Need plot ideas coming from a writing prompt

Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by DonnyCraft(JS), Mar 14, 2015.

  1. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    @Boger - you sound a tad judgemental there. So because people are not making art to the quality that you deem as real quality and that you enjoy means that they're all lazy, sell-outs, fakes? Seriously, not everyone has ambitions to create high art - not everyone's interested in that aspect of art. Some people are doing it for the money. Some people are doing it cus that's what they enjoy making. What happened to the popular motto of "Write for yourself, not your audience"? (I'm an advocate for writing for both, actually, but the "write for yourself" is lifted high and engraved in a golden shrine for a lot of writers)

    I'm curious now what you consider "quality". I'm not arguing that Hollywood and bestsellers are churning out quality - not by a long shot - but you seem to be at a level of despair that's a little extreme for a topic that's, at the end of the day, not the most important topic in the world. There are many things worth despairing about in this world - we're not short of inspiration there. Is it actually wrong to use art as entertainment from time to time therefore?

    I have a friend who specifically does not want to explore real life in her books - she writes fantasy and some of the things that happen in her books are very far-fetched and extreme and her defense of it is usually, "This is fiction. There's enough crap in the world - I don't need to write about that. I read, and I write, so I can dwell on something happier." While her characters are complex, her books regularly fall into the pure entertainment category - it's not really a book that's trying to explore the depth of the soul, as it were.

    For me, I prefer to explore grey topics. I prefer a dose of reality. I also write fantasy but the themes that exist in mine are very strong, and it's usually about guilt and redemption. I also have intentions of exploring rape in fiction, because it's so hushed-up and so much more needs to be done about it. It's humanity that interests me above all. I love to read an entertaining story but for something to hold my interest for long enough that I could write it as a novel, it needs to be much more about people and their internal struggles.

    Anyway, rest assured I'd never write a vampire bondage erotica. I've read 70% of the first Twilight and the first book of 50 Shades - both are equally dull. I'm into neither vampires nor erotica and would get bored very, very fast if I ever tried to write this.

    Btw, please use some commas... you're a writer, it shouldn't be hard. It'd make reading your posts a lot easier.
     
    Shadowfax likes this.
  2. Shadowfax

    Shadowfax Contributor Contributor

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    You could argue that Terry Pratchett was a sell-out. After all, his work was humorous and entertaining, and he received large sums of money for it.

    I've just been watching 10,000BC on Channel 5. A group of people are taken back to a mock-Mesolithic campsite and told to survive the way our ancestors would. Basically hunting and gathering food to eat, making fire with a bow-drill, building themselves a hut to live in, cutting things with a piece of sharpened stone, doing paintings in a cave, etc. What part of that is selling out?

    Nowadays, I go to work (like Chinspinner) and get paid for it. I go home and maintain my house, post on this forum, try to write a bit. What part of that is selling out?

    I think that angst and pessimism are concomitants of late adolescence as you realise that the world doesn't owe you a living, and you've got so much of it ahead of you that needs to be funded.
     
    GalwayGirl and Mckk like this.
  3. Boger

    Boger Senior Member

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    Get off your high horses and stop seeing ghosts. My point was that WHY wouldn't you write anything like that for the money, maybe you're not good enough: or do you have possibly moral values that keep you from doing it? My other point was that in this time those kind of stories(,) (a comma for the pleasure of the audience of her excellence my lady of whom I hope shall deem me worthy) you mentioned are very popular for a reason I don't understand, so if you have the X factor and seem to know what it's all about in the world of fiction, why don't you do it or one of your friends?

    It appears as though my 'audience' is being interpretative in the wrong direction (dammit let's start talking like normal people), and has difficulty with accepting or just reading what I verily made clear in previous posts (but that's just me who's being silly I suppose).
     
  4. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    My apologies. I came onto the forum having forgotten to bring my holy rosewater. Ghosts are everywhere! Whatever shall I do? I shall clasp my hand to my forehand and will surely faint, for the delicate lady that I am cannot tolerate such evil! But, all is well, because there are commas. I shall at least be able to rest in peace when I return to my chambers to slumber.

    I shall talk properly again when you deem me worthy of an actual discussion without insults. Until then.
     
  5. Boger

    Boger Senior Member

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    I don't see any. haha
     
  6. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    :crazy:
     
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  7. DonnyCraft(JS)

    DonnyCraft(JS) Member

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    Thank you. I need ideas like this.
     
  8. DonnyCraft(JS)

    DonnyCraft(JS) Member

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    We've got a bit of an arguement here lol
     

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