I have an idea for a story. I have three plot points: 1. Protaganist discovers his dad is dead, murdered in his own home. He also discovers that when he touches his dad he is taken back to ten minutes before his dad died. He is in his dad's mind and can control his dad. He saves his dad's life by preventing the murder. 2. Protaganist's wife doesn't believe it. It's too far fetched. So, protaganist tries to proove it. He hears that a young local boy has been murdered and saves his life in the same way as he did with his dad. Still nobody beliee him since there hasn't been any dead bodies. 3. Protaganist begins to doubt weather he actually saved these people or weather he is going mad. When his girlfriend dies from an eptopic pregnancy he is unable to save her because the actual cause of her death goes beyond the ten minutes. I'm looking for advice on how to connect these together to form the story. I also don't have an ending, but that might come to me when I statr writing. This idea also draws heavily on my weakness as a writer: a slow pace. I'm used to writing fast paced action or horror, but I see this more as a supernatural drama. I want it to have strong characters, so I would also like help with how to create them and make them believable. If I get this right this could be one powerful story. But, I'm scared to start it in case I get it disasterously wong. Thank you
You're really creative with your story here. You are right in saying that if you get it right it would be powerful, but it is difficult, especially when you're writing about special powers and time travelling. What you've seemed to create is three different parts of a story, but there isnt a real plot behind it. Maybe you should think about why he has the power, does he have a purpose? is there somebody around the world in particular that he has to save? ..think about the three points you have made as only small parts of the story, and make the actual plot a lot larger, and based on something else, say him hunting down the murderer that is on the loose ( Could be the cause of the Boy and his Father ) that's just what i think anyway, good luck with the story -=BM
You might want to pick up DVDs for the TV shows Seven Days and Tru Calling to get some inspiration on how to carry plots of this type. I'm not saying you shoulde get your storylines from those sources, but see how they bring in conflicts and complications, and how they pull everything together. The actual ideas should conme from within you, particularly how you end up getting around your ten minute limitation. It's possible you have painted yourself into a corner with no way out, so you may just have to redesign the room to prevent that from happening. Nothing is set in stone, or ink, yet.
Interesting ... I definitely see your problem. This person can turn time back for just ten minutes and can only possess a dead person. Events can change ... but the very nature of these changing events preclude any possibility for actual proof ... or does it? What if he wanted to prove that he wasn't going insane? He goes to his best friend who ridicules him. The friends get into a shoving match and the best buddy gets knocked down a flight of stairs and breaks his neck. The hero runs down the stairs, puts his hand on this guy's chest and rewinds time. Instead of arguing with his real self, he holds up one finger. "Hold that thought," he says. "I've gotta take a leak." While in the bathroom, he empties his buddy's pockets and counts all the change. While looking at the wallet, he finds a receipt for a coffee. After relinquishing control, he's back in his own body. The discussion begins the same way. His friend is incredulous but before things can escalate, the hero points at his buddy. "You have $24.32 in your pocket. This morning at 10:04, you ordered a large Ethiopia Sidamo $4.52 at the Coffee House on 31st and 4th. His buddy looks in his pocket. "How did you know?" he gasps ... What do you think? Would this work for you?
