I have an idea for my first book. Let me know what you think of it. THANKS! My idea is a futuristic setting about 70-80 years from now where the government decides to try to make a perfect city like a Utopia they chose the 20-100 most perfect people in the world and put them in their own world/dome (it would be like what they put the people in Hunger Games) and they let them survive in the world/dome by themselfes without any contact with the outside. The people in the dome/world then start to attack each other and kill one another. I know this isn't the greatest story but let me know how you think it will turn out and I'm scared its not original enough.
A story concept means nothing. What matters is how you write it: the characterization, the flow, the imagery, all of it. There's absolutely 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 What is Plot Creation and Development?
Honestly, there are no such thing as cliches. Even if your storyline sounds similar to something else you've read or seen, its the characters, the subplots, the relationships, the things that make the story flow and move, that make it unique. If you have the idea, make it work. Make it different. Make it yours.
Cog is right, it's how it's written that matters. I just finished my novel with new characters tonight. Some folks will say it reminds them of Doctor Who, others Ghost in the Shell, another person might say star trek meets babylon five. It's how you write it that matters.
I am a firm believer in characters first. The most intriguing plot line ever would bore me if the characters were flat and I didn't care about them. You could give your story idea to a group of writers and tell them all to write that story. You'd get back as many different stories as there were writers in the group.
Right now it sounds identical to Hunger Games, but it's the details that matter - so you should start thinking about those and you'll be fine. A few questions you need to answer: 1. Why did they put these people into the dome? What's the purpose? 2. Why the most "perfect" people? What's the experiment? That no one's perfect? How big is this thing - is it like Hunger Games on a national level, or is it local like Saw was? If it's a national thing, choosing the most perfect people to kill doesn't make a lot of sense - why would you deliberately kill good people, and not just anyone, but deliberately assess and then make sure you have picked truly the most perfect people? 3. What's the goal? Were these people volunteers, a lottery draw, kidnapped by a secret organisation? This will affect your goal and the direction of your story. 4. How do you determine what's "perfect"? What's the qualifier? 5. What's inside the dome? Why do the people start killing each other? For me, I come up with plot first - character personality and such are affected by the world and the plot for me. I don't know who my character should be until I know the story, and as I come up with the details of the story, characters start to come to me.
Always start with characters and then create your plot. The best plotted novel will fail if the character's are either cardboard or not interesting in the least. Once that's settled, then you can create a plot.
Thanks for all the help his was so helpful you don't even know! Thanks a lot guys i appreciate the feedback it helped a bunch!
...that's only one opinion, rcola... so don't think it's a rule... many successful writers think up a plot first and create the characters to carry it out afterwards... ...avoid taking any 'always' or 'never' advice... check it out carefully, first... consider the who/what of the source and explore differing opinions from recognized 'authorities'...
