I have a story in my mind entitled "The Adventures of Joey Nymph". I have yet to actually write this story, but I have a feeling that it may end up being a very different kind of story. It is told from the point of the main character, Joey Nymph, who starts out life as a child in Thailand. He is raised in the Buddhist faith and grows up very much in the world of mythology and folklore. His other-worldly upbringing begins when his mother reads Thai folktales to him when he is of a very young age. He then comes to familiarise himself with a number of mythological/legendary people, creatures and stories. When he is a young teenager, his father, who is a supernatural hunter, buys rights to the land and, possibly, the creatures of a nearby supernatural world. This world is home to a number of different legendary/mythological creatures, including vampires, werewolves, fairies, dragons, unicorns and a slayer. The latter is a dark and vicious character, complete with the mindset of a terrible killer. Due to harsh weather, a flood occurs and kills everyone in the neighbourhood except for Joey. Joey survives because of his abilities as a strong swimmer. He is able to swim down and open the portal which leads into the supernatural world. However, due to the fast flow of the water, he is unable to close the portal back up again and the water enters the supernatural world with him. However, he, plus three ghosts, a mother werewolf and her son, a vampire named Delora and the slayer, survives the flood. They then end up stranded on top the carport outside of Delora's home. Within the first few days or so, the slayer destroys and/or kills all of the other supernatural creatures, except for Delora, who manages to fight her off. Eventually, when the water level has gone down enough, Delora and Joey leave the carport and Joey builds a new home for them out of a wood, as well as creating a stake to use both as a weapon and as a tool for training Delora out of her wild ways. However, the threat of the slayer still continues to trouble them, especially as she keeps returning to them. Will Joey and Delora survive being stranded together? One of my only concerns about this particular story is that it may be too similar to "Life of Pi", especially as it could end up with Joey telling his story to a journalist and, possibly, having to tell a different story at some point. Also, I will admit that this story was kind of inspired by "Life of Pi"... Also, because of the whole "slayer" thing, could it possibly be seen as being too similar to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". I am a huge fan of that show, and I do not agree with stealing, as a general rule.
If he was trapped in a boat with a lion instead of say a tiger, I'd say it's too familiar but I don't know I haven't actually read or watched Life of Pi but what I've heard about it, it sounds similar but not the same. Writer's are always inspired by each other's work which is why there are genres. I wouldn't worry about it. As long as you're passionate about the idea, and it sounds like you are, the best thing to do is start writing. In fact by writing you'll probably branch off and do your own thing making the idea less like Life of Pi and more The Adventures of Joey Nymph.
OK, here are my personal thoughts, and this is highly based on preferences, rather than a clinical opinion. You had me to till you got to "alone with the vampire." Why the god damn vampire? WE HATE vampires! Come on, dude! Give me something else. No more Twilight! No more twilight! No more twilight! Please, pick another creature! It's different if this was a vampire story, then I'd say whatever, but you had me hooked till you brought her up. If it was a guy vampire, that'd be better, at least, because then I'm assuming no romance, which is probably the worst part of this. When you mentioned the dragons, fairies, etc, I thought, wow, this is going to be Life of Pi on steroids! Sort of like the equivalent of going from Pocahontas to Avatar. I was totally for it. Then you mentioned a werewolf, two ghosts, and a vampire on a boat, and I thought of that 1940s movie Lifeboat where the WW2 survivors are stuck in a boat with a German. Something like a comedy infused with deep philosophy. Could have been great. Then, when I read you wanted to get rid of all of them, except the vampire (who of course is opposite sex of MC), I thought, WTF man?! More twilight! Big disappointment.
