Boom, I still wish you'd toss your idea out here on the table (or a variation of it, if you wish to protect it from us), and let a few of us brainstorm some possibilities. My challenge is coming up with good ideas....I can come up with endless permutations of them. You apparently have just the opposite problem....you have ideas, but struggle to development them. I'm sure ralk, Director15 and I could give you some development options.
director15
New member
Pusser I didn't mean to be crude to you either so best of luck.
director15
New member
just any way i could add more and make it more complex. i must admit that horror isn't really my thing.
Appology accepted, Director15. I think all this can now just be water under the bridge. And I wanted to say I am sorry to you for being so harsh. I guess I got a little hot-headed and overstepped my bounds.
And your suggestion of 'watching' your movie in your head is one of the best. It's the basis of how I write and thus I often overlook it when suggesting alternatives to people.
And your suggestion of 'watching' your movie in your head is one of the best. It's the basis of how I write and thus I often overlook it when suggesting alternatives to people.
director15
New member
Thanks for accepting my apology. I agree with pusser that boom needs to threw a variation at least of his idea out on the table.
B
BoOm_ThOuGhT
Guest
Hi everyone,
First of all accept apologies mentioned, but there is really no need for them. People say things they shouldn't sometimes.
Anyway, let's start...
At the time of creating this topic I was glued to one idea, and I just couldn't find a beginning or any other part of the story to begin with. Even when I put pen to paper I used to write a couple of pages then rip them out and start again. I did that a couple of times. It was driving me mad.
Until recently I have began focusing on another idea for something completely different, which I hope to write soon. Although my focus is no longer on the idea I wanted to do first, I feel as though I still need that help on offer with it, for the near future.
I suppose I better give you my idea. Here you go...
Daniel starts his job at a home improvement store. He likes it, but knows it isn't really for him. He befriends John, a young lad who is a hit with the girls but hasn't really had a girlfriend in years. Weeks later a attraction between the two arises and they start going out to the cinema etc together, reguarly. Things seem to be going alright for David's boring life, until he finds out that his best friend for years, Simon, has compress feelings for him.
That's the story in a nutshell really. Also it will include the troubles with growing up, such as love, friendship, family, self discovery etc, which is what a coming of age story is about. And that's what this story is about. It's a sweet love triangle I suppose. It will also focus on the character's family as well, and how they differ to each others.
So I guess this is where I ask for your help. How could I start a story like that off? What would you do if you had that idea for that story?
All question and suggestion (of course) are welcomed and needed.
Thanks
BoOm (as you've kindly nicknamed me)
First of all accept apologies mentioned, but there is really no need for them. People say things they shouldn't sometimes.
Anyway, let's start...
At the time of creating this topic I was glued to one idea, and I just couldn't find a beginning or any other part of the story to begin with. Even when I put pen to paper I used to write a couple of pages then rip them out and start again. I did that a couple of times. It was driving me mad.
Until recently I have began focusing on another idea for something completely different, which I hope to write soon. Although my focus is no longer on the idea I wanted to do first, I feel as though I still need that help on offer with it, for the near future.
I suppose I better give you my idea. Here you go...
Daniel starts his job at a home improvement store. He likes it, but knows it isn't really for him. He befriends John, a young lad who is a hit with the girls but hasn't really had a girlfriend in years. Weeks later a attraction between the two arises and they start going out to the cinema etc together, reguarly. Things seem to be going alright for David's boring life, until he finds out that his best friend for years, Simon, has compress feelings for him.
That's the story in a nutshell really. Also it will include the troubles with growing up, such as love, friendship, family, self discovery etc, which is what a coming of age story is about. And that's what this story is about. It's a sweet love triangle I suppose. It will also focus on the character's family as well, and how they differ to each others.
So I guess this is where I ask for your help. How could I start a story like that off? What would you do if you had that idea for that story?
All question and suggestion (of course) are welcomed and needed.
Thanks
BoOm (as you've kindly nicknamed me)
I've got a couple questions. First, does the hardware store play a significant part in the rest of the story (Like, does a specific event, that might only happen at a hardware store take place)? Or is it more just the place he works and meets John. If it's the latter, maybe we could just think of it as 'just the place he works' and leave it open to change (a stupid example would be to change it to a craft store where he could have easy access to supplies to make a gift for one of the other characters).
Also, is the relationship between Daniel and John (and Daniel and Simon) just a really close friendship, or is it more than that? I wasn't really clear on that part.
Daniel is the lead character, there is no doubt about that. Do you plan to make John (and or Simon) lead characters, or more just supporting roles. That is to say, is the story specifically about Daniel alone and his experiences, or is it about all three of their experiences?
It looks to me like there are several different conflicts in the story. It starts out with him not liking his job, then there are family troubles, and his maturing (this isn't really a conflict, but could become several different conflicts if he wants to be like the norm, but isn't). One idea could be to try to tie all of these together through a single theme. What about something like the theme of belonging (or rather, not belonging). Maybe he doesn't feel like he belongs at that store, or that he doesn't feel like he belongs with the rest of his family, and he's different from everyone else.
I hope that's enough for you to start with. Let me know if you have any questions or want more ideas. It will also be good to see what others have to say, because they might take a different interpretation on the story than I did.
Also, is the relationship between Daniel and John (and Daniel and Simon) just a really close friendship, or is it more than that? I wasn't really clear on that part.
Daniel is the lead character, there is no doubt about that. Do you plan to make John (and or Simon) lead characters, or more just supporting roles. That is to say, is the story specifically about Daniel alone and his experiences, or is it about all three of their experiences?
It looks to me like there are several different conflicts in the story. It starts out with him not liking his job, then there are family troubles, and his maturing (this isn't really a conflict, but could become several different conflicts if he wants to be like the norm, but isn't). One idea could be to try to tie all of these together through a single theme. What about something like the theme of belonging (or rather, not belonging). Maybe he doesn't feel like he belongs at that store, or that he doesn't feel like he belongs with the rest of his family, and he's different from everyone else.
I hope that's enough for you to start with. Let me know if you have any questions or want more ideas. It will also be good to see what others have to say, because they might take a different interpretation on the story than I did.
B
BoOm_ThOuGhT
Guest
The Home Improvement store is just a setting. For it being a place of work for Daniel it can introduce characters. One being John. Whether this setting changes is another thing, but for now I would like to leave it (and probably will).
Simon is introduced as Daniel's best friend and John is introduced as Daniel's new friend, if that makes sense. Daniel and Simon are really close. So much so they are like brothers. John shakes up Daniel's friendship with Simon, and it's here that we realise that Simon might think of Daniel more than just a friend.
Daniel realises that he fancies John, as does John with Daniel. This becomes known to both those charachers, but what isn't is that Simon fancies Daniel. All this happens over time.
You're right, Daniel is the lead character but the story is really about Daniel and Simon and their friendship/feelings for each other. John comes third in the overall story.
The story is about love and friendship, but the theme I suppose is being different and not fitting in. So in some sense you are right about the not belonging theme. Another character will be a teenage mother, and there the issue of this girl struggling and becoming an outcast to her 'friends'. So yeah, being different and being looked on is something that will be mentioned throughout. As will the struggle that brings.
Does that sense to you ralck? I hope I've answered your questions with clear answers.
Thanks for your suggestions, I really appreciate every help I can get.
BoOm
That makes sense.
I just wanted to make sure you understand that I wasn't trying to make you change the hardware store. That's a good location for the story. I was just trying to suggest one possibility in case the hardware store was part of your writers block.
I have a few more suggestions. The first is, you said that Simon is one of the lead characters. You may have been trying to make it short and concise, but you didn't mention him in your synopsis until the last sentance. If in your head, he's not already introduced earlier in the story, then try thinking about introducing him earlier. For him to be a lead, the audience will have to know a lot about him, possibly seeing some events that are just him. And you may (not always, as standards are made to be broken!) want to introduce him almost as soon as you introduce Daniel (something like the movie starts out watching Daniel in his house and Simon comes over to hang out or something along those lines of introducing them as friends early as well?).
My second suggestion is, and you probably already know this, is that there are general distances that you often see between characters based on their relationship. (I'm just doing this off the top of my head so it might not be completely accurate) Acquaintences (sp?) 'generally' stand about 4 feet or more away from each other. Friends are between 4 feet and 1-2 feet, two people who are really good friends/very close would be 1-2 feet to 6 inches. And Intimate is 6 inches or less. (Keep in mind I'm not sure those are the generalities, and that it's nothing meant to be set in stone, just suggestions for character placement... ultimately put the characters where it 'feels' right). You could try to think of how Daniel/John or Daniel/Simon would react if they were in a really close distance (closer than you originally imagined). That might open up new character traits, scenes, developments in the story. Of course, you could do the opposite as well, and think how they would act being really far apart.
As far as the themes, a love/friendship theme could work really well with a not belonging theme. Make the themes contrast themselves, by having Daniel feel 'normal' and fit in really well (like say 'the right' things and such) when he is with John and/or Simon. Make him a bit more nervous around other people (and possibly after things develop when he is around John and Simon at the same time) and have him not always say 'the right' thing.
It sounds to me like the film will be very character driven rather than plot driven. Those are often the tougher ones to write (hence why 90+% of Hollywood is plot driven). If all else fails, try this: do your best to define what kind of characteristics you want your characters to have. Then, take a look at events in your day (for example, something simple like a really long line at the grocery store), and think how these characters, based on their characteristics (which by no means have to be set in stone), would react in those situations. How would Daniel alone handle it? How would Daniel and Simon handle it together? In doing that, you might be able to come up with some interesting ways the characters interact and you can then mold those situations into the kinds of situations you want in your film
Hope this helps!
I just wanted to make sure you understand that I wasn't trying to make you change the hardware store. That's a good location for the story. I was just trying to suggest one possibility in case the hardware store was part of your writers block.
I have a few more suggestions. The first is, you said that Simon is one of the lead characters. You may have been trying to make it short and concise, but you didn't mention him in your synopsis until the last sentance. If in your head, he's not already introduced earlier in the story, then try thinking about introducing him earlier. For him to be a lead, the audience will have to know a lot about him, possibly seeing some events that are just him. And you may (not always, as standards are made to be broken!) want to introduce him almost as soon as you introduce Daniel (something like the movie starts out watching Daniel in his house and Simon comes over to hang out or something along those lines of introducing them as friends early as well?).
My second suggestion is, and you probably already know this, is that there are general distances that you often see between characters based on their relationship. (I'm just doing this off the top of my head so it might not be completely accurate) Acquaintences (sp?) 'generally' stand about 4 feet or more away from each other. Friends are between 4 feet and 1-2 feet, two people who are really good friends/very close would be 1-2 feet to 6 inches. And Intimate is 6 inches or less. (Keep in mind I'm not sure those are the generalities, and that it's nothing meant to be set in stone, just suggestions for character placement... ultimately put the characters where it 'feels' right). You could try to think of how Daniel/John or Daniel/Simon would react if they were in a really close distance (closer than you originally imagined). That might open up new character traits, scenes, developments in the story. Of course, you could do the opposite as well, and think how they would act being really far apart.
As far as the themes, a love/friendship theme could work really well with a not belonging theme. Make the themes contrast themselves, by having Daniel feel 'normal' and fit in really well (like say 'the right' things and such) when he is with John and/or Simon. Make him a bit more nervous around other people (and possibly after things develop when he is around John and Simon at the same time) and have him not always say 'the right' thing.
It sounds to me like the film will be very character driven rather than plot driven. Those are often the tougher ones to write (hence why 90+% of Hollywood is plot driven). If all else fails, try this: do your best to define what kind of characteristics you want your characters to have. Then, take a look at events in your day (for example, something simple like a really long line at the grocery store), and think how these characters, based on their characteristics (which by no means have to be set in stone), would react in those situations. How would Daniel alone handle it? How would Daniel and Simon handle it together? In doing that, you might be able to come up with some interesting ways the characters interact and you can then mold those situations into the kinds of situations you want in your film
Hope this helps!
B
BoOm_ThOuGhT
Guest
Thanks ralck.
You made some really interesting and useful tips there, which I will take into consideration. Remember though that I'm planning this to be a TV Series.
I will make sure that Simon is seen and mentioned loads, in-tie with Daniel.
One of my first ideas was to have Simon come over to Daniel's house, so 'great minds think alike' points there.
You're right about it being character driven. I know it's difficult, which is why I need all the help I can get. :lol:
What I'm going to do is probably come up with a beginning next week at some point, and when I do I will post it to you to see what you think.
Thanks again,
BoOm.
You made some really interesting and useful tips there, which I will take into consideration. Remember though that I'm planning this to be a TV Series.
I will make sure that Simon is seen and mentioned loads, in-tie with Daniel.
One of my first ideas was to have Simon come over to Daniel's house, so 'great minds think alike' points there.
You're right about it being character driven. I know it's difficult, which is why I need all the help I can get. :lol:
What I'm going to do is probably come up with a beginning next week at some point, and when I do I will post it to you to see what you think.
Thanks again,
BoOm.
B
BoOm_ThOuGhT
Guest
Don't put pressure on me ralck. 
director15
New member
I have read through it and I think that you should creat an antagonist and put them in the film. Like a boss at the hardware store and make them be prejudice agains the boys becuase their gay or either he thinks they are. I was never really clear on the fact if they were gay or one of them was or none of them were. don't really matter cause I don't have anything against gay people , I was just never really clear on that.
B
BoOm_ThOuGhT
Guest
That's a good idea director15. The Boss could catch them kissing or something. I will consider that.
The characters aren't really sure whether they are gay or not. Two are (Daniel and Simon), but David isn't, although he finds himself attracted to Daniel. How he deals with that emotion is something the story will touch upon.
Thanks,
BoOm.
The characters aren't really sure whether they are gay or not. Two are (Daniel and Simon), but David isn't, although he finds himself attracted to Daniel. How he deals with that emotion is something the story will touch upon.
Thanks,
BoOm.
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