Nathan Bransford - The Forums

I don't know how the topic came up, but last night we had a conversation about conjoined twins. And it occurred to me that that might make an interesting legal story (one twin desperately wants to be separated while the other resists due to the very real possibility of one or both of them dying as a reult of the procedure - and so a legal battle begins). Ok, so, it may have already been written. Anyway, I know it is one I couldn't write as it (in my eyes) would involve a lot of legal and medical knowledge (way too much research for my liking).

Fun thread!

The conjoined twin idea sounds really cool, but yeah, not terribly easy to accomplish. I've always wanted to write an historical romance, but since I don't particularly enjoy research, that could be a small problem. :)

Guess that novel about Cleopatra's sister is going to stay unwritten (at least by me).

Cool ideas, like the co-joined twins. That could be fascinating.

I'm with you, Smurfhead, on the historical fiction. I think it would be cool to write a story from Noah's persepective. The flood, the Ark. I don't know if it's been done, but it would be interesting.

The conjoined twin one sounds like it has hollywood all over it! But it sounds way out of my league.

One idea I've had is to rewrite the Bible. Let me be more specific - there would be a book about a guy that starts talking to God (I'm picturing it being a comedy), and God tells him the "real story" behind the Bible and asks him to re-write it correctly this time (and in English so everyone understands). The book itself would be about all the problems associated with Ghost-writing for God, being attacked by religious nutjobs, etc. However, the hook would be the companion book - the rewritten Bible. I've started this project about 7 times now, and I've never gotten very far so I figure my creativeness just isn't there.

I'd kind of like to write a sci-fi novel one day based on the concept of a group of humans going to Mars to explore, considering terraforming it, and in the course of the exploration discover fossils, etc., and realize that life actually started on Mars, but that after essentially using the resources the ancient Martians terraformed Earth and that it's essentially repeating the cycle. The thing is, I'm not sure I have it in me to write a sci-if book. I've got another idea about aliens, but that can be done more as suspense, I think. I love science, I love learning, but just the sheer amount of knowledge required to write science fiction is intimidating, IMO. Unless I was writing a Doctor Who-esque piece where I could technobabble my way out of any situation, that is. ;)

Well, this is non-fiction, but I wish someone would write a book about homeless women. The streets are much harder on women - there are fewer services, and they are frequently assaulted and targeted.

There are stories there that need to be told, and attention brought to the issue. Maybe someone has written a book about it, but I'm not aware of one....

And the title for the conjoined twins book just popped into my head. How does A PARTING GIFT sound?
And the hook... Two hearts beat as one. ?

For anyone attempting the conjoined twin story, the real life case of Abby and Brittany is a great inspiration!

Kaitlyne, I like it! The premise reminds me of a movie I saw back in my teenage days when the Sci Fi Channel did Saturday Morning Anime. It was a long time ago and I don't remember it very well but based on a Google search I think it was "E.Y.E.S of Mars". Your idea makes me want to read that novel -- and track down this movie to watch it again!

Kaitlyne wrote:I'd kind of like to write a sci-fi novel one day based on the concept of a group of humans going to Mars to explore, considering terraforming it, and in the course of the exploration discover fossils, etc., and realize that life actually started on Mars, but that after essentially using the resources the ancient Martians terraformed Earth and that it's essentially repeating the cycle.

Very cool thread. I really like the conjoined twin thing, and the bible rewrite. I recently read John Irvin's A Son of the Circus in which there was more sexual deviation than I think I have ever seen depicted in one place -- including transexuals (of varying degrees). I wonder if there is a decent way to have a piece written from the viewpoint of the close sibling at the wedding of someone who changed sexes? Maybe no more than a short story, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't get inside anyone's head enough to do this.

I'm afraid the bit about Mars has been done--I think it was the plot of the "Doom" series of video games. I could be wrong, I've always hated them.
But on the subject of video games, I've always wanted to read something--probably only a short story--from the POV of a Non-Player-Character in an old NES game. Not the princess-saving quest or anything, just day-to-day life, going out to the store to buy "RATIONS" for dinner, avoiding mindless turtles walking in circles around the grocery store, and the economic issues caused by gold coins hovering all over the place.

I've often had ideas for what I think would be great thrillers or suspense novels featuring various serial killers with some couple or couple to be trying to stop him/her. Alas, when I started thinking too much about how the killer might "pull it off", I'd freak myself out LOL I've also found that in general, romantic suspense is one of my favorite genres to read, but apparently not in my skill set to actually write.

One such one was a serial killer whose signature included the ability to get into the house, kill the victim, and leave without ever setting off the victim's security system. And he did it without hacking or disabling the systems. He would get in by stalking the victim, learning their habits, and setting up strategic cameras to see when they are going in and out of doors. When he is ready, he will carefully slip in another area right after they disabled the alarm, but before they opened the door he was going in. He'd hide in the house, waiting until they set the alarm for the night then kill them. He'd escape through some egress with no sensor, such as a really high window that people often don't "waste" the money on because no one could normally get in that way anyway. :-P

The bible thing is genius. Do it.

The conjoined twins sounds interesting but not my cup.

The Mars thing is cool but it's been done a couple times. However, most story ideas have been done in some way or another.

As for me, I shy away from anything historical, facts and such put my muse to sleep. I'm interested enough in science to do sci-fi but what I really like is fantasy because I can make it all up.

About the rewritten Bible, Linda Rios Brook is doing a series called The Reluctant Demon Diaries, about a demon that couldn't decide which side to be on during Lucifer's war in heaven, so he's in the Second Heaven (Hell) watching people through the parts in the Bible, and he's transcribing everything from his point of view. It's like a layman's Bible. It's so easy to read and hilarious.

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I love it. Each part comes out once a year. Next is the Redeemer. It says it's the final one. ; . ;

But yeah, the Bible from a demon's point of view. That's something you don't see everyday.

Oh, there are so many good ideas here. I don't even want to talk about them, but you've given me the idea for what could easily be a longish short-story, if not a series.

Thanks for the free idea! :)