A book idea - need help - I have started to create a book.If anyone would like to post ideas to help or something they could.Well the book doesn't have a title yet.If someone would like to post ideas for one they could after i tell you what it is about.It is about a 14 year old boy( no name yet ) who finds this cool looking journal online.So he buys it.He writes about stuff that happens to him, and girls and wishes and wants.Then it comes true.He thinks it's cool at first, until it gets spilled on by a can of soda.Everything then goes wrong.He and his 2 friends ( no name, one boy one girl) must go find the person who sold the journal and find out whats happening, because after the book got wet it vanished into thin air.Any want to post ideas and they can.I want the book to get pretty long.
No... not write an ending just maybe get me names or something, for the charecters.And maybe a few tips.Not write the rest.
I bet if you search the internet you'd find lots of name lists (people are always looking for names for their babies.) For a source of ideas, like plots and stuff, myths and legends are good. I think there are only a few basic plots, repeated over and over, in anything and everything ever written: Man vs man, man vs nature, man vs himself, and man vs God. Substitute woman for man in any of those, of course. Notice how 'vs' shows up in all plots? Interesting, don't you think? So is this a book you're writing for school? Or to publish? Or what? Just curious.
Thanks, it's not for school, i am not planning to get it published.But i have always have had wanted to write a book.But every time i try it stinks.But not this time because i am using the internet to help.
I know how you feel. It's my dream, too. Keep working at it. And work is the word. Writing is dreadfully hard work. :(
Seven? I count four, unless you are messing around with 'woman.' When I see 'man' in this context I always assume it's a generic term that could mean 'woman,' too. Interesting, Mr. Jackson's three plots. Don't know where I heard of the ones I mentioned. Too long ago. Way before Jurassic Park, E.T and Star Wars. But I'll keep Mr. Jackson in mind.
Sorry Lyn ... I misread you. There is an old saw about the seven classical plots man vs man, etc. as you said plus man vs machines, vs the supernatural and vs the environment ... I kinda assumed the ones you left out. Substituting woman for man doesn't double up the plots though. Someone else goes further and says there's only one plot: "all successful stories can be reduced to this structure: 1. Person wants something. 2. Person tries to get it, but suffers reversals. 3. Person finally gets something, though not necessarily the thing originally desired" It's all in that li'l reference link I posted anyway, I skimmed through and thought it quite intriguing to see so many varied theories of plot construction. I was particularly interested in boning up on Polti's 36 dramatic situations Another reference
I would think that man vs the supernatural falls under Man vs God. And Man vs Environment is either Man vs Nature or vs Himself which might also include Man vs. Machine. We're getting into 'what does that word really mean?' They're as vague as horoscopes and can mean anything. Doesn't really matter too much, I think, because stories often include more than one of these conflicts. When I attempt writing I stick to the simple, straightforward Man vs Man plot and leave the other stuff to deeper thinkers. Thanks for the references, BTW.
The best way to learn to write is to write. Just sit down and do it. No one can tell you how. You have to find your own way. Some of the best plots come from real life. If you're stuck read a newspaper or a biography.
A book I read recently, called Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, was inspired by a dream she had of one of the scenes in the book...how cool, right?
Yes, quite! I had a couple of dreams that I wrote down as book ideas. Haven't written them yet, but dreams can be very inspirational.
You're right, I should just sit and write.And when i get writers block i could maybe just maybe just find something from real life and put it in.
Write!!!! hey! I just wanna say that I've been writing and stuff since middle school and am now just graduated. I find it relaxing and I say to give it your all. When I first started my books were really horrible too, but now they are getting super-good... I want to get them published someday... But don't know how. Anyways, I hope that you will keep up in this dream because it's relaxing, as long as you don't get writer's block like I do all of the time. It is so much fun to read something good and to know that you wrote it... It feels good. As fro names, use strange one's that you made up, that's what I like to do. Infuse that with some normal names for older people or something and an excellent plot, there's your book!
To publish a book i think you have to call some publish company, and they check the book.Check the phone book for a publish company.
