Hello all, I am deciding on starting a new book, though I haven't though about publishing because the chances are it might be rubbish, however you don't know until you try. I haven't written a book before so I am at the bottom with the starters, but I do like to grab hold of a challenge. So, this plot I have is inspired from the awful 'Virus' book, which is about a human virus but I am thinking of something different, and leans more towards a topic which is talked about in reality....technology taking us over. It would be set in the year 2012 (supposedly the end of the world, that's why I chose it) and would be about technology taking over and killing us. By technology, I'm thinking of SatNavs, Mobile phones, PCs, Laptops, Blackberry's, iPad's etc. It is a bit far fetched from reality but thinking about it laterally it is happening, just in a lighter sense! It would either end with a battle or just humans loosing altogether, I don't know yet. I would research what items we rely on the most and try to use them all. Turning it into a horror thriller is going to be a bit difficult so I don't know if it would work. I'd hate to spend 80 hours typing it up only to find it probably won't work anyway! I'm not looking for a 'yeah good idea' reply, more of a 'Yes it would work as it is different. An idea would be to...' or 'No absolutely not. The same plot was done in xxx book and failed because...' So basically, if you like it then I would like some ideas to how technology could really kill humans. I am thinking of it starting with PCs or SatNavs speaking themselves, and revealing secrets they know of a person and trying to break up relationships....sort of thing...if that makes sense? Any help would be gratefully appreciated! Regards, James.
it's not so much about whether or not the idea is good or bad, but how you would go about pulling it off. Take your 2012 thing for instance. The reason why some people believe that the world is going to end in 2012 is because that’s when a cycle of the old Mayan calendar ends (or something like that). So ask yourself how technology taking over the world and a date for the end of the world (that was predicted thousands of years ago) coincide. When writing fiction, it’s always best to make things as believable as possible. If the world was going to end in 2012, you’d expecting it to be something constant that causes it to happen (maybe something to do with planetary alignments affecting earth, or a solar flare) not circumstantial technology that would have been imposible to predict thousands of years ago. So, if you want 2012 to be when technology rebels against humanity, you have to make a reason why is 2012 and not 2011 or 2013. The Mayan calendar ends on December 21st 2012, if something did happen on that day there would be mass panic, more so than if it happened tomorrow, or any other day. That mass panic would, from the techno rebels’ perspective, be very helpful in destroying humanity, and so would be strategic and logical. Technology + Logic = Good. So there you have a plausible reason why technology would go all genocidal in 2012. It’s all about how you spin the tale that gets the readers stuck, like juicy flies in your web of fiction. Of course, this is just my personal opinion, and a many worded one at that (guess I got a little carried away).
hmm yes I see your point there. I did base 2012 as I have heard many opinions on what it would involve. I did like the film '2012' as it was more-less based on what you are saying, and basically the planet just falls apart. I have heard also that another 'millennium bug' could happen. My mum said it will end in 2012 but not as we know it, saying that a completely different leadership form will happen. I was thinking of a different theory of where something we have created just turns on us and the human race just ends (like the plot in the film i-robot), but in a sense it's not the end of the world as we know it, just the end of us. Of course it doesn't fit in at all with the original theory of the Mayan calender, but it could help...maybe choosing the year 2012 is just going to be complicated and another year in the far future could help when technology could evolve more? Regards, James.
First of all, you might want to read "Cell" by Stephen King. It's all about cell phones turning everyone into zombies. More or less everyone, at least. And yes, it's pretty good. As for how we depend on technology, there are several ways it could work. I think the best way is also the simplest: What if all our technology stopped working? What if we woke up one morning and nothing worked? There'd be no phones, no computers, no microwave ovens, not even cars. Then what?
Great thread. Like the title. Responses also. Thought I'd suggest: How about the animal kingdom "ganging up" on man? Hell, half of the planet's animals would have more than good reason to kick our asses. Been done before, anyone? And there's millions of named organisms on the Net!
A story concept means nothing. I can tell you now, it has all been done before. What matters is how you write it, the characterization, the flow, the imagery, all of it. There's no benefit in asking what other people think of the concept! They'll either say,"Sounds great," or, "it sounds like a ripoff of..." If the idea stirs you, write it. Then ask people what they think of the final story. After they tell you what they don't like about it, revise it, usually several times, until you're happy with it or until you throw up your hands and say the hell with it. Please read What is Plot Creation and Development?
If it's a technological overthrow then it must be far in the future, 2100 at least. Our AI is so imature that it struggles to play chess. It needs improvement to eradicate our species and to continue without us. That said, do we really know how far advanced our 'masters' are? Maybe a conspiracy twist on the theme of yet unknown technology wiping us out matbe an option. Is bluetooth really just bluetooth? What's really in our smart phones? All this 'smart' tech has happened a little quickly................... The most important thing is how you write it. Good luck
-Intro X-Files Theme Music- Anyway, as I think I've already said, it's all about how you spin the tale, and how believable it is. If you wanted to, you could grow potatoes on the Moon (In your writings, not reality, obviously). You are limited only by your imagination and you're ability to dupe your readers into believing the fantasy. ...hope that makes sense.
Both concepts HAVE been over-done (2012 being end of the world + technology turning against us), but the thing that makes stories or plots unique is the way you approach the ideas and how they are done. For example, for SatNavs turning against people they could start inexplicably creating routes into the Grand Canyon. PCs could start to explode spontaneously due to huge, seemingly random power surges. Heck, if you wanted you could try and put a conspiracy spin on the reason for this happening.
Just about every "elevator pitch" for a plot has been done before, including the animal kingdom attacking humanity. As others have said in this thread and others, how well a story is carried out is more important than whether the core concept is unique.
