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@jess: superpowers is such a trending movie/book topic right now. Because, let’s face it: superpowers are great, and we all wish we had them. (Oh, and according to several quizzes I’ve taken, I have the ability to create ice, force fields, and can make myself invisible. Yeah, it comes in handy.) And, because that genre is so popular, and so many authors have written stories about characters with gifts, it’s so, so hard to make something original. Because you could say, “I wish I could have a character who could make snow.” Elsa. Been done. Or, “I wish my character could have super-strength.” Mr. Incredible.
Either I don’t read the right books, or everyone is too weirded out by the concept of shape-shifting. That isn’t used as much.@jess I would love to read this! Your description has already tagged me (besides the fact that you tagged me in the first place). Now, when you ask for name help, are you referring to naming of the characters, settings or book title?
☀ ☀ ☀ ENFP ☀ ☀ ☀
@dragon-snapper, Characters. *the unicorn snorts in frustration* All of my ideas are being used!!! @julia-r (in characters, names, worlds, genres…) Well, I’ll just have to make mine better. Now about doing that…
@Jess, that sounds like a terribly wonderful idea about the inventor. I love it!!
And being a “let’s see how this goes” type of writer is great sometimes, because sometimes neater ideas come as you go, rather than all planned out. 🙂
And if I know what, tell you? Where the inventor is?
Haha, well that’s for you to find out, I guess. 😀So how long has it been since the original experiment—and why are there only five kids with powers? Is it like @Julia-R said?
@julia-r So you approve of shape-shifting? *wags eyebrows* Some readers don’t, but I’ve used it in one fantasy story so far. I’d love to do a dragon/person shapeshifter sometime, though that’s been done before in more than one place. My own shapeshifter was a bit…subtler. 😉
@Jess, well, everyone else has been asking plenty of valid questions, so I don’t know if I have anything to add there. I do think the idea has lots of promise and I really like what you’ve figured out so far. As far as cliche goes, you are already doing some great work on that by making the government fairly peaceable…at least that’s what I picked up. Turning the whole government/people thing on it’s head would be fascinating. Even if the government needs to be replaced, the story could focus on how there needs to be a government verses mob rule (because the people don’t like the powers, maybe…); how a rebellion can be waged peacefully. Or not. *looks back over idea* Ehh, not sure about it, but it’s not normal and so might prompt some other ideas…INTJ - Inhumane. No-feelings. Terrible. Judgment and doom on everyone.
@emma-flournoy, no there are more kids, the 5 are just going to be the main ones in the story. I’m coming up with ideas for all the kids that got abilities to meet each other. A shape shifter would be cool (maybe instead of electricity), and there was one in the Percy Jackson books. (2nd series, which I wouldn’t recommend. @julia-r) I’m thinking about ten-ish years have passed from the original experiment. (the testers were in teens/early 20s)
I firmly agree about the “let’s see how this goes” part. Unfortunately, I have to have some outline. *sigh*I agree @hope. I feel like everything has been used already. I do like the idea of some government. (I’m thinking that instead of the typical overthrow, they reconcile in some exciting, entertaining way.) 🙂
Gotcha @Jess.
I’m thinking that instead of the typical overthrow, they reconcile in some exciting, entertaining way.
That is an extremely creative idea! That could be so good; I can’t recall having seen it in a story before.And I 200% agree with your philosophy for dealing with your ideas already being taken—‘Well, I’ll just have to make mine better.’
YES!! That is the way to go about it!!Have lots of fun on this story, and good luck. 🙂
Hey @Jess! I’ll make this post a little shorter. The updated concept sounds much better but there’re some things I noticed.
Concept: Having an original concept is hard isn’t it? Yeaah. Well there’s “nothing new under the sun.” We’re just remixing ideas. So don’t be too worried about one part of your story sounding like one series and another part sounding like another series. Cliche is something overdone. It isn’t something that has been done before. So technically you could copy lots of different ideas from lots of different people and still not be cliched. You’d just be plagiarizing. 🙂 But this has been done by lots of people. The Eragon series is a prime example. This series copies other fantasy books waay too much. But it was a bestseller. Now I’m not encouraging plagiarism. I’m just saying that you can get ideas from other books and combine them in a unique way. That’s originality too.
Case Study:Now if you look at Marvel and DC Comics they have lots of superheroes that are basically copies of each other.
Ant-man/Atom
Namor/Aquaman
Captain America/Commander Steel
Black Cat/Catwoman
Angel/Hawkman
Hawkeye/Green Arrow
Quicksilver/Flash
Deadpool/Deathstroke
Vision/Martian Manhunter
Hyperion/Superman
Moon Knight/Dark Knight (Batman)The difference is actually that these characters are quite different in their situations, backstory, personalities. It varies but they are different characters are different in ways other than their powers. So you can have similar powers but if you have the character different in an interesting way then most people will forgive you. This leads me to my next post . . .
I blog on story and spiritual things at mkami.weebly.com
Focus on your characters.
From what I can see you’re a pantser. You write the best by the seat of your pants (writing through instinct rather than being a plotter). Also, you said you want to write this for NaNoWriMo?
I suggest that you should focus on your characters. Flesh ’em out. Give them unique quirks. Enlarge their weaknesses. Add conflicting traits to each character. Create a backstory that really affects their behavior today (without letting the backstory affect the plot . . . for now). The better your characters are developed the better you’ll be a pantser. How does that work?
A plotter plots out everything whereas a panster just plunges headfirst. However, a pantser needs to learn to plot a little (you already know that). I suggest you to know at least an ending for your story (so you know where you’re headed) and (most importantly) your characters. If you know your characters inside and out then instead of thinking: “I’m stuck here. What should happen next in my story? What needs to happen in order to get to my premeditated end?” you’ll be thinking “What do my characters want right now? Based on who they are, how would they go about getting it?”
Thinking this way will make your NaNoWriMo writing faster. This is because your characters will choose the easiest way out and all you have to do is put a giant obstacle in the middle of their way.
Also, This method will make your characters always act in a believable way. If the readers think “Jax would never do that” then either they really don’t understand the character or the writer really doesn’t understand the character and therefore makes him act inconsistently (the writer thing happens more often).
So I hope you do this. Spend time with your characters. Learn them to create them. Remember: Premise is what makes the readers pick up the book. Plot is what keeps them reading. Character is what makes them pick up the book a second time. And for the record I find that I always remember the characters most. Not a specific situation.
This is just me but I don’t believe in obsessing over names. For the record:
Cass is a guy in the soap opera Another World and a character in the tv show Supernatural.
Jax is the main character in the tv show Sons of Anarchy, a character in the game Mortal Kombat, and a character in the book The Law of Nines.
Kai is the name numerous characters in anime shows (Akira, Sonic X, Yu Yu Hakusho)
Hazel is a super common name. It’s in The Fault in Our Stars, Pale Fire, Heroes of Olympus, Nothing Sacred, Watership Down, and Gensoumaden Saiyuki to name a few.
Dalton is a character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Road House.So I’m just saying that a lot of the names that you chose have been used before. Don’t obsess over that part. I don’t believe it’s worth it. But that’s just me being me.
And by the way I’m not encouraging you to watch/read the books, movies, and tv series listed above.
I blog on story and spiritual things at mkami.weebly.com
Remember: Premise is what makes the readers pick up the book. Plot is what keeps them reading. Character is what makes them pick up the book a second time. And for the record I find that I always remember the characters most.
Yes, yes, yes.
So much this.Thanks @mark-kamibaya. 🙂 You should write a book on how to write a novel. You would be good at it. 😉 And yes, this writer is a big pantser. (which is really strange because I always plan things out in “real” life)
OK @Jess, I know this is way late, but I had an option for the name Tess. If you’re really stuck on that general name than you could use the name Tessica and have Tess be a once-in-a-while nickname.
Just a thought 😉
@anne-swiftblade, Well, my name is Jessica… so Tessica… yeah. (Especially since I sometimes go by Jess. :)) I’m thinking I’ll use Tessa. 🙂
Hey, that’s @BlueJay ‘s name! 🙂 🙂 🙂
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