I have a multi part question about a story I am presently planning

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I have written the first few pages which introduces our main character. He's a young teenage boy. The first question is about the plot. He is abused mistreated and enslaved by an evil member of his family. Its an old story that has been told a million times before since the story of Moses, and will be told a million more time. The plot of an abused mistreated Person rising up for vengeance against the persecutor with the odds stacked ridiculously against him. Moses,the story of Sampsom, spartacus, The Gladiator, the Count of Monte Cristo and its being told now in a quite popular blockbuster movie Hunger Games. Which i just watched and was pretty good. But my question is, With so many other adaptations for this plot, is there any reason to read mine when it comes out. What can I do that hasent been done a billion times before?

The second question. I had originally planed this to occur in a small American town. I would introduce judicial corruption, police corruption which would allow the abuse and feminization of a boy to go on for so long. Then, He would be sold off or married near the end of the first part. Later he would escape become powerful and rich, and strong, or she would be powerful rich and strong and then come back for vengeance. I would expect the reader to suspend alot of disbelief that it could actually happen. But am I expecting too much?

Then another idea occurred to me. Perhaps it doesn't have to be America. Maybe the family could transport the boy to another nation to do this which i wouldn't have to expect so much. It could be a small totalitarian nation in middle America or Europe. Maybe a micro nation like the other world kingdom.
Which do you think would be better?

Just a thought.....or two....

Tanya Allan's picture

Interesting concept.

You say it's been done before, but rarely with the twist of gender change. The problem with setting it in the here and now... there are certain parameters within which you have to work, so realism and what is in place can't be altered too much. The two radical thoughts I had..

1. Set in in either the past or the future.

The past would make it historical, Napoleon's France, or perhaps in WW2..Germany/Italy/Spain under the fascists.. you have a bit of research, but actually you can create a world that few people will question. In the future, a sci-fi story means you make up the scenario to suit your story.

2. Why Human? Either create a fantasy world with human-like characters, but again, you can set the scene as you want to. OR write a fantasy animal story, say with rabbits or mice.... it works for Disney and Beatrix Potter.

I find WW2 settings great. I've written three books set in Europe and have loved researching and writing them. I'm in the middle of a WW1 book now.

Best of luck

Tanya

There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes!

I considered a future setting

I doubt it would work in the past. I dont think anyone had the avaible science to make a real gender transformation possible. World War two setting is interesting. I heard doctor Josef Mengele tried transforming some of the young imates gender but they were all very painful failtures and they didnt live long.

I considered an apocalyptic future Setting like in Hunger games only instead of brutal gladiator style games, it was beauty pagents. But I think I want this one to be more present to our time

One approach...

...if you want it set in roughly the present, is do an "alternate history" treatment - something in fairly recent history happened differently, with the result that the dystopian world is here and now. Maybe set the location as a fictional microstate somewhere - that way you can create a scenario that invokes the dystopian society, but the outside world (main political players, pop culture) would still filter in.

Maybe the country did a Greece, only ten times worse with the result that most of the country is plunged into poverty, so for example the police and judiciary can be 'bought' with quite modest bribes. As you were thinking along the lines of beauty pageants, the cult of celebrity is espoused as the means to an escape...


As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!

You'd better get a move on.

You'd better get a move on lady! There ain't may small totalitarian countries left in Europe where you can set the stage.

Write it and be damned. You can't know (and neither can any of us) what sort of reception it will get. So get busy on the keyboard girl!!

Bev.

bev_1.jpg

I am

I am. I am leaning to use estonia or belarus and make them totalitarian just for the uses of my book.

I have a multi part question about a story I am presently planni

The abused mistreated and enslaved boy is the heir to a multibillion dollar international business who is targeted for assassination, but is instead kidnapped to replace a female cousin who as to marry the heir of a rival company.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine