Hello everyone,
For the past couple of weeks I have somewhat been struggling with what I want my novel to be about. I have ideas, but when one of a plot comes up then I become conflicted and another one comes. My biggest inspirations for writing a novel will be the book “Dangerous Girls” but Abigail Hass, “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn (Impeccable and so impossible to uniquely recreate. How did she do it!?) and, “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins. I have also watched many Criminal Minds episodes which help me with even more plot ideas. This is NOT necessarily only what my book will be about, It will all be a surprise. But I will copyright this in my manuscript so it will be my idea alone. I would hate to work so hard just for someone to take my idea, so I am not looking for people to take my idea and make it into their own story, however, I would love suggestions on what your thoughts are about this book as a whole, and also what can be added to make it more of an interesting story for you as a reader.
I like the idea of having journal entries from the protagonist which will be the wife incorporated in my novel in some way. The story I am leaning towards is about a man and woman who fall in love, and of course get married. Throughout the story I want to show that the wife is jealous and insecure, yet very much devoted to her husband. I want the husbands point of view to be that he finds his wife somewhat controlling andunstable due to her past which didn’t reflect the same woman he fell in love with. The husband is not at all innocent because he has had a previous affair with someone whether it be a college student or someone else, which is making him distant from his wife. I want the wife to want to fix her marriage with the man by means of conceiving a child, but than has extreme trouble conceiving the child. The student (or who ever the affair was with) becomes obsessive towards this man and reverts to stalking and other methods. The girl, of course, goes missing but I want it to be clear that we don’t know who did it. Could it be the husband because of the stalking of the affair, or could the jealous wife who wanted to fix her and her husbands marriage and finds out about this other woman who could was possibly pregnant with this mans child.
You can see how this story has very similar factors to “Gone Girl” and “The Girl on the Train” but it also has its own unique concepts and key points such as the woman the man had the affair with is becoming obsessive, or that in “Gone Girl” she plots her death to frame her husband and doesn’t actually want kids. She is not plotting to inseminate herself like in “Gone Girl” either in means to “trap” her husband. Having a child is actually an emotional thing for my character.
I would love everyone’s opinion on what could make this story unique and also what would be crucial to add.
Thanks for your participation!
xoxo
I think your idea is great! I think the more you develop your characters and setting, the more your work will take on a life of its own beyond the books that influenced you! I would shy away from making the affair with a student–that might be too similar to Gone Girl.
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Thank you for your input!
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Neat idea, although a little derivative.
A couple twists that make it different:
Maybe the lover isn’t the one being obsessive. Maybe the husband is, but blaming it on the lover – – why they keep seeing her, why she keeps showing up, it’s carefully orchestrated by him.
Or
Maybe the wife is the one being obsessive. Same sort of thing as above.
You can really play with the unreliable narrator.
All 3 of them could be the killer. Maybe it’s suicide, because the husband has blackmail on her.
Don’t worry about copywriting your plot. It’s already inherent in it and most writers are too busy writing their own plots. (Also, I’ve been told it screams ‘amateur’, whoops!)
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2013/02/why-not-to-register-copyright-for.html
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Thank you the advise! It helps me tremendously. I trust this site much more for feedback. In the past on a different site, I had someone completely steal my idea and I had to start at square 1😩
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By the way, I love your idea about the husband making the other woman look like the stalker when it’s really him!
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Interesting… I love the idea and it also has some similarities to the first season of How To Get Away With Murder the series I suggest you watch it an get a few ideas on plot devolopment.
When I write I always put a little bit of myself in the story because I’m real and someone will be able to relate to that (I always hope). So I suggest you can give the wife a history of anxiety or depression or any other condition (you speak a lot about them in your posts) that culminates to this jealousy and insecurity towards her husband.
It may not even be her….as you develop the plot you can give this condition to another character who will significantly impact the story or something.
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This is perfect advise! Thank you so much. I’ll also check out that show. I believe I’ve seen it scrolling through Netflix. Thank you!
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It looks very interesting, probably as you go on with the development, tons of new ideas will come up specially, when you will paint the characters in more details. It’s good to find inspiration from other stories, but I wouldn’t suggest to compare all the time, you risk to be trapped in comparison to “not to make it look like ….” and influence your creativity. Best wishes 🙂
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I agree 100% the hardest part for me is trying to come up with something completely original because I feel like in thriller, whether it be movies, books, or tv shows. Someone has already done it. Hopefully if I actually start tying plot twists will start to come more naturally. Thank you for your advice!
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I loved your idea ❤ it's fantastic.
Just the affair with the student in not Setteling well with me.
If you like you could substitute the student with husbands friend or an ex girlfriend back in picture , or even an office colleague.
Else it will be a perfect story !
Looking forward to read more from you 😊
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Thank you so much! That’s so good to hear!
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Wow, I think this could make for a great story. Although I have not read either of the books you mentioned I do find your vision intriguing. I read Morgan Hazelwood’s comment and the twists she mentioned could also add on to the story, specially her first idea.
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Thank you for reading!
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No problem 😊
Best wishes on your novel! 💛
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your book idea is wonderful! my advice would be to make sure you add humor along the way…the universal language if it done properly and unoffensively
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Thank you!
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Hey!I have nominated your blog for the Versatile Blogger Award 🙂
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Thank you!
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Have you read Dawn French’s Dear Sylvia? It’s a great example of writing done from different character perspectives without giving away the plot so by the end of it only the reader really understand the whole story. It shows a fantastic way of showing character’s emotions uninfluenced by the rest of the characters.
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I will check it out! Thanks!
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Oh great idea, this sounds like a very good read!
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Thank you! I was just thinking about you the other day. I haven’t seen a post in awhile!
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I know!! I have missed blogging and chatting with you as well. The summer semester was brutal. Hopefully the fall semester won’t keep me as busy!
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I have 3 classes and than I’m done! It should be easy
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Phew lucky you! I am on my first year, still next year to go.
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What’s your major?
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Financial Accounting. What about you?
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Very cool! I loved my accounting class. I’m going Medical administrative assisting
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Awesome! That’s a great field! I can see why you needed the accounting class. It is pretty fun, just lots of homework! I’m taking the accelerated courses, which shoved 11 weeks of work into 5.5 weeks lol.
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