Calling Experienced Writers. Would this work?

1. 61

   RuneRaptureposted 13 years ago

   Calling Experienced Writers. Would this work?
   
   I have an idea for a book, but both my protagonist and antagonist want the same thing, but for different reasons, I just have an image of my protagonist keeping her talents to do good, where as my antagonist wants my protagonist to keep their talent, but so he can use her to do his evil bidding... Think thats how I should put it! So anyway, would this work as a goal or do I need something more tangiable?

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2. 76

   Lady Wordsmithposted 13 years ago

   Why don't you start writing and see what happens.  No-one can really tell you at this stage if that idea will work, because it's yours and you haven't told us anything about the actual plot or context.  It sounds fine to me, as a place to start, but obviously, as a story it will have more bones, as it were!  Do you know what the goal is that they're both striving for?  If you know that, and they do have something more tangible (as you say) to work towards, in their different ways, then I think you just have to go ahead and start writing.  See what happens.  If it doesn't work, give it up and try something else.
   
   I heard Richard Curtis (writer of Love Actually, Blackadder and all sorts of other jolly things) on the radio this morning, and he was talking about coming up with plot ideas.  He says that he can't really sit down and start working on one idea - he writes down about 17 ideas, sketches them out a bit, and chooses the one that sounds least awful to expand on.
   
   By the way, I hope you don't mind me answering this question - I'm not a very experienced writer, but I have finished a first draft of one of my novels
   
   Linda.

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3. 60

   Merlin Fraserposted 13 years ago

   So far so good, you have the classic 'Goodie and Baddie' but you will need a lot more.
   
   What is this talent, we talking save the world or what ?  If left alone what would she be doing for Good. ?
   
   What would happen if she didn't ?
   
   How can this power be turned to Bad  and who would stop it ?
   
   Don't need you tell us just things to think about...
   
   I think you need to flesh the plot out what could be the worst thing that could happpen if her talents are used and against who...
   
   Then you need a hero who is going to find out and stop them

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4. 54

   abbykorinneleeposted 13 years ago

   Yes it can be done.  I now use anything I have been blessed with only with a motivation of being a positive or a well intentioned reasons.  I don't do it for any monetary value.  I use it for a more spiritual and morally fulfilling sense to achieve a goal of no one feeling alone or lost like I have.  To deliver truth, to help educate.  But I used to do things with a  personal gain as an ulterior motive and know that it can be seen as nothing but the same things.  But motivations do impact the deed don't you agree?  You would need to be very well knowledgeable of the talent so you know how to manipulate those motivations.  If you need any help just let me know.

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5. 61

   RuneRaptureposted 13 years ago

   Thank you for the help, again, I myself am very vauge on the specifics at the moment I'm not precicely sure, just that she can and wants to help and he wants to get her to cause mayhem and chaos insted but am now trying to just get it all down before I forget and hopefully it will sort of click I hope!

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6. 60

   peterxdunnposted 13 years ago

   Here 's a slant you might find useful. For some reason your protagonist fails to appreciate the true (evil) nature of your antagonist. You could have her fall blindly in love with him - which would give you loads of scope for teenage angst and related stuff (in your pic you look quite young so I'm guessing you'll be writing for a young readership). You will need a good reason for this - maybe he is a long lost first love from her childhood that has had a traumatic, mind altering experience. The main story would be about him deceiving the heroine to achieve his evils ends (with her friends dying one by one as he isolates her from reality) and her slowly becoming aware of this. The climax could be about her having to break through the bad guys mental armour, his evil nature (the demon - Loki ? - that possesses him) to find the innocent, happy boy she once knew hiding within and so avert catastrophe. He would have to die in the process of course - maybe so that she, and the rest of humanity, could live. In this way she not only saves the world but also the antagonist - from himself - and eternal damnation.

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