I have some great scifi book ideas...but...

SO I have some great sci-fi book/story ideas that I have been trying to write, but I discovered something about myself! I can come up with ideas all day long, but when it comes to writing the meat of the story I draw a blank and end up writing something a 5th grader wouldn't want to turn into their teacher.

I am telling you my ideas are gold, so I thought what a better place to propose this....who want to collaborate on a book with me? How many of us can we get? Can we use this forum as a tool to write the book? I do not think a group of people have written a book using forums before, so think about the media attention we could get??

Just throwing it out to my fellow ATS members....I have done some work outlining the basis of the story...I was inspired by a definition of a term I looked up, which I have pasted below. I thought it would be an awesome name for a sci-fi novel.

Ultima Thule
ul·ti·ma thu·le
/ˈəltəmə ˈTHo͞olē/

Noun
A distant unknown region; the extreme limit of travel and discovery.

Some basics of the story: First Generational ship to leave our solar system (Maybe on the way to Alpha Centauri?) and the things/issues/relationships along the way. I have many other sub-stories written down for this book, but do not want to give away more than I have! We can collaborate using the short story threads and maybe Google drive so we can edit words docs?

Let me know what you think ATS! Also, Mods please move if I shouldn't have posted this here, I just wanted to reach out to the short story writers since I thought they would be more interested in this!

I say go for it.

Your idea is actually disturbingly similar to a story that I started a week ago. As a writer, the similarity in outline annoys me; as a fellow ATSer, I say push the snowball down the hill and see how big it can get.

Good luck.

reply to post by ProfessorChaos


Thanks!! In detail it probably differs a lot or the collective unconscious strikes again!

Its not new by any means, nor 100% original to you and your ideas. Science F-I-C-T-I-O-N has a zillion-like stories, ideas, theories and each prob has a few 1000 different versions of what youre going to try to say.

Don't give up nor not write your book by any means....but you need to be realistic.

And I suspect if you write as a fifth grader as you say about yourself....then perhaps your ideas are as well? Just sayin. Good luck.

MS (Published author with 3 books on a totally different subject)

PS DONT give up!

PPS Go talk to a community college English Professor and see if there are any students who will help you for extra credit in his/her class. I did once for editing....

Originally posted by Djayed
SO I have some great sci-fi book/story ideas that I have been trying to write, but I discovered something about myself! I can come up with ideas all day long, but when it comes to writing the meat of the story I draw a blank and end up writing something a 5th grader wouldn't want to turn into their teacher.

Try doing numerous short stories to begin with, instead of going for the big hit. Writing a full on novel is often difficult, even if you have many of the plot lines and beginnings and endings. Take characters, scenarios first and make them into numerous short tales first, it may give you the ideas you need without having to write from point a to point b.

I am telling you my ideas are gold, so I thought what a better place to propose this....who want to collaborate on a book with me? How many of us can we get? Can we use this forum as a tool to write the book? I do not think a group of people have written a book using forums before, so think about the media attention we could get??

If you ever plan to publish this, a collaborative effort is a bad idea. Publishers generally will shy away from numerous collaborative writing efforts due to ownership issues, and works posted elsewhere. There are however, many collaborative writing efforts going on in this forum if you wanted to join in. You do need Writer status, but by joining in the Short Stories and posting up your work, you can win one of the contests, or be granted Writer status by a Mod. You can also be invited to join a collaborative work by an existing writer.

Some basics of the story: First Generational ship to leave our solar system (Maybe on the way to Alpha Centauri?) and the things/issues/relationships along the way. I have many other sub-stories written down for this book, but do not want to give away more than I have! We can collaborate using the short story threads and maybe Google drive so we can edit words docs?

Sci-Fi is a difficult line to break, as it has all been pretty much done in some guise or another. Having said this, I echo mysteriousstranger's post and say don't give up. I love to write, and hope to turn it into a career one day, as difficult as that may be. Writing to me is a good outlet to what's in my head, and a good escape from the drudgery of day to day. If you love to write, just keep at it, you'll get it even if eventually.

reply to post by Djayed


May I suggest that rather than attempt a book, you try to get involved with the idea of graphic novels? Those are collaberative by default, because they are usually a blend of several talents. Writing, inking, pencils, and so on. Also, within a single over arching framework, they can also involve several writers.

Just a thought.

reply to post by Djayed


I can't write. Not creative at all. But I can cook

I think it is such a great idea. There are so many talented and thoughtful people here. Just be careful that someone doesn't try to jack your work.

Good luck with your endeavor.

reply to post by mysterioustranger

reply to post by GrantedBail


Actually, from a writer's perspective, his post is right on the money. Publishing and getting into the writing game is very, very cut throat and very difficult. Publishers are extremely picky and very harsh on writers. For every established author there are generally thousands that are just cast aside. The big thing famous authors have is good marketing skills.

Despite this, the advice was pretty sound and he did say not to give up on the premise, just to be realistic with ideas and the idea of publishing something most editors and publishers will read one page of, say "it's been done" and chuck it in the bin.

reply to post by 74Templar


I apologize. I have no idea how the publishing world works. I was just trying to be nice.

I got a little salty there cuz I thought the poster was being a little too harsh on the OP.

Write me off as being ignorant

reply to post by GrantedBail


I understand, there's just no point babying an aspiring writer. Believe me, editors wont be so nice. But as I said, if writing is in your veins, it's hard to stop, even if you struggle with it's facets. I think people have this idea that Dan Brown and Stephanie whatever her name is (she did the Twilight books) just pop out a few ideas on the computer and send it off once and become immediately filthy rich, which is sadly a pipe dream.

If you're interested, read the history of Stephen King. Before he got his break, he had to constantly have the electricity and phone turned off as he couldn't afford to pay the bills.

reply to post by 74Templar


Really?? I never knew that. Stephen King??

I guess it is like actors and actresses.

I wish you great luck.

reply to post by Djayed


Personally, I would change the title...

"Ultima Thule " looks like a mixture of "Ultimate Tool" and "Ultimate Turtle"

Otherwise, go for it.

Thats what open-source-collaboration is all about.

Link

The technology of the Web browser and hyper-linked pages was first conceived out of a need to share and collaborate on building information. Hyper-links were initially a means to send readers to external material online, not an internal Web site navigation aid.

I would like to have helped but i'm like you, would love to write, have ideas but can't get anything worthy of anything past junior school never mind high school.
Not to mention Sci-Fi wouldn't be my personal area of choice :p

But i also agree with whoever said that a collaboration is a bad idea. Imagine the book was amazing and really popular, can you imagine the trouble that would come with.

Originally posted by Djayed
SO I have some great sci-fi book/story ideas that I have been trying to write, but I discovered something about myself! I can come up with ideas all day long, but when it comes to writing the meat of the story I draw a blank and end up writing something a 5th grader wouldn't want to turn into their teacher.

I am telling you my ideas are gold, so I thought what a better place to propose this....who want to collaborate on a book with me? How many of us can we get? Can we use this forum as a tool to write the book? I do not think a group of people have written a book using forums before, so think about the media attention we could get??

Just throwing it out to my fellow ATS members....I have done some work outlining the basis of the story...I was inspired by a definition of a term I looked up, which I have pasted below. I thought it would be an awesome name for a sci-fi novel.

Ultima Thule
ul·ti·ma thu·le
/ˈəltəmə ˈTHo͞olē/

Noun
A distant unknown region; the extreme limit of travel and discovery.

Some basics of the story: First Generational ship to leave our solar system (Maybe on the way to Alpha Centauri?) and the things/issues/relationships along the way. I have many other sub-stories written down for this book, but do not want to give away more than I have! We can collaborate using the short story threads and maybe Google drive so we can edit words docs?

Let me know what you think ATS! Also, Mods please move if I shouldn't have posted this here, I just wanted to reach out to the short story writers since I thought they would be more interested in this!

edit on 4/21/2013 by Djayed because: edited subject line

edit on 4/21/2013 by Djayed because: (no reason given)

edit on 4/21/2013 by Djayed because: (no reason given)

I have found that if you're going to write a book, let the story tell itself. Be the third person in the room and describe the events and the conversations. let it unfold and reveal itself. Think of yourself as the news reporter on the scene so to speak. I believe that stories exist and that people are needed to tell them. Stephen King for example gets his stories from nightmares and dreams he has and then tells them. I wish you well. here is a little of what I might do for a story such as yours...




TIME DATE: 2017, AUG 24 Frustration was beginning to build all over the ship as the light of the distant sun began to glow brighter and brighter. The exploration teams were ready and the ship's valuable passengers were eager to see what new world they would find on the second planet circling the yellow orange star ahead. Even now images of lush forests of green and purple along with vast ocean waters could be seem on the display screen. And yet, no sign of intelligent life of any kind. A virtual virgin paradise so it would seem.

" Lt. Travis !"
" Sir ! "
" Bring us in slow and into a low orbit, I want to make sure we don't get a surprise when we descend to the planet's surface."
" Yessir ! "

The scurrying of personnel began to increase around the bridge as the ship began it's descent. It took a full forty minutes to reach the surface of the planet and finally with a dull low sounding thud, the Elexis had landed safely.

Captain Becker leaned into the comm, " Acer and Reilly, gets your off teams ready ! "
" Yes Sir, we're ready to exit. " came a crackling voice from the comm.
He turned to his first officer Tom Browley and smiled.
" Sir, you're thinking of what I think you are, are you ? " Browley said
" What Browley, did you really think I would let anyone else step on this planet before I did ? really ? "
" Uh, well, protocol says..."
Becker cut him off with a laugh, " Out here ? I don't think so, anyways I'm still going and I need you in command. "
" Yes Sir..." Browley replied with a sigh as he assumed the command chair and pressed the comm. " Acer ? "
" Yes Sir ? "
" Hold up, captain's on the way down to the air deck. "

The air deck opened and a rush of warm moist air rushed in. They already knew the air was earth-like and so they didn't have the helmets on. They stepped out onto the ground and began their exploratory trek into some green and purple fields along a ridge ahead overlooking a ocean of blue below it.

reply to post by Djayed


Good luck with the story and collaboration Djayed -Rod Serling also gives some sterling advice on fiction writing in this interview if you've not seen it before and it's well worth a watch.

reply to post by Djayed


Wow, thanks for all the great responses! Ok well I know that the basis of the story is not orginal, It is kinda hard to be 100% orginal now of days and without giving you more I would see how it looks as though it has been done before. I am a big fan of science fiction Movies, TV, Books. My favorite author is Alastair Reynolds, which was a scientist before being a writer, and I am not a writer by nature.

Here are some of the other plot lines I was thinking about touching basis on

1. Gentic reaction to 10% of the crew when passing threw the heliosphere
2. In the long run major story arc, mirror actions are happening with a race that is coming from the destination we are going, with them heading to our panet
3. Crew getting "urges" to build something

And Of course the normal stuff:

1. Alien encounters
2. Virus
3.spaceship trouble
4. Death
5. Romance
6. Crime
7. Hidden agendas

Originally posted by Theflyingweldsman
reply to post by Djayed

 

Personally, I would change the title...

"Ultima Thule " looks like a mixture of "Ultimate Tool" and "Ultimate Turtle"

Otherwise, go for it.

Thats what open-source-collaboration is all about.

Link

The technology of the Web browser and hyper-linked pages was first conceived out of a need to share and collaborate on building information. Hyper-links were initially a means to send readers to external material online, not an internal Web site navigation aid.

Thanks for your input!! The funny thing was coming across this defintion, inspired me to think about the story.

reply to post by Fromabove


Thank you so much for the tips, I appreciate the advice. Also, never thought about thinking like I was a reported. I always try to think like the character.

Originally posted by Djayed
reply to post by Fromabove

 

Thank you so much for the tips, I appreciate the advice. Also, never thought about thinking like I was a reported. I always try to think like the character.

edit on 4/22/2013 by Djayed because: (no reason given)

A lot of people do, and it's ok to fall into one of the Character lines. I do it as well. In the book I just wrote I actually fill the shoes of one of the lesser Characters. But if you can, try to look at the overall story as it unfolds, that way you don't have any writer freezes or blocks which can occur when you take on the role of a character.

If you look at the script more closely that I wrote above, you could say that in that reading I would have simply have been one of the crew members witnessing the conversations and action of the captain. In the air deck I would have been one of the workers on the deck. But in each instance I am the witness to the event. I find a story takes on it's life and tells itself better if I do it that way.

All that good writing is, is the ability to tell it in words as it happens in your mind as if you were having a conversation with a friend about what you did last weekend. Try to see if that will help you. I have been able to write quite a few chapters at a time doing this. The other thing is, and I think you have it, is to remember all science fiction contains intense plots and have three things in them.

1. The main plot

2. Team effort " us against them "

3. The love scene, or, "loyalty and love, commitment, duty. etc."