The novel will be called "Ink" So, I was thinking about ideas for a novel. And this is one of them that I've come up with and really want to flesh out and write. It has a main character, who is a clean guy and doesn't really do bad things. He will have an occasional drink, but that may be it. He desperately needs a job. The only place he can find is a local bar. It is always full of tattooed bikers. After a week of work, people complain that he doesn't look the part. He receives a letter in the mail for a discount at a tattoo parlor. Before getting the tattoo, he is asked: "Are you committed?" (the slogan for the book) Anyways, his tattoo leads to him getting light headed. No doctors can identify the problem and tell him to just wait and see if it happens more. He begins to get sick. That's all I can really think of right now. And it could lead to him being taken over by the tattoo. I just thought the idea of a psycho tattoo artist putting ink on people to control them was badass. Any ideas on how to improve this or how to execute it? Much thanks for anyone who has any input!
A story concept means nothing. I can tell you now, it has been done before. What matters is how you write it, the characterization, the flow, the imagery, all of it. There's no benefit in asking what other people think of the concept! They'll either say,"Sounds great," or, "it sounds like a ripoff of..." If the idea stirs you, write it. Then ask people what they think of the final story. After they tell you what they don't like about it, revise it, usually several times, until you're happy with it or until you throw up your hands and say the hell with it. Please read this thread about What is Plot Creation and Development? Writing is all about developing an idea into a story. And only you can do it, otherwise it's someone else's story, not yours. You could start by getting a better handle on your characters. It's one thing to ask for help if you've plotted yourself into a corner, and cannot come up with a way out of it. It's quite another to ask people to create your story for you.
While I agree with Cog's form post here, that how you write it matters much more than the story concept, there is the fact that some concepts just suck and no matter how well written it is the story will be a sucking void of failure. This happens when the plotting part of the story concept fails, and no amount of great writing will make it better. Overall, the idea sounds like a good one to pursue. If written well, I'd be willing to read a story about a guy who is possessed by a mind controlling tattoo. Sounds interesting. However, how you write it will be the breaking point of if it is a good story or not.
What cog says is correct, and there are ideas like this have been done before, however none of them as far as I am aware have been any good, (the x-files had a similar episode that was average) and it is a good concept, so hopefully you can be the one to buck the trend
I'm hoping this works. I didn't really ask it the right way. I didn't mean for it to sound like I need help writing it, just ideas and such. Or how well the plot is. I will start writing it soon, and I will post whatever I can on here. Oh, and are there any copyright stuff so no one can steal from here?
The point is that a storyline (and what you have posted is a storyline, not a plot) is neither good or bad. The finished story is good or bad, and the storyline is only a small part of that. What matters is how well you write it. Consider an item taken from the news. Suppose you have to work from the facts, which is to say you have to work from a fixed chronology of events, i.e. a storyline. You can write it in a way which is interesting or dull. You can write it to focus on the humor, or the human interest, or to instill a sense of outrage. If not all the persons involved are identified, you can take liberties with the characters and their development. Give the assignment to fifty writers, you will get fifty different stories. All from one storyline. And each of those writers will generate his or her own ideas. You haven't plotted yourself into a corner, you aren't at an impasse, so you should find your own path through the storyline. That's what writers do.
The plot sounds really good. Were you inclining more towards realistic or make-believe? The tattoo itself, the actual ink, could contain a chemical that causes psycosis or similar if you wanted realistic.
I think what you need to do is really re-write the summary, for its does sound interesting. The idea is there, and it is plausible. But, think in terms what happens in the story itself, and let it the characters create and the plot interact, for the characters are the plot.
You have an idea that you like so the hard part (at least for me its the hard part) is over. Now you just need to expand that idea. For instance, why is he putting these tattoos on people? There are many ways you could go from there. How do these tattoos work? Magic? Technology? How did he learn to make these evil tattoos? If you keep asking questions you'll eventually hash out your story.
This is not plot this is an idea with a basic storyline. Plots and plot units are the finer points of writing that shape structure. it is the organising of scenes and units into dependices where consequence and causaility predominates. This was done most recently in an eposide of CSI. It's a cool idea though.
nothing can stop anyone from stealing anything that's shown anywhere! all copyright can do is provide you with legal redress, if they do... and all written work is automatically copyrighted from the moment you complete it and it exists in reproducible form... if you want to be a writer, you need to learn the business end of the art... bone up on copyright facts at the source: www.copyright.gov
