It's all been done right? - Writers Forum

Katastrof · 04-13-2008, 09:29 AM

Good Morning. Anyways last night I had a vivid dream that kinda evolved itself into a novel idea. It was so unique that at first I thought that I had seen it in a movie tailor (or something) , but I'm thinking its just too weird to have been made by Hollywood (hopefully). Anyways, when i woke this morning, I wrote about 6 pages of notes on the dream and I have an almost complete summary of the novel from start to finish. I, of course, have to flesh out the characters and write the damn thing still but I have two questions that I want to ask.

1. Has this been done before?

2. Is this too ridiculous/trippy/unrealistic/it's-just-a-dream-get-over-it to be done?

Here's a few details:

Author's Note:

Dillon owns the coffee store in the mall. Everyday he gets up from his bed, which is right beside the shop, and goes to work from 8-5 with a 40 min lunch break. He never leaves the mall to go anywhere, he usually can spend most his money at the mall. It's not too strange because every store keeper at the mall does the same. They all live and work in the mall.

The customers come through a set of frosted white glass that is flanked by security guards. The customers buy whatever they need and leave at 5pm. They chat with the storekeepers but whenever someone questions what's "outside" they act like they didn't understand the question or give the storekeeper a dirty look. It doesn't bother Dillon to know what's outside. He's content as long as he makes enough money to buy that diamond for Lucy. It bothers Lucy though.

Every week the Inspector comes to check on how each store owner is doing. Those who ask silly questions are dealt with and those who are deemed unsatisfactory are sent away. Each store keeper must have a quota met and their stores must be immaculately clean. Those who do well enough are chosen as "candidates" and are sent to get a "new life" through the red door.

Basically has there ever been a purgatory story like this before? Has there ever been a purgatory mall?

Noirllyn · 04-13-2008, 10:07 AM

Seems to be a lot like The Island.

Foxee · 04-13-2008, 10:13 AM

Yep, but very different from The Island, too. Try writing a short story about it...see how it fleshes out before you commit to a book. I think people rush into long fiction and frustrate themselves. Personally, I like your idea. You need to go on a quest into this world to find out why things are the way they are.

lin · 04-13-2008, 10:32 AM

another similarity, The Truman Show. And countless SciFe stories.

But, as always, it's the execution that matters. Setting it in a mall has some good possibilities. For satire and humor, especially. Or wicked social commentary, or whatever. If you can pull that off, you might have something.

lilacstarflower · 04-13-2008, 10:39 AM

I admit I thought the Truman Show when I read it but I'm sure you could work it in a way thats original.

On the other hand Truman didn't know there was a world existed outside his - your character does know there is something "outside" which would make it different because he's just not that bothered about it

Katastrof · 04-13-2008, 03:04 PM

Hmm, I thought it was similar to something I've seen before. I can see the Island and Truman Show similarities, but there are no clones in this story and its defiantly not a TV show. The rest of the story really diverts from that "trying to escape" plot (well it's the driving force at the beginning but it changes after) and goes into something else interiorly (I didn't mean it was symbolic when I said purgatory...).

And I think you're right Foxee, I have to figure out the "why". Really, I have no idea where this came from, it was just a really vivid dream that I remembered when I woke up and thought was good enough to write down. I have no idea about the characters motifs and alot of the "why" was guess work (maybe that's why it's similar to the Truman Show?). But hey at least I have most of the plot down.

I wish my subconscious gave me more of these developed ideas...

Foxee · 04-13-2008, 03:18 PM

LOL...the subconscious really doesn't play fair in that regard. Please explain why mine felt the need to give me a vivid dream visual of two guys testing a cobalt-blue concept car across salt flats and one guy appeared to be encased in ice while the other guy's head was on fire? I'd love to know. (Being on fire didn't seem to bother him much)

Still, you might find some interesting reasons WHY someone might not care very much about the outside world. What they've been told? (yes, that does make one think of The Island) Or maybe they're in the depths of space? Or...I don't know but the 'why' can set your story apart. Maybe there IS a mall in purgatory and the mall vendors really don't want to mix with 'those people'. If it is in purgatory that would seem to prove that McDonald's and Starbucks really have spread everywhere!

As far as 'everything has been done' goes, yes, that's true. But everyone puts their own personal stamp on what they create. No matter who has done the same premise before you, they aren't you. Go for it. And don't worry about it unless it turns out it's a bad cliche.

Heid · 04-13-2008, 04:05 PM

It's times like this that I wish I could remember my dreams. It's very rare that I can recall them and when I do it's usually just meagre remnants of it.

As far your idea is concerned, yes it has been done before but then again so has everything else. Just find your angle on that story and run with it.

jon_snow · 04-13-2008, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heid

It's times like this that I wish I could remember my dreams. It's very rare that I can recall them and when I do it's usually just meagre remnants of it.

As far your idea is concerned, yes it has been done before but then again so has everything else. Just find your angle on that story and run with it.

Yeah, I can never remember my dreams at all. I wake up, and I forget them.

Back on topic, I like the concept. I get ideas about strange things happening in common locations often, and I like the idea.

CodeRed · 04-14-2008, 02:55 AM

On the whole, the idea sounds like it draws concepts from several sources, for example Logans' Run and The Terminal, but that matters little - as lin said - it's about the execution. I like the idea and it doesn't sound the least bit too 'ridiculous' or 'trippy' to me.
Good luck with working it all out!

Foxee · 04-14-2008, 06:05 AM

Just thought of another piece of advice (I think it comes from Jerry B. Jenkins): Don't use your first idea for how to flesh out your story. Your first idea will very likely be the same thing that many other people would think of first. Pass on one or two initial ideas and find one that's truly unique.

I find that this is true for me. I am currently working on the first story I've written in a while and it seems I have to write at least 1,000 banal words to begin with. It's like my impatient inner 4 year old needs to babble the story, resulting in crap.

Then I can go back, assure myself that it's crap, pull out the few ideas that might be lurking in it and start over fresh. When I first set words down and am writing the story is sacrosanct. Then, when I've had my little initial writing fit I abandon and delete huge sections of it or simply start over. Often I find that I should have started from a different point.

This all is in aid of trying to find the ideas that are new and different so not as off topic as it might first appear.

BOURBON · 04-14-2008, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katastrof

1. Has this been done before?

Honey, it's ALL been done before. We just have to do it better...
You're idea sounds like it has legs to me. I like it.

BB

rumpole40k · 04-14-2008, 08:47 AM

Hey if you rip apart ANY story to it's component pieces you can say it has been done before, as Lin said execution matters. I like the concept myself it looks like you could really let the characters live.

Katastrof · 04-14-2008, 02:49 PM

Thanks everyone! The other parts of the story are really different from the beginning, so I'm not too worried about putting my own imprint on it. However I did feel the beginning (as you guys have pointed out) sounded like something I've seen before. Oh well. I'll think of something, it's just small potatoes after all.

I'm defiantly going to start fleshy this out now and probably post some of it in a month or two.

Oh and just to tell you, the main character goes to hell. (But that's just the middle section.)

Actually, I have one more question. Is it okay to have a tight POV (say Dillon) for most of the story, but then switch over to another point of view to tie up loose ends (a couple times throughout the story)?