The Next Best Book Club discussion

Quick question:

What do you think of the idea, of a new type of novel, not a different genre, in which the main character does what he does, but also and more importantly causes all the characters around him to react in a variety of ways and resolve the conflicts of the story in a rather more non-deterministic way? I'm not thinking of an ensemble story, but rather a story which has one main conflict, and all the characters are held in a relation to that conflict. The story involves the introduction of one character, the Catalyst, to whose sudden presence all the other characters react, and the resolution comes from all these reactions occurring in the same limited space. The Catalyst himself need not even know what is happening around him, although he probably will. I've never read a book of this type before, although I think I wrote one, and I'm trying to come up with a useful category - a Catalyst story - to put it into, since none of the others that I know of seem to work. I can think of several examples in comedy, but I'm not talking here about comic stories.

I'm asking this question inseveral places, in hope of getting a variety of opinions.

The theme sounds great Marc. But, I think it'd be better if it was based more on a storyline instead of random events.. That'll lend shape to the book.

It is. The story isn't random events, but the reactions of many different people to the presence of this man in this place for this reason. They can hate, love, or fear the man. They can like or dislike the reason he's there. There are many possible permutations, and the variety of the interplay makes the story hard if not impossible to describe in the standard ways. You see the kind of problems I'm having right now.

Hmmm... sounds like you might have a very complicated script on your hand. I think it'd be easier if you started writing and then see how it is looking. Maybe, it will be easier to see a path clearly then.
Obviously, the idea sounds novel and completely orignal. It'd make a nice book. :)

The story is written. The problem is describing it.

You'll have to exploit all your creative insights for that my friend. :)
I think it's going to take a lot of time writing that novel. Because at every instant, you'll have to perceive that way different people react to this man. Interesting.

This concept sounds similar to the movie called Crash. Everyone has a different story, but all their stories are focused on race relations and it comes together at the end. Is this similar to what you're talking about or am I way off?

A bit off. The various stories only matter in the way they're related to the central conflict. Some of the characters attack the MC and some defend him, and between the attacks and the defenses the whole environment comes apart and ultimately resolves the conflict. Only all of these forces working together could have done it.

I think of theatre when reading your idea Marc. It sounds alot like a play would read. like Shakespeare.

Sounds very theatrical (and interesting) to me too.

Here's a mini-synopisi I came up with this morning, by leaving half the story in the teaser. Comments are welcome.

Joseph Marquand was the best werewolf hunter on Earth and he hated his job. He hated the Moon even more, but when two werewolf-shredded bodies are discovered on a lunar colony, he is recalled to space service to find the answers the colonists demand. They are all werewolves, hiding in plain sight, terrified of losing the one place in the system where they thought they'd be safe, from their curse and from werewolf killers like Marquand himself.
Then Marquand himself was there, and the nightmares began, both his and theirs. Murderous assaults on him. Betrayals and counter-betrayals among them. In despair, the colonists have turned upon each other, and the werewolf hunter became the werewolves' only hope for survival and salvation.
All he had to do was bring death to the Moon itself. Preferably not his own.

For writing a solid blurb, one suggestion would be to par down the entire novel into one sentence and work backward using only the most potent plot line.

I have worked for some time with the great people on the AbsoluteWrite board, and they helped me come up with this:

Joseph Marquand is the best werewolf hunter on Earth and he hates his job. He pities the men and women who have the curse, but killing them quickly is the only mercy he can show. He hates the Moon too, but when two werewolf-shredded bodies are discovered on a lunar colony, System authorities call him in to investigate, perhaps to kill.
But Marquand is the last person the colonists want prowling around their base, discovering their secret. They are all werewolves hiding in plain sight, terrified of losing the one place in the system where they think they'll be safe, from their curse and from werewolf killers like him. Most cower in fear, some lash out violently, few dare to hope.
One, Candace, even dares to love, and Marquand returns that love. One turns his feral rage on the werewolf killer himself. One, in despair, wages a suicidal attack against all the werewolves, simply to end their curse. Marquand alone can save Candace and all the innocent colonists, although that will leave him at the mercy of the monster among them.

I had to completely bury the second story going on, with the ghosts and the romance.

Try to trim extraneous words: that, and, too, some. Delete repetitions: he, they, but, one, the names.

The best werewolf hunter on Earth pities those cursed by the Moon but when sent there - finds love - and his destiny.