Thread: would this idea work for a story

hi my name is Zane and i am in ninth grade (freshman) i was wondering if this idea would work for a story my friend and I have been working on it for a while......

One thousand years in the future the world is on the brink of death. Survival has become nearly imposable with radiation pockets raiders and worst of all Felix. In one of the few colonies not under Felix's control Zach Malachi and Jonathan survive in uneasy harmony until Felix comes. Flung upon the wasteland the three teenagers (almost men) must find a way to survive not only Felix but also the many trials known to exist.

that is the brief overview if you want more description please say so and remember i am a fourteen year old so constructive criticism plz
(the names are temporary)

What you've got isn't an especially bad frame for a story, but the quality of the story itself really depends on what you fill it with. This is even more important when you consider that post-apocalyptic survival isn't really a new theme in literature (or other media; this actually sounds inspired by the Fallout series of games).

Of course the idea has potential, but almost every idea has that. How about everything else? Who is Felix? Why is he the antagonist? Why is he coming for the colony? Why are the teens thrown out into the wasteland? Do they have a goal once they're there? Are they surviving until something happens? Are they trying to stop Felix?

Finally, how long is the story going to be? If it's short, what point are you trying to make? If it's long, how are you going to keep the plot tight and interesting?

Again, almost any idea would "work" for a story. It's what you do with that idea that sets your story apart.

Dystopian novels are big right now. World building can be very hard and you have to put a lot of thought into it. You don't want to leave any holes, but I think this sounds promising.

Would it work? Any story done well can work. What you need is to have a believable situation. Here are some of the things you need to know (not necessarily the reader) about your world for it to have more believability. Where did the radiation come from? How do people currently survive? If you don't have a modern industrialized society, there is food for people to eat, some way of keeping people safe so they can raise/hunt their food. A system for clothing. Protection from those who might come along and take what they have by force. In essence, how do most people survive there? All the things we take for granted, food, clothes, health care, ect need to be thought through and figured out. Don't put them all in the story, the necessary parts come out as the story goes along, and most of it is boring from the reader's point of view, but for it to be believable, you'll need to know it.

Next is the story, Who is Felix? How does he fit into this world? How does he disrupt the lives of those there? Is he destroying the system that is in place? If so, what kind of repercussions does it have? Who are your main characters? Where do they live, how do they fit in the society? If the world is that bad off, they probably work to survive like everyone else. What causes them to have a run in with Felix? And why would Felix bother to chase them? Someone in control rarely goes out of their way to track down a couple kids without a very good reason.

The big part is where is the story going to go? What is the resolution? Do the characters survive? Do the kill off Felix to save the people from him? Is there something they find that might change everyone's life?

Ask questions of your story, and keep asking them. Usually the first answer off the top of your head should be tossed, and often times the second....look for the third. Then you get a less generalized and more interesting place. The answers still have to be believable, but don't go with the common, go for the uncommon.

thx ..... let me continue ... what i plan on doing in the story is having the three break up and go off on their own ways BUT have their lives affect each others I thank you for your reviews and yes this is still very much in the rough form
on the topic of how long i have no idea what i hear from (some) of the writers i email is to let it flow .... but i was thinking like a teenage novel (100-300 pages)
next the topic of Felix his father was once the leader of an army and he is the inherit leader but he is the bad egg and his main focus is on "human improvement"
the reason Felix takes over the colony is for subjects to test on when the main characters find this out they go on a revenge mission
...... yes it is somewhat shallow .... *sigh*

On the side of food water guns ECT. that becomes currency the new medium of trade

Prior to money, there was barter, and without some form of government, only things of value would be accepted as trade. In that form of society, some form of metals, gold,silver, iron, ect could be used, based on certain weights for whichever ones are used.

When I am working on a world I go through the process of thinking through each aspect one at a time. Food, where does it come from? How much effort is needed to have that much of a food source to supply the population? And keep going until you know all about how people get the food they eat. What kinds there are, and maybe even some of the dishes commonly made out of it.

thank you!!!!! sounds like i better start thinking after i give this some good thought i will give the update until then feel free to give advice

The answer to the thread question is always yes.

Would ants marching in a row to a picnic be a good story?
If you write it interesting it will.

Your set up sounds good.

Every story can be a work of art or an exercise in writing.(There is rarely anything written that doesn't benefit the author.)

Rules for fantasy or sci-fi:
You are in control, you create the world or universe, but also you have to make it seem real to the reader.