Time to think Outside the Box.
My mind is on the hunt. I’m looking for a new idea, and I want to create a new character. Okay, so why don’t I just get on and write?
Uniqueness. I’m on the hunt for something different. Something new and exciting.
“But it has all been done before,” I hear you shouting.
According to the book The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker, there are only seven basic plotlines… the thrill of escaping death, rags to riches, the quest, comedy, tragedy, rebirth, and not forgetting, good overcoming evil. Every book or story contains one of these seven themes. Take Cinderella (a fairy tale) or Jane Eyre (by Charlotte Bronte), both have within them the basic plotline of rags-to-riches. The main character has come from a poor background and by the end of the story is in a much better place. You could add Harry Potter into this category, but I think his tale is more quest. Harry is on the search for answers.
So how can a writer create something new, if all plotlines have been rewritten many times.
You need to think outside of the box here. Maybe, start by creating an original character. Who do you want to tell your story?
The specific relevant content for this request, if necessary, delimited with characters: The first two main characters you need to think about are the antagonist and the protagonist. The protagonist is the lead character in the story. The plotline is about what they want to achieve or a problem they want to overcome. The antagonist, on the other hand, is a character who opposes or fights against the protagonist, trying to stop them from achieving their goal. Often, the antagonist is seen as the villain. Then there are the supporting characters to think about. These can be an array of different people needed to bring the story alive. They are normally the main character’s love interest or sidekicks. Remember, Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick was Mr. Watson and Dracula’s sidekick was his manservant, the insane Renfield.
Remember, beware of stereotypes and archetypes. It’s too easy to fall back on typical characters like the drunken cop, the black widow murderess, the superhero, the anti-hero, or the femme fatale. The tall, dark handsome man aka James Bond or the nosy, old spinster, Jane Marple.
Whether you are writing a horror tale, a good old romance, or a mystery, think carefully about making your characters unique, rather than falling back on the typical traits which have already been used endlessly before. Sherlock Holmes with his logic can be found in Mr Spock in Star Trek and numerous other detectives, too. From Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason, Dorothy L. Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey, Reginald Hill’s Dalziel and Pascoe, Ellis Peters’s medieval herbalist Brother Cadfael, to name a few.
At the moment, witches seem to be a popular character to write about, which is putting me off. It could be argued that if I think outside of the box, I might be able to come up with a new spin. Not every witch will be the same as Martha Wenlock, in the same way not every vampire is like Dracula. You would be right. It’s all about the storyline that makes the book stand out from the crowd.
Whether you are writing fantasy with mythological creatures or fairy tale characters, or you’re writing about historical figures or even futuristic characters, you need to try to come up with something new and original. Take the famous supernatural film from 1999 Sixth Sense. “I see dead people” was the famous line spoken by the nine-year-old main character. The film keeps everyone guessing as it takes ghost stories to a new level.
This is a fantastic film for understanding how to write an original storyline and create unique characters.
By being well-read, I know that creating something completely original will be challenging. However, by taking inspiration from existing ideas and adding my unique twist, I hope to still create some compelling and fresh story ideas. I’m going to think hard while plotting my next book to avoid the old clichés and try to create something new.
Let me know what you think. Is it an impossible task?
