1. Jarklor

    Jarklor New Member

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    A fantasy/sci-fi novel idea; is it interesting in anyway?

    Discussion in 'Fantasy' started by Jarklor, Mar 20, 2013.

    My genre of my novel is going to be fantasy/sci-fi. It starts off a few hundred years from now on a distant solar system. I'm trying to make it world driven as well as character driven.

    Humans have lost their planet to an unknown being or entity. Some figure it was the creator releasing his anger. Weary and confused, they decided to escape and reside amongst a different solar system. And in that solar system their were two habitable planets: Gliese 581 G and D. Most of the remaining people of the human race chose G because it was more safer while nobody picked D due to the detection of strange life forms.

    A boy (no name chosen) is riding on a colony ship with him and his parents. However, an unidentified disturbance starts to siege the vessel. In a quick flash, everyone gets set to the escape pods. Unfortunately, the boy gets separated from his mom and dad in the process. All the escape pods get set coordinates to G however their was a malfunction in the boys space pod, sending him to D...

    When the boy arrives at the destination claimed to possess strange life forms, he struggles to find his mom and dad and then loses all hope. The boy collapsed completely Eventually, a strange intelligent life form finds the boy and takes him to his village. When the boy wakes up, he notices that everyone around him are short, scaly, anthropomorphized dragons.

    "Why haven't you eaten me yet?" Asks the boy.

    One of the dragons looks up at him "Why would I?"

    Through out this story the boy learns how to bond with his true dragon self. Eventually, he'll leave the planet to find the rest of the humans. Not only that, he promises to take earth back and destroy those mysterious beings.

    What do you think of my idea? How could I make it better? I apologize for any grammatical errors.
     
  2. TimHarris

    TimHarris Member

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    The idea is interesting enough, but the idea alone dont make a good story. A story is all about the details. That being said, I'd say go ahead and write it. If a saw a book in a store with a summary like that, I'd buy it.
     
  3. Jhunter

    Jhunter Mmm, bacon. Contributor

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    I like the concept, a lot. But four things stand out to me:

    1. Wouldn't our future selves be smart enough to not inhabit a planet next to another planet with intelligent life without at least scoping them out first?

    2. Space dragons. I don't know, I just feel like you would be better off describing them as reptilian--instead of straight up dragons.

    3. Wouldn't our future selves have the technology to know where the space pod got sent to on the other planet? And have the ability to go pick the boy up?

    4. True dragon self? Are your humans part dragon?
     
  4. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    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?
     
  5. TimHarris

    TimHarris Member

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    It's funny to think what this forum would have been like if there had been internet in 1937. A poster named JohnT would probably have asked something along the lines of: "I have an idea about a hairy little guy who must travel to the top of a volcano to destroy a golden wedding ring." And the rest of us would tell him what a horrible idea it was unless he could find a good way of writing it :)
     
  6. Jarklor

    Jarklor New Member

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    Do you think using anthro dragons in my story would be okay? I really want to make my novel apeal to a lot of people. I want to create a great adventure along with fascinating characters. Do you think my idea would come off to be nerdy/cheesy?
     
  7. erebh

    erebh Banned Contributor

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    Bit like Tarzan meets the Terminator - good idea - go with it. Write up your first chapter and post a couple of pages here (well, in the correct section)
     
  8. Jarklor

    Jarklor New Member

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    Which section would be best?
     
  9. TimHarris

    TimHarris Member

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    Write what you want. It is your own story, and you should write what you feel has to be written. As long as you do it well, almost all ideas got the potential to be good books.
     
  10. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    It will appeal if, and only if, the writing is appealing.

    A good writer can make the most humdrum-sounding idea come alive and dance. A poor writer can make the most amazing concept fall flat and draw flies.

    Don't ask for permission,and don't ask for forgiveness. Write the hell out it, and make it shine.
     
  11. Nee

    Nee Member

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    Okay...I'll give it a try. Stories are about people in crisis: how people act in response to the pressure they are under is what readers find interesting. All stories, whether they are science fiction, suspense, mysteries, or comedies are all just about people going through circumstance beyond their control. The "setting" is merely window dressing.
     
  12. DeathandGrim

    DeathandGrim Senior Member

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    Eh, I was left a bit wanting on a lot of things. I definitely think it's an idea that could be sold but it just needs a lot more explanation than this. I'm guessing the boy is a dragon? Human? His inner Dragon?

    Just sharpen it up, give the characters just a bit more depth, and give it a more powerful central conflict and you have something
     
  13. AshleyFinn

    AshleyFinn New Member

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    I wouldn't have the pod set the coordinates to planet D. Why would they even program that option? I would have the entire ship mysteriously get pulled (maybe the Dragon's develop the tech to scavenge for parts from crashed vessels) on a collision course with planet D. Everyone's pods sends them to planet G. The boy's malfunctions, doesn't launch and he crash lands on D.
     
  14. TimHarris

    TimHarris Member

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    I have posted this before, but I think it's still worthwhile to post about, as it is a good example. Codex Alera by Jim Butcher started out as a terrible idea and ended up a best seller.

    Wikipedia:
     
  15. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    The boy bonding with his true dragon-self - is he part dragon?

    What do you mean he's vowed to take earth back and destroy the strange beings? What beings? You said people think the "creator" has unleashed his wrath - I can only assume you mean God in this context. You made no mention of beings occupying the current earth.

    Meh, I didn't like the idea so much. I think it'll work for a YA novel. To me it just sounds typical - hero ends up in a foreign civilisation by mistake and discovers all their preconceptions had been wrong and gains "new wisdom" from a supposedly suspicious and perhaps barbaric society. Sounds familiar, anyone? You'll need some really, really great characters to pull this one off, in my opinion - but if your characters are interesting and your writing is fresh, it's doable. The concept is typical for a reason - it means people like it, and it sells, which is why everyone writes it.
     
  16. Thomas Kitchen

    Thomas Kitchen Proofreader in the Making Contributor

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    The idea sounds and awful lot like Anne McCaffery's Pern series. If you arrived at this idea idependently, then I suggest you carry on and not read Anne's work, just in case you subconsciously steal a few of her own ideas. If you have read even one of her books, you may be copying her ideas without even knowing it.

    Just a thought. :)
     
  17. erebh

    erebh Banned Contributor

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    the review section
     
  18. Xatron

    Xatron New Member

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    It sounds to me like a mashup of two or three different plots brought together for no apparent reason. While the core plot is the classic YA fantasy hero-realizes-his-true-power-becomes-the-chosen-one-saves-the-world plot, the subplots and your setting seem incompatible with it.
    1)Space dragons? Most hardcore fantasy fans would never read it. Writing sci-fi/fantasy requires a high degree of writing skill. Fantasy genre is all unrealistic ideas and mythical creatures. Sci-fi has to be realistic to a degree to be appealing. Making them reptilian like JHunter said would be close to a middle ground between the two. Making them straight out space dragons makes them lose their mystery.
    2)True dragon self? As JHunter already pointed out, how can your human MC have a true dragon self? Is he part dragon? And if not does that mean that all humans are part dragon? And since you have established dragons not as a mythological creature of the Earth but rather than an alien race, would that mean that humans are descended from dragons?Or did dragons create the humans?
    3)Technology issues. Even in the present mankind has the resources to find out what kind of life exists on a planet. I believe that we would have the common sense not to colonize a planet right next to another one on which an advanced alien race resides, or annihilate the population of a less advanced race to colonize both.

    As everyone else said though we can't be sure of anything until we see what you want to do with your idea. Maybe post an extract on the review section in the writing workshop so that we can see more.
     
  19. Jarklor

    Jarklor New Member

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    When I say "true dragon self" I mean it figuratively. The dragons are NOT space dragons.

    I'm thinking about making a manga on this instead of a novel. Drawing is really hard so I would have to keep practicing until I am in highschool. I'm not sure though...
     
  20. Xatron

    Xatron New Member

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    For a manga it is a really good setting. For a novel it has many holes that need to be plugged.
    Also if they are dragons and they live in space, then they are space dragons. They don't have to fly through space, just live on a planet other than earth. In a manga the "True dragon self" thing may work out too.
     
  21. Jarklor

    Jarklor New Member

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    Why are all of these candy pieces showing up in our pictures?
     
  22. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    candy pictures...? eh?

    And if you wanna make a manga out of your story but you're already saying that drawing is really difficult, then I'd say go for it only if you never wanna see it published. If you find drawing difficult, I will assume you don't have the artistic skills to go pro, which means whatever you end up with will likely become your personal treasure forever stuck on your shelf. If it is for pure pleasure, then go for it. If you want it published and you find art difficult, I'd advise to see if you know someone good enough to do the art for you - at this stage it's probably not worth paying a real artist because that'll cost a fortune.

    Btw I dare say, a manga may be harder than a novel, as it's no longer just about the storyline and writing quality, but also art quality and camera angles. You'd need ink pens and I don't even know what the paper is called - patterns that manga artists use for shading. Manga panelling is a lot more like the movies than American comics are. And on that note...

    *wanders off to perhaps start a manga of my own...*
     

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