(Actually now with PhD, but Doctor of Philosophy just doesn't have the same evil ring, does it?)
Sometimes (rarely) my fiction ideas pop out of my dreams, quite conveniently. A few months ago I had what I thought was a really cool dream that I might place in my idea bag and eventually write up as a story.
In the dream, TheLimey and I were just meeting each other again, but it turned out that we actually lived about 50 years apart and were in separate times. That is, I could see him, and he could see me, but we couldn't see each other's surroundings, and our acquaintances couldn't see the other person. (If you see what I mean.) So we could only meet in places that existed in both times, and so forth. We also couldn't physically touch each other.
When I woke up I began thinking of a lot of the ramifications of such a relationship, and how it could be made to work, and of course weird things like: what if whoever was born first was still alive (but old) when the other was born? If we had kids (it could work, with technology!) would they be able to see both of us, unlike others around us? And so forth.
I thought it would make a great sci-fi story of the kind that I like. And before you say Somewhere in Time, please note that we were not time-traveling, but remaining in our own times. Which is the plot difference that makes it sci-fi and not just another Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court with kissing (or trying, anyway.)
But that's all blown out of the water, as now I've seen the trailer for The Dumb Stupid Lake House Dammit. My story would just seem derivative! And worse, derivative of a Sandra Bullock movie. With, I might add, Keanu Reaves to boot. Good grief.
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9 comments:
Might I suggest The Time Traveler's Wife? I'm reading it now and it's quite interesting.
Yes, I am still interested in reading that one (it's been on my Amazon "recommended" list for over a year, and I also read some of it in the airport).
But from what I've seen it's more psychologically -- I don't know, scattered and painful? -- than I feel like reading right now.
(I know this because I've been repeatedly trying to read The History of Danish Dreams for about three months lately!)
Oh, I hadn't thought of Andrew's suggestion, but that's a good one. I was actually thinking it sounded a bit like Dead Again. Which isn't all bad, as I'd rather be derivative of Kenneth Branagh as Sandra Bullock.
Oh no no no. It's *totally* different! Dead Again is just another reincarnation story.
(Although one that I really like, so thanks for reminding me of the name. I always get distracted by my mental image of the scissors.)
When I say "just another reincarnation story", I don't mean that it's insignificant. It's a good one. I just mean that the plot of reincarnation is no surprise. It's *totally* been done.
Plus, I understand that Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt optioned "The Time Traveler's Wife." Yikes. You're better off with Sandra Bullock! Of course, rights doesn't mean they'll star in it. Especially not in the period "AJ." (After Jolie). Besides, Hollywood is miserable at good, romantic pscyhcological dramas unless Ang Lee directs.
It also reminds me of Frequency.
Yes, I'll accept Frequency as a similar premise. Come to think of it, I kinda liked that one, despite its somewhat cornballness.
Of course, I'm thinking so much smaller than all "your-guyses" suggestions... just a short story!
And yes, I would totally choose Bullock over Aniston, if it came to that.
At least she speaks German.
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