My problem isn't that I haven't got anything to write, rather it's the opposite. I currently have more than thirty book ideas and, though I'm a young man with no children or other job to hold me back, I'd like some thoughts on some of them so I can get a better idea in my head about how much excitement and material I have for them all, so I can focus more on my current (a science fantasy novel) etc. projects. Here goes: 1. A run-of-the-mill, but stereotypical, Irishman with a normal life gets it turned upside down when he steps out from the men's room in a Dublin pub and finds his world transformed into ... JOKES! There's Baboom, the baboon living in a mine field; Fsh, the fish with no "i"s; Billy the chemists' son, who killed his parents because he confused H2O and H2SO4; Seven, who "eight nine"; and many more. He has to come to terms with his new life, befriends Billy, who teaches him about the world, does his custom "bucket list" which every "joke" (the citizens of "the Joke World") have to complete to get to Heaven when they die, and eventually gets stuck in some sort of limbo between life and death unable to get to the afterlife and has to find a way to get through, only causing him to, through working together with Billy and his newfound (and very real) girlfriend Rosie Palms, ends up at the end reunited with his wife back in Dublin. 2. Sue (the MC) and Simon, both extremely shy, go to the same school and are secretly in love with one another. Before Simon realises this, however, he is still in a relationship with another girl. Simon eventually musters up his courage, breaks up with his girlfriend, and tries to find himself among his many problems in life. His girlfriend does not take the break well and ends up causing her brother's death in frustration, while both Sue and Simon independently end up preparing to commit suicide. Miraculously, though, the two decided on the same street on the same Sunday morning to kill themselves and see eachother across the street on the building opposite them. They start screaming to eachother, so that the other can hear, and figure out eachother's reason for being there, and decide instead to not commit suicide after all and meet eachother on the street below instead, and become girlfriend and boyfriend. Happily ever after. No, seriously. 3. A man (the MC) and a woman end up trapped in a house together during a devastating war. This might have been a somewhat good thing as they are agewise and romantically compatible, however they both have undying love for their partners, who are elsewhere, or may be dead for all they know. Dealing with the uncertainty is hard for them both, and as suspicion grows and the weather turns on them, they have to work together to find out what exactly has been happening right outside their doorstep ... 4. Invimmal "Invi" Game is a young woman in a large futuristic city on the northeastern American seaboard and has the magical ability to tell almost anything about anyone. Upon spotting any random person on the street she can tell their age and the age of all of their parents and siblings, whether or not they're left-handed, which countries they've been to and what their favourite colour is. One day, though, a sinister-looking woman she didn't recognise walked into a restaurant she was happening to eat at, and for the first time in her life, Invi didn't "flash". Following clues, Invi attempts to find out about this woman, track her down, and confront her, but things don't turn out to be quite the way Invi thought they would ... 5. The League of Redundant Superheroes is the larger, but not as famous, group of superheroes in the world. You all know Superman, the Flash, the Hulk, Spider-Man and those guys, but what about Bag-Dad the Iraqi father of three who can turn himself instantly into a sleeping bag at will? What about Ball Boy, the boy who's a superhumanly excellent tennis ball boy? Or Mariella the Instant Dance Instructor, who can teach anyone even the most elaborate dance routine instantly? When these and the rest of the League discover that none of the "mainstream" superheroes are bothering to put an end to "Aaron the Aardvark"'s (actually a man, and not named Aaron), the (super)villain, schemes, they have to try to stop him themselves. Devising a team comprising superheroes like Konrad the Wreckmeister (a German man with the ability to turn himself into a wrecking ball), Mister Middlesex (an Englishman with the ability to change his sex at will), Interbellum Man (able to go back in time, but only to the interwar period between the two world wars) and Puking4U Kid (can choose to vomit on the behalf of others, so they don't have to) they plan a mission to stop Aaron's master plan of becoming the first entry in every print dictionary and encyclopaedia in the Anglosphere!
I only just found out six was afraid of seven because he eight nine. Thank you so much o_o That said, I really really really like story idea 3, in fact I almost want to write it myself if not for the fact that it would mean completely stealing your idea. I'd go with story 3, I want to know what happens to those starbound lovers that aren't in love with each other (right?).
Haha! I love that you want to write #3. It makes me want to write it more. And, yeah, they're not really in love with eachother, but there is plenty of tension, including sexual tension, and both are suspicious of the other perhaps secretly being in love with them. And, jannert, I'll write #4 too.
I like all of them and there is a good variety. My personal favorites are the 3rd and the 4th options listed. In regards to the 2nd, have you read A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby? It is certainly plausible to create unique characters, settings, and sub-plots; but A Long Way Down begins with four complete strangers—with distinct backgrounds and motives—on New Years Eve atop a building in London where each character had planned to jump to his or her death.
No, Escherich, I've never even heard of it. I might check it out. By the way, my story takes place in Hawaii a couple of decades into the future, just thought I'd mention it as I forgot to do it above. I do believe my story is distinct enough, but it's important to make it stand out and be unique, both in and of itself and from other works, so I'll try my best to do that. As for your liking the plots: thank you (I think the ellipses did the trick ... )!
I like number one, I just love how it's like "Fuck logic" but not in a mindless way. Just things like "seven eight nine" and "Rosie palms" are pretty damn funny. But yeah, I wouldn't count this as a vote because this IS coming from a guy who decided to do a short story using the POV of a pigeon with a pumpkin fetish in Cinderella.
#5 reminds me of the film Mystery Men. With such heroes as the Speen, Mr. Furious, and of course the PMS Avenger. She only works 5 days each month. "Anyone got a problem with that!?!?"
I think 2 and 3 would be pretty hard to turn into a full on novel, but a short story would work. You could go anywhere with 1 and 5 though, and they're both hilarious, I want to read them already!
When I read about story 4 I had a "flash" where Invi would meet a person of your other stories and in such a way drive the plot (or subplot) of that other story. Would be funny to connect two completely independent stories with this event, and you get to write the same event twice from different perspective and in different context. On a more serious note. In story 2 you mention that Sue is the MC, while it seems you talk more about Simon, or did I assume incorrectly.
Interesting idea, but I'm not planning on mixing any of these specific plot ideas. However, I have another project I'm working on where, "Cloud Atlas"-style (exept in the same setting so that they interract more directly), ten people, including at least one preexisting character, meet eachother and have to solve a mystery. When it comes to #2; I didn't even notice that I mentioned Simon more than Sue. The reason is simply that that's the part I've decided on so far, and also it would be too much if I in a summary included everything Sue went through during that same time. The way I imagine the story, Sue works better as the MC than Simon as he has a girlfriend, making Sue's belief that he doesn't fancy her (or at least that she can't get him) even more appropriate, and also the story is about Sue's personal, family and school lives, whereas those things I mentioned about Simon are merely rumour (that happen to be correct) circulating around the school. It's all told from the perspective of Sue, and that's the way I've planned it, so that's how it's gonna be.
I'm sorry, but I think it's only now I understood what you truly meant. You think it would be cool if Invi spotted a character of mine from another story on the street, right? She would subsequently "flash" on him or her, revealing info that is not at all familiar to her, but which may be spotted by readers who have read the first story. I could use it as part of the demostration of her abilities early on in the novel. I love the idea, and I'm sorry I dismissed it at first. I hope it's fine with you that I employ it. Feel free to correct me if I stil didn't describe what you meant perfectly.
Well, my first idea was that Invi would spot Sue (from story 2) or anyone else from one of those stories you presented. Invi would "flash" on that person and reveal information that isn't actually important in story 4, but helps identify the abilities of Invi. I thought it would put a smile on the faces of those readers familiar with the "flashed" character, as they just learned something new, which might add more value to the background of that character. "Meanwhile", in the story of the "flashed" character, that same encounter would also be described. Again not as a major event of the storyline, and maybe the focus would be on another piece of information revealed by Invi ... in order to avoid just duplicating the same event in the two stories. I wouldn't even go that far as naming Invi in this other story, as she is just a "passer-by". Consider it as when a well known TV series gets a spin-off and the main characters of the original series are used to get the ball rolling in the spin-off. As for using this idea in your stories, you're welcome to employ whatever you may seem fit ... or any spin-off.
