As I was laying on my trampoline, I had a past life flash-back. I was instantly inspired about writing about something new, that I have never heard of. The story would focus around past-lifes and different souls. Basically, the main character is has the oldest soul in history. He is the orginal soul, the one from which other souls split from. He starts to become different aspects of his past self, like the medival knight, and assassin, a diplomat, a scholar. But, this also has a curse, as he has multiple personas. As he continues to switch inbetween his different souls, he soon realizes that an Ancient cult is after him, in order to steal his power and soul. He is the main part of the plot, but he isn't the main character. The Main character is his friend, who knows bout this and knows that if they take his soul, it will destroy everyone else. He fights for his friend, and in the climatic end battle the different members of this cult, only to realize that they are him. Past versions of himself re-incarnated by his 'Jealousy' ---- Past that I won't tell, but I think it sounds pretty cool doesn't it?
I think that sounds really cool! It's one thing with the whole Ancient cult, but the friend fighting agaisnt himself sounds like it would add a great twist to the story! -Alex
Excuse my language but Kick ass! Sounds very interesting, I definitely have never seen or heard of anything like it, although it may be too confusing for some people to pick up on so I wouldn't plan on making this a running series of any kind.
I'd read it, especially because of your choice of main character (a friend, who the reader could more easily empathize with than the oldest soul in the world). Cults have been done before, but I think with a little research and effort you can do them again without being too cliche. Give the cult characters vivid and sometimes sympathetic personalities, so they don't seem like cut-outs. I think this story could work out very well. Good luck!
Yeah, I should research more into the cult thing, but still, I think it sounds alright! Thanks for all of your support guys!
Having done some research, I've come up with some new ideas and a more detailed plot instead of a concept. Yes, it will have the same basis as above, but, I'll fill in some things. First off, this will take place on a different world, mainly because what I want to do can't happen on this earth. So, there are over 21 different selfs of the main character, twenty of them are of course, in the actual 'cult' of sorts.The oldest soul guy(OSG for short) however therefore must have 22. Now, what happens in the final battle: The MC's 20 past selves start to attack the MC and the OSG when the OSG manifests his own past selves who start to fight each other. Both have the ability to take on these spirit forms that are either white or black, that can fly around yet still attack in the physical realm.Also, they can wield magic, and most use different types of weapons. The MC dies in the end, only to save the OSG from being completely destroyed and ending the world. In order to destroy his former selves, he must sacrifice himself, therefore ending his line, as he was killed by his own hand. The OSG lives on, and he gives a speech to the people that are left in the world, saying that in the end, he will see him again. The book ends after the end of all time, when the MC and the OSG meet up again in the afterlife.
I like the idea of the MC and the OSG meeting again. One thing that would confuse me though.... If the MC kills himself and 'ends his line' the only logical way for him not to be reincarnated again would be for his soul to die. but in that case the two would not be able to meet again. In pagan religions they believe that the soul chooses when it wants to return to earth. so my question would be, would you simply say that he CHOOSE not to return? But to me that is a little.... boring...
So give him pressure to return! Make it so that his choice not to return would have to be a sacrifice and cause internal conflict...
Alright, once again, I'll update again. As before, it is on Earth Of the OSG or MC, one will be female ( In their current life). both have a few Female/Male lives in the past. But, the past spirits, will have their own energy that hey can attack with, basically it is a type of magic, as they are not fully physically bound to this earth. Therefore, they have the ability to tap into the power of the after life inorder to: Fly around Projectile weapons and Summonable Weapons.
Hmmm, bits of your idea seem a bit familiar to me. Based on your Assassin's Creed icon I can tell that you pulled a bit from the game's plot about past lives (especially the assassin), reincarnation, etc. However, many of my story ideas are pulled out of movies, games, and other things of that nature. Whether I do this unconsiously or not, I always end up evolving bits of my story at a time until it is much more disassociated from the original influence. I force myself to do this if I catch it So I say to stick with your idea, since you changed things up and have some new ideas with it. Your new ideas seem very interesting, by the way; This is probably something that I would pick up a copy of =)
If you want to see a good example of an internal conflict to help you when it comes to writing this, read Mark Chadbourn's Queen of Sinister. The MC in that has multiple personality disorder, and has i think six different people inside her that inhabit this kind of weird island in her mind. One of them is a demonic woman who hides in the shadows until she is unleashed, and the others vary from a little girl to a old woman.
I think this is a very cool idea. I suggest you get to know Buddhism and other reincarnation-religions so you'll know the concept of it and can play with the idea even further.
I think this would definitely work better on Earth, simply because the reader will be much more intrigued than if it happened elsewhere. Keep up the good job!
Cool, i thought for a moment then you were going to write something i'd thought of, then realised it was something else.
the question was, has anybody ever heard of this before, simply put, yes, I've heard of every aspect you spoke of, re-incarnation is a terribly common thing, multiple personalities is a common battle in a MC's mind. Killing of ones self to save the masses again not overly new. Friend saving you, battling for you/with you, all been done before. HOWEVER!!!! I think this is a nice twist to put it all together, I enjoy your thought of "from one soul". I think you have some serious religious study to do, to make this usable and believable, I think it could be a terribly powerful compelling story.
Actually, I didn't pull it from Assassin's Creed. Actually, Desmod goes into his Ancestor's past, not his past life. If you read my first post, I explained that this came to me from a flashback to my own past life. But, I digress: Thanks everyone for the helpful tips and info!
Agreed, and just to throw this out there the movie The Nines has a similar type of plot. It doesn't involve the "from one soul" idea, but still there is a similarity. Anyway, I would agree this would be more compelling if it took place on earth. Does it necessarily have to be an ancient cult? What if it were prominent religion or a contemporary cult?
Hmmm...I think it'd be a bit more interesting if it was a religion rather than cult, as PipeandPen said before. However, it still sounds extremely entertaining, I would be ecstatic to read it. Good luck my friend. Ciao, The Easy Listener.
What I meant by what I had said was that your idea is similar with what is being played at with Assassin's Creed; your idea is obviously different enough. You asked if we had heard of your idea before, and when I read it, the game is what I immediately thought of (also helped along by your icon). Just giving you my thoughts =)
Greetings, I think that your use of perspective here is very unique and offers a very elegant way of knitting together a plot-line. Let me caution you, without desiring to start or perpetuate any controversy, that you should not focus on 'new' so much as 'yours.' 'New' is not the best of motivations, for many reasons. To quote a certain Hebrew King; 'There is nothing new under the sun.'
Agreed. I was thinking the exact same thing. However, I think your concept is different enough that it won't matter. The only thing I'd try to stray from is making certain aspects of it too complicated. I'm specifically referring to the combat you mentioned. Developing each of the personalities in an intriguing and possibly intertwining way is more likely to keep readers captivated than throwing out some complicated magic system.
