I currently have been learning of the Black Death and its relation to the Bubonic Plague. During one of our lessons, I was hit with the idea of creating a short-story or novel, based upon these events. I have read through the short story by Edgar Allen Poe, and that too has sprung ideas. Does, anyone have some feedback on this idea? I would really like to know how well this idea would go over with readers.
Are you asking for permission? Just write the story, you never know if you don't. It could go either way, as long as you like what your doing. There're no longer original ideas, the only thing original is how they're executed.
The Masque of the Red Death is a good place to start, but you have to keep in mind it's fiction. I think you can do one of two things here: Paint a picture of what life was really like during the plague by doing a lot of research, or fictionalize it. If I were you, I would try and go the more realistic route, but I suppose it really comes down to what you feel like writing about.
Ah, the Masque of the Red Death. That is one of my favorite stories by Poe. The setting of the Masquerade ball, all the rooms of different colours, and of course, the Personification of the "Red Death" plague. It's creepy. Though, I have thought before of having a character who is for all intents and purposes a personification of a disease, and it's the kind of villain a story about a plague could use. Someone like an evil 'Typhoid Mary'. In other words, an Asymptomatic Carrier who actively spreads the disease. The kind of person who wears a deathmask to hide their hidious visage (sure, asymptomatic means they show no symptoms, but nitpicky things like that should never get in the way of a good villain) and takes off the mask to breathe the plague into the air. Vive l'evil Wait, what was the question again?
How can you say there are no longer original ideas? Sure, if you mean that in a vauge manor, then you're correct. However, I've never heard of a story in which a kid sells his soul on ebay as a joke and to get a bit of cash but later, he finds out the transaction was real and now he is invisible to the rest of the world until he gets his soul back. Sure, there's probably a story in which someone sells their soul and there's probably a story in which someone is invisible to the rest of the world. However, I just generated a completely "original" idea; in a more specific point of view that is.
of course it's been much done already, but if you write well enough and can come up with enough fresh twists, it could be successful... ideas don't go anywhere with readers... only completed stories/books do... write it and then ask...
Thanks for the Feedback. I'm sorry if I came across as 'asking permision', that is not what I intended. I was simply expressing one of the crazier and far more spontaneous ideas to those who would be interested. I am quite possibly going to start on at least a short story soon, so please, look for it in the stories section if interested.
Of course I meant it in a 'vauge' manner. What I meant to say is there's already stories dealing with the black plague, therefore it's not an original idea completely, what would make it original would be the overall plot and characters.
Ok then. But seriously, is my story about a kid selling his soul on ebay original in a 'vauge manor'?
the idea is not original in any 'manor' [sic], 'vauge' [sic] or otherwise, since a guy trying to do exactly that was big news back in march of 2006 and another did the same just last december... whether or not anyone's written a story about it yet, i've no clue, but every story is different, even if the basic concept is the same, since no two writers will write it the same way...
