reader only, I'd agree that the "goes to school for training" part of the special-powers story has been done a lot, but I think part of that is because a lot of people do special-powers stories for YA, and a lot of real-world YA protags are pretty limited in their options: modern kids generally aren't allowed to have full-time jobs or fight in wars or go off exploring or get sent to prison (though I would LOVE to see one of these stories set in some kind of brutal reform school for juvenile offenders, where things are decidedly not all quidditch and potions classes). Their world is pretty much school, and sometimes the double life they lead outside of school hours.

So I guess what might be good to think about is:

1. Do you have your heart set on a particular age for your protagonist/readership?

2. Do you have your heart set on a particular setting/time period?

Based on what you've said above, it sounds like you're pretty flexible. If that's so, you might consider whether you really even need an "origin story" at all. Or, if you want the origin story but not necessarily a teenager in the main role, you might could do a Dr. Doolittle / Peter Pan thing - kid had weird awesome abilities in childhood, was told to sit up straight and act normal, eventually suppressed/forgot about them, and now needs to bring them back out again when some amazing/awful thing threatens his regular real life.

Anyway, good luck on your brainstorming - I think you are smart to consider what's already out there before you get too fixated on any particular setup, and it sounds like you have some good ideas already brewing.

Ohgodaspider · Jun 10, 2012

1. Do you have your heart set on a particular age for your protagonist/readership?

2. Do you have your heart set on a particular setting/time period?

1. Teenager+

2. Modern day.

Cassiepoe · Jun 10, 2012

Just to say, I would read the heck out of a Iraq war vet discovering he (or she!) has psychic abilities - especially if said discovery happens in the middle of a heated firefight.

Bonus points if there's a combat robot that is somehow in play as a support unit/comedy relief char.

Johnny Von Rotten · Jun 10, 2012

Can't say I agree with the people saying you can't call something a good or bad idea. Sure, it's possible to tell a great story regardless. However, if you're coming at this from the angle of, "I want to get this published", marketability ABSOLUTELY matters (see thread in Novels forum).

To some extent, you've gotta consider the query letter here. The agents and publishers will judge your concept on its own weight, and you know what? So will the people meandering up and down the aisles of Barnes & Noble.

Ohgodaspider · Jun 10, 2012

Johnny Von Rotten said:
Can't say I agree with the people saying you can't call something a good or bad idea. Sure, it's possible to tell a great story regardless. However, if you're coming at this from the angle of, "I want to get this published", marketability ABSOLUTELY matters (see thread in Novels forum).

To some extent, you've gotta consider the query letter here. The agents and publishers will judge your concept on its own weight, and you know what? So will the people meandering up and down the aisles of Barnes & Noble.

I'll get to the query letter once the novel is done, but yes marketability with any product, book, toy, car, etc matters a lot.

Nick Rolynd · Jun 10, 2012

There's no such thing as a bad idea, only a bad execution.

Write your story. If you don't like the way it comes out the first time, you're in luck. That's what rewriting is for.

Seriously, stop doubting yourself and just write it. You'll never know how "good" the story if the story doesn't actually exist.

(P.S.: There are a lot of series about such-and-such magical/special beings going off to school. Some of them are famous. Some of them aren't. Some of them sell well. Some of them don't. That is the nature of writing. =P)

Johnny Von Rotten · Jun 10, 2012

Oh, there's definitely such a thing as a bad idea.

Is this a good idea?

Ohgodaspider

alleycat

Still around

Ohgodaspider

Johnny Von Rotten

Classy

alleycat

Still around

Ohgodaspider

Ohgodaspider

Wayward Daughter

Amadan

Ohgodaspider

virtue_summer

Always learning

fihr

Ohgodaspider

Amadan

kaitie

With great power comes

rwm4768

practical experience, FTW

Ohgodaspider

AceTachyon

Odd person

Tex_Maam

not in show business

Ohgodaspider

Cassiepoe

New Fish; Eager to Swim

Johnny Von Rotten

Classy

Ohgodaspider

Nick Rolynd

50% Dark, 50% Snark

Johnny Von Rotten

Classy