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First, I'm really sick this week and barely able to type well. This is compounded by other real life problems.
Yet, I had this idea today, and I wanted to get some feedback on it. Mostly, I want to know if it seems too familiar and if it seems like an interesting story. (I don't have a lot of material ready, just the following thoughts.)
The main character goes back in time to his own, younger self. He jumps between his present life and various points in the past, both young and adult. It begins to happen after his wife (or maybe someone else) is murdered. Going back, he not only explores his life and the choices he made, but works on solving the murder. It bounces between points in the past and the present, where he is framed for her murder.
Any thoughts are welcome. (I don't have an explanation for how he does this. It just starts happening. That is one thing I'd like to work out in the story--I'd like a reason to come out eventually.)
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I think it's a pretty cool premise. It doesn't sound familiar to me. There's a lot of opportunity for deep philosophical moments and meaning of life sort of things, as well as how our childhoods affect ourselves.
I'm not sure how being back in his childhood would help solve his wife's murder, though, unless the killer were someone close to his family or someone he'd known a long time.
Also, it might be tricky to pull off as you delve into time. Can he actually change events? That might make it even harder.
quote:I'm not sure how being back in his childhood would help solve his wife's murder, though, unless the killer were someone close to his family or someone he'd known a long time.
That's what I was assuming, too.
quote:Also, it might be tricky to pull off as you delve into time. Can he actually change events? That might make it even harder.
That's the tricky part of any story involving time travel.
I'm guessing the protagonist would attempt to prevent the murder first, which would establish early the extent he can change things. It will help to have that known (to the reader and to the protagonist) early in the story.
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I read a story where a guy invented a drug that allowed him to access memory, including genetic memory. He travelled back in time and lived earlier bits of his own life, when as a child he had 'blanks' or fugue states. He also travelled back to his ancestors.
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Something to bear in mind (and why I haven't gotten serious about writing any time-travel stories yet) is that whatever he does in the past will impact the future somehow, often in ways nobody could anticipate. That leaves the field wide open for all kinds of things, both good and bad. Could be tricky to write that stuff. And if he sees himself in the past (both "ages" of him are in the same room), that could be a bad thing as well. Most time travel stories I've read make that one of the rules, that you can't be seen by yourself. Your story could be a fun puzzle to work out. Good luck with it, and I hope you feel better soon! I'm just getting over the "upper respiratory infection du jour" myself. Argh.
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While it seems somewhat similar to the movie Frequency, I think you have enough originality in you idea. It's probably something I'd be interested in reading. Let me know if you end up writing it.
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Yes, good point. I can see the similarities to the movie Frequency, now that you bring it up. Originally, I was thinking the victim would be his father--because a father could be there all along. (Sure, a wife could be too, but its trickier and harder to make convincing.) But that comparison makes me want to avoid a father-victim. There's plenty of other possibilities.
Lynda, just to clarify, my idea is not that he's physically traveling back in time. He would be in his own, younger, body. So it's only his consciousness, or awareness, that's shifting in time. He remains himself, and there is only ever one version of himself. (It does clean up some of the mess that comes with time-travel stories.) I hope I explained that well enough.
But yes, the potential to change things, good or bad, is a major factor. I plan on the protagonist being smart enough to not just jump in and try to muck up his life, but he still has motivation to do some mucking where the plot is involved. (And a 1985 investment in Microsoft stock is always a potential temptation.)
I "pitched" the idea to my wife. She said it sounds like something she'd read if it was written by a established, good author like King or Koontz. (My wife doesn't think I'm a good author? I probably shouldn't read too much into that.)
I think my primary concern is that people won't go, "Oh, it's just like (title)." My second concern is just, "Would you read it?" From the responses here, my concerns are relieved, so I think I'll start toying with the concept more and see what I come up with. I agree it will take a bit of care before it really shines, but it feels good so far. I really do appreciate the feedback from everyone so far. I'd be lost without you guys and gals.
And thanks for the well wishes, Lynda. I think we have something similar. Luckily, I'm starting to get over it now. Hope yours clears up soon too.
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I would enjoy reading this idea quite a bit. Even if it's been done before, it hasn't been done well enough or widely enough for me to think of any near examples that were also good.
What would make this work, I think, is to give him a really interesting back-story, and I cannot stress that enough. Where he is forced several times, throughout his past, to make very hard decisions. Ones that would be hard for anyone to make, and have him "regret" them, in the sense that either he wishes he could change them--or even better--he's not sure he made the right choice, and never will be. Maybe re-living them would be an opportunity to not only face those choices again, but to accept them. Sort of an inner-struggle.
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