How to Tell If Your Novel Idea is a Good Idea
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ส.ค. 2017
- Writers often ask if their idea for a novel is good enough or strong enough. In this video I wanted to go over some misconceptions about novel ideas and what it takes to get published.
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I've said this many times: ideas are worthless. Even children have ideas - and frequently, children have very good ideas. Art is found in the *execution* of the idea.
Yes! This is also why writers shouldn't be afraid of their ideas being stolen. What you do with your idea is vastly different from what anyone else would do with that idea. A hundred different writers could write a hundred completely different novels from the same basic idea.
Bullshit. Ideas are important. Bullshit. Ideas are important.
What's the idea behind Batman? A man dresses up like a bat and punches bad guys because he misses his parents. That sounds like a terrible idea, but some excellent stories have been made off of it.
What's the idea behind Jupiter Ascending? A woman finds out that all life on Earth was the creation of superior alien society that creates life on various worlds to amuse itself. That sounds like an excellent idea, but the movie sucks.
Ideas are worthless. It's what you do with them that determines the value of the story.
Depends on your definition of the word idea. The Earth is blown up for a space highway, and a guy learns that it was made to ask the question of Life, the Universe and Everything sounds like a bad idea. A satirical take on sci-fi sounds like a great one.
That's a point I was making in a debate recently. We were arguing over whether Sword Art Online is a good story or not, even though people love it.
*Conceptually* SAO is a really intriguing idea (in my own opinion), but the *execution* the author took was mediocre at best, and glaringly broken at worst.
Ideas are enough to get the creative juices flowing, but beyond that, it doesn't mean much.
"Writing a children's book about the sexual escapades of a 20-year-old is a bad idea."
I don't know, *50 Shades of Grey* seems to have done pretty well.
Nonononono. She meant a book written *for* children, not a book that written *by* children based on how poorly written it is!
Thank you. I needed this comment today! :)
Children could have done better!How dare you?!
1monki Yeah! I read that to my children every night-
EL James is crying over your criticism all the way to the bank.
I don't know if it's a good idea, but it certainly is.....
Novel.
J. C. Badum tss
Oh my....WAIT ! What did you say right now ?? Are you SERIOUS ? Can I pay you just for what you said ? Genius here , genius !! NASA , I'M BEGGING YOU - Take this man , this guy...oh man , I'm crying...such a masterpiece of genius...I don't know what I'm saying...HUMANITY IS FINALLY SAFE ! YEEESSS !!!
"A group of children are teleported into a fantasy world."
*cough* nearly all new anime *cough"
Did Alice in Wonderland do that first, or was there something earlier than that?
Alexander Abrams-Flohr well yeah. but anime is rife with it like you won't believe
isekai
A lot of anime, but FAR from 'nearly all'.
dont do sword art online like this
I hate when high concept novels fail from bad writing. When I can tell a novel could be so good but the wrong writer thought of it, it hurts my little story loving heart.
ImagineHodgepodge give me a few examples
...like the Star Wars prequels?
ImagineHodgepodge i hate when I have this wonderful idea in my head but when I put it on paper or begin to outline it it just goes completely terribly. I’ve had to step back from a few projects because of poor planning. They had such great ideas, but I don’t know how to execute them well enough yet.
Final fantasy 10. sooo much potential, ruined in execution.
I think I’m guilty to this. I think my idea is above average. I plan it really well, in my opinion. But I just do that, nothing else. I only plan because when I write, it’s literally garbage. I even think I’m just a thinker, not a writer.
There are so many rewashed stories out there that can turn a familiar premise into a powerful and original idea. It's all due to how the author constructs and carries the story.
I hope so. I've been playing with an idea for an outbreak story... NO.There are NO ZOMBIES lol. The setting, characters, and the nature of the virus seem original. But blah... There are no zombies. And just about every possible interesting Infected And Questing For A Cure story arc has been done to death, parodied a hundred different ways AND made into dozens of video game series. :( Would any of you read another pulp dystopian novel with a catchy enough title and cover art?
Personally, I'm only sick of vampires and werewolves. And that's mostly due to the abundance of lame love-triangles and gross controlling relationships.
I'm still into dystopian. It has WAY more angles to take. Same with outbreaks. It can be played so many different ways, I think it still has plenty of potential.
I heard the thing to do now is just take a popular story and make all the characters gay, pocs, or Muslim...
I was reading a book on how to write by Isaac Asimov and he basically said in one chapter that it's true that there are only six premises out there. The REAL trick is to give if a presentation and spin that are unique and meaningful
@@XenaBe25 Probably not. But that might be just me, because I dislike stories about diseases or pandemics or such. I need my antagonists to have a face - or at least plans and purpose rather than just killing everyone or turning everyone into something horrible because that's what the nature of said plague determines.
00:31 Oh no... Back to the drawing board.
It's all in how you execute it, I think.
The Anne Boleyn story...
Absolutely. Hemingway, case and point. Simple, straightforward plots, executed well.
I know it's an impossible request, but never stop doing these. Slowly but surely they help me grow the confidence I need to return to my writing. Depression is cruel when one has a story to build.
LaMorte you ain't kidding on the depression. My wife has set herself a goal of 343 words a day, every day. I've set myself a goal of just *touching* my word processor for now. Depression and second shift are murder for writers.
I do think depression and anxiety disorders have helped me write deeper characters.
LaMorte depression helped jk Rowling
I got depressed by my world building, then got depressed in my real life. Tried minimalism, burnt all my manuscripts. Am done with writing. But still, those fu*kers won't leave me alone. Now, years later, an rewriting them again. Am surprised at how i still remember everything despite my not touching about them for a long time. I hope i give them the story they deserve. Good luck to every other storytellers out there!
@@charmedprince just remember when you meet people again after a long break they will have changed, as your characters have changed, you many not know them as you once did, the relationship you once had will be different, don't assume they have the same traits as before. A devious character may be dangerous & twisted now having all their hurt fester since you knew them last. Two lovers may be living with a dead marriage now & staying for the kids, resenting their kids for the prison they are in. Life goes on. Is Jane Eyre the same girl/woman you got to know when you were 12? Each time you meet her now you may realise how inspiring a person she is.
This plot verses premise is something I never thought of and so helpful!!
"the hunger games" is far from original.
In Japanese media, specially anime and manga, this type of story is so well established for years, that turned into its own genre, "survival game"
But unlike Battle Royale, the Hunger Games the one that almost single-handedly brought the genre to the west/popularized it worldwide.
HipposHateWater because it’s the west, and Hollywood?
"The Most Dangerous Game", "Surviving The Game", "Hard Target", those are just the film's alone that I can think of off the top of my head that told the story first.
@@stevegans731 Also Stephen King's "The Running Man"
@@stevegans731 True! I dont think they were children killing children.
I really enjoy your clear communication. So many editors or literary agents talk in such convoluted terms about what they want to see that it could mean a lot of different things. Keep it up! :)
The idea for Hunger Games had already been done by Battle Royale but they're completely different stories so yeah no idea is original just depends on the execution
Hunger games pretty much ripped off of battle royale
They aren't completely different. They share a lot of plot points actually.
Same with Edge of Tomorrow and the manga "All You Need is Kill". (Although I still loved both.)
@@HipposHateWater edge of tomorrow credits all you need is kill and is supposed to be a live action adaptation
@@Mana-br4ew Open a history book.
"Which plot points am I excited about?" - Could be the magic phrase that helps you find out if your novel PLOT is a good one!
This reminds me of the story of the creation of Codex Alrera. Jim Butcher was arguing about ideas online and said that it was a good writer who made a good book, not a good idea. He wrote the first codex Alrera to prove the point. The concept was created by the writer he was arguing with. Pokémon plus the lost Roman legion.
I just typed this out but decided to check if anyone else mentioned Codex Alera!
Love the story and the series.
A good concept can't carry bad story structure. A good writer could write an engaging story about 2 kids playing in a park, or a guy commuting in rush hour to work.
Storytelling at its heart is making the ordinary sound extraordinary.
That sounds pretentious and dull. Something describing something completely normal in the most interesting way possible doesn't make it inherently interesting. Why not just... try to write about something interesting? It's not that easy, but it should be that simple. Of course, what is considered interesting is subjective to the person.
I'm so glad you made this distinction. I think so often people confuse premise with plot, which is why you hear people say 'X is just a rip-off of Y', when they just mean they have a similar premise. People love to say Hunger Games is a rip-off of Battle Royale, for example, but while they have a very similar premise, they have very different plots (and it's not even that original a premise to be honest).
I think one slight exception to your statement that people don't buy something based solely on the premise would be something like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, although I guess really that's a novelty book so doesn't really count.
When I saw you title I thought, "Oh no!" But you addressed it, of course! I have read new writers books where they feel they have to shoe horn in as many unique ideas as they can. But I liken it to all art, start simple, and do simple well. Some of the best stories have been the simplest ones that have already been done to death stories, but very well crafted.
Good to see you back by the way!
Hey guys! I finally solved the issue with the auto-focus. Hooray! Unfortunately, I had some trouble with shots being out of focus. I tried to cut out those shots as much as possible but that also resulted in some choppiness in the video. Thanks for bearing with me as I work out the technical issues.
In this video I really wanted to go over some misconceptions about the importance of the seed idea/premise of the novel. Publication is about so much more than an original or unoriginal idea. Execution of the idea is so important! I hope you found it helpful. Thanks!
Tip: if you don't want to re-record, replace bad video passages (where you need to use the audio) with a "B Roll". Cut to a slide containing what you are saying, an illustration, etc.
I didn't find this disappointing at all! You actually boosted my confidence. I feel like I have wonderful, fully developed characters, and a nice handle on my writing style, but I've been worried for awhile that my plot isn't original enough to go the distance. Now I can relax a little and focus on making it stand out in the ways that count. Thanks for the advice!
You forgot about Narnia
Thanks
Hi. When I get an idea, it's usually just a random visual moment, where a character does something interesting in a stunning environment. When the vision is over, I get really excited, and would love to watch the scene developed further, but all I am able to do is visualize the same sequence over and over. How do I turn that "thing" into a novel?
Wow... I just tried to generalize my book and it came out as "Girl with wings and transformation abilities fights in a war against a Hitler-esque villain who has a species complex."
Sounds cool.
That actually sounds pretty awesome.
Misting Wolf It sounds intrtesting enough to pick it up from the two hundred books in a store and check the back and read the first page. That's the best compliment when you have so many options
Id read that
Sounds like the X-men ;D
I think traditional publishing is important to a writer and the editing process is very well done in traditional publishing which is a good tradition. The form and ideas of publishing has been through changes over the years and they are signs of growth in literary life.
Even if you can't get 100 percent satisfaction, you should keep on doing it. Writing is a puzzle to me that gives me some results and i surely like to keep on writing. It's a best medicine for loneliness. And it would be bestest if my writing earns money along with good reviews which of course i aim for. Writing pays off one way or another.
I'm not even writing a book but I love watching your videos from a reader's perspective.
I am a firm believer that a good wordsmith can take any idea and create a worthy story. Even concepts that are inherently divisive can attract people on both sides of the issue is written skillfully.
I often look at modern comic books for this issue. Marvel has repeatedly made bad decision after bad decision for their comics, and the writers, editors, and executives have blamed their poor sales on the fans being racist and sexist. But then you look over at DC who has made many similar changes, and their sales are significantly higher than Marvel's. This is because the writers for DC are actually good at what they do, unlike the people at Marvel who claim to be writers..
Joseph Huckaby
Unfortunately, this only applies to comic books, mostly. Movie-wise, it's the other way around.
@@stagosaurus3181 yeah but the movie is made by the "story" which the writer weaves. DC has an edge in their writing, and that's the reason they get nominated for Oscars. An example is Joker. That character is written so well that two different people got Best Actor for playing that role. And that too differently! That's great writing right there.
I am a Marvel fan too but judging by the art and the essence of movie making and writing, I guess DC has better-written meat.
People just want enjoyable stories with fun characters while not dealing with radical politics.
Many stories were unworthy due to the ideas behind them. Ideas create stories, execution draws it out.
As a reader, there are premises I'm drawn to like a magnet, no matter how many times I see them. For example, a Beauty and the Beast set up. There are thousands of novels out there that use this idea, from Jane Eyre to Phantom of the Opera to Notre Dame de Paris to War and Peace. I never get tired of it. It's all in the execution and the elements around the premise that set it up.
Y'know, EB? With the crap going on in the country today, coming to watch your shining face and informative videos put a smile on this old dude's face. Literally. Thank you :^)
this makes me feel a lot better. when i describe the story i'm working on to friends, it comes across as a mish-mash of disparate tropes that make me feel like no one could possibly be interested in. but in terms of the individual characters involved in the story, and the feelings they find themselves struggling with, i do hope to make it something special. even if i never publish it officially, it would be good to know one day that people (even just two or three of them) were actually interested in the exploits of Maia, James, and company....
My name is actually maia and i have the same problem! I hope you got somewhere with your book ❤️ on my 6th chapter
@@bigmo8231 Hello, Maia! Alas, I am still plugging away at my story due to real life being... real life lol, but I do plan on working on it until it gets done. It didn't help that I had to do a metric wikipedia's worth of research (none of which actually involved wikipedia as anything more than a list of potential references) before I felt remotely comfortable actually diving in to the meat of the story. I now have two bookshelves in my living room devoted to folklore and rural life in mid 19th-century Britain, and also quite a few books on my kindle about the same topics.
Fortunately/unfortunately/weirdly/serendipitously, while I was doing all that research, my fairies morphed from a scary unknown menace lurking just out of sight to a metaphor for trauma in the lives of the protagonists. Not sure if that's the last few years showing, or just a natural extension of portraying fairies they way they were actually seen in the 1800s. Probably both, but it did necessitate a good deal of rewriting 😅
Thank you. This video popped up at the right time for me. I have a pedestrian idea with a finale that I’m excited about. Now the challenge I’m working on is how to orient the novel to make the finale emotionally and intellectually satisfying.
Novel ideas are paramount for hard fiction sci-fi. Those usually not good without a really original idea, but these sort of books do not sell well because they target nearly non-existent audience. Take Stanislav Lem, Greg Igan or Olaf Stapledon - their ideas are amazing, but you probably didn't hear much about them.
Thank you. I admit I haven't heard of Olaf Stapledon, but if you put him next to Egan and Lem, I'll have to check him NOW.
Writing for a niche audience still does have it's value though. There are those that aren't into the more generic material out there that's intended to appeal to the widest audience possible. They appreciate having content written for them too, even if it's not as much.
I know most of your videos have been out for years, but I just discovered you and all your freely given wisdom. Thank you so much!
Just wanted to say I love your videos Ellen. You always deliver your points in a way that is not only insightful, but really motivates me to open that word document and get working on my own project!
I am writing my first novel and it was like when I was learning to weld ..I made a mess at first but it gets better as you go along , now I can weld in any position so hopefully I can write any sort of story in time.. I have an idea about a magic lorry
Me too, started today actually, been wanting to write it for awhile now ^^
Another outstanding video - this is the best advice for new writers I have found in weeks of research.
Excellent video Ellen. I needed to hear this. I'm figuring out how to create a novel and what goes along with that. All ideas have been done, yet it's up to the writer to make his or her idea worth reading. I'll continue to work on the plot, outline and all that good stuff.
Using your own excitement as a metric about plot points is a great idea. Thanks
I'm so glad you're back!
Always love your videos, somehow they manage to be relevant to my thoughts/worries at the time.
You made me realize that I really just have a really really bad execution of my idea. 4 years and I just figured it out now :-:
Another great video Ellen. This sounds like my novel has hope!
Thank you! You're advice is really helpful :)
Let's see:
Interesting betrayal? Check
Odd character arc? Check
Journey to the Underworld? Orpheus got nothing on me, baby!
Gods that can be KILLED? Immortals can be made mortal, you know...
Ground-Up magic system? Sanderson, love your Mistborn, but this ain't flaring tin!
Now, concept? Uh... BBEG is going to overthrow the gods, and literally the only person who could stop him was assassinated. A new Heir to the Sword must rise. Or ya know, some other D&Desq bullshit like that.
Honestly, I'm more into the world building, and after nearly 20 years, it's a damn nice world (or so the players I GM for tell me).
No, I'm not writing my group's adventure into a book. I put them in my book's world to test it.
PLEASE DON'T STOP UPLOADING. I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL, JUST DISCOVERED IT. PLEASE KEEP ON UPLOADING. Sincere thanks for all the content which you provide.
HOly moly, i loove this channel. This video gives me the motivation to pick up my writing again. So hard to write next to university, but now i am willing to put in the energy it takes. And again: great vids! Kinda bingewatching them atm :D
I just stumbled upon your channel and I am obsessed! Your videos are not only informative but also on point - you've got a new subscriber
It doesn't matter how brilliant the book is, all the publisher wants to know is: 'Will it sell?'.
That explains why literally every presidential candidate writes a book that ends us being published.
I found this really encouraging. it helps me keep going when I feel something's not working
Love the amount of videos you've have been putting out
Hi Ellen, just wanna say that yours and Tim Hickson's videos have been very helpful to me, so thank you very much, keep doing what you do.
You seriously give the best advice. Thank you so much. This is one I'll be sure to share. So many of my writer friends are worried their premise isn't original and I have such a hard time articulating why that doesn't matter but you do so beautifully here. (Also appropriate for when friends come to me with "a story" idea haha)
Ellen, this was an incredibly helpful video! Thank you!
I'd love to hear you talk more about what a high-concept novel is - I haven't heard that terminology before.
Just wanted to say thank you for these videos! I watched a lot of the while writing my first novel and because of it the publisher excepted my manuscript the first time it was sent it. Keep up the good work!
This video, about high concept plots versus not high concept plots, was particularly good! Plot points to test our plots? Why we like those individual points? Fantastic!
Love your videos, they are so informative, and you explain everything so easy. Thank you so much for sharing!
This was great explanation and so true. We have all read books that had a great premise but then fell flat on the plot. We have also read books that had a premise that shouldn't have been exciting but the plot, characters and writing carried it through into a great book.
Thanks a lot for this, I actually found it really helpful to be reminded to find the plot, many of my books I do, but in a few all I have is the world concept figured out, so it is great to be reminded of where I can focus when I can't figure out what to figure out.
Totally agree, by the way, it's the quality not the idea.
I'm sure I speak for many by saying thank you for sharing your knowledge and insight with us. It is very helpful and informative.
Your videos are somewhat generalised, but I still find them very helpful and to the point, thank you Ellen for helping me become a better writer
The very best writing advice
This is exactly what I needed today. Thanks!
I think my novel idea is a good idea because it's what I think is good.
I write more for myself than readers.
I write for fun and put just as much effort as one who writes for a living
Hi this was so good : D Truly helpful and gave me lots to think about. Thanks!
This was super helpful! Also, I see that copy of House of Leaves back there, what an excellent book!
Your videos are so helpful to me, mate. Thanks a lot.
Btw, AMAZING video! I found your channel yesterday and it is really useful :3
Thank you so much for the tips! I don’t have a high concept for the book I’m writing, I now need A. The wow factor and B a good plot and C I need to develop and plan my main characters. I just got the idea to write it a few days ago
Thank you for your video. It made me think about two of my novel ideas one of them I'd half forgotten. I've felt they both were great ideas. I'll just need better plot-lines in order to really get them going. As I do work on them the plot-lines grow. I just need to find the same passion about them, as I had when I first thought about them(actually dreamed a couple of scenes from them and they grew from there) As NaNoWriMo is getting closer my mind is starting to roam with story ideas again, but I keep returning to those two especially.
These are great. Thank you for doing these videos.
Fantastic explanations. Thank you so much.
Your advice is incredible. Thank you.
This is actually pretty good advice. Now that I think of it a lot of the books that have fallen flat for me were ones that had a really good premise but no idea of a prompt. But the ones that succeeded had scenes that I was looking forward to writing before I even began writing.
I'm glad you said what you said because I agree. I've often said that ideas are easy and it's execution that makes a difference, not just for writing but for almost any creative endeavor. I would've been surprised that somebody had a formula for great ideas versus bad ideas, it's just not that simple.
Just found this channel and you’ve got some great videos. Very helpful! :)
Almost at 100k! Come back Ellen. We need you.
Love these videos. Pls keep expanding your videos
I enjoyed your insight on this topic
Your advice is so awesome - thank you so much! :)
as always... thank you Ellen brock
I have never written a novel before but have had the idea for one for many years. I have recently began trying to actually put my idea on paper and write it. Thank you for this video I enjoyed it
I certainly needed this advice. When migrating from tabletop games to novels, I have ran into the problem that my worldbuilding is amazing but my plot is lackluster. I'm getting better at that, but boy is that an uphill battle.
Interesting. Not something I had thought about. Good information.
Notes:
- There is no original premise (idea) per se.
- Make an interesting plot based on the premise (and other elements of the story).
- "Don't worry so much if the idea is a good idea. If the melding of the idea with a good plot, strong character, good world-building - that is what makes the book work." 05:31
I think, too, a lot of people have these ideas for novels that may actually fit short stories better. Some ideas aren't really grand enough, I guess, to call for a novel, so you can get bored as you're reading or there's a lot of filler. Perhaps more writers should ask themselves if it works better as a novel or short story, because sometimes in short stories you can more easily get your point across and make it more interesting in less amount of time.
Hi Ellen - I found you channel about a week ago and I've listened to most of your content while rennovating a house!
Do you have any recommendations for online writing communities to join?
Thanks and keep up the great work!
Awesome advice! 👏
I just recently came up with a plot that fits the themes and the mc's arc! Still a lot of details to hash out but I think its a good base
I've been working on my premise and how it affects the story. Thanks for the help!
Where were you all my life
What a breath of fresh air and sunshine🌞
A girl about to be sold off into slavery, along with her younger sister, by her only remaining relative, (that she knows of,) tries to repay his debts, hoping that she can cease or at least delay his decision if she proves herself useful enough. She does this by attempting hunt a large wolf that has supposedly been murdering livestock. During her attempt, she is instead attacked by a bear and saved by the “wolf” who turns out not to be a wolf so much as a creature of unknown origin who looks most similar to a wolf, one that can speak as a human but cannot live among them. Both caught in negative situations - him being hunted and wanting to lead them away from the real wolves that raised him, (but not wanting to be alone,) and her fearing for the safety of herself and her sister, the three leave the lands together, discovering their pasts - what happened to her family and what he truly is - along the way.
Basically, I wanted to write a beauty and the beast story, and this is where it lead.
Sarah Bonson I'd read it!
I would also read that! (it's original enough too)
I've wanted to do something like that with Rumplestiltskin in a disease outbreak (basically Rumplestiltskin would be a company wanting to be the first to sell a cure for the disease, and knowing who's espionaging with her would be huge leverage in getting her freedom from a government that imprisoned her because it thinks she's immune)
Sarah Bonson I'd read the CRAP out of that. Every. Last. Page.
That happened to me. The wolf part. There's literally a demon inside of me that I knew would come since I was 5. It did when I was about 11. I'm now 18. It's hard to explain. There's this entity inside of my head that appears in meditation as a wolf. But he isn't a wolf. Idk what he is. He's lonely. I feel his loneliness. He helps me
THIS STORY DESERVES TO BE PUBLISHED.
Great video; thank you! Made me rethink some structures!
You've quickly become one of my favourite channels! On books that can grab you with the premise - is that House of Leaves I'm seeing in the background?
This encourages me. I did all of this stuff right.
The world is overrun by horrible creatures called “Tenebris.” They are skeletal, deformed humanoid beasts with unmatched strength.
Bright light can fend them off, and a special light created with instruction from an ancient text can kill them. It’s not known how they were exactly created, as history doesn’t go back that far. However, it’s rumored that they were created by an ancient being, jealous of the prosperity of humanity. The ancient being is come to known as, “Inunis.”
Our hero is named “Spero.” He is raised in a semi-wealthy village in the 1400’s. His main company is his brother, “Symeon.”
Spero is at first confident from birth, and Symeon is at first honest and kind.
However as time goes on, the fathers’ abuse has a negative impact on Symeon and Spero alike. Symeon is affected most due to his blindness. “Weakness” as his father called it. Symeon was to be shipped off to a nearby Blacksmith for ten years to “make something of his sorry self.”
Spero was being trained in combat by his soldier father, in hopes of him one day becoming a fierce warrior for all to fear. Spero semi-loved his father, unlike Symeon, who hated him. Because of the pain he had, Symeon began to use a text he stole during the beginning of the great rupture (when the continent they reside in became split into two over disputes of oil) to draw on otherworldly forces. This causes a lust for control later on that Symeon lacked as a child.
However, the town’s oil supply is mysteriously cut off by their capital kingdom. The villagers send a messager to ask for more at noon, lest they be swallowed up by nightfall. However, by 4:00 the villager hasn’t returned. (The reason they don’t abandon the village and look for refuge immediately is because they are very far away from other civilizations. Their best chance of survival is to wait for more supplies) They start leaving in all directions, afraid of the night to come. Spero’s family prepares, and leaves as well, never to return.
Spero and Symeon get no answer as to what’s going on. They get worried, as their parents begin to panic more and more as nightfall draws closer. Eyes begin to dash around the darkness, and the families walk turns into a sprint. They light their last torch, which will only last a couple hours, and fight through the horde.
The father sacrifices himself to save them, and the mother gets a severe injury. They make it to their Uncle and Aunts’ cottage, and they are hastily pulled inside.
The image of his father’s death at the creatures’ hands is enough to scar Spero, resulting in him growing a deep fear that torments his soul.
Symeon, instead of mourning or crying, dives deeper into his dark gifts. This lasts until almost 5 years later, when Spero leaves. Spero leaves to calm his fears, and bring peace to the continent. All so nobody else will have to face what he faced.
Symeon joins him in order to keep him safe, for his brother is one of the only things he loves, stopping him from being consumed by his magic. Magic which stems from the Inunis...
As the story progresses, many people join their cause against the merciless king, Solus. The people including Malog, king of the Libertia Empire; Nesha, a energetic adventurer on a quest of revenge against a different enemy; Cavas, a bounty hunter who wishes to provide for and keep his son safe; and many soldiers and wayward vagabonds/adventurers, who wish to claim glory and peace alike. One day, Spero wishes to bring unity and peace to the continent. And just maybe, destroy the Tenebris scourge alike.
Spero is driven by the desire for safety for him and everyone around him, and peace from the scourge of the Tenebris.
Symeon is driven by a desire for control over his life, to be able to control the safety of who he loves.
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How is this for a story?
Thanka for the video.
Honestly, I am kind of glad my story is not a high concept. High concept just puts SO much pressure on executing it well that it seems inevitable to be critiqued a lot. And to me, it sounds like a challenge to have an unoriginal premise and still make it memorable for readers.
Your videos are excellent, as always, problems well identified and good capsule descriptions and summing ups. But it's good that you can't give a simple formula for success in this area. The aspiring writer needs to care so much about his material that he will find the way to make it work, and this quest is good and necessary.
thank you!! this helped
This is awesome because I have what I think is a really cool and different premise but whenever I try thinking up plot, it ends up being a man vs self conflict and since I don't read a lot of those stories, I don't really know how to conduct it... but still, thanks for the tips! I have a lot to consider
I once read an e-book on writing written by Holly Lisle. There was a section/chapter called 99 stories for a dollar or something close to that. I apologize for butchering it. The idea was exactly as you described. A writer is hard-pressed to come up with that one story that's never been written, it's the writers own delivery of the story. It was and is helpful advice for me as an immature/amateur writer. Ellen, I just stumbled on to your channel, thank you for all of your advice and insight. Cheers.
0:30 - Yep! That's why they instead made it into cartoon. Called "Johnny Bravo" :D
Your videos are very helpful and well thought-out. Would you ever consider taking submissions from viewers just to do a quick review of the first few pages in a video? Shadiversity did something like this if you're familiar with him.