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Thoughts on this?Story revolves around an immortal (for now call him x). Backstory that isn't going to be directly part of the story: He was born in Africa among the first people and for some reason (haven't figured that out yet but you'll see it is not too important) is immortal (not a vampire or anything like that, just immortal, doesn't get sick and remains young). He lives through the ages under different identities and in different situations/locations. One constant in this life: Another Immortal (for now call her C.) who he loved in Africa and encounters from time to time. At some point in the 1950's he has settled down in a ranch in the North (Alaska, Canada?), is married to a mortal who he also loves, has not seen C in years. He meets another immortal who has gone insane. They fight and the insane one burns while x falls into a river and is frozen.
Fast forward to the focus of the story in 2012: x wakes up. Has lost all memory of his immortal life. He is taken in by wealthy mortals (im working on a motivation for them to take him in) who believe him to be 18, goes to senior year of high school. (Academics not a problem, he has only forgotten the memory of his immortal life, rest remains reasonably intact). He meets C. again. She is wealthy and is also living in senior year. She doesn't tell him the truth but they fall in love, permanently this time. He experiences occasional, very brief flashbacks of his past with her. Flashbacks intensify over the next few months. During the winter of senior year, her immortal life ends (im working on why) and she tells him the truth as she dies. All of it comes back to it and he feels the incredible loss of the one constant in his life. He becomes empty inside, does stupid things (trying to think of ways he could take it out on the world...), almost goes to the point of the insane immortal who attacked him in the 1950s. Meets a mortal, looks and feels to him just like another mortal he once loves, call her N. She is his redemption and eventually the story ends with a monologue on what it has all meant to him and possibly contemplating the future.
What happens to his wife? But yeah, I like this a lot. Sounds like Twilight for grown-ups with much better literary taste.
I'm thinking since it's the 50's, his wife grew old and died.This reminds me of my favorite series, the Highlander. Your plot sounds very interesting. I think it would make a good story. I wish you all the best with it.
Mod
My reaction may not be helpful. But, any idea for a book could be worked into a book that people will read. That is up to the author and how he or she handles it.
Bottom line... do you think it is worth it? You're the one that will nurture this thing to life for the next few months, even years. Is it worth it to you?
Helloooo!! Nice to meet ya! As for your story idea...Hmm. I kinda dig it, Mr Alan. Potential for some epicness in there. Best of luck! Let us know if you proceed, eh? ^_~
Hugs,
Ann
Hi Alan,I'm with Dwayne on this. If you have a story idea with characters and a plot you believe in, and the more you work on it and grow it, and the more you think about it and make notes on it, and then feel compelled to write it, that's what you should do.
However, don't get discouraged. You may or may not encounter writers' block, self-doubt. re-writes, frustration, sleepless nights, caffeine addiction, bursts of furious note-taking during work, anxiety, and any number of phobias. Just keep writing, even if you have to pause your current story and work on another.
Sorry for the run-on sentences. Sometimes the need to write is so exciting, you just gotta run with it.
This is the place to be!! Good luck!!
I, too, agree with Dwayne and Sue. If you believe it will make a good story, then it will. As they said, it will take a lot of work to get it to the publishable stage (read Sue's list:) So, like the question that was asked, Will it be worth it to you?Okay. That's it. I promise:)
Tara- His wife from the 1950s, as far as the scope of this book is concerned, doesn't matter. However, as far as my vision for her goes: she doesn't witness the fight and I guess just assumes he left. She gets on with her life. Maybe he tries to find out what happened to her, but that's another story. The reason his wife from 1950 isn't quite as important to him is because to him marriage and love are concepts that pretty much grew up with him. Many themes I plan to explore: love, faith, wealth, ethics, fear, sorrow amongst others pretty much developed as he did. So I want to see what I can do from that viewpoint.
Mod
My only real nitpick at this point is with this. If it's in the book, it should matter. If it doesn't matter, don't include it in the story. I know you have a lot of things you're not sure about, yet, and that's fine. But, make sure you get all that worked out as you work on the book.
Hey Dwayne,Well, as far as this book is concerned she is a really minor character, appearing only in a flashback when x remembers what happened to him in 1950. Remember, she is only his latest relationship and for him, love is an idea that has grown with him. In his immortal life he has had to let go of so many mortal loves that he has come to see his mortal relationships as important while they last, but destined to be temporary. Perhaps I will have him look her up at some point after this happens and find out what happened.
Separate:
In my vision, x will have been in Alexander the Great's army during that time period. I am at the moment heavily favoring the idea of having him take on the identity of Hephaestion, best friend and rumored lover of Alexander. In this book, this will only be a flashback focusing mostly on his encounter with C. in that time period or perhaps his encounter with the original N. This flashback will only take up approximately a chapter in this book, but I do feel like it has potential for a story of its own in another work. Thoughts?
Alan wrote: "Hey Dwayne,Well, as far as this book is concerned she is a really minor character, appearing only in a flashback when x remembers what happened to him in 1950. Remember, she is only his latest rel..."
Easy, buddy. In my alternate dream life I fight Hephaestion for Alexander more often than I care to admit lol. I can't wait to read this!
Alan wrote: "Thoughts on this?Story revolves around an immortal (for now call him x). Backstory that isn't going to be directly part of the story: He was born in Africa among the first people and for some reas..."
I would not reveal anything and start it where he's been found in the river. I would leave everybody in the dark. Let people wonder. He goes to school and meets C? She knows, and can't tell him and the story is revealed by flashback, triggered by things happening to him until he and the reader solves the mystery.
Either way, sounds like an interesting story. Love the history angle.
Carole wrote: "Alan wrote: "Thoughts on this?Story revolves around an immortal (for now call him x). Backstory that isn't going to be directly part of the story: He was born in Africa among the first people and ..."
Brilliant :)
Dear Carole,Yes, the backstory was only provided for you all to know where he's coming from. To be clear, the scope of this book is from when he is unfrozen to when he meets N. Thank you for your insights!
Alan
I think that there is something to explore in the asymmetry of the relationship between his wife. Can such a relationship be 'succesful'?It is also not clear whether he is immortal/will not age or get sick but can die or simply cannot die. What happens if he is halved in two?
A little caution you can't copyright an idea.
Alan wrote: "Dear Carole,Yes, the backstory was only provided for you all to know where he's coming from. To be clear, the scope of this book is from when he is unfrozen to when he meets N. Thank you for your..."
Sounds like a great story. I'd love to read it when your done. Alexander and Hephaestion, hummm. I would love to see how that's handled. So many great couples throughout history, Ferdinand and Isabella, Eleanor and Henry, Sally Hemmings and Jefferson, you could have a field day. Good luck
Thank you Carole!Anthony,
My specific idea as far as that is concerned is as follows:
-Immortals were born in Africa, they were among the first humans.
-They represent the human embodiment of ideas.
-What I mean by ideas is the artificial constructs and creations made by mortals. Immortals didn't come up with any great religions, cultures, ethics, etc. They're just tagging along for the ride.
-Examples:
-C. represents the childhood of man as a species. She is man at his most natural state. Her immortal storyline roughly takes her from Africa to Germany to Scandinavia and eventually to the New World. She goes where humans are closest to the people she grew up with so long ago.
-x. represents a branch in the development of mankind- civilization. His storyline takes him from Africa to the first empires of the fertile crescent, to Greece, Rome and the Asian Empires until eventually by the time he gets to the new world it's already been colonized. When he meets C. for the last time, she has finally taken on the trappings of civilization. While she's still young and beautiful, it is clear she is worn down on the inside. When she falls in love with him, it spells the end for her immortal life because it represents the end of the idea she lived for. The savage has finally fallen to the charms of the civilized world. x, however, cannot and will not die until civilization falls at last.
- Finally, the insane immortal who attacks x in the 1950s is the embodiment of the brutal side of humans. x and C. embody two different states of being humans, but this immortal really overlaps between the two. He has seen how cruel people can be to each other. His storyline takes him from Africa to the early Greek City states, Genghis Khan's Mongolia and Spain just in time for the Spanish Inquisition. He has been drawn to violence and horror and the final culmination of all of this- World War 2 and the Atomic Bomb, drove him insane. He hates the idea that he embodies and this hatred consumes him so that he can physically die. His final conflict with x is meant to represent my belief that civilization and hope will always triumph over brutality so that we may endure as a species. While civilization may 'freeze', in the end it'll keep going whereas brutality will always fail.
-So essentially, no, x can't die. He can take a lot of punishment, but he'll always come back. I don't plan for him to find out exactly how he'll come back if he IS cut in half, but as long as the idea that he embodies and has followed throughout his immortal life burns bright, so does he.
Just watched Defending Your Life with Albert Brooks. It made me think of your book- you know, immortality of souls and soul mates. ;)
Sounds like 100,000 BC or something like Conan!
Interesting story idea! If your question is "should I write this?", then I say yes. Especially since you have so much of the idea developed and you seem very passionate about it, it would be an injustice to yourself to let it fizzle away.If you are asking for recommendations on how to proceed, my advice is research everything. Not only will it lend an air of authenticity to your story, it will also help to structure and guide you. Make up as little historical detail as possible. Also, spend some time researching the evolution of anatomically modern humans. Your main character has quite an adventure before the first major "civilizations" even pop up!
In a similar vein, if you are going with the Out of Africa theory, then you should account for the fact that the main character will have darker skin. This might have already occurred to you, I just haven't heard a lot about race in this discussion. Especially when you roll around to the 1950s, which seems to be relatively prominent. Your main character will also look a little "different" from other humans, so that should be kept in mind.
All in all, a great story idea. Take my advice with a grain of salt, as obviously your story is a fantasy so sometimes historical/prehistorical accuracy can be sacrificed for the greater good of the story.
Best,
Isaac Alder
P.S. If you want to read a good (albeit weird) novel which deals with immortality and some of your themes, check out Jitterbug Perfume
Thank you Isaac for your encouraging words and good recommendations.As for race, my immortals, again are not wholly human, they are also ideas. Their skin tone isn't determined by biology, but by their human surroundings. So x has been dark like in Africa, but he's also been olive like the Greeks and by the 1950s, he is white like the dominant civilization he has tagged along with. You are correct, I will definitely touch on race multiple times. To x, it's all artificial. When he was born there was no such thing, it is an idea that has taken shape with him. We will see through flashbacks things that are in no way acceptable by today's standards but were perfectly fine then. Yes, at some point x was a slave owner in the new world. He wasn't racist, but he adopted the 'civilization' of the time. In the 1950s, he was a rancher in far Northern America. Honestly, he was actually quite isolated from most of the events of the era. It was a time when he just minded his own business and enjoyed being alone with his mortal love. For x, whites and blacks are essentially just two tribes like the greeks and the persians. One becomes dominant over the other, but they can choose to hate each other and be oppressive, or they can choose to happily coexist. x has seen this repeated so many times in so many places that he doesn't really care. It is for mortals to produce change. x is a creature stuck in the present.
Alan wrote: "Thank you Isaac for your encouraging words and good recommendations.As for race, my immortals, again are not wholly human, they are also ideas. Their skin tone isn't determined by biology, but b..."
Fantastic! This just proves my point that to not write a story you've already dedicated so much energy and creativity to would be a waste. The story seems well thought out, and I look forward to seeing you go through the process and the end result. Keep us all posted!
Alan wrote: "Thoughts on this?Story revolves around an immortal (for now call him x). Backstory that isn't going to be directly part of the story: He was born in Africa among the first people and for some reas..."
My only comment is with reference to this taking place in Africa. You would need to be specific about what country/countries this takes place or it would seem to be without depth.
Hey, When he was in Africa, there were no idea of countries or continents, just vast expanses of land. I'd put him towards the south of Central Africa, but I am choosing not specify a geographical location. It is more important to me to describe that vast, untamed wilderness before humans came to dominate the continent and the world. Really, aside from a few details I have added, such as the tropical weather and foliage, he could be anywhere in that ancient, savage world because it was really mostly the same. At least, these are my thoughts. I am definitely open to thoughts/concerns :)
Alan wrote: "Hey, When he was in Africa, there were no idea of countries or continents, just vast expanses of land. I'd put him towards the south of Central Africa, but I am choosing not specify a geographical..."
Not sure I agree with the terms "ancient, savage world". Perhaps this wikipedia link may help https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...
Hmm... I don't quite see where the disagreement lies. When x was in Africa it was when the very first hunter-gatherer societies were just forming. By human reckoning, these times are certainly ancient. As for savage, they were in an old, prehistoric jungle. Before fire, before humans came to dominate beasts. They certainly lived in a time long before the safety and civilization that we know now. These guys were born just after the first humans evolved from monkeys. They could really be neanderthals, but I've decided that they will be homo sapiens on the basis that they resemble humans, but are not by any means wholly human. You could say they were 'modern humans' before modern humans really evolved.
thanks