I have been reseaching a topic for about 3+ years. I haven't done so much research just to write a book, but just because I found it interesting. The topic is Avian (Bird) flu. I have had the oppritunity to not only talk with some very prominate people about this, but I have watched the developments for literally years. So, I thought I could make a great story with Bird Flu as the plot engine so to speak. The problem is that everytime I started to try to do an outline or layout, it would always begin to turn into just another disaster tale. The old tried and true "things fall apart, the center does not hold" motif. I hit on the idea of telling the story through a series of journal entries that a high school freshman is having to do for his english class. He continues to keep this running journal even after classes cease to meet as a way to vent and cope with unfolding events. I was just wondering what you guys thought of this approach. I mean could this be used to carry a long story? Any feedback would be appreciated. Rob
This is certainly a good idea, considering the interest it would cause in the public should it one day reach the market. My suggestion is to write a novel similar to the style Michael Crichton uses. He uses science smartly in his novels and most of them come across as solid reads.
I do love Crichton's work. The problem to be quite honest is that I am still a very weak writer. I want very much to have the story told from a very human POV. I just can't resist the temptation to try and make it to broad and big. This reduces the impact of the characters.
I like the idea. It reminds me slightly of Douglas Coupland's Hey Nostradamus, which is fictional account of a school shooting, told in seperate first person narratives it deals with the before, during and after (for those that survive). The premise of his disaster-based book and yours could be similar especially if you write yours in journal form before during and after. I would try, if attempting a similar challenge to write the piece innocently but tellingly. Have the character develop from naive to strong, but all the while retain the spirit of an adolescent (or child). Good luck, should be good.
Thanks for the feedback. I think I might just work up a start an post it in the appropriate forum to see how people think it is working.
I'm not a great fan of journal fiction. I wonder why you want to tell it this way? It can be done well, but a lot of it seems to me to be done poorly. Still, it's your choice. You're not forced to make it a big story, you could just as easily write about the effects of a national epidemic on one family, or one couple, or any small group you choose (a village for example). Look at War of the Worlds, how the film revolved around Tom Cruise and his family, even though events happened on a much larger scale. Ultimately, it's going to be the characters who make the story, not the science. Cheers, Rob
It's a good idea. Would fit well in to today's society. Just go for it and keep drafting again and again until it looks right
