[Writing] Story Idea: The World We Know

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Dave

Dave

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Okay, "The Chronicles of the Third" is turning out to be incredibly difficult to write due to the writing style I have to use and it being too expository. So I have a new book idea I think will be easier to work on while setting aside the other for a time.

I got the idea while reading up about the rapture and things like that. The idea is: What if the Great Deceiver was not Satan but God? What if in the war between Heaven and Hell the side of righteousness does not have angels?

The story revolves around a man who is approached by the Devil to prepare for the End of the World. An atheist, he first has to reconcile to himself that God/Satan does exist, but that God has been manipulating humankind for thousands of years. There is only one God, but he has created all religions and made them as different as possible so that they caused wars, hardship, etc. Meanwhile, Satan has worked behind the scenes saving as many as possible, but is staying within the "rules" of non-intrusion, allowing humans to control their own destiny.

So what do you think? I think it'll get condemned pretty hard by all religions as it'll be very hard on Islam, Christianity, etc. Hell, I may even get a fatwa against me!
 
Dave

Dave

Staff member
Whoa. I never even read that thread! That's weird.

(For the record, you can click on the # of the post for a permalink. It takes you right to the post instead of the start of the thread. Like this.)

Think they are too similar? I'll dump mine if so.
 
drifter

drifter

Well, the concept has been done before. I can't recall the name, but I remember a dorm buddy telling me about a book covering the same ground; God is really the bad guy, and so Satan broke away and tries to save humankind. I've also read a couple aborted webcomics that do something similar.

That said, it's an interesting premise. Things like this, coming up with a satisfying conclusion is what's gonna be tough.
 
C

Chibibar

It is similar to Xanth's world where everyone goes to Hell. Now depending on you spend your life, you may live a good life in hell, turn into a demon (not really clear on that) and live forever and do whatever you like without conscious.

Or it could be like Legion where God is a tyrant (at least that is what I got) and send down angels to kill everyone hehe ;)

So let me get it straight.
So in the beginning there is God. God created all things and let people have free will. God like chaos and want people to run rampart (simplified) now I presume that Satan is actually was one of God's right hand man/woman and try to save people, but God didn't like that cause he wanted chaos and mayhem and thus create religions to REALLY muck up the process.

So when people were "selling" their soul to Satan they are actually saving themselves from the "great experiment" that God created?
 
Dave

Dave

Staff member
Apparently my friend thinks I am channeling Steven Brust. To Reign in Hell.

Hmmm.
Added at: 12:45
Chibibar said:
So let me get it straight.
So in the beginning there is God. God created all things and let people have free will. God like chaos and want people to run rampart (simplified) now I presume that Satan is actually was one of God's right hand man/woman and try to save people, but God didn't like that cause he wanted chaos and mayhem and thus create religions to REALLY muck up the process.

So when people were "selling" their soul to Satan they are actually saving themselves from the "great experiment" that God created?
Click to expand...
No. In the beginning there was void. Two beings existed - positive and negative - and together they created the universe, which is why there is duality in everything. Good/Evil, light/dark, etc.

But after they created the being of the universe, they vowed to see what these creatures would do if left to their own devises.

Basic stuff there, but the premise of God being the evil one is the main thrust. the rest is window dressing.
 
fade

fade

Staff member
Interesting link. Yeah, your idea is quite different from mine after all. In mine, the devil is still the "bad guy", it's just that the revelation is that horror-movie bad is a human construct that is to the divine what kids pushing and shoving is to a parent. Interestingly, this was going to be my nanowrimo project. If that was your goal, that could be cool. Like two takes on similar things.
 
C

Chibibar

Dave said:
Apparently my friend thinks I am channeling Steven Brust. To Reign in Hell.

Hmmm.
Added at: 12:45

No. In the beginning there was void. Two beings existed - positive and negative - and together they created the universe, which is why there is duality in everything. Good/Evil, light/dark, etc.

But after they created the being of the universe, they vowed to see what these creatures would do if left to their own devises.

Basic stuff there, but the premise of God being the evil one is the main thrust. the rest is window dressing.
Click to expand...
Why would God want to be evil? The reason I put down what I did cause it would be the "reason" God is evil :)

Does God promote the negative force? (since positive would be life)
 
Dave

Dave

Staff member
God doesn't want to be evil. He just is. Basically the guy we thought was good is the villain of the story, but he's manipulated people, texts, etc. to make the other guy look like the villain.
 
C

Chibibar

Dave said:
God doesn't want to be evil. He just is. Basically the guy we thought was good is the villain of the story, but he's manipulated people, texts, etc. to make the other guy look like the villain.
Click to expand...
So is God the one create life and everything? I guess in this case God is bored and just want entertainment? (I am just trying to figure out the premise of things) I personally don't like like to write an evil character is evil just cause. There has to be underlying reason even for omnipresence and omnipotent being.
 
Dave

Dave

Staff member
They BOTH created life & everything. That's why there's a duality to everything. Newtonian science exists because the two worked in conjunction.

In summation - God & Satan both created everything. God is just the rat bastard who fucks with us for shits and giggles. Satan is the good guy God told the world was evil.
 
Dave

Dave

Staff member
I read that book years ago. I love the part where Beelzebub is protecting Satan by stepping in front of him and yelling, "Get thee behind me, Satan!!"
 
Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

As others have said, the idea isn't new.

That said, who cares? If it's something you want to write, do it. You don't need to have a commity get behind it if it's something you're enthusiastic about. Originality comes from just writing, period, not from trying to be original. Your characters and your perception are what will make your story unique.
 
C

Chibibar

PatrThom said:
As far as God getting all the good press, who was it that said, "History is written by the winners."

--Patrick
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It is a good premise to start the story. I remember reading some "holy text" that God was mean back in the days. So being all "nice nice" today kinda sketchy :)
 
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