Plot Concept - Demon Virus - Writers Forum

imrhati · 10-08-2006, 08:18 PM

I had a neat concept idea.

The setting is far future but pre space settlement. Almost everyhting on Earth is hooked up the the global informaion network (internet on crack).

Viruses are a major danger, and many people fear terrorists unleashign a super virus. The basic idea is that a virus was disegnated as low level and only quarantined instead of being deleted. Unfortunately for humanity a more malevolent force fiinds it. A demon possesses the virus.

It thinks that it is the anti-christ, and calls itself Damien. I am going to leave it open to interpretation on whether or not it really is. It begins to reak havoc on the world. i will likely focus on a particular location. Whenever it enters a device with a screen, it displays a shifting and unstable looking 666 in the cliche red and black hellish look.

The scenario will be very apocalyptic. I could go with multiple first person views, or focus on one group of people. I think i will take inspiration from War of the Worlds.

Possible characters are:

a priest who is trying to find a holy place protected fromthe dmeon

a soldier or ex soldier trying to stop it by force

a wife trying to get to her children

maybe even the virus' point of view from time to time.

Krim · 10-08-2006, 09:07 PM

The characters kind of seem bland and cliche. There's nothing about them that's new or exciting...priest? Done. Ex-soldier (with a past)? Done. Woman lookingfor children? Done.

If you are able to make them believable, good, but I see no reason that would make this book more worthwhile than any other. Why not, say, a woman obsessed with cats who has her cat killed by the virus? Fifty times cooler than an ex-soldier.

Bika · 10-08-2006, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imrhati

It thinks that it is the anti-christ, and calls itself Damien. I am going to leave it open to interpretation on whether or not it really is. It begins to reak havoc on the world. i will likely focus on a particular location. Whenever it enters a device with a screen, it displays a shifting and unstable looking 666 in the cliche red and black hellish look.

Drop that bit, reconsider the protagonists and run with the rest

Omnisu · 10-09-2006, 08:37 AM

Quote:

There's nothing about them that's new or exciting...priest? Done. Ex-soldier (with a past)? Done. Woman lookingfor children? Done.

He's right, you should write something unlike anything anyone has ever written... oh, wait, it's all been done. Don't worry about it, just write it.

CroZ · 10-09-2006, 09:07 AM

Sort of sounds like it would make a good anime. There was this one about a kid who does a ritual to summon demons through his computer. They were sort of like viruses.
If I can remember the name it might be worth a look, if you're going with it.

dwellerofthedeep · 10-09-2006, 11:16 AM

I'm thinking this might be a little too heavy-handed overall. On the other hand, I'm probably completely wrong.

mammamaia · 10-09-2006, 11:47 AM

it's been done as a movie... probably from a book... before you waste too much time, you should do your homework and check out what's already on the shelves/cable...

you can do plot searches on both amazon [for books] and imdb [for movies]...

CroZ · 10-09-2006, 12:14 PM

Where is the plot search on Amazon?

imrhati · 10-09-2006, 01:43 PM

damn, its been done? of course if i write it, it will be different.

if anyoen knwos the names of those please post 'em, i would like to research them.

Krim · 10-09-2006, 06:25 PM

The only book I can think of that is similiar is the 2099 Series by John Peel, and that is a book not many people know. Basically, it's about computer genius clones, one which is evil and is developing a computer virus that'll wipe out the net (he is being manipulated by a group of people who want to destroy the Net so that when everything is in ruins, since the world is completely run by computers), and the clone stumbles across it by accident and unleashes it. It's not really a sentient virus, but it is still devestating and has all this flashy technopunk music as it rampages. Sounds like an awesome idea, but the prose and characterization is lacking, sadly. :/

There are also the movie (Space Odyssey 2001, maybe?) where that computer goes insane and takes over the ship or whatever. - rubs chin. -

Crazy_dude6662 · 10-09-2006, 06:34 PM

as soon as i saw preist i thought of the exorsist. and most likley i would just think its a hightec version of the exorsist.

(i spelled exorsist wrong didnt i?...it looks wrong to me..)

PAGEMASTER · 10-09-2006, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krim

The characters kind of seem bland and cliche. There's nothing about them that's new or exciting...priest? Done. Ex-soldier (with a past)? Done. Woman lookingfor children? Done.

So basically your only option is to write a character that resembles Steven Hawkings, pfft. Every character has been done, its the storylines that people now develope that give the characters new meaning no matter whether they're a priest or a wrist-slitting devil worshipper.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mammamaia

it's been done as a movie... probably from a book... before you waste too much time, you should do your homework and check out what's already on the shelves/cable...

you can do plot searches on both amazon [for books] and imdb [for movies]...

Oh yeah people, before you decide on a storyline you have to check on amazon through over three million movies to see if your idea has already been done, or there's a quicker way, could someone possibly tell me what you have to type in to find a story about a virus involving a priest, an ex-soldier and a mother searching for her lost children?

imrhati, if the story idea is something you want to work on dont let others throw you off it by saying things like oh its been done and such crap like that, obviously your version would be different like you say and who knows maybe you would write a better piece even if it has been done, publish it and prove everyone wrong.

Write for what makes you happy, and enjoy every sentence of it.

Good luck

Selorian · 10-09-2006, 07:11 PM

imrhati, I like the concept. And if it has been done before? Oh well, it hasn't been done by you. So for those who say anything other than to go for it, I say forget them. Write your story. Then, and only then, ask people to give it a look and see where you can make it the best it can be.

Krim · 10-09-2006, 07:13 PM

Quote:

So basically your only option is to write a character that resembles Steven Hawkings, pfft. Every character has been done, its the storylines that people now develope that give the characters new meaning no matter whether they're a priest or a wrist-slitting devil worshipper.

Don't use the excuse of 'no character is original'. There are things that are original. What about Gormenghast? Lady Groan and her awesome cat obsession; Prunesquallor's idiotic, arbitrary laughter in the middle of his sentence and his nonsensical rambling ("The minute, microscopic, infinitesmal addition to the Groan family, he he ha ha ho ho hum").

He gave me a plot outline and the basics of the characters. What do you want me to do besides tell him to make sure he doesn't make them into stock characters? Stop acting like some kind of protective hero for the young, misunderstood writers of the world.

Selorian · 10-09-2006, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krim

He gave me a plot outline and the basics of the characters. What do you want me to do besides tell him to make sure he doesn't make them into stock characters? Stop acting like some kind of protective hero for the young, misunderstood writers of the world.

Your original post:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krim

The characters kind of seem bland and cliche. There's nothing about them that's new or exciting...priest? Done. Ex-soldier (with a past)? Done. Woman lookingfor children? Done.

Such a brief description of a character does not give enough information for you to make such a statement. Until the character is written and developed, of course they will seem done and cliche. It isn't until they have a chance to come alive that their true depth is realized.