Archive for the ‘ideas’ Category

Thinking Up Stories

Posted: June 4, 2012 in ideas, Writing
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Well, it’s June 4th. Six days left for the poll I set up in “Writing in the Summer: What To Do” (once again, if you haven’t participated yet, please head there now and vote before June 10th; your votes will help me decide which novel I work on during the summer). And as it gets closer to the 10th, I find myself thinking about the current lead. Actually, I’m thinking about it a lot.

Why? I think the answer to that is obvious; writers write. But in order to write, we have to have an idea of what we want to write. And if there’s one thing in writing I can be one-hundred percent guilty of, it’s that I like to dwell on and come up with scenes and plot points and character issues and a whole plethora of other things for a single story…even when I’m not working on said story. I mean, for both choices in the poll, I have quite a few points in the story fleshed out in detail, from character names to life-shaping events, to individual scenes and plot twists, and on one of the stories I’ve analyzed over and over why I’ve given one character the name he has (trust me, his name says a lot about himself and about the people who may read this story in the future).

So yeah, I’m thinking about choice number one a lot. I’m coming up with certain scenes in my head, dividing up chapters, I even planned out two verbal confrontations between characters at different points in the story while taking a shower last night. I’m also thinking about research and the best options to go with (OSU’s Psychology Department; street maps of New York; interviewing a medical examiner who specializes in forensics), and the inner workings of each character, particularly my anti-hero protagonist.

And until I see choice number two leading in the poll, I’m still going to think about choice number one, though certainly not when I’m doing exams or something important. See you at the end of the poll, when I say who won and give you guys what would probably be the blurb on the end of the paperback version.

Writing in the Summer: What to Do?

Posted: May 27, 2012 in ideas, Novel, Writing
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Alright everyone who reads this blog or comes across it, I’m going to need your help. Wait, don’t click away! This is very easy. You just need to give me your opinion. It’s simple, it’s painless, all you need do is read the post and then answer a question. Not so scary now, huh?

Well, I’m trying to get my novel Reborn City picked up by an agent, and I’ll have some time to write this summer. However, I don’t want to start RC’s sequel yet, not until the book has at least been picked up by an agency, and I don’t always have ideas for short stories on hand (if only I did!). So I’m going to spend the summer working on a novel. Problem is, of all my ideas I’m having trouble choosing between two of them. To me, they’re both really good ideas, the characters would be awesome to work with, the research would be fun for me, and it’d be a way to polish my skills while I’m out of classes.

I just need to choose! So I’m leaving it up to you, oh-so helpful blog readers and writers. I’m having trouble setting up a poll with WordPress, so you guys are going to have to leave comments down below to participate. I’m counting on you. I also don’t mind if you tell me your reasons for picking that answer.

Here are the options:

1. A serial killer is roaming New York City and going after the mafia. Why is he doing this, and why do we want to root for him? That’s the intrigue to this story that’s inspired by Taken and inspired heavily by slasher films.

2. A young girl with a horrific past becomes the center of a manhunt when she discovers a secret plot involving some of the nation’s top intelligence officers. How does she become embroiled in this serious plot, and how does it hearken back to her dark past? I can’t remember what inspired this story, but I definitely have a soft spot for the main character.

Alright folks. Vote away. The poll ends June 10, my birthday and the day summer vacation officially starts for me. I won’t accept any comments after that. Good luck and thank you!

 

The Best Lines I’ve Heard In A Movie So Far

Posted: May 22, 2012 in ideas, Writing
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“Imagine you knew you were going to do something great. Something amazing. Perhaps the greatest thing anyone has ever done. Only there’s a catch: something terrible has to happen.”

Those lines are direct from Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, which I’m watching right now on my computer for the first timem and I may have gotten them a little mixed up in the translation, but what they say rings true: whether you know or you don’t know that you’re going to be a hero or a savior or just a protagonist in a story, something terrible has to happen to you. It’s true of so many literary characters: Harry Potter loses his parents and vanquishes Voldemort (twice!); Alex Cross has to take down the worst psychopaths imaginable, albeit risking the lives of his friends and family, and his social life, with every case; and Van Helsing, John Harker, and Mina Harker have to defeat Dracula, risking their lives and their humanities along the way.

Truly, the lines above ring true in so many stories. Heck, in many of the stories I plan to write (and am currently writing) terrible things happen before the hero rises up to save the day. God, I wish I could tell you the things in my stories that happen, both what the protagonists do, and the terrible events that precede what they do. Unfortunately, telling you what happens would give away the plots of too many stories, so that’s out. Still, the fact that the theme above is in so many stories, whether they be mine or someone else’s, proves how important this theme is to writers across time and space.

I’d like everyone’s thoughts on this subject, along with other examples where something terrible must happen before a character can become a hero (can be a book, TV show, comic book, or movie character, I don’t really care).

Predictions: Once Upon A Time

Posted: May 14, 2012 in Predictions
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I was a little hesitant to do another prediciton post, but the last one got a lot of views (over 20 in just two days) that I felt compelled to do another one:

(the following post contains spoilers, so if you have not seen the Once Upon A Time season finale, please skip this post or wait to read it until you have seen the finale)

So, I’m watching the season finale on Hulu this morning, and can I just say I did not see that coming? After slaying Maleficient underground in order to get the love potion Rumplestilstskin/Mr. Gold created, Emma barely manages to save Henry and restore everyone’s memories with the power of her love for her son. Afterwards though, Mr. Gold, reunited with Belle, throws the potion into a well and brings magic back to Storybrooke (whether for his own power or to find Baelfire is not made clear, but it’s probably a bit of both).

So here’s my predicitons:

First, now that magic is back, it won’t spread beyond Storybrooke, which will remain in the strange isolation it’s always been in; however, the magic will allow Regina to return to power and become an evil overlord hiding in the forest. Rumplestiltskin (his name is so hard to spell), will also return to power, but his evil ways will put some strain on his relationship with Belle, which may cause him to start to doubt himself and his goals. The fairies will regian their abilities, and Red/Ruby will be able to turn into a wolf again (that’s going to be a problem; where’s her cloak?), and others will tap into the magic that’s now returned (I’m pegging Henry to be a magical prodigy).

Second, we’ll still have flashbacks, like how Snow White and Charming/James took back the kingdom(s)–I have no idea whether King George’s or Regina’s kingdoms will be conquered or both, all I know is Regina lived in the same castle as always, and Snow White and Charming live in a different one. Also, I think we’ll find out how Regina gained her mother’s magic (I don’t think it was through her mother kindly teaching her), and how Maleficient and Regina became friends. Oh, and how about how Regina gains the dark curse and the sleeping curse? That could work.

Third, relationships: Pinnochio/August, restored thanks to the return of magic, may become a romantic interest to Emma, while Emma, Henry, Snow White, and Charming will adjust to being a family and living together (tough to do, especially when your daughter is around the same age as you). Regina will try to reach out to the few people she has left, and maybe learn a little bit about herself; Jefferson may become an ally to Emma once he has his daughter back (and maybe a 2nd love interest); Astrid/Nova and Leroy/Grumpy will try to resume their relationship (or whatever they had together); Henry’s father, falsely reported dead, may make an appearance (I don’t know why, but I think Henry’s dad might actually be Baelfire, turned bitter by his father’s betrayal. Talk about a plot twist, huh?), and rock the whole family; and in additon to the Rumplestiltskin/Belle thing I mentioned above, we may find out what happened to Baelfire and resolve the conflict between him and his father.

Fourth, interlopers and outsiders: remember when I said that magic would probably not extend beyond Storybrooke? I never said anything about new people coming in, did I? I bet we haven’t seen the last of Wonderland, and how long before somebody like the government noticing the strangeness of Storybrooke and sending in the troops to investigate and harness the force of magic for national security purposes? I can so see Regina and Rumplestiltskin wanting to get in on that for their own purposes.

Finally, minor points: new characters and backstories will be introduced; Jiminy Cricket will resume his grasshopper form; the blind witch from the Hansel and Gretel episode will return to wreak havoc; the residents of Storybrooke won’t return to the Enchanted Forest till near the end of 2nd season, at least; Prince Thomas/Sean may disappear again, right before his (re)marriage to Ashley/Cinderella; and maybe we’ll see how magic is possible, and perhaps primal forces, neither good nor bad, that are magic in and of themselves and may interfere with the events of the stories. Oh, let’s not forget, we’ll see more magical creatures out there! Count on it.

Thanks for the rant, I’m done till another season finale leaves me wanting to guess at what happens next.

Review: Castle Season Finale (Plus Some Predictions)

Posted: May 8, 2012 in Predictions, Review
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(The following post contains some spoilers)

Okay, so last night I’m watching the final episode of Season 4 of Caslte and–finally!–Castle and Beckett hook up! It was what every fan of the show has been waiting for over the course of four years! Along with that, Beckett has resigned from the police force after another near-brush with death and identifying the man who shot her (who I’m pretty sure played Paul in Dollhouse). The tension was unbearable, the confession scene was heartbreaking, and when they finally hooked up, ABC couldn’t show us that much because the FCC would fine them. Other than that last part, a great episode. 4.7 out of 5, with 0.3 taken off for leaving us on a cliffhanger ending!

Alright, now onto my predictions  for the inevitable season 5 that will occur(I do so love to rant about what I think will happen in a show, I just rarely get to do it):

Now first, Beckett off the force. I know I should cover the relationship of Castle and Beckett, but I have to cover this because Beckett and Castle’s relationship was founded on solving crimes. Well, Beckett will probably go rogue for maybe 3 episodes at the most, but she’ll be allowed back on the force by Captain Gates, with a few conditions. How it’ll happen, I’ll leave that up to speculation.

Second, Castle and Beckett’s relationship: obviously fans might get bored since the romantic tension isn’t there anymore, but I say that it’s fun to see a fledgeling couple who work together figure things out. Caslte and Beckett will have to get used to each other in a whole new way, and they’ll have to learn to work together as lovers and not just partners. Also, expect at least one or two fights along the way.

Third, the cliffhanger: either that Mr. Smith we finally met for the first time at the end of the episode is going to live and find some way to hold the men who want to kill Beckett at bay, or he’ll die, but his information will still be hidden, so we won’t find out who’s trying to kill Beckett till the end of the season at least. Annoying, I know, but they have to hold the best stuff for last or people will lose interest.

Fourth, new episode ideas (I had such fun coming up with these ideas for new cases):

1. A writer friend of Castle’s turns to his help when murders from his book start happening in the real world (Castle could be annoyed that Beckett’s paying so much attention to this writer).

2. A hard-core anime fan gets murdered, leaving a trail of questions, especially since some stuff in his collection gets stolen (so many jokes, so many anime fans to potentially offend, but it’d be worth it).

3. A powerful lawyer gets killed right before a big case, setting off a political maelstrom that impedes the investigation.

4. A new law prevents Castle and Beckett from investigating someone’s murder, which could be racially motivated (I’d love to see the characters’ views on a case like Trayvon’s).

5. A murder brings up an old case for Captain Gates, putting Beckett, Castle, and Gates in close proximity for this case (bullets will metaphorically fly).

6. A series of seemingly unrelated murders are apparently related, as all the victims seem to have connections to Castle’s mother, including her ex-husband and a former rival actress. Could this also mean Castle’s life in danger?

7. A murder leads back to the government, and Castle’s supposed father.

8. A murder brings up an old case of Captain Gates, and puts Castle and Gates in closer proximity than the latter would like.

9. The final showdown with 3XK.

And for minor plot points: Alexis will be around less and have college problems; Castle’s mother will be around more; Gates may actually come to like Castle, especially if he saves her life; Esposito gets a new girlfriend (and gets razzed for it); and old flames for Beckett and Castle keep showing up.

Those are my predictions. Thanks for reading my rant, Castle shippers everywhere. Have a good one.

Dreaming Up Ideas

Posted: April 8, 2012 in ideas, Living and Life
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I read when I took AP Psychology back in high school that dreams–while still so mysterious and strange–can be places to figure out problems or come up with new ideas, thanks to the fact that in dreams the rules of reality do not apply. Well, let me tell you something: the other night I had a really awesome–and vivid–dream and I think it makes a great story idea.

This isn’t the first time I’ve come up with a story idea through a dream. A while back I came up with a very disturbing kidnapping story based on a dream I had (and I should really take a look at that story again, I’m sure with some edits it could really get published). What never fails to get me though is how creepy or bizarre these dreams can be, but how helpful they are.

Anyway, the dream from the other night. I dreamt that I was a guest star in an episode of Law & Order: SVU (before you take that the wrong way, let me tell you what my part was). In the dream, I was John Munch’s distant cousin (we’re both Jews) and I was visiting him. Munch and the other detectives were trying to get proof that some teens from a neo-Nazi group had committed a rape and murder of a Jewish girl. I volunteered to go undercover because I look very much not-Jewish and infiltrated the group. Not only did I get evidence against the teens, I showed that the leader of the group–a man with a history of racism and violence–had known about the rape and kept silent. I helped to bring down the group and give justice to the family of the girl. When I woke up I said, “Man, that was a good dream!”

Anyway, I’m pretty sure I can turn that dream into a short story, if not a novel. I’ll see what I can do when I get the time.

Writing Stimulant: A Good Horror Movie Goes A Long Way

Posted: April 5, 2012 in ideas, Living and Life, Writing
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It’s amazing what happens when you see a good movie and it just makes you want to write. For instance, I just saw The Woman in Black with Daniel Radcliffe in it at my school’s union and was totally freaked out by it (I would write a review on it but it’s just too soon after the last review). Even while I was watching the film though, my head was swirling with inspiration. Horror is my craft, and I was carefully noting what the filmmakers had done, how they built up tension in this or that scene, how they symbolically signaled that Radcliffe’s character had discovered an important clue, and basically how they told the story (you can learn a lot about storytelling just by watching a good scary movie).

In addition to noting these things, I was also coming up with ideas, ideas for my own stories that I’d like to write someday. When I do come up with stories based on films I’ve watched, it usually has to do with some element from the movie that really stuck with me or something that I’d like to use myself someday, or even just some stray thought that goes through my head while I’m watching. For example, when I saw Taken with Liam Neeson back in high school, I thought how cool it was that he was taking out everyone and anyone with guns, and that led to my idea for a story on a serial killer who tracks down and kills mafioso (do not take that idea!). I also thought that when he was chasing down that punk from the airport, how much Neeson would have it if he was a werewolf, and that led to an idea about werewolf spies/detectives (don’t take that idea either, I will know if something similar is published after this blog post! Just kidding, I know you wouldn’t do that.).

I’m not going to go into details about the ideas I had in my head when I left the theater. I will say though, that once I’m done putting them down on the ideas list I have on my flash drive, I’ll get to work on finishing my new short story. I am in such a writing mood. Wish me luck.

Prediction: Alcatraz

Posted: February 21, 2012 in Predictions
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I haven’t seen the latest two episodes, but I am totally hooked on the new FOX show Alcatraz. I love the concept, its X-Files-meets-crime-drama feel, and the characters are so much fun. And let me tell you, I’ve had a ball trying to predict where this show is going to go. I’d like to give you my predictions for who originally took the ’63s, if nobody objects.

(silence around the computer. the sound of typing resumes.)

So, we know (or at least I know; you may know more if you’ve watched the latest two episodes) that the ’63s are coming back at various rates, all as young as the day they disappeared, and all with what appears to be memory modification. This argues either for a temporal rift in the space-time continuum, or some form of suspended animation (I think it’s more likely the latter). Also, some of these 63s have been given missions, though they can’t remember who has given them these missions. This rules out government conspiracy, as there’s no self-respecting government in the world that’ll let former-convicts-turned-operatives out of their sight to cause havoc, they prefer to control their operatives. So maybe aliens took them; however aliens would also give all the 63s missions pertaining to some ultimate goal, not just a few. So who does that leave? Someone or something that doesn’t mind letting loose all the 63s to cause a little chaos before moving onto the big plan.

I’m thinking demons and devils. They’re using the 63s in order to prepare for a non-Mayan end of the world, and the 63s are some kind of scout group. That would be why the 63s are being left mostly to their own devices (oh, you horrible devils!). We can also back up this idea with references from Detective Madsen’s grandfather about something below Alcatraz, and a shot from a previous episode involving an underground door with a “subterranean visitant”. It may also explain why the medical doctor and the psychologist were returned earlier than the other 63s.

Anyway, I can’t wait to see if I’m right.

Well, I’m done ranting. How about we close up this entry, huh? Okay then, see you later.

Oh, before I forget, still doing another edit of Reborn City, but it’s taking a heck of a time, seeing as I’ve still got homework and classes and whatever. I’ll get it done eventually, though!

A Novel Idea: EUGO’s workshop for tomorrow’s novelists

Posted: January 26, 2012 in ideas, Novel, Progress Report
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On Monday I went to a meeting held by the English Undergraduate Organization, or EUGO. The meeting was for those who wanted to write novels, who were writing novels, or had written novels and were unsure of what to do next (I think I fit into all of these categories, what do you think?). Two staff members from the English department, each with a couple of novels under their belts, were there to talk about their experiences and give feedback and answer questions for those of us who wanted to write novels.

That meeting was very informative and I learned several things: one was that the standard route was no longer publishing short stories before publishing novels, especially in the age of the Internet, although it does help to have a foundation so that agents and publishers can at least tell that you aren’t just some obscure wannabe. I also had an idea for Reborn City: for a while I’d been bugged by my heroine’s motivation in joining a gang, about how it just didn’t seem a realistic reason to join. However I had an epiphany at the meeting and decided to change her motive for joining the gang. Just like that the story seems so much better, and I’ve only edited a single chapter so far!

Anyway, I think after this draft Reborn City will seem that much cooler. Perhaps I might even be able to find an interested agent. I’ll let you know.

If you happen to go to my university and are interested in EUGO (and you should be, even if you just minor in English), go to their website at https://english.osu.edu/undergrad-studies/organizations-activities/eugo

All for now. Bye

I Had It All Along?

Posted: December 15, 2011 in ideas
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Okay, remember how I wrote a couple of posts back that I was researching a new short story, but I had to do some research on it? And then I further elaborated that the research was really obscure? So obscure, that I had to email people in England about it? Well, funny story about that:

Last night I was in the basement at my dad’s place, doing the laundry and thinking about the research and how it seemed almost impossible that I’d be able to find what I was looking for, it was so obscure! And then I had a thought: a while back I bought the entire first season of an anime taking place in Victorian England. The box set came with a small little booklet that contained all sorts of information about Victorian England to further elaborate the story in the anime. My story takes place in Victorian England, so perhaps the booklet contains the information I’m looking for?

Yes, it did! Turns out I had the info I needed under my nose the whole time, and there it was! Talk about embarassing! This happen to any of you? Let me know!

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